Ten Gift Ideas for Men

With the holidays coming up quickly, and birthdays being pretty constant, it can be a struggle to brainstorm what the men in your life might want for a gift.

Here, I’m going to offer ten ideas that I think most men will enjoy as gifts. Generally, I like gifts that last a long time and are something that the recipient will find useful in their daily lives. Thus, a lot of the gifts here will be practical. But, with that said, I’ll also cover some ideas that are focused, purposely, on being outside of the experiences of a lot of men.

It might be because I’m an academic by training, but I’m of the view that most people need to read more. If for no other reason, a book is a great opportunity to sit for a while, get some quiet, and disconnect from the hectic daily lives most of us live, at least for a little while.

I’ll make two specific recommendations here. First are the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: it’s the journal of a Roman Emperor. I’d also highly recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick: that one is the book that inspired the Blade Runner series of films.

For a lot of men, a pair of nice leather dress shoes or boots is a relatively hefty investment. If taken care of properly, they can also last a lifetime, assuming you keep putting soles on them when necessary.

To keep shoes and boots looking and smelling their best, I highly recommend cedar shoe trees that will soak up moisture, keep the shoe in the correct shape, and can reduce leather creasing over time. With just a little shoe care, these can help maintain a pair of shoes for decades.

Without fail, every few years someone gets me a multi-tool. At this point, I have one in the kitchen, another in my glove box, a small one I keep in my work bag, and a final one stashed in a tool bag.

No matter how many I get, I find myself getting some use out of every multi-tool I get my hands on, and I can’t count the number of times someone has asked to borrow one of mine. A specific recommendation I’ll make is to think about getting one without a blade that is TSA compliant for someone in your life who travels a lot.

In a lot of our society, men are more or less expected to pay for things like dates. Here, I want to suggest flipping the script. Especially if the man you’re thinking of often does the cooking at home or the paying on dates, surprising him with a night out can be an awesome surprise.

If he has a sure favorite, this is a good opportunity to take him there. Otherwise, I suggest finding a locally owned restaurant that you can support when they need it the most.

In a similar vein, a lot of guys are a little bit intimidated of the spa, or, at the very least, are a little uncomfortable with the idea. I think that’s sort of a shame: taking a little time to relax and take care of ourselves is exactly what a lot of people, men in particular, need to do on a regular basis to keep up with our responsibilities.

Beyond just relaxing, some time getting a massage or soaking in a hot tub is an excellent way to release some of the tension that gives a lot of us our back and neck aches.

If the man you’re thinking up gift ideas for is the handy sort, then a new tool might be just the thing he’s looking for in terms of a gift. If there’s a project he’s been talking about but doesn’t have the right tools for the job, then there’s your gift idea.

If he's handy but not working on a project, I would go with one of the new battery operated tools that share batteries with something he already has. For instance, I have a handy portable vacuum that runs on the same batteries as my drill, and I love the convenience of it.

Generally, socks are an awful gift that seems sort of thoughtless. I want to change your mind on this with some quality socks.

For example, I’ve been wearing Darn Tough socks for a few years now, and I’ve found that they make a real difference in how comfortable I am on long days, especially when the weather is especially hot or cold. All-wool or wool blend socks are a game-changer in terms of quality of life over cheap cotton socks, and I think that’s what makes them a great gift idea.

Getting into the territory of stocking stuffers, a lot of folks are still using single-use plastic bottles, which is making our global environmental challenges a lot worse.

Getting someone in your life a reusable water bottle might well keep several hundred bottles out of the ocean per year, and I think that makes it a great gift. Also, we all need to drink more water for our health.

For most white-collar folks, your daily writing of to-do lists, notes, and the like is done with some nondescript ball-point pen from the office supply cabinet.

In an attempt to make everyday tasks feel a little more special, I like using something a little nicer, such as a mechanical pencil with an all-metal body, or, from time to time, even a fountain pen. It’s a small thing, but can be a tool that makes work feel a little more upscale and sophisticated.

A lot of dudes are still using a cheap set of luggage that’s likely to fail on them at any moment. While I think it’s wise to be frugal with checked bags that airlines might well lose, spending a little more on a nice carry-on such as a duffel bag or a backpack is well worth it for travelers.


Here I’ve outlined ten gifts I think most men would like to receive whether it’s for Christmas or some other event. Hopefully, at least something on this list helps get your gift-giving creativity flowing.