25 Cool Gifts For the Big 4-0

Birthdays are a time of celebration, or at the very least, a practice in self-acceptance. You're getting older. That's great! Better than the alternative, heh? Forty might feel like a trigger number to some, but they probably aren't 40 yet and boy, will they learn.

A few things come with the passing of time that are worth making note of. First, that it's time to invest in the stuff that makes life easier. The best gifts for a birthday like this are upgrades to stuff that makes experiencing life a little more comfortable: A high-quality suitcase with high-functioning wheels; a lighter that won't burn your thumb; an espresso machine that makes a cup worth savoring. Leave the pinching pennies and getting the cheaper, but also less good, version of things in the decades of yore.

Next, getting older means less headspace for fussing. Forty-year-olds want what they want. They like casual hikes but despise the gym. They have kids and nowhere to keep their kids' stuff. They want to sleep for a full eight hours a night, and not a second less. These are all good things to keep in mind when shopping for the soon-to-be 40-year-old in your life. Start here with 25 of the best gifts to give them.