Can you buy a cool gift for a teen that's actually from a small business? Of course! They're the coolest. in fact we had trouble narrowing it down to just ten... so be sure to look at the rest of our guide for holiday gifts teens will love too.
All gifts have been editorially determined by our staff. There has been no compensation for inclusion. (We know that's rare.)
There are affiliate links in this guide, which means that some purchases will generate a small commission to help support our own small woman-owned business, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!
All prices accurate at time of publication but subject to change.
Be sure to visit our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide posts and our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide posts for even more fabulous gift ideas
including 50+ cool gifts for kids and teens, all under $15
Quaranteen T-Shirt
May they wear it as a badge one day. Soon.
Related: The coolest gifts for teens this year
$27, Printed Gifts on Etsy
Related:
-Cool holiday gifts for teens and older tweens that won’t make them roll their eyes
-The coolest birthday gifts for teens this year
-17 of the best subscription gifts for kids of all ages
Roller skates from a local skate shop
These Impala skates were the hottest ticket this summer -- and still are. Credit TikTok for that.
$99.95, Five Stride
Stand for Equality Bracelets or Inspirational Bracelets
Handmade in the US and supporting terrific causes. In fact, Add in an additional donation to a cause you know they care about -- teens care about a lot these days.
$3/ea, $12/ea, Mud Love
Related: Eco-friendly gifts for kids and teens who are fighting for our planet.
Online lessons from a local pro
Guitar? Singing? Playwriting? Chess? Coding? Caligraphy? Dance?
Find a local pro or tutor who's now giving lessons over Zoom.
Image: Jonnelle Yankovich
Search for " ____ lessons near me" for prices
National Book Award: Young People's Literature 2020 finalists
Open their hearts and minds to a new perspective with one of these highly-lauded books for teens. Like,
We Are Not Free, Traci Chee
Every Body Looking, Candice Iloh
King and the Dragonflies, Kacen Callender
Apple, Skin to the Core, Eric Gansworth
The Way Back, Gavriel Savit
How we Got to the Moon, John Rocco
Prices vary, Indiebound online or your local independent bookshop
Related: All the best, award-winning children’s and YA books to read in 2020
Custom Funko
Want to surprise them with their favorite Funko Pop! figure that's not available in stores? This shop makes character from The Good Place, Good Omens, Brooklyn 99 (above), Supernatural, Community, Deadpool, Spiderverse... or a totally 100% custom Funko, with a little lead time. (Check out Jordan Peele!)
From $55 for ready-to-ship, and up
Seeing Eye Heart Necklace
Teens love everything mystical, and this gender-neutral necklace (from one of our favorite small, woman-run jewelry brands) lets them wear the eye next to their hearts, to protect and ward of everything bad.
$55, Peggy Li
Handmade headphones by Grado
Wait...,you mean there's still a small business, carefully handcrafting audio equipment in Brooklyn, NY? Why yes. Yes there is. For an audiophile teen, this is way cooler than the big brands.
Starting at $95, 4OurEars
Related: The must-have gadgets and technology getting us through a winter of quarantining.
Make Your Own Bubble Tea Kit
One of the best gifts for teens? Anything related to bubble tea.
Lattes out, bubble tea in.
$38, Uncommon Goods
"Let me sleep" eye mask
You can put together your own beautifully packaged gift boxes at this shop, customized to anyone's taste. For a teen, start with this eye mask.
$24, Knack Shop
What can we help you find?
2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide
* Our 10 best gifts for women in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for men in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for Hanukkah in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for grandparents in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for teens in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for tweens 9-12 in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for little kids 4-8 in 2020
* Our 10 best gifts for babies and toddlers in 2020
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But wait! Find even more holiday gift guides across our sites like:
* 50+ seriously cool gifts for adults under $15
* More than 50 amazing holiday gifts for kids under $15: Like, GOOD gifts.
* The best Schitt's Creek gifts for all the fans on your holiday list
* Delicious gifts for fans of the Great British Baking Show
* Liz's favorite favorite iconic NYC food gifts you can have shipped
* Fantastic no-screen STEM and tech gift ideas for kids
* The best holiday tech gifts of the year for everyone on your list