23 Mother's Day Gifts for 2023
Comfy slippers, a customizable pillow, and other helpful presents
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
If there’s anything moms need at any given time, it’s most likely a break. A quiet moment with a latte, a good show to stream, or some time to tune out the world. Or maybe she just wants comfy slippers and 45 minutes on her yoga mat.
From a specialty coffee maker to fuel her day to a customizable pillow that’s perfect for a good night’s rest, these Mother’s Day gift ideas are some of the best products in our ratings—because, of course, moms deserve the best.
Rest & Relaxation
Give Mom the gift of a great night’s sleep with a pillow she can adjust to her liking. The Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Loft pillow is made of shredded memory foam and earns an excellent rating in our tests for support, no matter your size and whether you sleep on your side or back. “It’s a very versatile pillow,” says Chris Regan, who oversees pillow testing at Consumer Reports, in part because it comes with extra foam to adjust the filling. This pillow, which is recommended by CR, also keeps its shape well, showing little or no change in height or fluffiness in our resilience tests.
For more options: Best Pillows
Happy Feet
Ugg Fluff Yeah Slides
Consider this the perfect cozy addition to Mom’s R&R routine. Made with real sheepskin and available in a rich array of colors, these fluffy Ugg slides give comfort a whole new meaning. Our editors described them as “almost comically fluffy and soft,” and one said they were “like wearing clouds on my feet.” Bonus points for the rubber outsole, which makes these slippers stable enough to be worn outside.
For more options: We Tried Ugg Fluff Yeahs and 7 Other Popular Slippers—Here’s What We Loved
Want to make Mom’s sleep sweeter? A mattress topper could help: This 3-inch Dormeo topper combines the brand’s patented Octaspring technology (Dormeo claims it helps expel hot air and circulate cool air) with its trademarked recovery foam—a pressure-relieving foam with the reactivity of a spring coil. The result, according to our lab data, is a firmer cushioning than others we tested, as well as less heat retention.
For more options: Best Mattress Toppers
When the working day is done, help Mom snooze in comfort. This Brooklinen set (a bit of a splurge at $150) will fit a 14-inch mattress or one that’s not as deep. These sheets don’t shrink as much as some other cotton sheets we’ve tested. They earn very good ratings for fit and shrinkage. Though they do tend to get smaller during washes, they don’t deform all that much over time. Luxe Core sheets are on the softer side based on our sensory test.
For more options: Best and Worst Sheets
Block the World
Slip Sleep Mask
There’s no doubt about it: This popular mask is gorgeous. It’s made with stunning silk fabric, and colors include a rich plum, a lush navy, a graceful ballet pink, and an opulent gold. It has a scrunchy backstrap that stretches rather than adjusts, which allows for a more seamless look (but perhaps an imperfect fit). To that end, some CR evaluators found that the mask was true to its name and slipped during the night. Overall, the Slip makes a great gift for that stylish someone in your life. Just make sure to get a gift receipt in case it, well, slips.
For more options: Best Sleep Masks
Snooze Happy
Luna Weighted Blanket
If Mom has been thinking of trying a weighted blanket, this could be a great Mother’s Day gift. The cover of the Luna blanket is cotton; it doesn’t come with a duvet cover. Luna says you can wash it in cold water on the gentle setting and hang it to dry or tumble dry on low heat. Bonus: It’s sold in 24 colors to suit your decorating style.
For more options: The Lowdown on 5 Weighted Blankets, According to Consumer Reports’ Tests
Muscle Melt
Therabody Theragun Mini
The ultraportable Theragun Mini was one of the quietest massage devices we tested. It has a wedge-shaped handle and was one of the best devices for reducing problematic wrist postures. “I like the fact that it is small to hold,” one user said. “I love how easy it is to use and charge. It’s compact and easily transportable.” For overall portability and quiet, this could be a top choice.
For more options: 7 Massage Guns Evaluated
Namaste Time
HemingWeigh Yoga Mat
When it’s time to wind down, give the gift of cushy comfort. This 1-inch-thick mat from HemingWeigh has a high level of cushioning and was very quick to dry in our tests. It offers a medium amount of grip against the floor and against its top surface while dry. It comes with a carrying strap for those practicing on the go.
For more options: We Tested 19 Yoga Mats. Here’s What We Found.
Fuel for the Day
The Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a fantastic grinder and one of the more wallet-friendly models that does well in our tests. It receives strong scores in our grind performance tests, making it a good choice for any brew method you want to use. It also earns a very good rating for convenience, thanks to its clearly marked and easy-to-use controls. Our testers found it extremely easy to clean, too, because it has a removable hopper. It features 15 grind settings, a 12-ounce bean hopper (one of the largest in our tests), an auto-stop feature, and a timer.
For more options: Best and Worst Burr Coffee Grinders
Help your mom create coffeehouse drinks at home. Consider giving her the Ninja Specialty CM401, a terrific all-in-one machine capable of brewing hot and iced coffee, lattes, macchiatos, and other specialty brews. In our tests, it receives an excellent rating for brew performance, and its glass carafe is easy to handle. This model is also packed with features, including an over-ice brew mode for iced coffee, a built-in milk frother, brew-strength control, and brew-size adjustment for everything from travel mugs to full carafes. It’s one of the most versatile coffee makers we’ve tested.
For more options: Best Coffee Makers
Coffeehouse Class
Nespresso Aeroccino4 Milk Frother
If the mom in your life has FOMO—fear of missing out—when it comes to that fun foam in a coffeehouse coffee, a milk frother may be just the thing this year. Although this carafe-style frother is the most expensive of the models we tried, it’s the only one that handled just about every type (and temperature) of milk well. This model can froth a variety of milks.
For more options: Best Milk Frothers
The 7-cup Cuisinart PerfecTemp CPK-17 boils about 4 cups of water in 4 minutes. That’s typical of the other kettles we’ve reviewed, but it keeps the water warm for 54 minutes, longer than most. The Cuisinart costs more than most of the models we’ve tested, but it has six preset temperature settings for making different types of tea or French-press coffee, and it comes with a three-year warranty. This stainless kettle garners a very good rating in our convenience tests; you’ll have no trouble reading the markings on the kettle.
For more options: Best Electric Kettles
With warmer days ahead, Mom may prefer to chill out with a cup of cold brew. The Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker PBPBK-5101 is the most inexpensive cold-brew coffee maker in our ratings—and one of the best. It receives an excellent rating for convenience. This Primula comes with a glass carafe, and most of its parts are dishwasher-safe. It’s the only model that calls for a full 24-hour brew time, but you might find the results worth the wait.
For more options: Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers
Keepin' It Hot
Ello Campy Insulated Mug
Impressive performance coupled with an enamel splatterware-inspired design make for an insulated mug that’s functional and good-looking to boot. In our labs, the Ello Campy mug kept water hot for 5 hours in a temperature-retention test, earning a very good rating. It also has a top that’s exceptionally easy to clean, with few crevices. The mug has two gaskets, both of which are easy to remove and replace. The spring-loaded sipping mechanism is easy to slide open with a single hand. It’s on sale at Amazon in a bunch of fun colors right now as well.
For more options: Best Insulated Mugs
Essential Tech
Help Mom turn off the world when she turns on a tablet, wherever that may be. Apple’s iPad Mini is a great pick if you want the ideal traveling companion. The 8.3-inch iPad has a bright, sharp display with a large viewing angle, meaning you don’t need to hold it dead center in front of your face to see it clearly. The A15 Bionic chip is blazing fast, so web browsing and watching movies are smooth and stutter-free. The battery life is impressive, too; our testers clocked it at 10.7 hours for web browsing and 12.4 hours for movie playback. Other updates include a USB-C port, upgraded cameras, and optional 5G compatibility.
The new iPad mini is lighter than the older model. The smaller size and lighter weight (just 0.7 pound vs. 1 pound for the 11-inch iPad Pro and 1.1 pounds for the regular iPad) make the tablet easier to hold for extended periods than its larger brethren.
For more options: Best Tablets
Time for tuning out? The Monoprice BT-300ANC headphones are a steal. While they don’t have the latest features—like a monitor mode or adjustable noise cancellation—they deliver where it counts: above-average sound quality (for when Mom wants to rock her favorite playlist) and fantastic sound-blocking abilities (for when she needs to tune everyone else out).
For more options: Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
Keep you mom comfortable while she’s logging all those work hours at home with one of the most ergonomic laptops in our ratings. Our testers praised the Lenovo Flex’s large backlit keyboard, spacious track pad, and 14-inch touchscreen, which can be folded backward on its hinge for use as a tablet or kickstand. As for specs, the Flex 14IML features an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, a 256GB solid-state drive, and 11 hours of battery life.
For more options: Best Laptops
Everything Else
Luxury Styling
Dyson Supersonic
This dryer lives up to its status as a luxury product: It stands out in our CR lab tests for dry speed, and it’s the quietest, too. It also comes with a variety of accessories.
For more options: Best Hair Dryers
Curly Hair, Don't Care
Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron
When it’s time for “me” time, consider the Bio Ionic Long Barrel curling iron. It gave our evaluators swoonworthy curls in a recent review. The extra-long barrel and multiple temperature settings produced bouncy, shiny curls that lasted for days for most of our testers, but one thought the barrel was too long for her short hair.
For more options: Best Curling Irons
Top Chef Time
Henckels Premio 8” Chef’s Knife
For the aspiring foodie in your life, a great chef’s knife can make all the difference. Henckels has been making knives in Germany for nearly 300 years, and its expertise in design is on full display with this knife. The Permio’s handle is contoured with no sharp edges, resulting in a knife that’s extremely comfortable to hold. It also excels at force transmission from handle to blade, which means you don’t need to exert as much effort when cutting.
For more: How to Shop for a Chef’s Knife
Stay Sharp
Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpener
The Pebble Premium whetstone is a double-sided sharpening stone with a coarse and fine side on the same stone. You can sharpen any knife to the exact angle you want—a tool called a bevel gauge (sold at hardware stores) can help you find the angle—and you get the most control of any option here. The stone needs a 10- to 12-minute soak before you work, so it’s best to sharpen all your knives at once. It put an edge on both of the knives our tester used to evaluate the sharpeners, which none of the electric or manual sharpeners could match.
For more options: Best Knife Sharpeners
Pizza as Love
Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven
What better way to say, “You’ve got a pizza my heart” than an outdoor pizza oven? After cooking 18 pies and taste-testing them with family and friends, our editor’s pick for the best overall outdoor pizza oven is the Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven. That’s because of its ease of use, its high quality, and the smoky, wood-fired flavor it brought to each pie. It can fit pizzas up to 12 inches and comes with a chimney cap.
For more options: Best Outdoor Pizza Ovens for Making Amazing Homemade Pizza
If getting buff is in Mom’s 2023 plan, consider the gift of adjustable dumbbells. What we like about this set from Core Home Fitness is that it’s automatically balanced because of the easy, one-handed adjustment by simply twisting the handle. It has a good handgrip, and the dumbbell is shorter at lighter weights.
For more options: Best Adjustable Dumbbells From Consumer Reports’ Tests
