Best Gifts for Seniors in 2023

Smart Home Assistants

Smart home assistants are great for people of all ages. Once the device is set up, it can play music, look up sports scores, check the weather, and more. Smart home assistants make especially great gifts for seniors who appreciate the ease and convenience of voice-activated technology.

Alexa

Amazon’s Alexa speakers are among the most popular options for voice-activated smart home assistants. There are a variety of options available, with a 3rd generation Echo Dot starting at $39.99. Alexa can help with a variety of tasks, from making calls and adjusting the thermostat to setting reminders and receiving daily news headlines.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant is another smart home assistant we like. Powered by artificial intelligence, it can answer your questions, conduct internet searches for you, play music, and more. A Google Nest Mini speaker starts at $39. Like Alexa, Google Assistant can help manage other smart devices in the home, call friends and family, and complete other everyday tasks through verbal commands.

Siri

Siri is another voice-activated smart home assistant that you may already be familiar with if you use Apple products like an iPhone or iPad. Apple’s Siri-compatible HomePod speakers start at $299, making them more expensive than the other smart-home assistant options on this list. Siri can help make calls, send texts, look up traffic or the weather, and play music.

Personal Item Location Devices

Sometimes, the best gifts for seniors are practical ones. Personal item location devices can help keep track of things like keys, wallets, glasses, and other everyday possessions that can easily get misplaced. We recommend personal item location devices for seniors who might need a little help staying organized and remembering where they put essential items.

Tile Tracker

Tile trackers attach to your keys, remotes, phone, and other important items. The system works by attaching a small sticker or adding a small device to your keychain. When you’ve lost your keys or other items, use the Tile app to make your lost item ring. The app can also make your phone ring even if it’s on “silent,” and you can even view your item location on a map. A Tile Mate 1-pack starts at $24.99.

TrackR

TrackR is one of the most affordable personal item location devices on the market, with a single TrackR starting at $9.99. TrackR also comes with a mobile app that lets you use your phone to find lost items. The tracker is small and lightweight, about the size of a quarter, and can adhere to almost anything that you’d like to keep track of.

Safety Devices

While not the most glamorous gift, giving your loved one the tools to age in place safely can go a long way to showing how much you care.

Medical Alert Systems

Purchased on a subscription basis, a medical alert device is an ideal way to help any older adult live safely at home — particularly for those who live alone. These simple devices provide an instant line of communication to response agents who can send for help in the event of an emergency.

When most people think of medical alert systems, they think of Life Alert; however, the high cost of Life Alert — upwards of $50 per month — makes them far from the best option. To learn about our favorite medical alerts that start as low as $19.95 per month, check out our rundown of this year’s best medical alert systems.

Home Modifications

When it comes to home modifications for seniors, there are a variety of ways that you can make a home safer to live in. For those looking for simple improvements, you could consider installing grab bars and rails in hallways and other frequently trafficked areas. Alternatively, if you’re looking to make a more significant change to your loved one’s home, you could consider a walk-in tub or stair lift.

To learn more about these devices, check out our rundown of the best walk-in tubs and best stair lifts.

Photos and Videos

Photos and videos are always thoughtful gifts, especially for family members. The gift of old pictures and home movies is great for nostalgia, sharing memories, and reminiscing on good times spent together.

Digitize old photos and videos

Digitizing old pictures and videos can be a great surprise gift. Going over memories and events can be an especially rewarding experience. If you or a family member is technologically savvy, you can even create your own “movie” based on digitized photos and videos around a particular theme.

Costs for digitizing photos can vary, depending on whether you use a professional service or do it yourself. For example, LegacyBox will digitize two items and send them as a digital download, on a thumb drive, or as a DVD disc set for $59.99.

Digital picture frame

Digital picture frames are a popular gift for elderly family members, since some, like the Pix-Star 15-inch digital photo frame ($200), can be updated remotely via email. Photos can be sent directly to the frame from any device, allowing different family members and friends to share pictures. The picture frame showcases a rotating slideshow of pictures, which makes it an ideal way of flipping through photos all within a single frame.

Photo blanket

Custom photo blankets make a great gift and allow you to display pictures on a soft, fleecy blanket. Choose from a variety of different themes and styles from popular providers like Shutterfly and Snapfish, with blankets starting at $44.99.

Photo calendar

Photo calendars are another fun photo-related gift for the senior in your life. Choose whether to feature a single photo per month or a collage, with calendars starting at $9.99. You can even create a themed calendar with different photographs throughout the year. Every time they check the date, a photo calendar will bring a smile to their face.

Meal Kits and Services

Whether the person you’re shopping for is a whiz in the kitchen or prefers to order in whenever possible, meal kits and services make it easier than ever to spice up their dinner routine. There are a variety of meal kits available that come with all the ingredients you need to make the perfect meal. There are also meal delivery services that include healthy, deliciously prepared food that’s ready to eat in minutes. These kits make great gifts for seniors who appreciate the finer things in life, whether they’re comfortable in the kitchen or prefer ready-made meals with a little gourmet flair.

DIY meal kits

Do-it-yourself meal kits take the planning and stress out of making dinner. These kits include everything you’ll need to prepare a particular dish, from main ingredients to toppings and garnishes, as well as easy-to-follow recipes and directions. You can choose from a variety of different meal kits each week, and the ingredients are shipped straight to your door. DIY meal kits like Blue Apron ($9.95 per serving), Hello Fresh ($8.99 per serving), and Home Chef ($9.95 per serving) make cooking easy and fun.

Prepared meal delivery services

Gifting prepared meals is another excellent option, which provides healthy, tasty meals that can be popped straight into the microwave or oven. Meal delivery services like Freshly ($9.99 per serving), Home Bistro (about $17 per serving), and Daily Harvest ($6.99 per serving) offer a wide variety of meal options delivered fresh and ready to enjoy.

To learn about our favorite options, read our rundown of the best meal delivery for seniors.

Cozy and Comfortable Items

Cozy, comfortable items also make great gifts for seniors, especially for loved ones and family members who seem to already have everything. From blankets to socks to slippers, these practical gifts are great for everyday use.

Weighted blankets

Weighted blankets are becoming more and more popular as people learn about their many stress-reducing benefits. These heavy blankets are known for their steady pressure and calming effects. They can be a thoughtful gift for loved ones experiencing stress or anxiety. Make sure to choose a blanket that’s not too heavy and is easy to get in and out of. A gravity blanket starts at $189.

Heated blankets

Some seniors experience arthritis, joint pain, poor circulation, or frequent cold spells. A heated blanket can provide warmth and comfort throughout the day. It’s a good idea to choose a heated blanket with an automatic shutoff component and multiple temperature settings. An electric blanket from Biddeford Blankets starts at $29.

Slippers and socks

Slippers and socks are a cozy, practical gift that can be used all year long. Comfortable, fleecy, non-slip socks are the perfect thing to wear inside the house. Comfy slippers are perfect for getting the mail or keeping your feet warm on chilly mornings. Fleece-lined Ugg slippers start at $90.

Phones and Tablets

Smartphones or tablets are great gifts that keep friends and family connected. We recommend these gifts for seniors who may be interested in keeping in touch with loved ones online or over the phone.

Smartphones

From iPhones to Androids, a smartphone is a great tool for technologically savvy seniors. Not only can they take high-quality photos, but they’ll also allow your loved ones to easily maintain communication with their friends and family. Nowadays, many smartphones cost only a couple hundred dollars.

To learn more about our favorite smartphones, check out our guides to the best smartphones for seniors, best iPhones for seniors, and best Android phones for seniors.

User-Friendly Phones

There are also a variety of smartphones and tablets designed specifically for seniors, featuring large fonts, simplified interfaces, and hearing aid compatibility. In particular, we love the Jitterbug phones for seniors. They offer a simplified flip phone with voice commands, the Jitterbug Flip2, in addition to an easy-to-use smartphone, the Jitterbug Smart3.

To learn more about these phones, check out our Jitterbug Flip review and Jitterbug Smart review.

An Affordable Cellular Provider

If you decide to purchase a new phone for your loved one, you might also want to consider purchasing a new cell phone plan for seniors. Several major providers offer discounted unlimited plans for those 55 and older. In particular, we’re big fans of the T-Mobile senior plan, which starts as low as $27.50 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data.