Best Mother's Day gifts and ideas for 2020

In need of a Mother’s Day gift? Mother’s Day 2020 falls on the 22 March in the UK (or 10 May if you’re in the US) – but if you’re cutting it fine this year, fear not. We have a host of fantastic mother’s day gift ideas here for all budgets.  

Whether it’s your very own mum who deserves a pampering this coming Mother’s Day or your better half, it’s hard to know the etiquette when it comes to gifting. 

How exactly do you translate “thanks for raising me and putting up with my Nu-Metal phase” or “thanks for raising a child with me and putting up with my second Nu-Metal phase” into an appropriate spend? 

• The best Mother's Day flowers
• Treat your mum to a bottle of the finest gin

And then, there’s how differently we’ve all turned out (but equally perfect, if we may say so ourselves), which is testament to just how many different types of matriarchs there are. That’s why we’ve put together a little cheat sheet of brilliant Mother's Day gifts and ideas that are sure to please, no matter what she’s into.

Why are we so sure? Well, because these are some stone-cold classic mother's day gifts, tried and tested by gift-givers before us. But each with a little twist so she knows you didn’t grab it at the last minute without really putting any effort in (or at least that you’re putting that Amazon Prime membership to good use). 

We’re talking chocolates, but not the last box from M&S Food at the M3 services – more a great big trunk of treats that’ll last her until next year. And flowers – not a single wilting bunch, but a fresh hand-picked bouquet delivered straight to her door once a month. And not forgetting the luxury leather goods, spa experiences and, erm… high-tech hairdryers (trust us on that one). Gourmands, bakers, beauty queens and more are all catered to, so go on, have a scroll through our list of the best mother's day gift ideas, pick up a treat for the real MVP in your life, and score some serious child/partner points in the process – what, like that wasn’t the plan all along?

Read on for our pick of the best Mother's Day gifts.

The best Mother's Day gift ideas

•  Buy the Chocolate & Fizz Collection for £27.50

Adventures in Luxury Chocolate is an insanely indulgent amalgamation of Hotel Chocolat’s very best bits, including buttons, hot chocolate, huge slabs, petite batons, and even an enticing-sounding ‘dipping adventure’. 

Basically, it’s an enormous box filled with chocolate: what’s not to love? In fact, it’s so enormous that if she’s not the type to share, it might even last her until next Mother’s Day. Whether she’s a lover of milk, white or dark, there’s something to cater to all tastes, so it’s a surefire winner. At £120 it doesn’t come cheap – but Hotel Chocolat has a huge range of mother’s day chocolates that cater for all budgets (starting from £2.50) so head over to the site and pick the perfect Mother's Day gift for your mum.

Mother's Day gifts don’t come much more practical than a hairdryer, but this supercharged version from Dyson takes what could be construed as a pretty standard gift into the realms of the slightly bonkers. Yes, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is pricey, but this luxury hairdryer works incredibly well even on notoriously tough frizzy hair, so unless your ma has been blessed with catwalk-ready hair that needs no intervention at all, it’s worth the extra dosh. It also looks amazing even left out on the dressing table, but with this package also encompassing a stylish leather case, there’s no excuse not to pop it away. 

• See more Red Letter Day experiences

If it’s your first Mother's Day as a couple, then probably the best mother’s day gift you can give your partner (and yourself) is a little time to decompress and feel human again. The best way to do that? With a trip to a luxury spa, of course! 

This indulgent trip for two is available at locations up and down the UK, so you needn’t go too far afield. While this means that the experience varies slightly between venues, you’re assured of the use of modern spa facilities to get them a much-needed soak or steam, and either a relaxing treatment or delicious lunch or afternoon tea to follow. 

Alternatively, treat your own mum for that magic combo of a luxurious present and some much-appreciated facetime with her favourite child – hey, we think it’s a safe assumption, you did get her a spa day after all.

Is it all parents that constantly seem to be doing up the kitchen, or is it just ours? Either way, this retro mixer by Smeg is a great Mother's Day gift for the mum who loves baking, and is either labouring away with an old faithful model or still resolutely mixing by hand. 

With ten speed levels and three attachments to choose from, it’s suited to all sorts of prepping tasks, while dishwasher-safe detachable bits keep it low-maintenance. We’re not going to lie though: the main reason is that it looks amazing, especially in a retro kitchen. 

If you feel particularly strongly about the fact that our dear old mums deserve recognition on more than just one day of the year, a subscription box is a fine example of a Mother's Day gift that can keep that appreciation going. And what better thing to receive through your door each month than a lovingly picked bouquet? 

Choose the first delivery date, and Bloom & Wild will do the rest. They’ll carefully pack each month’s flowers into a clever flat box that can be posted through the door, so your mum won’t have to be in to collect them when they arrive. (And there are all kinds of flower gifts over on the Bloom & Wild site, so take a look and pick the one that works best.)
 

Readly is like Netflix for magazines – you pay a monthly subscription and you get to read as much as you want from over 3,000 titles, including T3 magazine! Pretty much everything is covered, from lifestyle to current affairs to hobbies to comedy, so whatever mum likes to relax and read, it's always available.

Get a subscription and she can read on phone, tablet, PC or Mac, including the option to download issues for reading when travelling with no signal. One account can be used by a family too, with the ability to set up different users meaning that everyone gets to choose the mags they like best without messing up the lists of others. A Readly subscription costs £7.99 per month, and you can see what magazines are included at it website.

Perfume may be a firm favourite for Valentine’s day, but it’s a great option for Mother’s Day too. As spring is around the corner, a floral scent is perfect. Fashion-conscious mothers would love a bottle of Tom Ford’s new Rose Prick perfume. Inspired by the designer’s private garden, it’s a bouquet of different roses and something else making it a little bit edgy. Plus, the bottle is to-die for. 

Not all mothers enjoy getting glammed up, but if your mum or partner likes a night out, they’ll love a Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette. Beautifully packaged, this ‘Pillow Talk’ palette contains four fresh, pretty, pink hues that are designed to be universally flattering. Like all of the celebrity makeup artist’s Luxury palettes, this one has a sparkly ‘pop’ shade for the evening, as well as super wearable shades or the daytime, making it ideal for taking her from desk to disco (or Pizza Express, depending on her preferences).

If you’ve got your mum a CD for Mother’s Days in the past, why not consider a Bluetooth speaker so she can blast her favourite hits anywhere in the house... let’s just hope it’s not ABBA…again. The Ultimate Ears Megaboom speaker sounds great and offers 20 hours of music on one charge. It’s waterproof, dust-proof and drop-proof, making it kid-proof too, so there’s a chance it may last until next Mother’s Day. And it’s insanely pretty in ‘seashell peach’. There’s a cool ‘Magic Button’ letting her Play, pause and skip songs with just one touch, or it can be controlled via an app. For mums who are comfortable with smartphones, this would make a great techie treat.

Nothing says thoughtful like something that’s personalised. While some mums love to receive a homemade gift complete with sticky back plastic, an initial necklace is more refined. Rachel Jackson London makes wonderful initial pendant necklaces in an Art Deco style. Made from sterling silver, each letter is finished in 22ct gold plating, and comes with an adjustable chain.  You needn’t even worry about wrapping it up, as the necklace comes in a gift box.

It would be great if you could give your mum pure happiness, but the next best thing may be this ‘Happiness’ candle by Neom Organics. Sure, a candle may not be the most original gift this Mother’s Day, but mums who love a little luxury will adore this one, as it’s made of a complex blend of seven essential oils including neroli, mimosa and lemon, which are designed to make your mum feel extra positive. This candle looks great, so will be a big hit with house-proud mums and those who love a bit of luxury. Include a homemade gift voucher for a long soak in the bath while the rest of the family does the chores and you’ll score some serious brownie points.

You might have a job convincing her not to keep it for best, but if you can, this leather tote bag from Coach would make a great luxury Mother’s Day gift - and a useful every day item too, which can be hard to come by. 

Made from premium pebbled leather, this open top style bag features an organised, unlined interior that's divided in the middle by a zipped pocket. There’s a dedicated pocket for a phone – so no fumbling for a furiously ringing phone when it goes off at the most inopportune moment – plus other slip pockets to help stay organised. and it’s perfect for going from day to night thanks to a detachable, long cross body strap as well as two grab handles. Best of all though, it’s undeniably luxurious – because why not? (Want more choice? You can see more luxury Coach bags at John Lewis.) 

For the ultimate Mother’s Day gift, you can’t go wrong with this luxury ‘Me Time’ bath box from Hamper Lounge. It comes packed with treats, including a 75cl bottle of Freixenet Prosecco, British chocolate selection by House of Dorchester, 10cl candle by The Harrogate Candle Company, Calming bath oil by Mirins Copenhagen, Recharge body wash by Mirins Copenhagen, Dover Street body wash by Lavender & Lillie, Green Fig & Lavender body lotion by Plum & Ashby and a Lemongrass body scrub by Nathalie Bond. 

You can also add your own products to customise the hamper if you prefer, and all mother’s day gifts will come presented in either a stylish gift box with grey ribbon or a large wicker. The best part? You can get 10% off now.

More Mother's Day gift ideas: retailer links

Haven't seen the perfect Mother’s Day gift for your mum? Have a browse of these retailers for some more inspiration – they're packed to the rafters with even more brilliant Mother’s Day gift ideas.

• Mother's Day gifts: Marks and Spencer
• Mother’s Day gifts: NotOnTheHighStreet
• Mother’s Day gifts: Boots
• Mother’s Day gifts: The Body Shop 
• Mother’s Day gifts: Debenhams