Find the best gifts for 40th birthday parties.
Take a look at this 40th birthday gift guide to find fun and original 40th birthday gifts for men and women. From affordable and easy options to more expensive and custom ideas. So, if you don’t know what to get, then be sure to scroll down and check out this list of 40th birthday gift ideas for her and him.
(Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase)
1. A 40 Reasons Why We Love You Print
This digital print by OliverandcoDesign on Etsy is a great first idea on this list of 40th birthday gifts. You customize it and get the print sent to you digitally and you can print it however you want. It’s a fun custom gift idea that does take a bit of effort and time, but you can always call in help from friends and family to make a list of all the reasons you love them. So, if you’re looking for something meaningful and personalized, then this is a great option.
2. A Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Do they enjoy having a cold brew instead of a hot coffee? Then getting them this cold brew maker to make their own iced coffee is a great gift for their 40th birthday. It comes in a couple of different sizes and colors and will fit into the door of your fridge perfectly. It’s an affordable present for anyone who enjoys a good cup of coffee and likes to have a nice cold brew every now and then. It doesn’t take up a lot of space, yet does everything you need it to do.
3. A Custom Constellation Star Map of Their Birthday
This poster by TheMoonCorner on Etsy is another great original and creative 40th birthday gift idea for him or her. You can pick the color and text you want to be added to the poster and they will send it to you once it’s printed. It’s a fun piece of wall art that’s not too in your face while also being meaningful and sentimental. So, if you want something special and custom-made for them, then a poster like this is perhaps the perfect birthday present to get for them.
4. A Handy Shower Wine Glass Holder
When you turn forty, it’s time to get your priorities straight and ensure that you can have a drink wherever you are. This fun silicone wine holder is perfect for in your shower to take your glass of wine with you without running the risk of toppling it or getting shower water in it. The holder comes in a couple of different colors and also has a beer can variant, though those are probably fine to take with you as is. So, if you’re looking for funny 40th birthday gift ideas, then this is a great option for the wine drinker.
5. A Vintage Cassette Tape Shirt
A fun t-shirt to celebrate someone’s 40th birthday is always a great option if you want something small and fun. Though this shirt is especially great because it’s also just a nice shirt that they’ll actually wear. It comes in a bunch of different colors and has a fit for women and men. So, if you want something fun that won’t go to waste, then get this shirt as a reminder of how long cassettes have been out of fashion, which is about as long as they’ve been adults.
6. A Fitbit Activity Tracker and Smartwatch
If you have a bit of budget or if you’re pooling together with others to get them a nice gift, then getting them a smartwatch like this that also has an activity tracker in it is a great option. It comes in a couple of different versions, including a classic all-black that anyone would like to get. Make sure that they actually want to track their activity and that they won’t interpret it as an insult before you get this gift. Though, if they’re avid runners or cyclists, then this is probably one of the best 40th birthday gifts you can get.
7. A Set of Grilling Essentials
Having a set of tools that is specifically for grilling is one of those things you never knew you needed until you have it. This set has everything you need for a successful barbeque and comes in a nice storage case that makes it easy to put away during the winter months. It’s actually pretty affordable for the number of grilling tools you get in this set and it’s a great gift idea for any 40-year-old that enjoys grilling during the summer months.
8. A Personalized Engraved Bracelet
A pretty bar bracelet that’s engraved like this one by JewelryBlues on Etsy is a great piece of jewelry to give as one of the best 40th birthday ideas for wife. You can get it engraved with their birthdate on one side and their name on the other, or whatever you want. Maybe the names of her kids or something that means a lot to her. You can pick from a bunch of different options such as different metal colors and ways of engraving. So, a truly custom and personalized present.
9. An At-Home Spa Gift Box
Some of the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women are those that will allow them some me-time and time to relax. This spa gift box is a great example of that. It’s really affordable and the vanilla scent is a nice neutral scent that everyone will love. If you get them a gift box like this make sure that it has the products in it she’ll enjoy such as bubble bath, hand cream, and body lotion. This is a great affordable and low-effort gift idea that any woman would love to get.
10. A Set of Double-Walled Coffee or Tea Glasses
If they love a good cup of coffee or a nice cup of tea, then this set of glass double-walled coffee or tea mugs are a great birthday present for their 40th birthday. The double walls will keep their drink hot for longer and the glass is just a really nice clean look that no one can have a problem with. You can put it in the microwave and dishwasher and if you want even in the freezer to keep your cold drinks colder for longer. So, if you want something special that they probably don’t have yet, then this is a great option.
Related: Fabulous 50th Birthday Presents
11. A Happy Birthday Scented Candle
This pretty jar candle is perfect as a small gift for the candle lover that will make their house smell like a freshly baked birthday cake. You can pick from a couple of different text options for on the jar, with each also having a different scent. A candle like this is a great easy gift you can’t really go wrong with. If you want to make it a bit more special, then you can also check out the versions available on Etsy where you can get is customized however you want.
12. A 40th Birthday Retro Candy Gift Box
Do they have a sweet tooth or had one as a kid when you grew up together? Then they’ll love this box filled with retro candies from their childhood. Some are still widely available today, so if you want to keep the costs down, you can also make your own box, decorate it and go to the store to fill it up with candy from your childhood. This is a fun and easy 40th birthday gift idea that everyone at the party will probably appreciate, it’s especially great if they can share it with their kids.
13. A SodaStream as a Nice Gift
SodaStreams come in a bunch of different colors and versions and all of them are great gift ideas for anyone who loves sparkly water and might enjoy one of these. It comes with a ‘fizz’ canister and a glass bottle that is perfect to store in the fridge or take with you to work. It’s a great kitchen gadget to give as a gift because most people don’t have one, but they would probably like to have one nonetheless. So, if they love sparkly water and don’t have one yet, here’s the perfect present to get them for their 40th birthday.
14. A 40th Birthday Decades Necklace
This dainty necklace is another great addition to this 40th birthday gift guide for women. Each ring of the necklace represents one decade of her life and it’s just a simple necklace that will look great on every woman. Of course, this necklace is just an example of one of the many necklaces out there that are great gifts. Other options are monogrammed necklaces or something with a more personal touch. Jewelry is just a simple option that you can’t really go wrong with as long as you don’t go over budget and keep it simple.
15. Stainless Steel Whiskey Stones
Does he love a bit of liquor? Then these stainless steel whiskey stones are great 40th birthday gifts for him. The set comes with six stones to store in the freezer and a pair of small thongs so you can keep the whiskey stones from dropping too roughly into the glass. You can actually use them as so much more, for example, to quickly cool down your coffee if you need or to keep your white wine fresh during the hotter outside weather.
16. A Handy and Pretty Bath Tray
When you take a bath, you sometimes just want to take a glass of wine with you and light a candle, but where do you put them? This bath tray makes each bath so much more relaxing, you can even use it to prop up your phone or tablet so you can watch a series or movie while you’re soaking in the tub. It’s a fun gift idea that turns any bathroom into a bit of a home spa. This tray comes in a couple of different colors, so be sure to pick the one that will go with their bathroom best.
17. A New York Times Front Page Puzzle of Their Birthdate
If you want to get them something custom-made for their 40th birthday, then getting them a puzzle of the birthday front page of the New York Times is a great idea. It’s fun to put together and fun to read once it’s finished. You can pick from two different sizes, one with 500 pieces and one with 1,000. Personally, I would go for the easier option because even that might be a pretty big challenge if the page didn’t have a lot of colored images on it. Either way, this is a great custom birthday present.
18. A Chemex Pour-Over Coffee Maker
These pour-over coffee makers have become increasingly more popular in the last couple of years and with reason. They offer a simple but effective way of making a great pot of coffee with the entire coffee maker being easy to clean and even dishwasher safe. If they love a fresh coffee, then this is a great gift, just make sure that they’re willing to put in the time and that they have a kettle, because you’ll need boiling water to use this.
19. A Hot Sauce Making Kit
Are they the kind of person who puts hot sauce on every dish imaginable? Then they’ll probably love this 40th birthday gift idea. This set comes with everything you need to make your own set of hot sauces. You can follow the recipes or go rogue and make your own concoction. Just make sure they put on the gloves and then let them have at it. It even comes with a set of labels you can stick on your freshly made hot sauces to really finish it off.
20. Birth Flower Engraved Earrings
You can get this pair of earrings by
21. A Temperature-Controlled Smart Mug
The best gift idea for someone’s 40th birthday for someone who loves coffee but forgets they made some is an Ember smart mug that keeps your drink hot for hours on end. You can use an app to set the temperature that you want your drink to stay on and there you go. It’s aen easy way to stop topping up your coffee just because it went cold. It comes in a couple of different colors and is quite pricey for a mug, but if this can keep your drink hot, then it’s more than worth it for an avid coffee drinker.
22. A Scratch-Off Travel World Map
A nice birthday presents for someone who loves traveling the world is a map like this that can help them keep track of their adventures across the globe. This gift idea also comes in a version with a black background on Amazon, so if that’s something you think they’ll like better, then get that one instead. It’s a simple piece of wall decor that can fit in any room and is a fun conversation piece to have in your home since it will make people ask where you’ve been and what you did there.
23. A Nice and Comfy Terry Bathrobe
A nice gift that’s perfect to get anyone who recently moved or just needs a new bathrobe is a good-quality bathrobe like this. It’s also great to give along with a set of bath products to take a nice bath. You can pick whatever color your want, if they have a favorite color, then that’s probably a safe bet. Otherwise, going with the color of their towels is another great option because then the robe will fit in with their bathroom. And it’s better to go oversized than under, so pick comfort when picking the size you get.
24. Custom Wine Bottle Label Stickers
If you want to get them just a nice bottle of wine or a couple of bottles of wine but don’t feel like it’s enough of a celebration, then you can simply transform the bottles with these fun labels. You get a set of 20 different labels you can pick from and they’re really cheap. So, this can be a one-time gift or reused if you have a lot of people turning 40 in the next couple of years. Just wrap up the bottles to finish it off and there you have a simple and fun gift to give.
25. A High-Quality Pasta Maker
Are they really into cooking and trying out new recipes and techniques? Then getting them this traditional pasta maker is a great 40th birthday present to get them. It’s a bit pricey but it’s an entirely new way of making pasta if you normally just take it from the packet (like I do). If you think they would enjoy something like this and you have the budget, then this is just a great option that they can use for years to come, as it’s one of those long-lasting kitchen gadget that last forever.
26. A 40th Birthday Card Game
If you’re just looking for something small that’s fun and cheap, then this card game is a great option. It’s filled with quiz questions like you would see in trivial pursuit all themed around birthdays and turning 40. It’s not the best game out there, but a fun little gift nonetheless. You can of course also make something similar yourself if you have the time by making quiz questions about their life instead of general knowledge questions, though you would need to put in quite some time and effort.
27. May the Forties Be With You Mug
The ultimate birthday present for a Star Wars fan turning forty is this mug. It’s perfectly on theme and mugs in general are always useful and safe gift ideas. Turn it into more of a gift by filling it up with their favorite snacks or sweets or the supplies you need to make a hot chocolate. By adding that personal touch a fun mug becomes a great gift that anyone will appreciate getting. There are a bunch of different fun mugs out there, but this one is too good to pass up if they love Star Wars.
RELATED: Thoughtful Gifts to Give your Wife for her 30th Birthday
I hope this list of 40th birthday gift ideas for him and her has helped you come up with some great presents for their 40th birthday. If you still don’t know what to get, then you can also consider making something yourself, with something edible being a great option because it shows that you put in the effort and it’s something that they can use up over time. Whether you buy something or make something from scratch, you’re sure to find something great to celebrate them turning 40.
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