What was a hit for your tweens/teenage DS?

[Suseal]

It's DS 12th birthday next week and we're drawing a blank, including him. So hoping you lovely lot can inspire me.

He's in to football, food and his PS5 and that's about it!

My 12 year old got an Oculus Quest 2 for Christmas and he LOVES it. DS14 also got one around the same age and loved it too. Other things that have been a hit over the last year or so for both of them are a basketball hoop (adjustable so they can both use it), Nike AF1s, really soft luxurious throws and cushions for their beds (DS14 loves his recent upgrade to a double bed) and Displate metal posters.

Also DS12 loves cooking too and personalised apron and cookbook for teens was also a hit.
Little stocking filler of a hot chocolate shaker went down well last year - they both use them almost every day.

DS 13 loved the LED lights for his bedroom, Greggs crocks and gift voucher, 3d spitfire to build, band t-shirts and displate poster

I also have a young teen ds with a birthday in the next few weeks. The only idea I've got for him is a snackle box. It's a multi compartment craft box filled with all different kinds of sweets instead of craft stuff.

My 13yo ds sounds a lot like yours and a big hit with him was adidas slip in shin pads and laceeze which go over football boots to stop laces coming undone during a match. He also got a venom cable guy controller stand which went down well with him.

Sounds exactly the same as my DS ! Mine have liked :
Jd sports gift voucher
PlayStation hoodie & t shirt (bought from primark !)
Table football table
Anything to do with favourite football team/player (clothes , socks, book, stadium tour, posters)

My 12yo DS (who thinks he is 15) wanted clothes this year. He loves his Nike tech fleece top and joggers. He also had the ubiquitous Oodie and loves it.

From a thread on here, I got him a box of versace minis (eros, eros flame etc). He loves those too.

He didn't have a 'main present' this year though because he's had a very seriously expensive piece of sports equipment recently.

Great ideas thank you, busy making lots of notes. Those laces sound perfect, the ref is forever having to help him when his fingers are too cold 😂.

Thanks for the ideas.

A nerf gun to fire tennis balls at our puppy. Obviously will only be a hit if you have a dog.

My 13 year old said his best present was his Five Nights at Freddie's 3 book set - which surprised me as he's not a big fan of reading, but he does love FNAF.

New Football boots
Mystery Football shirt
Gain the edge socks
Nike Tech Fleece

My DS (14) has had his birthday very recently as well as Christmas. He been really happy with everything he been given. No misses which is great. He's had across both:
Contributions toward the gaming PC he has now built
Haynes manual for building gaming PC
FIFA game
Annual pass for local theme park
Mystery football shirt
Adidas tracksuit
Nike jogger bottoms
LED strip lights
Books
Aftershave (cheap one from Next but he's very happy with it!)
JD Sports vouchers

Also a crossbody bag for wallet and phone went down really well

Adidas sweatshirt
an Alexa
Lacoste (red bottle) smelly

Branded hoodie
Vans
Beanie hat with integrated Bluetooth earphones
Echo dot
Jack daniels sauces

A gamer chair, headphones and snack caddy for long PS5 sessions.
A second controller for local multiplay
Ps store credits
What games does he like? Some have a lot of merch
My 12 yr old (dd) was thrilled by nike AF1s (the only thing she asked for ) and a fish bubble lamp (hypnotic!!!)

DS 14 birthday next week too... we were clutching at straws for his birthday. He got a new monitor and a Apple Watch for Christmas, which he absolutely loves, we always budget less for birthdays because we always go out for a meal of birthday persons choice.
for his birthday,
we got him bed covers he’d asked for from alton towers in the summer but didn’t have enough money
a cushion for his bed
a Nintendo switch game
a massive dairy milk bar
we brought him Jordan 1s for Christmas, which we told him were half birthday present
we got him a book he asked for
a case of cherry coke
a case of normal coke ( he doesn’t have it often but loves it)

he did ask me for a VR but I told him, that’s too much for his birthday budget...so I guess that will be next years Christmas present.

Two hits for my teen sons were a Greggs gift card, and a popcorn maker. Also, I got some Dairy Milk chocolate bars with the wrapper of their favourite football team on.

I didn't expect it to be so popular but my 11yr old son has loved getting a scalextric set as a surprise this Christmas, he has played with it for hours on end.

Thanks for more great ideas! I feel much more confident about pulling this off now!

Nike tech fleece and joggers.
Gaming PC.
Jordan 1s.

Oodie
thermal football gloves (to play in rather than goalie gloves)
buff
retro football shirt (he chose one from 2008!!)
led football
fudge making kit (bit random but he was really excited by it)
nike joggers
power bank
mug cake mix

ive left the new goal and rebounder for his birthday.

LED hexagon light tile starter set. He loved them

Gain the edge socks
Oodie
Pocky ball

I was coming on to say pocky ball as well! DS 12 and nephew aged 11 have loved these and played with them constantly since Christmas Day.

if anyone could link to the LED lights they’ve bought that would be great because I got some for DD and they’re not the right ones.