GIFT GUIDE FOR MEN
I absolutely hate buying for men. Whether that’s my dad, my brother, or my boyfriend, men are just impossible to buy for. I don’t know about you, but the men in my life never drop hints, if they want something they just go out and buy it (normally after I’ve already bought it and wrapped it up for them for Christmas… brilliant), or they are just so fussy that it makes buying for men a chore. So, I decided to create an in detail gift guide for the men in your life (or women of course), I’ve tried to include a really broad range of gifts which will hopefully cover all interests, ages and price ranges. Hope you enjoy and hope this saves you from stress this Christmas!
LEATHER GOODS
A wallet/cardholder
When I first met my boyfriend, he didn’t own a wallet. He just kept everything in his pocket… and this just sent my inner control freak wild. Even if the man you’re buying for has a wallet, chances are it’s old, falling apart or just not fit for purpose. So if so, then I’ve popped some options of wallets and also cardholders (I personally prefer cardholders and my boyfriend does too, its less bulky in his pocket). I also love cardholders which you can get personalised, Aspinal of London do some beautiful ones.
A travel holdall
These are great for all sorts, whether its taking it to work, to the gym, or away for the weekend… it also may encourage them to book you a spontaneous weekend away haha! Either way, a good travel bag is an essential and also makes a really special gift. Every time it is used he will be reminded of you and what an excellent present buyer you are! I’ve left my favourite picks down below.
A backpack
For those men who don’t need a bag as big as a holdall, a backpack is a great shout. I’m all for practical presents and this is definitely one of them.
A wash bag
Lastly in this category is a wash bag. Again, great for taking to the gym or to travel with, a wash bag makes your mans life more organised and is also a really nice gift that will get used every single day. As I said, I love a practical gift!
CLOTHES AND SHOES
UGG Slippers
When my boyfriend asked me for a pair of UGG slippers around 5 years ago, I said there’s absolutely no way I’m spending that much on a pair of slippers. Fast forward five years, now we are both proud owners of UGG slippers, and I’ve bought a pair for my mum, my dad, and my brother… So that just shows how good they are.
Joggers/comfy clothes
You can’t go wrong with some comfy clothes. Perfect for wearing over the Christmas period and also something I think men don’t tend to buy themselves. That’s usually my go to with Christmas present shopping - whatever people wouldn’t buy themselves, I think always makes a great gift.
Trainers
If your boyfriend is a sneaker head like mine then you might be interested in this category. There’s nothing nicer than a new pair of shoes at Christmas, so I’ve linked all of the pairs of trainers that I know my boyfriend would love over Christmas, so hope that one helps you out too! I’ve also linked some ‘crep protect’, the best trainer cleaning brand/protective spray out there! Thank me later!
TECHNOLOGY/ELECTRONICS
A lot of guys are into their tech, whether that’s a new gadget or something practical. My boyfriend in particular is partial to a remote control car or helicopter around Christmas, (only at Christmas for some reason?!) but don’t worry this guide is going to be a little more practical than that!
Google Home/Amazon Alexa
I think this is such a great Christmas Present. Firstly because there are two kinds of each so it can be really affordable, if you buy the Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini, then you aren’t spending a fortune, and in future, they can invest into the bigger version too and have it around the house. I think this is a great present as it’s so practical, but also a fun gadget and will be put to use straight away, wether that’s to play Christmas songs, or answer questions in the family Christmas quiz. If you live wit the man you’re buying for, then its also kinda a present for you too… so a win win! We have the Google Home, but have friends that have the Alexa and to be honest I don’t think there is a massive difference in either. We preferred the look of the Google Home so went for that. You can also get the smart home hub and I’m sure Amazon do something similar!
A Tile-Mate
My boyfriends mum bought him one of these a few years ago and honestly it is a game changer. Best present he’s ever received to be honest. It’s a tiny slim small tile shaped device that you can put in your wallet, or attach to your keys and you can link it up to your phone and it acts as a GPS within a certain range. So, if you can’t find your keys or wallet, you can go onto the app and get it to play a sound so you can locate them, as well as seeing where they are! And, if you lose pour phone but have your keys or wallet, you can press the middle button on the tile and it makes your phone ring (even when it’s on silent!) It’s honestly life changing if the man you’re buying for loses everything like mine!
A Record Player and a selection of his favourite records
I bought this for my boyfriend a few anniversaries back, and it’s something we still love and use all the time. We also spend a lot of time going to record shops and finding records we want to buy, it’s become a bit of a hobby now and we’re always so excited when we find our favourite ones! So if your partner/dad/brother/friend/whoever is into music, whether that’s classics or more modern music, you can literally buy almost everything on a record so it’s a really special gift, that can hold a lot of memories with the records you choose and is also something that I don’t think people tend to buy for themselves. Also, then each birthday or Christmas you can keep filling up their record collection and buy them a new record each time!
Headphones
Bit of an obvious one, but I think headphones are a great gift for Christmas. Personally I’ve been wanting some over ear, noise cancelling ones for adages but always been reluctant to spend the money on myself! They’re such a practical present that will get used all the time, and I personally love to see my present being put to good use! AirPods are also another great option, my partner absolutely loves his, especially for travel and the gym as they are so small and easy and wireless.
A Nutri-bullet/Smoothie Maker
I think this is a brilliant present, not only for encouraging people to be healthy, but it’s also so practical and can be used every single day, so you are really going to get your money’s worth out of this present. It’s a great one for all the family to share too so would be a lovely joint present for a family or for a couple. It’s also perfect for the new year health kick almost everyone embarks on!
JEWELLERY
Jewellery
I bought my partner a bracelet for our very first Christmas together and he still wears it now 5 years later. I think this is such a nice sentimental gift. I got the inside of the bracelet engraved, so although no one can see it, we both know the engraving is there. Every time I see it on him I am reminded of our first Christmas together so it’s really special to both of us. There are so many companies out there that do really nice masculine bracelets, that you can also get engraved so I’ll leave my favourites down below. Failing that, engraved cufflinks are a lovely present if the man you are buying for wears a suit a lot. Another lovely gift if your man is into his watches as well is a watch box, which i’ve included down below as well.
BEAUTY/SKINCARE
Moisturiser and Face Wash
If the man you are buying for it anything like mine, then chances are he does not have any form of skincare routine. So, a good place to start is moisturiser, and/or a facial wash if you really want to push the boat out. I’ve left a few of what I consider to be the best ones linked down below. Agin, a great gift that a lot of men definitely don’t splurge on, so it’s nice to have a treat at Christmas time.
Beard Oil
Chances are, you know a man who ie tier obsessed with his facial hair, or trying and desperately failing to grow a beard. Whether it’s the first or the latter, beard oil is a lovely luxurious present that again, a lot of men don’t think to buy themselves but I can guarantee that they will become obsessed with (particularly if they are desperately trying to grow a beard haha!). You can get lots in lots of different budgets, with different scents etc so will link a few down below. Also, whilst we’re talking about beards I’m also going to link the ‘beard buddy’ which is essentially a bib your partner can wear when he’s shaving to catch all the hairs that normally end up all over your nice clean sink - this is a game changer honestly!
Aftershave
A bit of an obvious one maybe, but I get asked a lot what aftershaves I recommend as presents, so I thought I’d add this one in too and leave all of my favourites that my partner wears below.
PERSONALISED GIFTS
These are some of my favourite things to buy for people. Such a special gift with so many nice memories to keep forever. notonthehighstreet.com is normally my go to for gifts like this!
Personalised Prints
One year, I bought my partner a sound waves print of our song. It’s an amazing way of gifting a song if you like, its beautiful to look at and also really interesting to see the sound waves. You can put your own message at the bottom of it and can choose any song you like! It’s still up in our kitchen 4 years later and will definitely be something we keep forever. I’ve linked a few other’s too!
A personalised hamper
This is something that can cost as much or as little as you like, depending on what you fill it with. A lot of the time I fill these with edible gifts, sweets, chocolates, a chocolate orange etc! But you can also fill it with some of your partner/sons/brother/dads/friend/etc’s favourite things, like his favourite alcohol, his favourite coffee, etc. All easily bought but also really thoughtful!
So, that’s the end of my gift guide for men. I hope you enjoyed it/found it useful, please do comment below if you have any more ideas!