The Edit — Gifts
Gifts for Gen Z 2026: Cameras, Skin Care and Phone Gear
5 gifts for the 18-to-29s, ranked by rating: a speaker with 87,049 ratings, an overnight lip mask, a Kindle for time off the phone, a power bank that is also a wall plug, and a square-format instant camera.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 5 gifts here are ranked by rating, then by how many owners rated them, as How we choose describes, and grouped by what they are for: music, skin care, reading, charging and pictures. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Music, loud and waterproof
Watch for Charging faults recur
Best for A small skin-care gift
Watch for Visible results split owners
Best for Reading without notifications
Watch for Phone-only readers
Best for One charger for a trip
Watch for Thick for a pocket
Best for Pictures to pin up
Watch for Film costs add up
Gen Z means anyone born from 1997, so this list starts at 18
Pew Research Center counts everyone born from 1997 onward as Gen Z, which puts the oldest at 29 in 2026. This page covers the adult end, roughly 18 to 29. For the under-18s, gifts for teens has its own list.
The JBL Flip 5 is the loud, waterproof music gift
The JBL Flip 5 rates 4.8 across 87,049 ratings, an unusual depth of owner reports for a speaker. Owners praise the waterproofing, the bass, the volume, the compact size and the value. The recurring complaint is charging trouble, so it suits someone who will use it hard now more than someone hoping it lasts a decade. Portable Bluetooth speakers compared has smaller and newer JBLs.
JBL Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
A waterproof, bottle-shaped speaker owners praise for bass, volume and value.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Water | Waterproof, per the listing |
|---|---|
| Size | Mid-size, bottle-shaped |
Owners praise the waterproofing, bass, volume and value. Charging problems are the recurring complaint.
Buy it if
- Someone who plays music in a shared flat, at the beach or in the shower
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who needs it to charge reliably for years, as charging complaints recur
LANEIGE’s lip mask is the small skin-care gift
Skin care is one of the gift categories Wirecutter leans on for this age group, and an overnight lip mask is the low-risk version of it. The LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask rates 4.6 across 37,629 ratings. Owners praise how moisturising it is and its silky feel; they split on the price and on how visible the effect is.
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask
An overnight lip mask owners call moisturising and silky.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Overnight lip mask |
|---|
Owners like the moisture and the silky feel. Opinions split on price and on visible results.
Buy it if
- A stocking filler or add-on for someone into skin care
Don't buy it if
- Anyone expecting a visible change, as results split owners
A Kindle is the digital-detox gift that still gets used
A gift that pulls someone off the phone has to be as easy as the phone, and an e-reader with no social feeds comes close. The Kindle Paperwhite has a 7-inch glare-free screen and 16GB, and rates 4.6 across 23,504 ratings. Owners praise the long battery life, the comfort in the hand, the speed and the portability. The 2026 Kindle line-up explains the other models.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB
A 7-inch glare-free e-reader owners praise for battery life and comfort.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Screen | 7-inch glare-free |
|---|---|
| Storage | 16GB |
Owners praise the battery life, the comfortable grip and the speed. It suits a reader, not someone who reads only on a phone.
Buy it if
- A reader who wants to read without notifications
Don't buy it if
- Someone who reads only on a phone and will not switch
Anker’s Nano 3-in-1 replaces a power bank and a wall plug
Phone accessories are the safest gift for a generation that lives on the phone, and a charger that does 2 jobs earns its place in a bag. The Anker Nano 3-in-1 is a 10,000mAh power bank with a foldable US wall plug, at about 8.82 oz, and rates 4.6 across 3,115 ratings. Anker lists 1.97 charges for an iPhone 15 Pro. Owners praise the built-in plug and cable and its size for long trips. Anker’s power banks profiled compares it with 3 siblings.
Anker Nano 3-in-1 Power Bank, 10,000mAh 30W, Foldable Plug
A 10,000mAh power bank with a foldable US wall plug, so one device does both jobs.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Capacity | 10,000mAh (37 Wh) |
|---|---|
| Adds | Foldable US wall plug |
| Weight | About 8.82 oz |
Owners praise the built-in plug and cable and the size for long trips. It is thicker than a flat bank.
Buy it if
- A commuter or traveller who wants one charger, not two
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants the flattest shape for a pocket
The Instax Square SQ1 prints pictures in the phone’s own shape
A camera that prints is the opposite of a camera roll: one shot, one picture, nothing to scroll. The Instax Square SQ1 prints 62 x 62 mm square pictures on Instax Square film and runs on 2 CR2 lithium batteries, about 300 shots. It rates 4.5 across 2,538 ratings, and owners receive the square format and the camera well, with no recurring complaint. Square film costs more per shot than Mini; instant cameras compared has the cheaper Mini models.
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 Instant Camera
An instant camera that prints 62 x 62 mm square pictures.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Film | Instax Square, 62 × 62 mm picture |
|---|---|
| Power | 2 CR2 lithium batteries, about 300 shots |
Owners like the square format and the camera overall. No recurring complaint stands out. Budget for film.
Buy it if
- Someone who frames pictures like a phone grid
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants the cheapest film per shot
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Best for music
JBL Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker