Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions out there, but it can also be very demanding. A thoughtful gift can be a great way to show the educator in your life that you appreciate the long hours and endless patience they provide each day in the classroom.
Whether you’re shopping for gifts for your own teacher, your child’s or a loved one in the field, these highly rated products are both practical and personal.
Our top picks
- Best self-care gift: Slip Silk Eye Mask
- Best practical gift: Blue Dragon Stationery Set
- Best gift for the classroom: Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
- Best gift for crafty teachers: Cricut Joy
Related
Best gifts for teachers in 2023
The items in this list are practical or personalized gifts that will delight your teacher by helping them enhance their students’ experience or their own hours in the classroom. Every item is highly rated and based on previous expert recommendations, Select reader favorites and staff picks (some of whom used to be teachers).
La Chatelaine Hand Cream Trio Tin Gift Set
This set can fit right in a teacher’s desk drawer. The ultra-rich formula contains shea butter, vitamin A and argan oil to deeply moisturize, according to the brand. This set comes with three different scents: Cinnamon Orange, Gardenia and Rose Acacia. Plus, the tin can be used to house odds and ends, like rubber bands, pencils or other school supplies. This hand cream trio has 4.7 stars on Amazon from over 3,000 reviews.
Ultimate Aromatherapy Diffuser & Essential Oil Set
This highly rated diffuser — which has a 4.5-star average from more than 58,700 reviews on Amazon — can help fill any classroom with peaceful, invigorating or refreshing scents. The diffuser has seven ambient light modes and comes with 10 different essential oils that can all evoke different feelings, according to the brand.
Blue Dragon Stationery Set
An elegant stationery set can turn a simple note into a work of art This set includes 30 sheets of ivory paper that are flecked with gold foil and have blue and amethyst dragonflies printed on them. There are also 24 matching envelopes, with dragonflies printed on the back. The set, which has 4.8 stars from over 1,200 reviews, comes packed in a tasteful gift box, making it great for gift-giving.
Slip Silk Eye Mask
Give the gift of rest with this luxurious eye mask from Slip, which we featured in our guide to the best sleep masks. Made of pure silk, it’s gentle on the delicate skin around the eyes and has a silk-covered band that won’t tug at hair, according to the brand. It comes in more than 25 shades, so you can pick the hue that most reminds you of your favorite teacher.
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw
Your favorite teacher can drape this cozy throw blanket over themselves when the classroom gets cold or snuggle up with it at home after a long day. The fabric is soft and won’t shrink when washed, according to the brand. As a bonus, the blanket, which has a 4.6-star average rating from over 500 reviews at Nordstrom, comes wrapped in a silky ribbon.
Tea Forté Petite Presentation Box Tea-Tasting Assortment
If you know your teacher loves tea, a sampler set like this one from Tea Forté is worth considering, especially since tea can help boost mental and physical health, experts previously told us. This assorted collection includes 10 popular tea blends like Earl Grey, Chamomile Citron and Ginger Lemongrass, with aromatic fruits, spices and herbs. Select’s updates editor Mili Godio gifted this set to her mom, who teaches elementary school students, and says she loves the taste of the teas, as well as the fun triangular shape of the tea bags.
Levoit LV-H132 Air Purifier
One of our favorite air purifiers, the Levoit LV-H132 is portable enough to fit comfortably on a teacher’s desk and filters out dust and allergens in the classroom using its three-stage filtration system, according to the brand. The air purifier circulates the air in the room more than four times an hour and automatically reminds you when it’s time to replace your filter.
Merokeety Fuzzy Oversized Cardigan
This sherpa-like cardigan — which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 2,000 reviews on Amazon — is light enough for year-round wear, according to the brand, and has pockets to hold small teacher essentials, like tissues, hand sanitizer and pencils. The cardigan comes in over 20 colors and is available in sizes ranging from small to XXL.
Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
A Teachers Pay Teachers gift card allows your favorite educator to redeem valuable resources created by other teachers for use in the classroom, which can serve as a huge time saver. The online platform is jam-packed with more than 5 million pieces of educator-created content, 85% of which is curated from elementary school, middle school and high school teachers. It’s also a great resource for tutors, early learning specialists, speech language pathologists and school administrators.
Capri Blue Volcano Candle
This 19-ounce candle is naturally scented with a mix of tropical fruit and sugared citrus. Made of a soy-wax blend, the Capri Blue burns for up to 85 hours, according to the brand. Godio, who formerly taught middle school students, has several Capri Blue Volcano candles in her home, and used them to relax and unwind after long days at school.
Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer
This Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer will keep your teacher’s drink warm for hours. It has an on/off switch with an indicator light to let you know when it’s ready for use, and it comes with an extended cord for portability around the classroom. Former Select writer Gabriella DePinho says the mug warmer is one of her favorite gifts to give since it’s affordable and works great for avid coffee lovers. If you’re looking for a more high-tech option, the Ember Mug automatically heats up your drink to your desired temperature using the Ember app (and it’s one of Godio’s favorite coffee accessories).
Hydro Flask Water Bottle
One of our favorite reusable water bottles, the Hydro Flask is constructed with insulated stainless steel and offered in 11 fun colors and patterns to suit your teacher’s personal style.. The bottles come in four sizes —20 ounces, 32 ounces, 40 ounces and 64 ounces — and can keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours and drinks hot for 12, according to the brand. For a more personalized touch, you can also customize it with your teacher’s name.
Personalized Teacher Tumbler
If your favorite teacher is a coffee or tea lover, they would likely enjoy this personalized 18-ounce tumbler. You can add their name in a bold cursive, choose from several bright color combinations and add teacher-friendly designs like a pencil, apple or paint palette. It has 4.8 stars from over 25,000 reviews on Etsy.
Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon’s latest version of the Kindle Paperwhite has a larger screen (6.8 inches compared to 6 inches for the previous version), a dark mode and up to 10 weeks of battery life.n. Select’s tech contributor Whitson Gordon previously wrote that the Select reader-favorite Kindle is a “digital must-have” for bibliophiles.
Bloomscape Pothos Collection
With quick-growing vines that can reach over 10 feet, the Pothos is an expert-recommended low-maintenance indoor plant that can serve as an attractive piece of decor — it prefers medium to bright indirect light, so it can thrive in almost any type of indoor space, including a classroom with windows. Bloomscape's Pothos Collection contains three variations—the Pearls and Jade, Marble Queen and Golden Pothos, all of which have their own striking leaf pattern. You can choose between white, taupe or black planters. You can also purchase a Pothos plant from major retailers like Amazon or explore other low-maintenance plant options, like the Philodendron.
Jerry & Maggie Desktop Organizer Free Rotation Display Shelf
Teachers’ desks are often overrun with papers, stationery and supplies. Organizational tools like these storage racks from Jerry & Maggie can help reduce the clutter. They can be stacked, adjusted and rotated to customize their workspace. Made from natural wood, the two included racks have five separate units and flat surfaces to store everything from books and mail to pencil holders and Post-it Notes. These storage racks have 4.3 stars from more than 10,000 reviews on Amazon.
Mount Lai The Amethyst Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool
Godio is also a fan of this gua sha tool from Mount Lai, which is one of our favorite AAPI-owned businesses, due to its ability to relieve muscle tension and reduce facial puffiness — she uses it during her morning skin care routine in combination with her favorite hydrating serum. Made of crystal amethyst, the tool has different edges for gliding across larger and smaller areas of the face, and it can be kept in the fridge to cool and energize your favorite teacher’s skin in the morning before school.
BulletKeeper The Perfect Planner by BK
One of our favorite planners for productivity, this option from BulletKeeper comes in seven colors and helps teachers effectively manage their busy schedules. It comes undated, which means your teacher can tailor the 12 monthly spreads to their school’s academic year. There are five weekly pages between each monthly calendar, and the end of the notebook has 68 blank pages for jotting down notes, reminders and more.
Vintage Candy Co. Chocolate Lovers Gift Basket
Whether it’s a holiday, birthday or Teacher Appreciation Week, third-grade teacher Quinn says she is always excited to receive a box of chocolates from her students. This Vintage Candy Co. gift basket, a Select-editor favorite for chocolate lovers, comes with 21 classic candy bars, including Reese’s, Kit-Kats, Snickers and more. Popular brands like Godiva, Ghirardelli and Ferrero Rocher also offer assorted boxes to brighten your teacher’s day.
Personalized Teacher Thank You Card
Thank-you cards are a sweet and simple way to show a teacher you care. Popular retailers like Hallmark and Shutterfly offer unique and customizable card options for every type of teacher. This one from Etsy, for example, lets you choose between a blank card or one with a personalized message in handwritten script typeface. It is printed on premium textured cardstock and comes with an envelope and a white wax seal. It has 4.8 stars from more than 88,000 reviews on Etsy.
L.L.Bean Wicked Good Moccasins
These slippers from Select-reader favorite brand L.L.Bean can offer relief to teachers who spend the majority of their day on their feet. Available in both women’s and men’s sizes and in multiple colors, the Wicked Good Moccasins are soft and durable and include a warm shearling lining that draws moisture away from the feet, according to the brand.
Keurig K-Supreme Plus Smart Single-Serve Coffee Maker
It’s the rare educator who doesn’t appreciate a little boost to get started in the morning. Keurig’s Wi-Fi connected brewer automatically detects K-Cup pods and adjusts brew settings like temperature and strength to craft their ideal cup of coffee. The K-Supreme Plus Smart also lets coffee lovers personalize their drink with five cup sizes, five strength settings and six temperature settings, and it can be programmed to automatically brew at a specific time. When your favorite teacher settles on a setting they like, they can also name and favorite it. The Keurig Supreme Plus has a 4.3-star average rating from over 2,000 reviews on Amazon.
Scotch Thermal Laminator Combo Pack
Teachers love to use laminators to ensure their labels, papers and bulletin board decorations stay intact over the years. This laminator, which has 4.6 stars from nearly 6,000 reviews on Amazon, includes a carry handle for portability and can laminate items up to 9 inches wide. The combo pack also comes with 20 letter-size laminating pouches.
Felix Gray Nash Sleep Glasses
Whether they’re inputting grades or creating lesson plans, teachers often spend late hours in front of a computer screen. The light from screens can hinder sleep, but blue light lenses can mitigate the effect, as we explained in our guide to blue light glasses. Felix Gray’s sleep glasses come in over a dozen frame styles and feature slightly yellow-tinted lenses that filter the range of blue light that impacts melatonin secretion, according to the brand. The lenses also provide UVA and UVB protection and have an anti-reflective and anti-glare coating.
Dagne Dover Dakota Neoprene Backpack
This backpack from Dagne Dover can help your favorite teacher carry around papers, stationery and other supplies — since it’s on the pricier side, it can also make a great group-gift option The Neoprene Backpack is water-resistant, shock-absorbent and can double as a useful travel backpack. It’s available in three sizes (small, medium and large) and comes in several colors, including Onyx, Heather Grey and Dark Moss. It has a 5-star average rating5 stars from over 2,900 reviews on the brand’s website.
Trodat Printy 4913 Custom Self-Inking Teacher Stamp
If your teacher has a robust library in her classroom, this customizable stamp can help them identify which books are theirs (and ensure they make their way back to the classroom). You can also choose from a multitude of other stamp options, such as “Proud of You,” Please Sign and Return” and more. You can customize these stamps with your teacher’s name and your choice of ink color. It’s also self-inking, so you don't have to worry about getting them a separate ink pad. It has 4.8 stars from over 500 reviews on the brand’s website.
Wahl Deep Tissue Therapeutic Massager
After spending hours on their feet, your teacher deserves an easy at-home massage to ease some muscle tension. This massager from Wahl, an expert-recommended budget-friendly massage gun, comes with four attachment heads and a 9-foot power cable to help them move around freely. It has two speeds and two vibration settings, which experts told us can be powerful enough for smaller regions of the body like the calves and forearms.
Cricut Joy
If crafting is your teacher’s go-to hobby, a Cricut Joy can help them have fun with some new projects both in and out of the classroom. This smart cutting and writing machine, which has a 4.7-star average rating from nearly 11,000 reviews on Amazon, can customize everyday products, from water bottles to personalized cards. The device can draw a variety of shapes, write in multiple fonts and cut over 50 materials, including vinyl, paper and cardstock. They can also control the Cricut Joy from your phone using the Design Space app. If your teacher already has a Cricut Joy, you can gift them additional device accessories instead.
Why trust Select?
Barbara Booth has written a number of gift guides, as well as roundups listing bestselling and highly rated products, including best organizational products, best car accessories, best travel accessories and more. For this piece, Barbara interviewed one educator and researched dozens of top-rated items that aligned with expert guidance.
Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
