The best graduation gifts in 2024: From the latest tech to memorable presents they'll cherish for a lifetime

Graduation season is upon us, and if you have a loved one who's graduating from high school, college or earning an advanced degree, you'll want to reward and congratulate them with something they'll absolutely love, be able to use right away, and potentially cherish for many years to come. 

• Best headphones for recent graduates: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• Best Class of 2024 teddy bear for graduates: Build-A-Bear Happy Hugs teddy bear graduation gift set
• Best custom diploma frame: Art To Frames diploma frames
• Best Apple MacBook Air for a grad: 2024 13" Apple MacBook Air with M3 processor
• Best Android tablet for a grad: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
• Best overnight luggage for a recent graduate: Solgaard medium Check-In Closet Lite
• Best smart coffee machine for a recent graduate: Keurig K-Supereme Plus smart coffee maker
• Best full-color e-reader for a recent grad: Rakuten Kobo Libra Colour
• Best hammock for a recent graduate: Yellow Leaf Vista
• Best travel gift card for recent graduates: Southwest Airlines gift card ($25 to $500)
• Best luxury pen for recent grads: Montblanc Starwalker ballpoint pen
• Best necklace set for recent grads: Pandora graduation dangle charm necklace set

Our team of in-house tech and shopping experts have come together (with the help of recommendations of soon-to-be graduates) to curate this roundup of the 12 best graduation gifts for the class of 2024. Our team has also compiled roundups of the best headphones for grads, best gifts for high school grads, best gift ideas for college grads, best laptops for high school grads and best Apple iPads for college students.

The best gift ideas for grads in 2024

This roundup includes graduation gift ideals in all price ranges, so you'll be able to find something that's absolutely perfect for the person you're shopping for.

Best headphones for grads: Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones

As your favorite grad prepares for the next phase in their life, it'll no doubt take them to places where there's a lot of ambient noise. With these QuietComfort Ultra headphones, they can drown out the chaotic world around them and focus on a specific task, or truly enjoy whatever audio they listen to. 

These headphones do a great job playing audio from television shows and movies, audiobooks and podcasts. They're also ideal for hands-free phone calls, video calls and virtual meetings. 

What we love about these headphones is their cutting-edge noise cancellation technology that's combined with spatial audio. As a result, whatever the person wearing them is listening to, it's sound clear and immersive. 

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones make a great gift for high school graduates who will soon be experiencing long nights of studying in college or college grads who wills soon be working a busy office setting.

Best Class of 2024 teddy bear for grads: Build-A-Bear Happy Hugs teddy bear graduation gift set

If you're unable to make it to someone's graduation celebration, or you want to show someone how proud you are of their accomplishments in a whimsical way, the folks at Build-A-Bear offer a selection of adorably-themed teddy bears you can order and have shipped quickly.

The Happy Hugs teddy bear graduation gift set includes the company's 16-inch, ultra-plush Happy Hugs teddy bear dressed in a "Congrats Grad" T-shirt, a graduation cap, jeans and black canvas high-tops sneakers.

Several other graduation-themed teddy bears and outfits are also available, including the Star Wars Grogu Plush graduation robe gift set ($58). When placing your order from the Build-A-Bear website, a handful of customization options are available for each bear. And online ordering is super easy.

Best custom diploma frame: Art To Frames diploma frames

Once the high school or collage graduate you're shopping for has their diploma in-hand, Art To Frames offers dozens of customizable frame options for just the diploma, a diploma and tassel, a diploma and photo, or a diploma with a tassel and photo.

Prices for the customizable frames start as low as $32, but go up based on the frame size, design and options selected. This is a wonderful way a graduate can showcase their diploma in a home or their new office (if the next phase of their life includes starting a job).

Best Apple MacBook Air for a grad: 2024 13" Apple MacBook Air with M3 processor

Whether your graduate is pursuing a higher level of education or launching a career, having a current model laptop will be a valuable tool. And if they're already an avid Apple fan, a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an M3 processor is a perfect laptop for the average user.

This model is configured with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 8GB of unified memory, a 256GB SSD for storage and it comes with the latest version of the MacOS operating system preinstalled. The computer is powered using Apple's latest M3 processor and it comes with a nice collection of preinstalled apps, so right out of the box, it's ready to handle a wide range of common tasks -- from email and web surfing, to contact management and photo editing

Of course, the MacBook Air also integrates with Apple's iCloud service and all of the company's subscription services, like Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade.

If you're on a budget, the least expensive version of the MacBook Air runs using the older and less powerful M2 processor. But if you want to give a graduate a laptop with more computing power, you can upgrade this MacBook Air with M3 processor to include 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD for storage. For anyone who needs even more processing power, there's also the entire lineup of MacBook Pro laptops.

Best Android tablet for a grad: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

For a recent graduate who already has an Android smartphone or Windows laptop, but still needs a cutting-edge tablet, we recommend the feature-packed Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra -- the most powerful tablet Samsung currently offers.

This tablet is configured with a vibrant 14.6 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x touchscreen display with 2,960 x 1,848 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's powered using the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and is one of the very few tablets that's waterproof (IP68 rated).

We're fans of this tablet because it also has a microSD memory card slot built in, so the user can expand its internal storage quickly and inexpensively. However, at the time of purchase, you choose between 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.

Optional accessories for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra include a pen-shaped stylus and detachable keyboard. The tablet runs the most current version of Android and has four built in speakers, along with a front- and rear-facing camera. Less expensive versions of the Tab S9 tablet are also available.

Best luggage for a grad: Solgaard medium Check-In Closet Lite

Whether your grad is doing some traveling for leisure or to for job interviews, the Solgarrd medium Check-In Closet Lite is so versatile that it comes with a collapsable drawer system (which the company calls its signature FlowCloset system). Up to 15 days' worth of clothing can be organized and packed with ease. And then to unpack, the drawer system simply opens up and can be hung in a hotel room's closet.

This bag has a durable hardshell casing and 360-degree rotating wheels. It's available in six color options and coordinates nicely with Solgaard's other luggage pieces (sold separately). The Check-In Closet Lite is a bag that the recipient will wind up using often and for many years to come.

Best smart coffee machine for a grad: Keurig K-Supereme Plus smart coffee maker

If the graduate you're shopping for loves their coffee, the Keurig K-Supreme Plus smart coffee maker is compatible with all Keurig K-Cup coffee and drink capsules, plus comes with a collection of smart features that you won't find in a typical coffee maker.

Coffee lovers can choose between multiple cup sizes, and they can control the strength they want their coffee, as well as their ideal drink temperature. The machine can also prepare iced coffee. It uses new technology that saturates the coffee grounds more evenly to extract additional flavor.

Because this coffee maker is "smart," it connects to a home's Wi-Fi and can be remotely programmed and controlled using a smartphone. It even maintains a K-Cup inventory and will automatically reorder K-cups whenever someone is running low, so they'll never run out of their favorite blends or flavors.

Best full-color e-reader for a grad: Rakuten Kobo Libra Colour

Starting in late April, some e-readers took a technological leap forward, adding full-color e-ink displays, but staying just as affordable as regular e-readers. The new Rakuten Kobo Libra Color is priced at just $220, yet it offers enough internal storage to hold 24,000 e-books, up to 150 audiobooks, or hundreds of pages worth of handwritten notes or PDF files.

For someone who's an avid reader or who needs to read and annotate PFD files for school or work, e-readers with monochrome e-ink or Paperwhite displays have been around for years. These displays can be read in any lighting situation, including direct sunlight -- a feature traditional smartphones and tablets can't offer. Plus, many of the latest e-readers are waterproof and their batteries last for weeks, not mere hours.

The Rakuten Kobo Libra Color has all of these features and more. It can also play audiobooks or podcasts when paired with Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. But it's note taking capabilities are another thing that set it apart. The user can create full-color, handwritten notes by writing directly on the device's seven-inch display using an optional stylus. And it's possible to annotate or highlight text from e-books or PDF files that are imported into the e-reader.

The Kobo store offers millions of e-books and audiobooks that can be purchased, as well as a subscription service that gives users unlimited access to the company's library for a flat monthly fee. And speaking of libraries, using the Rakuten Kobo Libra Color, it's easy to borrow books and audiobooks from any public library using your library card and the free Libby service. 

We've been using the Kobo Libra Color for a few weeks now (having received an unit in advance to review) and are extremely impressed with its versatility, speed, ease of use and overall performance. There's a lot of technology packed into this e-reader, considering its low price. And it blows away what other devices with a four times higher price can do.

Best hammock for a grad: Yellow Leaf Vista

Sometimes a grad just needs to relax and do nothing. And it doesn't hurt for them to get a little vitamin D after all those hours in libraries or labs.

This portable hammock comes in its own backpack-style case and can be set up on an included stand in less than three minutes. It's well-made, extremely portable and comes in a variety of colors -- and yes, it's extremely comfortable, too.

These days, self care is as important for a college or graduate student as textbooks and a reliable computer. In fact, many college students tell us that a hammock like this one is a must-have for 2024.

Best travel gift card for grads: Southwest Airlines gift card ($50 to $500)

For graduates planning to celebrate their accomplishments with some much-deserved travel, consider giving them a Southwest Airlines gift card for any amount between $50 and $500 to help them cover their airfare.

Currently, Southwest Airlines services more than 121 airports across 11 countries, so if gives the recipient plenty of destination options. We're huge fans of this airlines because it's the only one that allows two free checked pieces of luggage, along with a free carry-on and personal item. This alone can save a traveler more than $100 on each flight they take.

Southwest Airlines gift cards are available from Amazon. There are no extra fees associated with purchasing them and they never expire. However, they can't be returned or exchanged either.

Best luxury pen for grads: Montblanc Meisterstuck Platinum Line ballpoint pen

A classic graduation gift is a luxury pen, and there's no more popular brand when it comes to this type of gift than Montblanc. While the company offers literally hundreds of styles, one of its most timeless and elegant is the Meisterstuck Platinum Line Classique ballpoint pen, which you can order from Amazon.

This beautiful pen has a twist mechanism. It's barrel and cap are made from black resin and it features an inlaid Monblanc emblem on the top. It's also accented with a stunning, platinum-plated clip and rings.

This is a truly timeless gift that can be engraved at a local jewelry store or Montblanc retail store.

Best necklace set for grads: Pandora graduation dangle charm necklace set

The Pandora jewelry brand is famous for offering a vast selection of themed charms, necklaces and bracelets designed to commemorate special occasions. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Pandora has a beautiful collection of graduation-themed charms and jewelry, including this graduation dangle charm and necklace.

The charm, which resembles a graduation cap with tassel, is made from sterling silver. On the back, it comes with the engraved message, "Hard work pays off." The charm measures 3.2mm by 17mm by 10.3mm. 

This set also comes with a matching sterling silver chain with a lobster clamps. The chain is 1.9mm thick and in available in three lengths -- 17.7 inches, 23.6 inches or 29.5 inches.

This is a lovely gift that will show a grad just how proud you are of their accomplishments -- and it's something they can cherish for a lifetime.

Need even more graduation gift ideas? Be sure to check out our extensive and continuously expanding coverage within the Deals & Shopping News section of CBS Essentials.