The 10 Best 15 Year Old Boy Gifts
Special Honors
Xbox Series X With newly designed airflow channels and an effective heat sink, this model should be able to handle the demands of its most power hungry games without failing. It boasts an octa-core processor that clock at 3.8GHz, as well as 16GB of GDDR6 RAM with true 4K gaming and surround sound capabilities up to 7.1 channels. Of course, that much high-quality hardware comes at a price that might be hard for some parents to swallow. xbox.com
Editor's Notes
October 27, 2020:
A few items included on our previous list have seen upgrades, like the GoPro Hero9, which has added two notable features since its last iteration. It now features 5K video, allowing users to crop in on their shots and maintain 4K resolution. It also has a screen situated on the front of its body — something seen on some competitors' action cameras — which allows users to more easily frame up selfies and live streams.
We also updated our console selection to the Xbox Series X, which is available for preorder at the time of this writing. The PS5 will ultimately be a good offering, as well, but the likelihood is that whichever brand the boy in question is used to using will be the one he sticks with. But for those few souls who don't already own a gaming system, Microsoft's Bethesda exclusivity announcement was enough to tip the scales toward Xbox for us.
November 08, 2019:
Teenagers can be tough customers, especially when it comes to pleasing them with a present. No parent wants their child to deflate right after opening the gift they thought would really wow them. Some parents are lucky enough to have kids with very well-defined interests that require a lot of accessories, making purchases a little easier. For the rest of us, it's a shot in the dark.
In compiling this list, we wanted to include some of the typical things that teens are more or less guaranteed to like, like the GoPro Hero8 and the PlayStation 4 Slim, but we also wanted to find some surprises that might last a bit longer than electronics that get updated every few years.
That's why you'll find things like the Epiphone Les Paul Starter Pack and the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical on this list. Both items are made by well-respected companies with decades of experience (more than a century in the case of Hamilton), and they offer introductions into two lifelong pursuits — guitar playing and watch collecting — both of which can be extremely rewarding.
What Your 15-Year-Old Is Going Through
Around this time, teens are taking advanced math and science courses.
Fifteen is an age when many teens start flexing their independence and consider leaving the nest for the first time. So this is a great age to help prepare them for the new autonomy they'll receive in a few years, as well as prepare both their minds and their resumes for college applications. Consider gifts that will force your teen to think critically, and perhaps learn a skill they won't learn in a regular high school class. Things that teach a teen about computer programming or electronic engineering are perfect for the kid who might go to an information technology college.
Around this time, teens are taking advanced math and science courses. Engaging them in activities and games at home that help them develop their math and science skills could increase their chances of thriving in these courses. Because teens of this age are trying to assert their independence, they usually become very devoted to talking to their friends (rather than their family). That means they spend a lot of time on their phones and computers, rather than outdoors. Childhood outdoor games won't engage them the way they used to. Look for more modern, technologically intriguing items like electric skateboards. These provide exercise, and a form of transportation, helping your teen feel more independent.
If you're not yet ready to give your teenager their own full-size laptop, giving them a student-ready tablet is a smart way to teach them responsibility with gadgets. Finally, since 15-year-olds tend to pull away from their family, give them a gift that encourages family time, like classic board games with a modern theme.
Adapting To Your Teen's Schedule
Fifteen is a busy age. Most high schools today begin preparing teens for college around this age, so your 15-year-old might be attending a pre-school tutoring session and after-school activities, in addition to having extra homework. Between worrying about chemistry tests, before and after-school activities, and keeping up with their social group, it can be difficult for them to get enough sleep. Any item that can help your teen sleep, like a good sound machine or noise-cancelling headphones, is a useful gift.
Because you allow your teen to go out without you now, you'll want to set a curfew.
Around this age, your teen is going to ask you to drop them off at the mall, or wherever the local hang out is. Once teens start spending time out of the house, away from you, they start talking about and even experimenting with things like dating and drinking. Teens mostly talk to their peers about these issues, but their peers can be as clueless as they are. Keeping the lines of communication open is especially important right now. Doing something relaxing with your teen, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, can be a nice way to spend several hours together and let the conversation flow naturally. This gives your teen a chance to bring up anything on their mind, without feeling pressured to talk.
Because you allow your teen to go out without you now, you'll want to set a curfew. Your teen, however, will want to argue about that curfew. One of the top excuses teens use for missing curfew is being held up by something, and not being able to call because their cell phone was dead. Make sure your teen never has the dead cell phone excuse, and send them out with a wireless charger.
Gift Giving Tips For 15-Year-Old Boys
The teen years make up a very awkward stage for boys. There are a few things that all parents of teenage boys can relate to. First, their boys are messy. This is an age when they're full of energy and distracted by thoughts of girls, sports, and homework. That results in them leaving their shoes, sweatshirts, and dirty snack plates absolutely everywhere. Don't give a 15-year-old boy a gift that comes with lots of parts and pieces because he will leave them scattered everywhere.
This one can be hard to hear for parents but, studies have found the empathy levels drop in boys ages 13 to 16. Don't worry; it's only a phase. But, it's important to monitor the types of video games teenage boys play. Many of the most popular ones are strewn with meaningless and impulsive acts of violence. This is not something you want your 15-year-old boy exposed to right now, at a time when he isn't ready to properly analyze this violence.
Finally, boys at this age are working very hard to assert their own, unique identity. So give them gifts that let them explore that, like musical instruments, animation programs for the computer, or art sets. This is not the time to give them a family photo tree because they're trying to discover who they are outside of the family.