To give the perfect graduation gift, the gift you select needs to meet the following standards.

1. It should bring some level of enjoyment to the recipient. Let’s be honest. This isn’t as difficult to provide for graduates as it is to provide for someone who buys everything they want themselves before others have the chance to give it to them.
2. The gift should show the recipient how well you know them. It’s personal, thoughtful, a reflection of their interests. (Hint: if you don’t know the graduate well, ask someone who does.)
3. An ideal graduation gift will come in handy in the next chapter of the graduate’s life. For high school graduates heading off to college, that could be something as simple as a roll of quarters for laundry. For a college graduate heading into the workforce, it could be a case for their laptop. (Those gifts probably don’t meet the “enjoyment” standard, but you get the idea.)
4. Finally, the best gifts are things the recipient probably wouldn’t buy for themselves. It’s not a necessity so much as it is a useful bonus… like a jogging stroller for a new mom, or an espresso machine for the young professional.

Still stumped? What about gifting your favorite graduate with a high quality rotomolded cooler? It will enable them to enjoy their favorite activities even more, can be customized to show how well you know them, definitely comes in handy in any chapter of life, and probably isn’t something they would buy for themselves. Check out the more specific gift options below.

Gift your graduate with a Bison Hard Cooler

Bison hard coolers are made in America and come in a variety of sizes. The size you choose for your graduate depends on how they’ll be using it. We recommend a 25-quart for starters. However, if the gift is for an avid camper, you may want to consider a 50-quart or 75-quart ice chest. In other words, the best cooler for your graduate really just depends on how they’ll likely use it.

How you present it is up to you, but we have some ideas. Give it to them empty with a giant bow. Give it to them full of ice and their favorite beverage. Or give it to them filled with Bison gear like a Chillin’ Chair and a Chillin’ Brew Icepak, making the cooler both the gift and the gift wrap.

Give your graduate a customized cooler that shows off their personality

You can customize the lid of a Bison hard cooler with pretty much any multicolor graphic you choose. For the SoftPaks and drinkware, though, we’re limited to one color per design. That gives you plenty of options for customizing coolers.The best way to make any gift personal is to customize it. Monograms, hobbies, special interests, unique patterns, company logos, or favorite quotes make the cooler something that stands out in a crowd and shows how well you know the graduate. We suggest you avoid things like baby pictures or embarrassing family nicknames. The goal is for the graduate to use the gift, not hide it in the attic.

Reward graduates for their hard work with a Bison Hard Case

Think of a Bison hard case as a protective suitcase or briefcase for expensive toys. Graduates might carry drones, photography equipment, power tools, guns, or electronics in their hard case to get the items safely from point A to point B. Hard cases are great object lessons for teaching graduates to protect their (or your) investment against forces beyond their control: dust, spills, drops, and old-fashioned clumsiness.

Show a softer side by giving a Bison Soft Cooler

Hard coolers aren’t the only option for keeping beverages cold. Bison 12- and 24-can SoftPaks do a remarkable job, AND they have shoulder straps to make carrying those beverages to the hammock, disc golf course, softball field, or the fountain next to the library. SoftPaks are the smaller, softer side of Bison. Literally.

Fill a SoftPak with Bison swag to up your gift-giving game even more. Add a tumbler, a bottle opener, some socks, a Chillin’ Brew Icepak, or all of the above for a complete gift bag. Personalize the SoftPak by adding a monogram or team logo. Customization is the gift tag that keeps on giving.

Make sure graduates stay hydrated by giving Bison Drinkware as gifts

Whether it’s coffee in the early morning commute or lemonade in a hammock off the quad, you can’t go wrong by giving Bison stainless steel drinkware as a gift. The tumblers and growlers are vacuum insulated to keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and, like other Bison products, are customizable. Stuff the drinkware with another small token like some Bison sunglasses or a Bison gift card to complete the package.

There you have it.

Gift ideas and some basic gift-giving tips. That’s how we roll at Bison, where we work hard and play harder.