13 Gifts for the Best Mom You Know

This mini tote bag is, in my opinion, the perfect size. It fits a wide range of things without being big and bulky. It fits not one, not two, but three water bottles without becoming unwieldy or tipping over. I love using it on outings with my family to load up my husbands and my Owalas and my kiddo's mini Owala all in one spot while still having room for my lip balms, sanitizing spray, and headphones. The nice long straps make it comfy to wear, and it does an impressive job of being a spacious bag without being a pain to carry.

If she already has an e-reader and that happens to be a Kindle, rather than getting her another gift card to order her next book, make that Kindle easier to hold. PopSockets has a collection of Kindle cases with a MagSafe adapter built in, letting you easily attach a magnetic PopSocket grip to make the Kindle easier to hold. It's a great gift for any Kindle user. There are several designs, and my personal favorite, the adorable dragon-adorned “Curled Up With a Good Book,” is available in both the case and grip, so you can gift Mom a matching set.

If Mom takes more photos than she could ever enjoy, get her an Aura frame she can watch them on whenever she likes. The Aura app makes it easy to quickly upload photos from your camera roll or Google Photos, and it'll let her know if she's already uploaded that photo, too. Aura makes several digital photo frames, but the newest frame, the 12-inch Aura Aspen, is a great size for most rooms. It takes everything I liked about the supersize Walden frame and shrinks it to a more manageable size.

If the mom in your life is anything like me, then she often spends the whole day out and about with the family. (Or on her own!) Finding a good tote bag to stash a day’s worth of gear can be tricky, but Yardsale’s Day Bag has become my favorite for this. It's great for everything, from a trip to the zoo, where we have to pack towels for the water-play and sweaters for when the sun goes down, to days where I take multiple classes at my aerial studio and need a bag that can handle a couple yoga blocks, a stability ball, and my ankle weights, plus some outfit changes. It's waterproof, so I feel safe bringing it to the splash pad and throwing multiple water bottles into it, and the drawstring top keeps it from feeling overly bulbous even after I've stuffed way too much inside. Plus, the butter-yellow shade is actually a nice, soft yellow, and it comes in a few other nice colors too.

If she loves a good blowout, I can't recommend the Drybar Double Shot enough. Every time I use this blow-dry brush to dry my hair, I get the most compliments—my friends can tell when I use the Drybar compared to other blow-dry brushes that leave me a little frizzier. It's powerful and lightweight and has three heat levels (cool, low, and high) that you control on the base of the brush, and it's the top pick in our new guide to the best blow-dry brushes.

If you're looking for a cheaper option, I've been really impressed by the new Chi Volume Styler ($90), which has a hot comb side to it that helps eliminate frizz. I'm still in the early stages of testing, but so far, I'm pretty impressed, and it's a great price.

Or, perhaps, the mom who wants to be stretchy, especially if she’s battling achy knees and joints in yoga class. The Stakt Mat is a stacking mat (thus the name!) that folds up easily to create more support where you need it, and it’s easy to clean the mat up after class. I love double-folding for extra knee support in flexibility class, but the mat feels like an extra-firm yoga block, keeping the feeling of the hard floor away from my sensitive knees, even if I don't fold the mat over. It's an impressive twist on a yoga mat, and everyone who sees me use it wants one for themselves, moms or not. Healthy knees are for everyone!

Look, I know I said not to get her anything chore-related. But if she tends to have several to-do lists she's managing at once, then she needs the Roterunner Purpose Planner. This paper planner has a weekly spread with multiple separate and pre-labeled to-do list areas, including work, home, and personal projects, and stuff to buy, plus smaller checklists for each day and plenty of space to write in her daily schedule. There are similar checklists on the monthly spread for her to list out her bigger to-dos for that month. I love the larger B5 size to have plenty of space for everything in one place.

I originally tested this water bottle bag as a travel accessory, but I liked it so much that I now use it as my everyday purse. At least once a week, someone compliments me on it and asks where it’s from. The strap is wide, so it’s reasonably comfortable to wear as a cross-body; it comes in seemingly endless colors, fabrics, and styles—including a new clear version for stadiums and one with a detachable pickleball racquet holder—and it stands up on its own. The purse part doesn’t carry much; there's just enough room for cards, a phone, and keys, but this helps cut down on weight and bulk. Once you’ve gotten used to carrying your water bottle everywhere you go, you won’t ever go back. (It will hold any water bottle 3.5 inches or less in diameter.) In fact, this would specifically make a great gift for a mom who has just exited the diaper-bag stage and is ready to lighten her load. —Kat Merck

I'm not the only mom—or parent, or adult—who loves a good cup of tea. This stylish electric kettle comes in a range of eye-catching colors, and even at its affordable price it packs all the features we like to see. It has an insulated, double-walled body (to keep you from accidentally burning yourself), four preset programs for various teas, auto shutoff, and a “keep warm” mode. It's a beautiful upgrade for any mom's tea routine.

If your mom or mom-friend laments that she'd like to be on her phone less but doesn't want to miss out on any photo moments, then the adorable Camp Snap is the perfect solution. This fun digital camera takes digital photos that feel straight out of the early 2000s, allowing her to go phone-free without missing a chance to take a photo. The Camp Snap comes in a ton of cute colors and can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card. It comes with an included USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer, but it has no screen on the device itself, so she gets to take her photos without getting distracted by double-checking the results. Plus, some colors can ship immediately, making it a great last-minute gift.

I love Birthdate Co.’s candles so much that I got one for each of my friends. Each one has a custom scent designed for that day of the year and includes various birth-date knowledge on the label, including astrology details, which makes for a great personalized gift. You can gift her her own birthday or a child’s birthday (or both!) so she can commemorate two of the most important days of her life and geek out on the fun information the candle has for that day of the year.