Christmas Gift Ideas for Mum

Since many mothers tend to spout selfless phrases like ‘please don’t spend any money on me,’ Christmas is a great opportunity to spoil your Mum. However, this can be a tricky feat if she hasn’t told you what kind of gift she’d be happy with.

The following gift ideas have been selected to cater to mums with varied interests. There are goodies for the practical parent, the green thumb, the health-conscious mum, the foodie, the audiophile, and the mum who loves to relax and unwind... or who prefers going on an adventure.

Raised garden bed

Perhaps your mum is drawn to the idea of pottering around plants or the quiet, meditative act of gardening, a raised garden bed can nurture her green thumb. Or maybe she's just tired of paying $5 for a puny punnet of herbs from Coles! Whichever of these it may be, investing in a raised garden bed can give mum the gift of greenery and produce year-round.

Vegepod Raised Garden Bed Kits ($189)

Spinach in a small Vegepod getting lots of sun.

A Vegepod without the stand, in a shaded area.

These are perfect for first-time gardeners, as they take the guesswork out of gardening. The Vegepod is a self-contained mini garden that sits on an elevated stand. Mum won’t have to kneel in the soil while planting her herbs and veggies. The sometimes-steep learning curve of gardening is lessened by a self-watering system, a mesh cover to keep out insects and harsh weather, and a portable system that means you can pick up the Vegepod and move it to the best sunny spot.

Air purifier

For a practical purchase that mum can use at home daily, an air purifier may be just what Santa ordered. Air purifiers filter a room’s air to make it cleaner. This makes it friendlier to breathe in for anyone with asthma, allergies, hayfever, sleep apnea or snoring.

Salin Salt Plus Salt Therapy ($199.95)

This handy device from Salin Plus combines air filtration with salt therapy. It releases tiny salt ions that help clear up airways when they’re inhaled.

This salt therapy (also known as halotherapy) is a spa treatment that can cost up to $60 per session. According to reviewers, the Salin Salt Plus purifier worked wonders in helping household members breathe freely and get a peaceful night’s sleep. It may also help mum catch more Z’s if she shares a bed with someone who snores (ahem - Dad).

Hair stylers

It’s no beauty secret that good hair days can offer a healthy boost of confidence. While a salon trip to the hairdresser is the ideal way to get the best hair, it’s not the ideal option for a wallet that grows steadily thinner with each visit. An electric hair styler for home use can get the job done quickly from the comfort of home. With a new hair styler, mum’s hair can be her regular crowning glory.

Bondi Boost Wave Wand ($84.95)

If your mum prefers casual curls that aren’t too formal, this top-rated hair styler from Bondi Boost creates loose, beach-style waves. The triple-barrelled design helps to curl hair 3 times as fast as stylers with just a single barrel - ideal for mums with long or thick hair. You just clamp hair into the barrel, without needing to twirl or wrap or carefully manoeuvre sections of hair around the heating tool.

Reviewers also reported that this wave wand didn’t make hair frizzy or dry. The only downside is that the larger bulk/ design can make this styler heavy to hold for some people. If that’s the case, the TNS Automatic Curler is another popular and high-quality option, although it’s a little dearer at $249.

Portable Speakers

Whether your mum is a fan of religious hymns, ABBA or Drake (it’s been known to happen), a reliable portable speaker is something worth making a song and dance about.

Mum can carry it round the house with her while she gardens, cooks, or relaxes on the lounge with a cup of tea. Its portability also means it can be brought along on family picnics and barbeques with friends.

Logitech UE Wonderboom 2

You can snap up this solid portable wireless speaker for $129.95. This makes it significantly cheaper than many other portable speakers on the market. Its compact size makes it easier to pack into a travel or picnic bag. It's also waterproof, drop-proof from 1.5 metres, and designed with a 13-hour battery life, which reduces the chances of those ‘Oh, dear!' moments.

Experience voucher

Market research company Roy Morgan predicts that gift vouchers will be the second most popular gift idea this Christmas. It’s no wonder, really, considering we're still trying to make up for lost experiences with loved ones after lockdown.

The way experience vouchers work is this: you purchase them online at a discounted rate, using a third-party site like Scoopon. This is usually cheaper than buying directly from the company providing the experience. Just make sure you get mum to use the voucher to book directly with the company. This includes locking in a date and time of your activity or experience, before the voucher expiration date.

Scoopon

From the smorgasboard of companies selling experience vouchers, Scoopon is the best rated on ieatwords. It has an impressive 4-star rating from 1, 758 reviews.

A quick look at the Scoopon website reveals the variety of activities on offer: from photography and painting sessions, to a course on creating a mini indoor garden, to more premium picks like a one-hour scenic flight over Sydney Harbour or the Blue Mountains, and even group surfing lessons.

Gifts under $100

Beurer foot massager

Getting cold feet can be a thing of the past with this Beurer FWM 45 Massage Foot Warmer. At an affordable price of $85, it can warm up mum’s feet in the chillier seasons and massage them at the same time. Foot massages can help ease tension and pain, and improve blood circulation - not to mention they feel amazing! The inner material is made from ‘teddy bear’ fleece lining that’s naturally cosy, enhanced by 2 levels of electronic temperature. In summer, mum can use the massage-only option so her feet don’t overheat.

If you have more money to spare, the highest-rated foot massager is the Revitive Medic 2nd Generation, which costs $399. It was also noted that the Revitive model provided relief to sore calf muscles and also soothed leg pain.

Natio essential oil diffuser

An electronic essential oil diffuser like the $89.95 Natio Ambient Essential Oil Diffuser uses aromatherapy to help boost mood and promote a feeling of calm in a room. For example, lavender and chamomile essential oils can help with stress relief and relaxation.

100% essential oils are extremely potent, and you only need to pour a few drops diluted with water in the water tank, to last a few hours. If your mum is a fancy candle addict, a diffuser can provide just as strong a fragrance, at a fraction of the price.

Kmart Air Fryer

Rated 3rd best air fryer on ieatwords.com.au, the $69 Kmart Air Fryer is a steal of a gift for any mum who enjoys traditionally fried foods, minus the grease and guilt. It makes crispy food quickly, including pies, veggies, steak and chips - even cakes. Clean-up is a cinch, according to reviewers. This handy little fryer is a cut above the rest when it comes to price - it’s the only air fryer in the Top 5 of its category under $300.

Sistaco Nails

The Sistaco Nails system is highly popular among reviewers, with a 4.6-star rating from 1, 023 reviews. It’s easy to use, as it involves dipping nails into a mineral powder rather than painting them. With the help of an included LED lamp, nails dry quickly and without fuss.

The box sets are great for an all-in-one nail polish gift. It includes everything mum needs to paint her nails in one gift box. This includes an LED lamp, top and base coats, and a mineral bond applicator. The Foundation Box Set ($60) comes with 1 nail colour, and the Deluxe Set ($99) with 3 colours.

The Sistaco Nail Set is vegan, cruelty-free and toxin free.