Need a gift for the dude you work with? How about your dad? Your best friend’s fiancé? We’ve got you covered. Men’s gift guides are usually full of cliché items like beard combs, overpriced basketball hoops, decorative axes, and, of course, underwear. But not this one.
This year we’re bringing you gift ideas for guys who deserve better. Wow him with something that says, “I know more about you than just that you wear socks!”
1. Murray’s Cheese American Splendor
They say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. While that’s probably not true of every guy, this basket will win anyone over. With Cabot cheddar, Vermont Creamery cremont, Murray’s apple butter, and olive oil crackers, it contains everything a guy needs to make a 10/10 snack.($50; murrayscheese.com)
2. Wanle Gamers Console for iPhone
This iPhone case is the coolest invention ever. Instead of a standard silicon or leather back, this one has a built-in Game Boy-esque console that legit works. So when your dude gets sick of scrolling through his social media, he can flip his phone over and play classic games like Tetris, Tank, Snake & Black, and more.($20; wanlecases.com)
3. Frey Detergent Concentrate
Laundry detergent may sound like an even worse gift than socks, but hear us out. This soap smells like a campfire (in the best way), and it actually prolongs the life of his clothing, which means less shopping for him. So basically this is two gifts in one; you’re welcome.($18; livefrey.com)
4. “Ranch: an Ode to America’s Beloved Sauce”
This cookbook is devoted to everyone’s favorite condiment: ranch. It’s chock-full of recipes for homemade dressings, dips, and comfort foods, complemented by lots of cool, 90s-style photography.($17; amazon.com)
5. Hay Sonos One Limited Edition
A speaker is usually something you give when you can’t think of anything else. But this limited-edition Sonos designed by beloved Danish brand Hay should be at the top of your to-gift list. It’s the size of a standard, portable speaker, but the sound quality is excellent. It can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, and it looks so good, he’ll want to keep it on display.($229; sonos.com)
6. Dorothy Film Map
Know a dude who’s a film buff? This one is for him. The print looks like a vintage L.A. street map, except all the streets, landmarks, and parks are named after films such as Jurassic Park and Reservoir Dogs. It’s much cooler than another Amazon gift card.($28; wearedorothy.com)
7. CB2 Zig Tall White Vase
Men like flowers too! This minimalist vase is the perfect accent piece for any space and allows whatever flower or plant it contains to take center stage. Bonus: It looks more expensive than it is.($20; cb2.com)
8. Trouble Muffin Dim Sum Tee
Graphic tees make great gifts because they’re thoughtful without being too personal and all you need to know about him is his general size. This one is extra cool because it’s made with super-soft organic Supima cotton and a playful, eco-friendly print.($27; troublemuffin.com)
9. The Next Level Candy Bar Trio
Everybody loves chocolate, right? Well, he’ll definitely love this chocolate. The candy bar trio comes in three decadent flavors: Heavens to Bacon (bacon-almond praline and potato chips), Mayan Spice (dark chocolate ganache and tortilla crunch), and Coconut Dream (coconut cookies, salted caramel, and dark chocolate). Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah, same.($24; mayanchocolate.com)
10. Philips Hue Smart Bulb Starter Kit
This starter kit is for the guy who likes to set the mood—mood lighting, that is. These smart bulbs do it all: They can dim, change color, turn on or off on a schedule, and sync with your music or TV with the touch of a button on his phone or the sound of his voice using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit. Pretty fancy, huh?($100; amazon.com)
11. Alessi Diabolix Bottle Opener
Where’d you put the bottle opener? Who knows. But this cheeky one is worth keeping track of. It comes in six bright colors (easy to spot in the junk drawer!) and looks like a tiny, adorable demon.($15; amazon.com)
12. Perfetta Club Pro Bocce Ball Set
Skip the golf gloves and jerseys this year, and gift him a classic bocce set instead. This one comes straight from Italy by the folks who supply the World Bocce Championship, so you know its legit.($135; amazon.com)
13. “Animal: Exploring the Zoological World”
Every adult space should have at least one coffee table book. Set him up for success with this one: It contains more than 300 images of animals around the world in various art forms (cave paintings, photographs, microscopic views).($37; amazon.com)
14. Hawthorne Custom Cologne
OK, giving cologne isn’t revolutionary, but giving this one is. Answer a few questions about your recipient and Hawthorne will customize two colognes—one for work and one for play. Each fragrance is handcrafted by a team of award-winning perfumers, so you know it’ll smell amazing and be perfectly suited for your dad/brother/boyf.($100; hawthorne.co)
15. Mayan White Copal Incense Sticks
If your giftee cares about how his place smells (or if you’re trying to gently let him know that his place smells), this Mayan incense is for him. It smells like Tulum and is way better than buying a candle he’ll never burn.($10; amazon.com)
16. Ribeye Lovers Holiday Gift Basket
Attn: Meat lovers! This veteran-owned cattle company specializes in Wagyu beef and ensures that every cut you buy is super high quality. The Ribeye Lovers basket, which contains two ribeye steaks and two packages of ground beef, is the way to go.($60; kccattlecompany.com)
17. W&P Sphere Ice Mold
Whiskey stones are kind of the worst—they hurt your teeth every time you take a sip, and you have to wash them (unlike ice, which simply goes down the drain). Here’s a gift the bourbon lover in your life will actually enjoy: This tray makes four large ice spheres that melt slowly and make any drink look like an expensive cocktail.($16; amazon.com)
18. 23andMe Health and Ancestry Service
23andMe is perfect for any guy who is curious about where he came from and how it affects who he is now. He’ll receive reports on the origins of his ancestors, any genetic health risks he may be predisposed to, his overall wellness, and more.($199; 23andme.com)
Still in search of the perfect present? We’ve got tons more gift ideas right here.
Every editorial product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through one of our links, we may earn a commission. But don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything extra, and we wouldn’t recommend a product if we didn’t love it as much as we love puppies.
