35 Best 40th Birthday Gifts for Women and Men of 2023

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Funny, creative and unusual gifts any newly minted 40-year-old will love.

It's the sentiment Jay-Z made famous: "40 is the new 30." That means the milestone birthday is a time for celebrating all the accomplishments of the past as well as all the joy and exuberance of going into a promising new decade often marked by more independence, success, and self-confidence than ever before. It's definitely time to party!

To help you mark the occasion for the special person in your life turning 40, we’ve rounded up 40th birthday gift ideas for celebrants of every personality type — and for every budget (with plenty of picks under $20 as well as some splurges). Our list of birthday gifts for women and birthday gifts for men includes retro T-shirts, candies, and even jigsaw puzzles that call out the year of their birth. It's also packed with gifts for self care, entertaining, traveling, decorating, and more. Looking for 40th birthday gift ideas for the wine lover, sweet tooth, or fitness fan? We've got them all. And yes, you'll even find 40th birthday gag gifts (just make sure you know your audience)!

Find even more birthday inspiration in our guides to what to write in a birthday card, as well as dozens of birthday card ideas that really show how much you care.

Now get to singing Jay-Z's oh-so-true lyrics about turning 40: "I'm so hot still..."

Sure, Oh! The Places You'll Go is great for a graduation gift. But this cheeky version of the Dr. Seuss classic is perfect as a 40th birthday gag gift.

This gift will take them right back to fond memories of grade school, summer camp, birthday parties, and trips to the mall: It's a gift filled with retro candies from 40 years ago.

This fan-favorite neck pillow has thousands of near-perfect reviews. Its unique strap system attaches to any kind of seat to keep it from sliding and to keep the user from falling forward, too. It's made from memory core foam and has raised side supports for maintaining comfy spine and neck alignment and banishing pain — at home or on the go.

Give a custom-seeming gift under $10 that celebrates the recipient's year of birth. This one is available in a range of colors and styles, including a unisex version).

Pre-load this popular, highly reviewed digital picture frame with cherished memories from 40 years of a life well lived. (The interface is super easy to use, and adding photos via the app is a snap.)

This candle derives its humor from a cheeky message printed in the style of an optometrist's chart.

Anyone who's turning 40 is sure to experience a rush of emotions when gazing at this cassette print. The tapes showcase some of the best and biggest tunes from 1982.

Whether or not you’re celebrating with a retro theme party, give that ‘80s baby a gift that celebrates the over-the-top decade of their birth. These neon splatter-painted paints will take them right back to the fun (and sometimes laughable) style of their youth.

For the recipient who loves to streamline and stay organized, this versatile wallet is designed to hold all the essentials. And it multitasks: It doubles as a casual clutch with an included wristlet. Made with vegan leather, it includes card slots, a change pouch, and a billfold compartment. Personalize this gift with a gold foil monogram and take it over the top.

Why bring an ordinary bottle of wine to the 40th birthday party... when you can zhush it up with a fun (and highly Instagrammable) label?

This is no ordinary jigsaw puzzle: It's a fascinating custom version made in the image of the front page from a special date in history (like their birthday!).

Personalize this 40th birthday book with their name, date of birth, and your own name as the giver so they know who to thank for the very special gift! Inside, they'll find memories, quizzes, and facts about the year they were born.

Give this Etsy seller a list of important places in the birthday boy or girl's life along with a few memories associated with each, and they'll whip it up into a customized "map" of their life. "The level of customization was astonishing!" said one happy customer. You can choose from two sizes and 10 different color options.

With four decades under his belt, he's bound to have a few aches and pains. With almost 8K five-star ratings on Amazon, this portable massager features 20 speeds and six different massage heads.

If you can't be there to celebrate in person, send the next best thing: dessert. And all the best flavors are here, from chocolate sprinkles to orange blossom to raspberry chocolate chip.

You can have up to 130 characters engraved on this small walnut catchall tray, so come up with a short but sweet message they're sure to appreciate.

If you're looking to splurge, make a serious splash for a 40th birthday with these on-trend slider earrings that give the look of two earrings apiece. In 14 karat gold and diamonds, these are destined to become heirlooms.

At a time in life ripe for reflection, this is a daily guided journal is designed to help the recipient nurture the best version of themself. It has a prompt for each day, intended to promote self love, reflection, and growth.

Make that weekend trip extra special — and extra fun on TikTok — with custom hats for the whole crew in honor of the big 4-0.

If you know someone facing a milestone birthday surrounding by untenable stress, give them a gift that can help them focus on mental health and self care (while showing them that you care, and that you see them). Each box comes with a curated selection of products that provide tools, tips, and activities for anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

Alesandra is a digital travel and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles whose work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, Prevention, Insider, Glamour, Shondaland, AFAR, Parents, TODAY and countless other online and print outlets. Alesandra has a masters degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley. An avid traveler, she trots the globe with her husband and their twins.

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