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Our favorite Graduation gifts: Deals, forever keepsakes, and useful adulting gadgets from $29

It’s that time of year where Dads and Grads are on the top of the list and we are taking a look at some gift options and deals for the folks moving into the next phase of life after years of hard work. We have partnered with Best Buy to promote Beats headphones at up to $190 off, or perhaps a proper watch that will last them forever, some handy gadgets and tools all adults need, some must-have travel accessories with iPhone tracking, or some upgrades for the first day at the office are all on tap this year.

A collage of a pair of headphones

Beats headphones and earbuds

Let’s start with a fresh set of Beats headphones or earbuds to rewards years of hard work a dedication with something fun, fashionable, and useful. This month also happens to be delivering a series of notable discounts on a range of Beats releases with as much as $190 off the over-ear Studio Pro headphones and discounts on just about all of the brand’s latest earbuds releases. 

For those looking to save even more, or perhaps grab a set of Beats for the lowest possible price to add-on to a gift you may already have purchased or have in mind, we recommend exploring some of the Best Buy open-box listings as well. You can find “excellent” condition open-box units for just about all of these models for even less than the already discounted prices on the new condition units. 

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A collage of different watches

A forever watch

I guess the whole watch gift for graduation is sort of expected and played out at this point, but I happen to still think it is easily one of the best option. In fact, I think it’s still one of the best options for marking any major moment in life – marriage, having a baby, graduating, a new job, closing a big deal at work, moving to a new city, and about a million other things. It could be, but it doesn’t need to be some wildly expensive Rolex or AP, but a solid Swiss or Japanese-made timepiece can last a lifetime, and it doesn’t need to cost thousands of dollars either. Tudor and Omega are great “entry luxury brands,” but you can spend even less on a Swiss-made Longines, and something from Tissot or Seiko can get you into the last a lifetime territory for dramatically less cash, and especially so if you stick to a timeless design. Over at Jomashop you can find some solid deals on brand name stuff and there are some notable, less pricey picks that are hard to go wrong with on Amazon as well.

  • Tissot PRX from $400
  • SEIKO Prospex Automatic from $446
  • SEIKO SSC947 Prospex Speedtimer $600
  • Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical $675
  • Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Automatic $995
  • Longines Master Collection 42mm Automatic $2,650
  • Longines Spirit Zulu TIME Automatic $3,550
Burton Goods Slim Leather Laptop Briefcase-01 copy

Leather laptop brief

Is your grad about to start a new job? Something like the gorgeous Burton Goods Slim Leather Laptop Briefcase delivers a timeless, classic, and truly elegant carrier to get to and from the office in style. This is the sort of leather accessory investment that go the distance too – developing a groups patina over time, never going out of style, and something that looks great with just about any outfit. 

Just remember, you can use code 9to520 at checkout to knock 20% off right now as well. 

A close up of a credit card

Wallet tracking card

Whether they are heading of to college, or a new job, or whatever it may be, the gift of peace of mind can go a long way and not many things have provided me more of that than a Find My Tracking Card. Nomad makes my personal favorite option you can slide in your wallet to track it down if ever you misplace it. Wireless charging, a compact and attractive design, and you can land one from $29 for both iPhone and Android users. 

Nomad leather Passport Wallet

Passport holder wallet

If you’re grad is off jet-setting to a new home, job, or just for some well-deserved vacay time, a new passport wallet can seriously come in handy right now, and for years to come if you score a good one. Whether’s it’s Nomad full-grain leather solution that will last something very close to a lifetime, or one of our favorite models that also features Find My tracking in case it gets misplaced, I never travel without one:

  • Satechi Passport Holder with Find My $60
  • Bellroy Leather Passport Cover $99
  • Nomad Leather Passport Wallet with Pen $125
A group of tools in a case

Home Tool Kit

If they are finally moving out, into a place of their own, somewhere with some roomies, or otherwise, one of the most handy bits of kit I had around the house/condo was one of those all-in-one tool kits. Perhaps they are not quite ready for all of the battery-powered power tools they will likely need at some point, but one of those all-in-one sets with the screwdrivers, wrenches, hex keys, a hammer, some clamps, and the tape measure you never thought you needed at graduation age is pretty close to a must-have if you ask me. I mean, I feel like everyone needs a battery-powered drill, but these kits are a great start.  

  • Anvil 76-piece Homeowners Tool Kit $45
  • Stanley 65-piece Home Tool Kit $56
  • BLACK+DECKER 83-piece Home Tool Kit with drill $125
A black power strip with multiple outlets

Power Strips

A couple of power strips with some surge protection can go a long way when heading off to the dorm or away for school, and especially when you’re moving into a new place. You almost can’t have enough of these and there are plenty of options out there from metal mountable models through to quick and easy models with flat plugs you tuck away behind furniture. Perhaps not the most exciting of gifts, but a great way to supplement something else with a particularly  useful piece of kit everyone needs. The Anker and Belkin models have relatively affordable and reliable options for me. 

  • Anker 10-Port Surge Protector Power Strip $25
  • Anker 15-Port Surge Protector Power Strip $29
  • Belkin 12-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip $29

And Even More

You can go wrong with some Amazon gift cards so they can get whatever they might need for the next chapter in life from $25, and here are some notable discounts on popular gear to scope out for some additional ideas you can land on sale:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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Avatar for Justin Kahn Justin Kahn

Justin is a senior deal Jedi over at 9to5Toys where he heads up our game/app coverage and more. He also covers all things music for 9to5Mac, including the weekly Logic Pros series exploring music production on Mac and iOS devices


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