Best Mother's Day gifts 2023
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Sunday, May 14th marks Mother's Day 2023, and instead of getting the matriarch of the fam the usual roses and candies sort of thing, consider celebrating her with these Mother's Day gifts that are useful and have some longevity to them.
Whether she's well versed in all the new tech gadgets or needs a little help setting up, there is an Apple-ccentric gift for every mom.
8 special Mother's Day gift ideas
We've compiled a list of the best Mother's Day gifts for all sorts of mom-personalities and needs, whether she lives near or far away.
Whether your mom is a bookworm, enjoys listening to podcasts and music, practicing yoga or Pilates, or is a mom who loves to brush up on new skills, there's something here for everybody.
Kindle Paperwhite
This gift is best suited for four different types of mom personalities: the bibliophile mom, the traveler mom, the mom who reads everything from her iPad or iPhone and suffers from eye strain, or the mom who has one-too-many books collecting dust around the house.
Make mom's reading experience easier by buying her a Kindle paperwhite this Mother's Day.
Buy at Amazon
If mom has been reading from an iPad, she's likely got eye strain. The Paperwhite offers a similar experience to reading from paper and does not strain the eyes.
While it can be difficult to make the switch from physical to e-Books, this Kindle is portable and easy to stow during travel.
Additionally, e-Books are often at least five dollars cheaper than their physical copy counterparts and will help Mom consolidate her library.
If mom habitually forgets to charge her tech, the Kindle paperwhite features a super long battery life (weeks!).
Finally, for moms who like to read by the pool or have little ones waging all-out squirt-gun war in the house, the latest model is water-resistant.
It's available in four colors: black, twilight blue, plum, and sage with 8 GB and 32 GB variants.
The Kindle Paperwhite sells for $139.99 at Amazon.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Get the siblings together to pitch in for a bigger gift this Mother's Day, surprising Mom with the Apple AirPods Pro 2.
Consider getting an engraving that will make her think of you every time she holds the case. If you don't know what to engrave, a simple You are loved will pick up her day.
AirPods Pro 2 features active noise cancellation, adaptive transparency, and personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for immersive sound. The buds come with ear tips for every size (XS, S, M, L) and boast up to 6 hours of listening time.
Buy AirPods Pro 2
If Mom is prone to losing things (just where are those car keys?), you can take this thoughtful gift a step further by purchasing a personalized AirPods case keychain from Amazon. We like this brand because you're able to add a photograph to the outside.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 normally retail for $249, but can be found currently on sale for as low as $199.99.
HomePod mini
The HomePod mini speaker is a thoughtful gift for Mom to utilize when listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts and is a present that will last.
It features a verbose sound for its size, has a full-range driver, dual-force canceling passive radiators, is stereo pair capable, has sound recognition, and can be commanded with Siri.
HomePod mini comes in a wide variety of colors, has a sleek design, and at 3.3 inches tall, fits comfortably on top of a nightstand or table.
Buy at B&H
With 360-degree sound and a wide range of features, HomePod Mini stands out from the single-direction sound of Apple's Beats Pill.
To sweeten the pot, Apple offers six months of Apple Music free with a HomePod mini purchase.
Apple's HomePod mini is available from a variety of Apple resellers for $99.00. You can check out the latest offers using our HomePod mini price comparison tool.
Spotify Premium subscription & Apple Podcasts
Sure, nowadays, Mom can find all her music and podcasts for free on streaming apps.
However, a paid subscription will remove those pesky ads, give mom more functionality, and unlock new features, like offline downloads and cross-device sync.
Besides, if Mom raised you, she likely had a life full of disruptions and heard her fair share of "Mom! Mom! Mom!" overtures when she was trying to relax. Remove one more distraction from her life — irritating ads that come with the free version — and invest in a Spotify premium subscription.
Get Spotify Premium
If you've watched The Playlist on Netflix, you know how hard Spotify founder Daniel Ek and his team worked to get music streamed to listeners at lightning-speed. While the maximum bitrate for Pandora Premium is 192kbps, Spotify Premium's is higher, offering up to 320kbps.
When it comes to music streaming, give mom the best of the best.
If Mom is a podcast lover, tell her about Apple Podcasts, too. This app is free and has undergone a revamping that is impressive.
This streaming app boasts millions of podcasts and a personalized discovery option with easy-to-navigate search functions.
Spotify is a 160.1 MB download from the app store, is compatible with iOS 14 or later, and a premium subscription will cost you $12.99 per month.
Apple Podcasts comes already loaded onto the iPhone with purchase, is compatible with iOS 10 or later, and (as of 3/2023) is free for listeners.
Apple Fitness+ Subscription
Health is wealth, and we want mom to keep healthy and moving with a dedicated fitness routine.
If mom hasn't gotten back to the yoga or fitness class she used to frequent pre-pandemic, consider supporting her health and wellbeing by purchasing a fitness subscription that she can use anywhere, anytime.
Sign up for Apple Fitness+
Apple Fitness+ is an excellent option because of its easy-to-use interface and roster of high-energy trainers that'll motivate her to reach all her fitness goals.
Current class offerings include meditation, HIIT, yoga, core, strength, Pilates, dance, cycling, treadmill, rowing, and more.
Apple Fitness+ is now available even for non-Apple Watch users, so don't sweat it if Mom doesn't have one just yet.
One cool perk is that Apple Fitness+ supports up to five family members per subscription. If you live far, consider completing a workout simultaneously with mom to keep in touch and help each other stay motivated.
That really is a gift that keeps on giving!
Apple Fitness Plus comes with the iPhone and is compatible with iOS 16.1 or later. The premium subscription costs $9.99 monthly or $79.99 for the year.
Dot Outfitters Yoga Band
One complaint about Apple's standard watch band is that it can gather sweat underneath during physical exertion — and can even start to smell.
If your mom enjoys yoga or Pilates and is tethered to her Apple Watch, the Dot Outfitters Yoga Band is the perfect gift.
Buy at Amazon
It is fashioned from a stretch knit fabric that feels (and looks) like a scrunchie. It is comfortable enough for slower, equipment-free workouts.
Additionally, if Mom wears her watch at night to sleep-track, it won't pinch the wrist.
The band is breathable, wicks moisture, and most importantly — is machine-washable. It does not irritate the skin like leather and silicone bands can, so it is perfect for those with sensitive skin.
The band comes in an array of colors, is compatible with all Apple Watch models, and fits all wrist sizes. The small band fits wrists up to 7.5", and the medium/large band fits wrists over 7.5".
To keep the watch band looking newer for longer, consider ordering a darker color.
The Dot Outfitters watch band is available directly from DotOutfitters via Amazon for $34.50.
Bluehorn portable selfie stick and tripod
If mom is a little zoom-happy with the iPhone camera, her photos revealing every pore on your little brother's nose, consider buying her this selfie stick/tripod.
Paired with the newer iPhone models, this will give mom some professional photographer-quality snapshots of the fam.
The stick features a 10-meter wireless remote control option for frameable family portraits. It is compatible with iPhones XS through 14.
Buy at Amazon
The body of the unit is made of aluminum alloy and the legs, a tough ABS, keeping the tripod upright during windier days.
The Bluehorn portable selfie stick and tripod is available from Amazon for $28.99.
MasterClass membership
For moms who enjoy learning new skills or refining their hobbies, the MasterClass membership is an enriching and useful gift option that will provide her with skills that are directly applicable to her life.
Membership includes access to a catalog of 180+ pre-recorded classes taught by the world's best.
Sign up for MasterClass
Subjects include cooking, leadership, photography, writing, and more. Guest lecturers include Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Steve Martin, Judd Apatow, Steph Curry, Margaret Atwood, and dozens more.
Each class includes around 20 video lessons that are 10 minutes long on average, along with an in-depth workbook. With so many class offerings, there is something interesting there for every mom.
MasterClass is available for desktop or as an app. The MasterClass app is a 153.4 MB download and costs $15.00 per month. The app is compatible with iOS 14.1 or later.
