14 gifts teen boys will actually want this year, from $20 earbuds to an NBA team throw

If there's a Switch 2 under the tree, he'll need something to play on it. The newest Pokémon Legends game is rated E10+, so it works for younger teens too, and this is the physical cartridge, which makes for a better unwrap than a download code.

Noise-canceling headphones that last a ridiculous 75 hours with noise canceling on (130 with it off), fold up for the backpack and are built with FSC-certified wood and recycled aluminum. Good for long car rides, loud houses and pretending he can't hear you. Too pricey? Anker's Soundcore Q20i noise-canceling headphones are $44.99 at Kohl's.

Wireless over-ear headphones with noise canceling for under fifty bucks. They're our pick for a kid who's hard on his stuff, or who's already lost one pair this year.

Waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof (IP68), with up to 16 hours of battery. It weighs under 2 pounds, so it goes from the shower to the garage to the team bus. It comes in six colors.

Plain old wired earbuds, but USB-C, so they plug straight into newer phones and laptops with no adapter and nothing to charge. The woven cable is tangle-resistant, and there's a mic for calls.

For the F1 fan, a 275-piece Ferrari race car with a driver minifigure, made for ages 10 and up. It's a quick, satisfying build he can finish before Christmas dinner.

Two Lamborghinis in one 607-piece set, each with its own driver minifigure. Bigger build, more shelf presence, same ages 10 and up.

The fleece every teen boy seems to own, and for good reason: midweight, machine washable and it has a zip pocket for his phone. It comes in 15 colors and is on sale from $65.

Sneakers that look like regular knit sneakers but are fully waterproof, with a 365-day waterproof guarantee. They're great for slushy walks to school. Note that this color runs snug, so size up.

Teen boys go through socks like nobody's business. These are Nike Dri-FIT crews in men's sizes 9.5 to 12, and they're machine washable.

Polarized sunglasses with gold reflective lenses and a name he'll think is hilarious (Radioactive Chemical Peel). They're cheap enough that losing them on a ski trip isn't a tragedy.

Carhartt's workwear look mixed with his team's logo. '47 makes these for teams across the major leagues, so pick his team.

The splurge. It's the famously soft CozyChic throw, 54 by 72 inches and machine washable, with his NBA team on it. Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Bulls and Mavericks are all available.

Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games prequel about a young Haymitch, in a collector's gift edition. If he read the original trilogy in middle school, this is the one to hand him.