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Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away — and while it might lack the romance of Valentine’s Day or a special anniversary, the idea behind finding the right gift for your partner remains largely the same. You want to surprise them, delight them, and make sure your gift isn’t gathering dust in the back of a cupboard in a few months.
Sometimes, ticking all of those boxes seems almost impossible — How do you say “I love you as co-parent, but also as a person”? — but I’m on hand to help. I’ve combed the Strategist archives, perused numerous stores of note, and rummaged through my mental Rolodex of good presents to put together a list of over 60 gift ideas for almost any type of wife, who’s interested in just about any activity — from wives who are in marathon training, to wives who are building up their home cocktail bar. With budgets in mind, we’ve also organized the gifts by price, so you should find something that speaks to you.
Under $25
For the wife who puzzles
If one Cinematrix a day isn’t quite enough, your wife can tackle these not-too-challenging Times crosswords, recommended to us by literary critic Molly Young.
For the wife who eats lunch over her laptop
This electronics cleaning brush is good for getting into those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies between keys, and Strategist readers love it: It was a best seller during last November’s Black Friday sales.
For the wife who had to explain ‘everything showers’ to you
She can store everything she needs in this wash bag, which opens almost flat.
For the truly mycological wife
This teeny night light cycles between a whole rainbow of shades once plugged in, casting a soothing glow while she drifts off.
For the wife who loves to smooch
This cult-status lip mask leaves lips super-kissable (and is popular with Strategist readers and staffers alike for its plumping, hydrating effect).
For the wife who knows the difference between ceremonial grade and culinary grade matcha
For the impatient wife
If she burns herself on the toaster each morning, might she consider some toast tongs?
For the wife who hits her hydration goals
Strategist staffers adore the sippable Owala (which is why it’s on the desks of 14 of us — and counting).
And for the wife who prefers White Claw
This super-slim, super-insulated koozie will fit her spiked seltzer of choice like a glove.
For the wife with a sweet tooth
Sometimes it’s simple: Figure out which candy she loves and buy her a bucket of it.
For the wife who knows comfort is key
Myha’la Herrold told us she can’t live without these suitably fuzzy socks. They’re perfect for padding around the house (and maybe even the odd errand run).
And the wife whose vibe is more athleisure
For the wife with an ambitious Goodreads goal …
This wearable book light paired with noise-canceling headphones makes the perfect gift for the wife who snuggles up with a page-turner while you snore.
… And the wife who’s a BookTokker
Serious readers will appreciate the option to go hands-free for their nightly pages.
For the wife who spruces up her takeout
If your wife likes to spruce up a takeaway pizza, then there’s “no better duo for the job” than Zab’s hot sauce, according to our kitchen and dining writer.
For the wife who’s discovered plopping …
Wives with a wash-day routine will appreciate our beauty columnist’s beloved hair turban (it reduces drying time and strengthens hair.)
… And a hair mask to use with that towel
A suitable-for-every-texture hair mask from the brand that makes our favorite conditioner.
For the wife who says she doesn’t want anything
A set of mother-of-pearl spoons for scooping salt (or caviar) is a truly charming gift.
For the wife who hosts Sunday brunch
After testing eight, our kitchen and dining writer finally found an egg poacher that works every time — so now your wife only needs to worry about nailing her hollandaise.
For the wife who can never find her earrings
A plush velvet organizer will keep everything accounted for (even on vacation).
For the wife with a skin-care fridge
Snail mucin — yes, the slime from snails — is an ingredient your wife is sure to be eyeballing if she’s a skin-care obsessive. Non-early-bird wives will appreciate its under-eye-tackling ingredients too.
For the wife who scans the new-in section at Trader Joe’s
Green Goddess is great for chicken, salad, and eggs — but your wife already knows this.
For the wife who Bikrams
These stretchy tights from Under Armour won’t budge when she hits downwards dog.
Under $50
For the wife who writes her to-do list on a CVS receipt
A Hobonichi Techno planner can restore a sense of order for the wife with a snowballing to-do list. We should know — it’s made its rounds among a dozen Strategist staffers over the years.
For the wife who has an entire wardrobe of glasses
For the wife who rubs her glasses more than she wears them, this ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, which also cleans lenses, will have her seeing in 4K.
For the wife who loves the smell of old books
As this book nook is a build-yourself, the gift is a twofer: great for both crafty and bookish wives.
For the wife who woke you up at 6 a.m. for Eras Tour tickets
Taylor Swift hides exclusive bonus tracks on each vinyl release, so you’ll be gifting her yet another song to cry along to (a good thing).
For the wife who always measures her ingredients
Anna Jones’s brand-new cookbook has a whole year’s worth of recipes she can follow.
For the wife who likes to go full glam
Busy wives will appreciate that these extension-looking falsies last for up to five days (with no reapplication).
For the wife with Sephora VIB status
This pillowcase, which may already be on her wish list if she’s into skin care, is made of (skin-care-friendly) 100 percent mulberry silk. (And it’s so nice she’ll never know it was under $30.)
For the wife who’s over Catan
Based on cryptic clues and psychic wavelengths, this grown-up board game can be played in rounds of half an hour.
For the wife who mists
Nicole Scherzinger loves the “illuminating” effect this French face mist has on her skin.
For the wife who can’t keep a cactus alive
As well as being immortal, this LEGO centerpiece is customizable.
For the wife who has “guest” candles
This candle has 90 hours of sandalwood to burn through and a gorgeous jar at the end.
For the wife who wants to retire to Florida
Hailee Steinfeld of all people told us about these funky, stemless margarita glasses that she keeps in her home bar.
For the wife who always picks dessert over an appetizer
Her sweet treat will taste even better from these glamorous spoons designed by Miriam Mirri.
For the wife who hosts a weekly paint-and-sip
This watercolor set will keep her and her gal pals happy.
Under $100
For the wife who makes photo albums
The summer 2024 edition will be filled from cover to cover, as she can print photos straight from the camera roll with this handy Kodak printer.
For the wife whose mug collection has seen better days
A set of six colorful Le Creuset mugs is just the type of thing she’d never buy herself.
For the wife who dreams of breakfast at Tiffany’s
I can’t help but think of Audrey Hepburn when I see classic gold and pearls.
For the wife who doesn’t own sweats
This bathrobe is a unicorn: actually comfortable, but not at all frumpy. Perfect for the wife who likes to be put-together.
For the wife who never checks a bag
This pleasingly puffy Baggu nylon tote will squeeze perfectly beneath an airplane seat.
For the wife who’s a minimalist
Sleek and simple, this Swatch watch will go with anything.
For the wife with a latte habit
With three modes (hot foam, cold foam, and heated milk), the Chinya will help her to perfect her hot chocolates, matcha lattes, and frothy coffees at home.
For the wife who’s a pickler
This pickleball set is great for the wife who’s been not-so-subtly hinting she wants to get you and the kids involved.
For the wife who is weighted-blanket-curious
It’s a good option for someone looking to dip their toe into the wide world of weighted blankets. Strategist writer Lauren Ro found it to be ideal for cuddling up with on the sofa.
For the wife who thought the eclipse was a Twilight reference
Based on a recommendation from the set of Twilight, I recently tested the face packs our beauty columnist first wrote about back in 2017. Just one go left me feeling moisturized, dewy, and glowing.
For the wife who goes to bed by 9 p.m.
This silk mask is squishy and blocks light, so you can still scroll away as she drifts off.
For the wife who watches the Great British Baking Show
She’ll enjoy decanting her flour and sugar into these (food-safe) enamel spatterware canisters.
For the wife who just got Strava
Beginners will love these Nike running shoes. Actor Glenn Howerton told us they feel “just like wearing socks.”
Under $200
For the wife who has too many books
If you’re quickly running out of bookshelf space, store her entire collection inside a Kindle which can hold thousands of titles. Also great for wives who can never wait for their new read to arrive in the mail.
For the wife who never travels light
She’ll need an appropriately capacious bag to lug around her entire ecosystem. This is one of our favorites.
For the wife who wants loungewear she can Zoom in
Some actually nice loungewear for the comfy — but never frumpy — wife.
For the wife who changes into her slippers as soon as she gets home
For the wife who dreams of her own garden
Although it’s slim enough to be slotted on the kitchen counter, this Aerogarden has space for six plants.
For the wife who applied to Top Chef
We think this 15-piece knife set will prove equally as big a hit with the culinary wife as it was with our readers on Black Friday (it was one of our most clicked-on items.)
For the wife who’s training for this year’s marathon
The heated rolling spool of this foot massager can soothe her aching feet before bedtime.
For the wife who has a New York Times “Cooking” subscription
Our kitchen and dining writer, Emma Wartzman, calls the Made In skillet “truly a professional-grade piece of cookware.”
For the wife who strives for a capsule wardrobe
A classic cashmere pullover is always the right addition.
For the long-distance wife
The We-Vibe Sync can be used both during sex and as a “fantastic long-distance toy,” says sexual-health educator Archie Bongiovanni.
For the wife who’s a new grandma
We like this easy-to-use digital photo frame so much that we put it in our Strategist 100 — a list of the 100 items we most stand behind.
For the wife whose cacio e pepe is legendary
Each cooking enthusiast our kitchen writer interviewed about this pepper mill says “it’s worth every penny.”
Over $200
For the wife who insists vinyl sounds better
If she can’t walk past a record store without making a purchase, she’ll appreciate our best-in-class turntable, modeled after the iconic yet discontinued Technics 1200.
For the wife who knows the difference between a regular sponge and a Genoise
As well as cakes and cookies, she can spiralize vegetables, roll pasta, grind meat, and make frozen desserts with this mixer.
For the wife who reads The Strategist Beauty Brief
The Supersonic is beloved by celebrity stylists and beauty columnists due to its rapid drying time, low-heat settings, and quiet motor. It also has its own adoring fan base on Tiktok, so it’s probably already on her wishlist.
For the wife who dreams of a wine cellar
She can distinguish a Chardonnay from a Chablis with just one sip — this at-home wine fridge will allow plenty of space for her bottles of premier cru.
For the wife who volunteers at the Park Slope Food Co-Op
All she needs is some outdoor space and she can finally watch her herbs, plants, and produce bloom.
For the wife who can quote every line of Legally Blonde
Reintroduce the flip phone to her life with the snap-shut-able Samsung that “everybody” asks our tech writer about.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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