Retirement is always an emotional time. Leaving a career after decades of long days and hard work can bring feelings of excitement, joy and relief, along with some nostalgia and perhaps sadness about saying goodbye to beloved colleagues and friends. Whether you’re shopping for a retirement gift for a friend, relative, coworker or even a (soon-to-be-ex) boss, this once-in-a-lifetime event calls for a very special present.
A retiree’s new normal will look very different once they leave the workforce. They may plan on spending more time with the grandchildren, finally getting around to those half-finished home projects, concentrating on their favorite hobbies or traveling around the world. Whatever they enjoy, our retirement gift guide has 30 useful presents to suit a wide variety of interests and budgets. We’ve also included some custom options for a unique and personalized touch.
This handmade docking station can hold practically everything, such as watches, eyeglasses, keys, pens and small electronic devices. It’s crafted from solid ash wood and can be personalized with the giftee’s name or initials.
To save them plenty of luggage space on their travels, buy them a Kindle. It can hold thousands of e-books in its petite frame and a single charge lasts up to 10 weeks. It's even waterproof, making it perfect for beach or poolside reading.
With all this free time on their hands, a MasterClass Subscription might be just what the doctor ordered. The new retiree will be able to learn anything their heart desires, like cooking, writing and acting, from well-known and highly esteemed experts.
This custom print is proof that even on a tighter budget, a sentimental retirement gift is always within reach. You can personalize it with a picture and their name, start date, position and any thoughtful (or funny) messages.
If your retiring buddy is a coffee aficionado, they’ll love this programmable coffee maker. It makes four different types of coffee (including cold brew!) in six sizes. There’s even a built-in frother for barista-level lattes and cappuccinos.
For the whiskey enthusiast, this personalized oak barrel will have them smiling from ear to ear. As well as being a beautiful home décor addition, it can add delicious flavor to their favorite tipple. They can also make their own customized blends.
No matter their hobbies and interests, retirement is the best time for some R&R. With a SpaFinder Wellness Gift Certificate, the giftee can book themselves lush me-time luxuries like massages, sauna sessions and facial treatments in a location that suits them.
This Polaroid bundle has everything needed to capture and immediately print special moments from post-career adventures. This smaller, USB-rechargeable version of the popular instant camera features a self-timer and handy selfie mirror, plus plenty of retro charm.
Take them back — way back — with this freestanding record player from Crosley. Available in three colors, this two-speed unit has built-in stereo speakers and is Bluetooth-compatible. To earn the “top gifter” title, add a record from their favorite artist.
Give the gift of a fully stocked wine rack with a Splash wine subscription. There’s an impressive selection of reds, whites, rosés and even some bubbly from the world’s best vineyards and you can send anywhere from one to 12 bottles a year.
The BrewDemon Beer-Making Kit comes with everything needed for your retiring pal to make their own delicious ales in just 15 minutes. Inside the box, they’ll find ingredients for the recipe, bottles and a filling valve so they can get started immediately.
This gorgeous canvas picnic basket is made to last. The split lid opens from either side for convenience, and all the necessary picnicware is included. Plus, there’s plenty of room for food and drinks.
If the post-retirement agenda involves extensive traveling, a new luggage set is sure to be a winner. Not only are these suitcases super snazzy, but they also have fully spinning wheels for easy maneuvering, come in eight colors and can be personalized.
This touchscreen digital photo frame is the perfect way for the retiree to display their favorite images and videos. It takes just seconds to send pictures to the frame via the user-friendly phone app. It also rotates images so they’re always the right way up.
Seeing as it revolves around two of everyone's favorite delicacies — melted cheese and melted chocolate — a fondue pot at a party or get-together pretty much guarantees a good time. This Cuisinart model is easy to use (and clean!) and comes with eight fondue forks.
Most of us love a good campfire, but the smoke clouds aren’t ideal for anyone. The Solo Stove Yukon is smokeless, providing a cozy and ambient outdoor fireplace to keep your retiring friend nice and toasty — sans the smog and smoky clothes. S'mores incoming!
Seasoned golfers, or those with ambitions to take it up in their newfound free time, will love this golf ball set with their initials or name in one of six colors. Along with a personalized wooden display box, the set includes 12 balls, tees and pencils.
Whether they have skills in the kitchen or not, an online cooking class taught by Sur La Table’s culinary experts is a fun (and memorable) experience to gift. Each class is around two hours long, and there are many different categories and global cuisines to choose from.
Save them the hassle of getting their favorite photos printed with the Kodak Dock that can print pictures in seconds. Simply pop the phone on the dock (it doubles as a charger!), choose the images in the app (you can edit, crop and add filters/frames too) and hit print.
The fiddle leaf fig plant is loved for its air-purifying qualities, fast growth and, of course, its luscious, large glossy leaves. This one from The Sill comes in five planter styles, each in several different colors. It’s also available as a tree.
This beautiful coffee table book can highlight memories from work trips and unforgettable days at the office. Customize it with as many pages as you need (from 20 to 399), and it will serve as a reminder of all the good times you spent together.
Keep coffee connoisseurs happy (and energized) with this gift set featuring 12 single-origin coffees, expertly curated from small-batch global estates and roasters. Choose from freshly ground or whole beans.
With its powerful percussion massage, the Theragun Prime is perfect for the retiree who could use some help with mobility and motion range. With five speeds and four attachments for different body areas and needs, this massage gun reaches deep into muscles to relieve tightness, aches and knots.
For anyone with a green thumb, this sturdy and lightweight gardening set is a dream. It comes with a roomy detachable tote with slots and pockets to accommodate the five included hand tools and other gardening necessities. The best part? It’s also a folding seat.
A bouquet of flowers, although a more traditional gift, is always a crowd-pleaser. With a mix of wonderfully bright blooms, including craspedia, roses and eryngium, the Firecracker from UrbanStems —?one of our favorite flower delivery services — is a stunner and comes in three sizes, with or without a vase.
A Book of the Month subscription is quite possibly the best present a bibliophile could ever receive. The books are curated to the reader’s taste and delivered to them directly each month. It also makes a great last-minute gift idea as you can print the “card” yourself.
This one’s for the foodies! With more than 1,000 experiences across 65 countries, a Taste the World gift box from Tinggly offers unique culinary tours, such as the Austin Breakfast Taco Experience, the Nashville Delicious Donut Adventure and the Milwaukee Walking Food Tour.
An essential oil diffuser is not typically something you'd want to have on display at all times, but this attractive ceramic option from Vitruvi is giving high-end home décor.
Handmade by a small UK business, this elegant and functional wallet has slots for passports, tickets, cards and other important items the new retiree will need on their travels. Plus, the company donates a portion of sales to Cambodian children in need.
To secure an invite to the leaver’s next cookout, opt for this handcrafted, personalized BBQ tools set. It comes with five stainless steel grilling essentials with wooden handles inside a storage box customized with their monogram, name or a fun phrase.
