43 best gifts for men that he will actually love

The solution to every book lover’s problems: the Kindle. No more eating cereal while trying to turn pages with one hand. No more elbowing the person next to you in the stomach on the tube with book in one hand and your work bag in the other. No more switching sides every time you turn the page while reading a book in bed. You get the picture.

Our tester found the 11th generation Kindle to be lighter than a book so it’s perfect for travelling or putting in his bag for commuting to the office and it actually encouraged him to read more than usual. The screen lights up so it’s perfect for reading at night as well as no glare so you can read outside during the warmer months. The battery lasts a very long time too. This is the perfect gift for a man who likes reading or is interested in getting into reading.

This five-piece set of knives from ProCook is the perfect gift for a budding chef with an eye for design. The knives themselves are of a classic design and the convenient magnetic wooden block is slim enough to slip in next to the microwave or display proudly. The knives are razor sharp and the different sizes can slice and dice anything you want to cook from vegetables to meat, bread and fruit with ease. Your boyfriend, husband, friend, grandpa or son will be a professional in no time.

This is a heady scent from the luxury Parisian fragrance brand Diptyque. Tempo is an ode to patchouli, which rose to popularity in the Sixties, when Diptyque was founded, and is a complex scent that won “best new men’s fragrance” at the Fragrance Foundation Awards. Other notes include clary sage and maté which our reviewer describes as incense-like with a subtle lingering floral note of violet. This is different from a lot of men’s scents that can be overpowering and our tester had compliments from his barber who also swore he’d buy a bottle.

It’s not often you find a pre-packaged cocktail that actually tastes as good as if it was mixed in front of you in a bar, but Moth has a range of delicious canned cocktails that are perfect for sipping at a picnic or poured over ice at a dinner party. For the man who likes his cocktails like a film star from the 1950s, send him one of these boxes which start from £26 for eight, but is also available in a 12- and 24-can box. The drinks are truly delicious with stand outs being the margarita, the aperitivo spritz and the French 75.

The film buff in your life will really thank you for this one. SCRT is creating some of the coolest referential apparel pieces with collections inspired by films such as American Psycho, Twin Peaks, Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, cult Japanese slasher Battle Royale, and many more.

We love this cap for keeping the sun out of our eyes and adding a pop of colour to a basic outfit while showing everyone that we are Kubrick stans.

The Backbone One is a handheld gaming console that attaches to your iPhone or Anrdoid phone and thereby transforming it into a handheld games console. Our reviewer has tested the Backbone One Playstation edition but it is also compatible with Xbox, Steam and other gaming platforms.

You will need to have a subscription to an exisiting PlayStation service to be able to play PlayStation games on your phone but there are plenty of free games and app games that are compatible. You can search the full list on the website but our reviewer loved playing Fortnite for free using the handheld console. We found this to be even better than playing the same game on a Nintendo Switch device. If you have a man in your life who loves a bit of casual gaming, this is a great gift.

Created as a love letter to Africa by founder of the Swedish brand Ben Gorham, this scent is a sultry summery fragrance with rich floral notes of African marigold, bergamot and violet balanced with Moroccan cedarwood and vetiver and some smokiness and spiciness running through. Even though the fragrance lasts a good amount of time when spraying just in the morning, our reviewer couldn’t stop spritzing throughout the day when working from home because of the moreish sweet and spicy notes.

For the art loving man in your life, King & McGaw is one of the best places to shop for affordable pieces for any home. Vividly realised prints come in your choice of colour for frames or from £25 with no frame. There are real, one-off vintage prints alongside the extensive range of reprinted artworks from the world’s most recognised artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edward Hopper, Henri Matisse and so many more.

Our testers received two prints, a framed Shadows I, 1979 print by Andy Warhol, £150 with frame, with a strong deep pink accent colour which was beautifully framed and adds the perfect pop of colour to a neutral space.

The Penguin range of clothbound classics make for beautiful gifts. Penguin is constantly updating its library of clothbound classics with patterns – designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith – symbolically nodding to the stories within. Whether your gift receiver is more of a Shelley fan or Dickens guy, there are plenty to choose from.

We love this version of Bram Stoker’s iconic gothic horror classic Dracula, with its eerie botanical illustrations set against a grey background reflecting the bleak Transylvanian landscape. The book is Jonathan Harker’s account of his visit to Count Dracula’s castle where he quickly discovers some very unsettling things.

This candle in dark rum has a lovely balance of masculine and feminine elements with leather, rum and patchouli sweetened with vanilla and a creamy undertone. This candle burns evenly and “cleanly” due to the use of natural vegetable waxes and leaves the room with a delicious and spicy scent. The brand even suggests reusing the glass from the candle as a drinking glass when the candle has finished burning.

The linen bedding brand Piglet in Bed has ventured into sleepwear and we’re so glad they did. Our tester normally doesn’t like the feeling of linen but these are so soft that there was no issues at bed-time. Available in a selection of colours and patterns, our tester reviewed men’s linen sets in cherry and moss which are available to buy as just tops or just bottoms so you can mix and match colours and patterns.

The original Hendricks is one of our tester’s all-time favourite gins. With its heavy, whimsical dark glass bottle, the gin itself makes the perfect gin and tonic. Rose and fresh cucumber notes pair with other botanicals for a beautifully balanced taste that suit plain or flavoured tonics.

We love adding pepper and cucumber for a spicy, refreshing summer cocktail, lemon tonic for a citrussy G&T, or blending with vermouth for a great gin martini.

Hailing from Cardiff in Wales, Heist Chocolate creates delicious bars using organic cocoa beans. With a small batch, bean to bar approach to chocolate making, Heist’s flavours change often. Gift tokens are available from £10 (Heistchocolate.com).

We tried an inspired take on white chocolate called cereal milk, with crunchy toasted cornflakes and sea salt (£6.95, Heistchocolate.com), the decadently rich 70 per cent cocoa hot chocolate (£13.95, Heistchocolate.com) and a bar of salted caramel and almond (£12, Heistchocolate.com).

The branding all features the adorable Tompkins in various outfits and poses and the Tompkins tote (£12, Heistchocolate.com) will make the perfect gift-bag for gifting all the treats.

Outdoor brand Gramicci specialises in clothing that has been designed with movement in mind. While all of its pieces will likely appeal to the man in your life, if you’re looking to upgrade his trouser collection, these are a great choice. Despite their baggy and comfortable silhouette, they’re versatile enough to be worn whatever the occasion and offer a cool and contemporary look. Made from a hard-wearing twill fabric, they will stand the test of time. Our tester found that they could style them with everything in their wardrobe and liked the number of colours to choose from.

The heritage brand Officine Universelle Buly, often shortened to just Buly, was established in 1803 in Paris and revived in 2014 by French couple Victoire de Taillac and Ramdane Touhami. Buly perfumes are water based so require a little shake before use but this stops drying of the skin. The eau triple komi forest is so fresh that it smells just like a mossy woodland after rainfall. It lasts a long time, releasing green notes of pine tree and herbs along with sweet woody notes.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a plant parent, this is something a little bit different. Seemingly suspended in water, the hydroponic clusia princess, otherwise called sia in glass, from Patch is a super easy care plant that looks great. Just keeping the water topped up and occasionally adding some plant food is all the care that this plant needs, alongside a spot near a window ideally.

Natural wine retailer Shop Cuvee has some brilliant bundles and gifts to order online including a TV dinner pack, a house party pack and the one our tester tried, the survival pack. You can subscribe to receive your case every one, two or three months. The six pack is £120.

The survival pack comes in three- and six-bottle boxes. We tried the three pack and every single one, a white, a red and a rose were exceptional. Our tester sipped them in the sunshine with his friends and they all agreed that the wines were great. The white, la providence blanc, was fresh and moreish, the mendocino county rosé is the perfect summer blush and the red, chinon, paired exceptionally with cheese and olives.

Hailing from Australia, Aesop is the luxury cosmetics brand that is now known worldwide. Focussing on high quality ingredients, the brand now includes fragrance, skincare and haircare products. Our tester has been trying the parsley seed anti-oxidant intense serum and apart from the beguiling fragrance reminiscent of a spa facial, this serum left skin feeling hydrated and fresh. This is a great gift for the man in your life who likes to look after his skin and likes aesthetically pleasing packaging in his bathroom.

Gifting a toothbrush is probably reserved for an intimate partner rather than a friend but this toothbrush is really great and currently heavily discounted. There’s a display screen that tells you when to replace the head, different brushing modes, and even shows colours to indicate when you’re brushing too hard. Your giftee has never had a better clean.

Everyone loves ironic slogans and men love hoodies. This hoodie from the eponymous brand Brain Dead is a thick chunky option that comes in a range of colours. Choose from colourways including the fucshia for a bold pop of colour or a classic black with contrasting orange and green lettering. We found the hoodie perfect to throw on at any time and the two zips means you can play with the silhouette, too.

The Kiehl’s facial fuel range is formulated for men’s skin which is typically thicker than women’s. The energising duo is the perfect gift for a man who wants to take care of his skin but probably won’t be employing a 10-step skincare routine quite yet. The face wash has menthol that feels cooling and reviving, while the moisturiser – which is infused with vitamin C and E – absorbs really quickly so you’re ready to go in no time.

Simply one of the comfiest T-shirts you can buy, you’ll be stealing this one straight after gifting. Esteemed fashion designer Christophe Lemaire has collaborated with Uniqlo as artistic director for the collections which sees elevated twists to everyday basics like the plain T-shirt.

Our tester tried the white, black and purple colours and he loved the half sleeve and oversized, boxy fit of the shirt. The material feels substantial but allows air flow and feels super soft to the touch. This is a great piece as part of a man’s capsule wardrobe to throw on with jeans, smart trousers or shorts in the summertime. And they’re under £20 each.

This tiny projector is just the size of a can but it makes for brilliant movie nights. This is one to buy your partner that you can both benefit from. It’s super easy to set up so even a technology novice can get on board. The projector has inbuilt streaming apps including Netflix and YouTube and the projection size can be up to 100 inches across.

There is a handy wheel at the side that adjusts the focus and the display automatically adjusts for wherever you need to project. Whether you’re lying down in bed and want to project at an angle on the ceiling, or you even want to project onto the garden fence for outdoor summer movie nights.

The Marshall major IV wireless headphones are an affordable alternative to other over ear headphones on the market but the sound quality is still great. Working via bluetooth with your phone, the headphones have a huge 80+ hours of listening time from one charge. These will be your companion to the shops, on the commute or take them on holiday without worrying about the battery dying.

These are comfortable on the head and have a distinctly classic design and look great in the brown colourway that our reviewer has tested. They have the capability for wireless charging but the regular charging is super fast too. The size is easily adjustable and you can even take calls using the metal button that also acts as volume control and power.

A cool alternative to a plain white tee, Picante’s tailor T-shirt is a fail-safe gift for their wardrobe. The style is cut in the cult label’s signature boxy silhouette and finished in a wearable ivory hue. There’s a red screen-printed tailor graphic on the front and a tailor and spool back graphic for extra detail.

Available in sizes XS to XXL, it keeps its shape well throughout the day, thanks to the heavyweight organic cotton fabric. Plus, the well-crafted tee is available in light blue (£65, Pictante.shop), faded black (£65, Picante.shop) and sun-faded caramel (£65, Picante.shop), too.

We’ve found our new favourite bottle, and it is perfect for keeping drinks cold and hot for hours and hours. The rambler bottles come in five different sizes, from 530ml to 1.9l capacity, and feature a “chug cap”, which makes spill-free sipping a breeze. The chug cap is removable from the main bottle, for easy cleaning, and you can even replace it with a special teacup cap (sold separately).

All Yeti bottles are dishwasher-safe, but also easy to hand wash, so we weren’t worried about bacteria build-up. There is a range of colours and sizes, making them entirely customisable to your giftee. The smallest bottle starts from £30, too.

This fragrance has a powerful woody, leather scent with a powdery, floral undertone of iris. We found this fragrance to last all day, with notes hitting us hours and hours after spraying. Once the strong initial scent passes, it relaxes into its unique and nuanced notes. A spritz of this goes a long way.

The bottle feels luxurious and heavy, and it looks attractive when left on display. We also received multiple compliments while wearing this fragrance.

With 800 years of fragrance history, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is a brand known for its perfumes, skincare and home fragrances, including potpourri, candles and reed diffusers.

Melograno – one of the perfumerie’s most iconic scents – is a mixture of spicy and sweet notes that create a heady and luxurious, yet relaxing, fragrance that permeates the space. The 250ml diffuser lasts a long time, while the bottle acts as a beautiful piece of home decor, as well as providing fragrance.

American brand Danner has been creating sturdy, high-quality leather boots since 1932. Made to withstand the great outdoors, they’ll make a pertinent gift for the outdoorsman in your life. The full-grain leather upper and fully waterproof Gore-Tex lining makes these boots perfect for hiking and getting outside. The shoes come with inserts that support the arch of the foot, too.

We found the boots to be supportive on uneven surfaces, and they’re ideal for walking the dog in the unpredictable British weather. The boots don’t look out of place as part of a casual outfit, either.

They come in dark brown with green laces or all black – the style preferred by Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Spectre. The boots took a bit of breaking in but will be a go-to for years to come.

For more than 10 years, this company has been creating limited-edition prints of popular photography spanning music, film and lifestyle. We selected this print of disco legend Donna Summer performing live, photographed by Waring Abbott in 1978. The vivid colours, the glow of glitter and the hazy effect all contribute to capturing the essence of the “queen of disco”, rendered wonderfully in this high-quality print.

The wooden frame is classic with a choice of black or white, and the sturdy metal wiring makes for easy hanging. Each design has a run of 495, with each print numbered on the back. There are so many prints to choose from but we think this one is a gorgeous statement piece and makes for an amazing gift for any music fan or design-lover. Prices start from £89 for a 35cm x 28cm framed print.

Low intervention, natural wine retailer and bar Oranj has a range of wines available that would make for perfect gifts, including a Christmas hamper case of six. We tested the 2019 Domaine Benastra la garrigue – a red wine from the south of France.

Rich, fruity and quaffable, this will pair well with a festive cheese and charcuterie board. We couldn’t get enough of this vino. Gift a bottle to your red-wine aficionado friends, for extra brownie points.

Not to be confused with the designer fashion brand, German consumer electronics company Loewe has joined forces with French footballer Kylian Mbappé for a limited edition we hear pro speaker.

The bluetooth speaker which comes in three pops of colour (we tested the black with yellow accents), is chunky but delivers great sound and also doubles as a power bank, able to charge your phone while playing your favourite songs. The battery life is an insane 24-hours and has fast charging for when it does eventually run out.

Made from a blend featuring recycled polyester and organic cotton, this hoodie from Nike is designed for sports. Great for layering up for a run in the cold, or worn casually to keep warm, we found it really retains heat and has a sleek and simple modern look.

The dual zips means you can zip from the top, the bottom or both, while the hood is shaped in a way that minimises wind access, and it stayed up when we were on the go in drizzly conditions. The looser fit means you can pair this with thicker jumpers underneath for extra warmth, too.

One of our favourite electric toothbrushes, this makes for a great gift for someone who cares about sustainability but still wants a toothbrush that delivers. Comprised of a recycled aluminium base that is repairable and plant-based, and recyclable heads, this toothbrush looks good, does good and is one of the best electric toothbrushes we’ve found for a really clean feeling.

Two modes allow for regular brushing or polishing for extra shine, and the charge lasts a whopping 40 days – even when we add an extra few minutes a week of polishing. The design is sleek and comes in four muted colours, which look good in any bathroom.

If you know someone blessed with stunning oak hardwood floors but cursed with a not-so-secret aversion to keeping them clean, Shark’s automatic steam mop is the perfect giftable solution. The mop doesn’t just wet and steam your floors, but it also vigorously scrubs them, leaving our floorboards looking shinier than ever when we used the Steam and Scrub. It’s super easy to use – you just glide around your room like you would if you were using an ordinary bucket of water and mop, and there are two power modes for extra versatility.

There are a couple of downsides to this particular steam cleaner though, but nothing too egregious. It’s not cordless, so you’ll have to plug it into the wall, and we found that we had to pick a lot of cables up off the floor, or they’d get tangled up in the rotating head. Otherwise, this made cleaning our living room a lot quicker and, most importantly, far more enjoyable.  

If you’re worried about form over function with the Smeg citrus juicer, you needn’t worry as this has both. An appliance anyone will be proud to keep out on their kitchen countertop, this juicer is made to last and creates great juices again and again. While fairly bulky, this acts as both a juicer and eye candy.

This juicer isn’t just for freshly squeezed orange juice, we found ourselves juicing lemons to make desserts, limes for a sour kick in our cocktails and grapefruits too. There are a range of colours available in the classic retro style that is iconic to the brand. It’s easy to clean too.

A coffee table book makes for a great gift and this one from Taschen is a feast for the eyes that may have your giftee’s mouth watering too. Menu Design in America is a tantalising exploration of the graphic styles and motifs used on restaurant, bar and diner menus from 1850 to 1985.

This meticulously archived selection of imagery is a joy to pore over. Lovers of food, America and graphic design will be thrilled to pore over this at leisure and the cover design will look great in your recipient’s living room. Words by Steven Heller, John Mariani and edited by Jim Heimann.

Creed’s viking parfum feels like a real treat. Not only is the sublime red-hued bottle with the brand’s signature crest motif worthy of a position on any dresser table, but the scent itself is a crowd-pleasing masculine aroma – notes of peppercorn and peppermint are balanced with sandalwood. This is a luxurious gift that they’ll spritz on special occasions. Prepare to earn yourself serious kudos.

Famous for its viral Always Pan, Our Place also has other kitchen and tableware such as cooking utensils, mugs and now these party coupes, which are perfect for dinner party cocktails or a glass of wine at home. They come in three colourways, and we tested the twilight/dusk option. They are also subtly branded with an Our Place logo on the base.

The glass is thick and substantial so we weren’t worried about breakage when hand washing and the pop of colour makes it something unique to give someone for their glass collection.

Whether your giftee regularly works out or suffers from a few aches and pains owing to hunching over a laptop while WFH, Therabody’s massage gun will be a very welcome gift. The new and improved mini model is complete with three attachments (a dampener, standard ball and thumb) and fits conveniently in their bag so you can get relief wherever you are.

Unlike more bulkier massage guns, the ergonomic design sits comfortably in your hand and the Bluetooth-compatible Therabody app helps you treat specific pains with personalised routines.

Marrying style and comfort, Pangaia’s tracksuit sets are an investment gift they’ll wear time after time. The DNA track pants are cut into a barrel-leg silhouette and come in five colours (we loved the storm blue best). Crafted from a heavyweight cotton fabric, the pants have a brushed lining for extra comfort and warmth, while the elasticated waistband is adjustable. Plus, there are handy pockets at the sides and they’re genderless so you can steal the set to wear yourself. Complete the set with the matching DNA hoodie (£185, Pangaia.com).

What better gift for a Brit than an umbrella? American brand Weatherman has just launched in the UK and tests all its umbrellas in wind tunnels to ensure they stay put even in the strongest winds.

This is certainly the case as we found during some summer storms and high winds. The substantial umbrella, despite being compact enough to pop in any tote bag or backpack, is robust and has been holding its own very well. They come in a range of colours including a vibrant neon yellow but also more muted tones such as navy blue and an attractive soft white with dark trim.

Casetify has a huge array of phone cases and accessories including magsafe wallets with customisable designs and colours. We love the adorable Peanuts range featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown and more of the Peanuts gang. We tested the ‘sweet ‘n sour’ motif in the colour oat milk which looks cute and is made of soft buttery leather. The wallet holds two cards for easy accessibility and it sticks fast to the back of our tester’s iPhone. This makes a great gift as you can fit to any taste.