Truthfully I enjoy shopping for the men in my life every holiday season but my shopping experience usually begins with me scratching my head. (Tip: I try to keep a note in my phone to quickly jot down ideas as they come to me and that seems to help a lot!) I’m hoping today’s Gift Guide for Guys provides a little gift-giving inspiration to those of you out there who may be struggling to brainstorm quality gifts for the men in your life this year!
I tried to include an assortment of gifts that will appeal to a variety of interests in today’s gift guide! As always I more than welcome your gift ideas in the comments section of my gift guide posts and that especially goes for today’s, as I’m always looking for new, creative gift ideas for the men in my life!
Happy Holidays, my friends!
Gift Guide for Guys
I’m not sure what it is about Nike Flyknits but something about the lightweight feel and the way the fabric hugs your feet makes them the most comfortable sneaker! They also move with you when you exercise, so they’re great for a myriad of workouts and after my sister and I raved about our Nike Flyknits, our husbands each bought a pair earlier this year and both love them! All of us have totally different feet and somehow they work for all of us! Love these sneakers!
Remember that one year I included the “ultimate outdoor chair” in my gift guide because Ryan and Ross were so excited about it? Well, I think this is one of those items that may seem super cool to the guys out there, especially those who love to be outdoors and might appreciate a comfy place to sit and lounge. It’s lightweight and compact and inflates without the need of a fan or motor. (You actually “scoop” the air to inflate the lounger.) I love the way this lounger also has a cup holder and bottle opener for the ultimate relaxation!
- Photo Book
I’ve given Ryan a couple of photo books over the years and they’re always a huge hit! I think he realizes the time and effort that goes into creating a photo book and the ability to quickly flip through photos that capture some of our favorite memories feels like a gift that keeps on giving. I love creating themed photo books – such as a photo book dedicated to one vacation – and it always seems to go over well!
- Yard Games
One of the most thoughtful gifts Ryan and I received from my sister and brother-in-law last year was a handmade cornhole set. It was unbelievably gorgeous and we absolutely love it! Though I’m not nearly handy or crafty enough to make a cornhole set or other yard game (ladder golf, etc.) for someone, I found a bunch of great options you can customize on Etsy! You can opt for a myriad of options from a classic stained look (shown above) or customized sports team cornhole sets, etc.
Favorites: Stained Cornhole Game / Custom Sports Team Cornhole / Custom Skyline Cornhole / Ladder Golf / Yard Dice
- Bar Glasses / Decanter
Ryan is a whisky guy, so a whisky decanter is on my radar! (The wine and whisky decanters from West Elm are absolutely gorgeous.) I’ve also given him a set of traditional Moscow Mule mugs and we absolutely love them! If a guy you love has a specific drink he enjoys, customizing this gift becomes a lot easier (and more thoughtful)!
Favorites: Classic Wine Decanter / Moscow Mule Mugs / Whisky Decanter / Jack Spade Bartending Glasses / Copper Rim Old Fashioned Glasses (love these!) / Monogram Bar Glasses
- Socks (Dress Socks, Athletic Socks or Fun Socks!)
When I was talking to my girlfriends about this year’s gift guide for guys so many of them said they almost always get their husbands socks for Christmas. I do the same thing so I’m going to go ahead and say socks are one of those random stocking-stuffer gifts that guys may really enjoy, especially if they hate shopping for socks themselves. (Also, I’m 99 percent sure I’ve purchased 90 percent of the socks Ryan owns at this point…) This is a fun gift as well because you can choose socks based on their personal interests. If they’re into fitness, athletic socks like Bombas are a great option. (Ryan, my dad and brother-in-law love them.) And Stance makes some wonderful, high-quality socks that have some really fun patterns (and Star Wars + college/professional sports teams themed socks) as well as more classic dress socks.
Favorites: Bombas / Stance / Darn Tough Hiking Socks
- Stitch Fix Gift Card
A couple of months ago, Stitch Fix launched its styling service for men. Though Ryan would definitely not consider himself a fashion lover (mainly because he absolutely hates shopping), he definitely appreciates quality clothes that look tailored and classic. He’s since ordered two Stitch Fix deliveries and had a great experience with both! (While still not cheap, through Ryan’s experience, Stitch Fix deliveries are more affordable than some of the other men’s styling boxes out there.) If there’s a guy in your life out there who appreciates nice clothes but can’t stand shopping, a Stitch Fix gift card might be a good option!
Additional Gift Ideas
- TOMS Slippers
- Ultimate Outdoor Chair (all the guys in my family are obsessed)
- Yeti Rambler Bottle
- Fitness Watch (I am seriously loving my TomTom Spark 3)
- Scramble Squares (for guys who like challenging puzzles/brain games)
- Master of Malt Whisky Advent Calendar
- Natural Deodorant (Ryan loves Baxter of California)
- Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Soap (a splurge soap I include in Ryan’s stocking every year)
- Columbia TurboDown jacket (our whole family’s favorite winter coat)
- Knife Sharpener (my dad swears by Chef’s Choice)
- Portable Bluetooth speaker
- Standing Desk
- VARIChair Standing Chair (designed to engage your leg, back and core muscles)
- Canon 6D full frame camera + 50mm 1.4 lens (A seriously mega-splurge but this is the camera my brother-in-law highly recommends! I always get questions about his camera whenever I post the amazing pics he takes and Ross says he thinks it’s the best camera out there you can buy that’s less than a true professional camera.)
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Disclaimer: Affiliate links may be included in the above gift guide but do not affect purchase price. As always, I truly appreciate your support!
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Haha I love the inflatable lounger! I do think men are hard but like you I keep notes in my phone so I remember things as they pop up. I’ve done pretty good over the years by doing this! And dress socks are always huge in my brother’s and husband’s life. They somehow always put holes in the toes and so that’s a given they are always getting them!
That inflatable louder is amazing I want to get that for my brother
So cool, right!?
I always keep notes in my phone too when ideas come to mind for all my family members. I bought my husband a decanter and some glasses that were monogramed a few years ago and he LOVES them! That’s definitely a great gift, plus a bottle to go with it 😉
I want that lounger too! 😀 I think guys are so hard to buy for…especially guys that dont like typical “guy stuff”. I have to brainstorm year round for good gifts for the men haha!
Men are only difficult to buy for if you have to get something last minute! I also jot gift ideas into my phone! Throughout the year, when I think of something I know someone would enjoy I write it down, so when it’s gift giving time I always have a great resource at my fingertips 🙂
Definitely makes things a lot easier!!
So fun! I have two brothers, and just married someone with two brothers, so the amount of guys I have to shop for feels other-worldly! I’ll definitely be using these tips.
One of the top gifts (and a favorite from my gift guide for guys last year) was for ManCrates. They send wooden boxes of a particular theme and a wrench for the guy to open the box. They’re hilarious and SO much fun to receive!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Good ideas, Julie. My hubs wants copper Moscow Mule mugs, and that’s always a good one for guys too. The chair and lounger are hilarious. That will NOT be appearing in my house. 🙂 hhahahah
I’m pretty sure I give my guy socks every year! Always a hit and always so practical! He’s really into woodworking so for his business I bought him a few things with his logo on it like a custom stamp and a mug 🙂
If your man is into yard stuff like my husband is, consider purchasing a book on plants specific to your state/region. I got my husband a book called Long Star Gardening by Neil Sperry (autographed!), and it was a huge hit! Every time we visit our local gardening center, he’s got Neil’s book in hand to reference before we make any purchases. 🙂
Um, you are a lifesaver. I just saw that inflatable chair on your post and immediately bought it for my brother – he and his fiance are huge campers/hikers so I think it would be perfect for them for outdoor activities! Thanks so much 🙂
https://www.etsy.com/listing/273605372/giant-jenga?ref=shop_home_active_3
To add to your yard games, I present Giant Jenga!
A great guy gift that’s a little less expensive then the YETI is the RTIC Tumbler it actually got rated better than the YETI and is half the price. My husband is a Battalion Chief and he just bought them for all the guys on his shift at the fire dept!
I got my boyfriend a whisky decanter with his initials engraved on it last year and he loved the gift! I ordered from Teals Prairie & Co. -https://www.etsy.com/shop/TealsPrairie?ref=search_shop_redirect on Etsy and the decanter turned out great. They sent it pretty quickly if I remember correctly.
I defintely have my eye on the inflatable lounger for this year. I am also a big fan of gifting experiences and love getting him tickets to tickets, shows, a weekend staycation, etc. Love this gift guide! It gave me some great ideas.
My husband loves nice shaving stuff and actually looks forward to shaving now. This kit is a nice starter http://www.theartofshaving.com/Sandalwood-Starter-Kit/PG_00670535980339,default,pd.html
Love this gift guide! Can you make one for those “miscellaneous” people in your life? I want to make sure I think my dog walker and personal trainer around the holidays, but I never know what a good gift is! Or do you usually just gift money or gift cards? Thanks!
Omg that inflatable lounger is the best! I always have the hardest time shopping for my husband…
Great list – the men in my life are the hardest ones to shop for! I did get a Yeti this year for my husband, hopefully he will enjoy it… if not, I might have to borrow it from time to time!
This is my first year having a boyfriend to shop for, and thankfully, I have no previous gifts that I have to scratch off the list, but I still struggled! This list would have come in handy, so I’ll bookmark it for birthday. I’m crazy when it comes to planing and took care of gifts back in October and November, but I love the variety here, Julie! 🙂
Love the photo book idea. My husband is currently deployed an I am planning on making a ChatBook for him. ChatBook links to Instagram to make easy books.
Hi Julie,
I love this list. For the photobook- do you have a website you’ve used in the past with good results? I didn’t see a link on the post but let me know if I just missed it! 🙂