The best unusual gifts for the man who has everything

Tinned Fish Selection

We like to think of tinned fish as the unusual, savoury cousin of a box of chocolates. In the selection available at The Fish Society, you don’t only get Ortiz cans of Ventresca De Bonito, tuna, sardines and anchovies but a bunch of beautifully retro-designed tins too.

Paint Your Life

Be it a photo of your pooch or a beloved wedding snap, Paint Your Life will convert your favourite pictures into hand-painted works of art in a style of your choosing for a thoughtful and unique gift that's sure to be loved for years to come. With the option to choose between mediums (from charcoal to oil paint) and from the service's extensive roster of artists with varying styles, it's the perfect way to immortalise a cherished moment in paint without having to sit for hours on end.

“How delightful it is to have a bonfire in the garden,” we think every November on Bonfire Night,“and wouldn’t it be lovely to have one all year-round?” Hold onto your beanies because Solo Stove is making that a reality, and without the nuisance of acrid smoke. A neat stainless steel fire pit with easy-clean ash tray, the Solo Stove is one of those gifts that makes you wonder how you hadn’t thought about it before.

Were you aware that a top-hat-toting dancing lobster was the mascot for 18th century department store Fortnum & Mason? Now you do! And since said lobster comes in the form of a heavy gold-tone bottle opener, now you can use that information to enliven your giftee's bar cart.

Maison Balzac and Stone & Mason are two of our favourite spots for buying interesting glassware, which is in turn one of our top picks of gifts that not everyone will have thought of. From the latter, this tumbler with tiny glass-spun bees is up there as one of the best.

Kelly Loves Sushi, but does she love it as much as the person you're seeking a birthday present for? If the answer is “no” then your search has come to and end: they'll love this bento lunch box of sushi essentials, including everything from the nori sheets to the crispy fried onion topping.

Tree2mydoor lists its lovely potted olive tree as a “standard gift”, but we don't think it's that at all. A little more exotic than your usual houseplant — and perhaps even harvestable — sending a little tree like this one comes, for us, under the categories “unusual” and “thoughtful”.

Here’s how we see it. Whisky: not unusual. Something adjacent to whisky that other people are unlikely to have? Certified unusual. Enter into the category the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a club that does what it says on the tin: offering private clubs, events and limited bottlings to its members. Hook them up with a year membership and a bottle of scotch with this £100 deal.

How’s this for unusual? A totally personalised silver-plated ice cream lid, designed to fit perfectly on your standard pint-sized evening snack. Present with a tub of Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s for the full package. A quirky birthday gift now or a surprising stocking filler come December.

In the modern era of digital subscriptions, there has arisen a hierarchy of sorts. While services such as Netflix and Spotify have come to represent staples on par with gas and electric, then, other subscriptions still absolutely count for gifting fodder. Our favourite of the lot? Odeon Limitless.

This design-heavy chip ‘n’ dip bowl in the shape of a cowboy hat is, as you might expect, very popular for housewarmings. We're extremely on board, however, with the idea of said piece of crockery coming out for an ordinary night in by oneself.

A miniature slice of the place he frequented most as a teenager (no, not the Headmaster's office), a console like this will bring the flashing lights and the heady pops of dopamine into your front room. Who ever said being an adult had to be boring… ice cream for dinner, anyone?

Everybody loves ramen. That’s the assumption Percival is functioning on anyway, what with this embroidered culinary moment, which uses a classic white T-shirt to pay homage to the humble noodle. Deploy as a gift for the foodie-loving fashion guy.

The potions you'll find at the “Lab” carried by menswear haven Mr Porter is exactly what you might expect: treatments for clothing. In this bundle, a trio of essentials for the sharp-dressed man: detergent, comb and cedar scented mist.

Behold the most evil of puzzles; the gift to buy for the person you have a love/hate relationship with. A transparent jigsaw is as difficult as it sounds, particularly if you opt for the “Insane” 330-piece edition and throw in a few random extra pieces that don’t fit into the finished picture. (We take no responsibility for arguments caused by the purchasing of this gift.)

If he's too masculine to start his own Jellycat collection but you get the impression he still likes having an inanimate critter or two around then we say get this crocheted Kapital octopus into his office. It's friendly enough to fill the companion category but stylish, too, meaning not even his heathen of a co-worker will be able to tease him for it.

What's that coming over the hill of your kitchen counter? Soon, it'll be an excessively large bottle opener in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's no better way to crack open an Estrella.

If (god forbid) we were to have another pandemic right now, it would likely be ice cream, not sourdough, that people started compulsively making in their kitchens. Seeing as we're not in such dire straits, getting to grips with the Ninja Creami should be nice and stress-free.

Fans of The Bear will know that Jeremy Allen White’s chef character Carmie no longer runs The Original Beef of Chicagoland. Now he just runs The Bear. But for OG fans of the show, this simple tee should prove to be a truly irresistible birthday gift.

A tin of Biscuiteers biccies is so high up on our go-tos for gifting that at this point, it’s the opposite of an unusual pick. This curveball, though, is a little different. In it, you’ll receive twelve butterfly-shaped biscuits baked and ready to ice and decorate yourself. For a more thorough version of this gift, buy them a trip to the bakery’s school of icing.

One of many Folio Society triumphs, this edition of Trainspotting is a delightful collectable complete with cloth binding, a die-cut slipcase and several exclusive illustrations made by Nicole Rifkin.

A night at the movies, but not as they know it. Coming to an anniversary gift near you in 2024, Selfridges’ premium movie-night experience is a great gift for lovers of the silver screen, offering a private viewing of their film of choice in the iconic department store's exclusive VIP room. Included in the slightly elevated cinema ticket price tag are an entire private screening room for two, plus plenty of snacks and chilled Champagne to enjoy the flick, too. All that and right in time for 2024's most hotly tipped Academy Award contenders.

The frisbee: a simple tool with hours of potential entertainment value. And no need for it to divert from his carefully curated aesthetic, either: this Carhartt WIP jobbie makes sure of that.

Just launched as part of its Halloween seasonal drop, this little anthropomorphised moth references one of the most famous characters of cryptozoology: the Mothman of West Virginia. Add to bag for a small child, adult Goth or Jellycat collector.

From “Penny Lane” in the west to “Blueberry Hill” in the east, this poster depicts a town made up of roads, parks and places of interest all named after famous songs throughout rock and pop history. Add a frame for maximum thoughtfulness and effort.

Shield your eyes! This gifting recommendation may be ugly as sin, but it’s also conversely highly coveted. The wearable duvet that should be seen no further than the privacy of their living room, this is a weird-but-cosy buy for your fellow couch potato: bet you it's on their wishlist.

Mr. T, Ice Cube, Lindsay Lohan, Chaka Khan – just some of the names who could be wishing best friends and loved ones a Happy Birthday, care of Cameo. A company that organises personalised video messages and live meet-and-greets with a catalogue of stars from comedians to meme-ified reality-TV personalities, Cameo is the ultimate way to feed someone's fandom in 2024.

Gifts for Foodies are often focused on edible items themselves, but most food fans also appreciate the means to keep making their favourite meals over and over again. That’s why this conveniently holey accessory allows for bagel-bound eggs to be cooked in the perfect shape.

Unusual to most but deeply covetable to some, the practice of immersing oneself in freezing ice water has made the switch from torture to gift thanks to one Wim Hof. Let them learn his way with this four-hour session.

Hosting may not be such an unusual pastime, but in our day and age, full sit-down meals à la Jessie Ware are a little less common. For the relative or friend with the most(ess), though, gifting is easy. Top of our list is a a new set of lovely napkins, like these embroidered linen ones from Not Another Bill.

When assembled, Lego's beautiful mint-coloured typewriter does everything but type. Intended for display following a challenging and enjoyable build, this “Ideas” highlight is modelled off Lego founder Thomas Kirk Kristiansen's own typewriter, is made up of over 2,000 pieces and includes moving keys, carriage and platen roller.

Turns out Mr. Clive Tyldesley can handwrite as satisfyingly as he can speak. His charming side project, Football Commentary Charts, compiles statistics and commentary transcripts from pivotal games, resulting in the perfect A4 print to be framed and added to their gallery wall.

If you were to say that candles are typically welcoming additions to the home, we'd say that most candles are not made by Candlehand, the brand that asks “what if the NME Award had a wick inside of it?” A rude alternative to the housewarming classic.

Research into how adults learn has deepened over recent years. The results can be seen in the success of language platforms like Babbel and Duolingo — and in instrument tutorials such as Fender Play. We've tried and tested this, and we can confidently say that it's the best way to learn guitar short of shelling out for a one-on-one tutor.

Steel boules in their own embroidered case: just the kind of quality goods that Not Another Bill carries for such eventualities as the one in which you have a birthday coming up — and an impossible-to-buy-for giftee.

A beauty gadget for people who live in hard water areas (like southern England and the Republic of Ireland), the Hello Klean shower head purifies the H2O running through it with the goal of giving you (or in this case, your giftee) softer, stronger and all-around more beautiful hair.

There’s something very apt about the fact that nobody really knows who Matsumoto Hoji really was. The Japanese printmaker lived sometime around 1800, but beyond that, all that's really known for certain is that he clearly had great taste, having left the world a series of ukiyo-e prints of frowning frogs that have proven timeless.

A candle that moonlights as a block of emmental, this Nata Concept Store ornament makes a friendly change from the scented candle usually seen as Christmas gifts or on your anniversary. And if you think they’d appreciate a veritable kitchen of lightable foodstuffs, the store also offers candles in pasta, olive, butter, egg, cracker and sardine iterations.

Spain may have Lamine Yamal in the way of genius teen sportspeople, but Britain has Luke Littler. Born in 2007(!) and already winner of the Premier League Darts, he's also got his name on this nifty set of arrows.

Massage guns have gotten so popular that it’s getting hard to categorise them as “unusual” at all. Still, there are plenty of gym-goers out there who haven't yet been turned onto the benefits of these fitness recovery gadgets. The Theragun is still one of our favourite models, and its mini iteration allows your giftee to take the means to more swiftly recovered muscles in their gym bag.

Aesop’s Post-Poo Drops are such a cult buy that the brand may be single-handedly making it okay to talk about bowel movements. A discreet bottle in the Aussie brand’s pharmaceutical chic, these drops use tangerine, ylang ylang and mandarin peel to neutralise bad smells.

Never have we seen such a magnificently perfect product christening: this ceramic ashtray, with teal bowl and pink splodges is called the “Gloopy”. Designed (and presumably named) by Houseplant co-founder Seth Rogan, it’s pieced together by hand and finished with a spout for resting his smoke of choice on.

Just as we thought the most hyped-up cooking instrument in the world couldn't become any more hyped, Our Place dropped its coveted Always Pan (and a wider collection of saucepans and crockery) in limited Selena Gomez-cosigned colours. For the uninitiated, as well as her successful pop career, Gomez also hosts the cooking show Selena + Chef on HBO Max, so the celeb collab isn't as gratuitous as it might first seem. Plus, the vibrant azul blue and rosa red colourways are an excellent addition to any kitchen.

Let’s go back to the good days. Not too far, you understand, but just far enough to feel the unrivalled satisfaction of typing on a mechanical keyboard. This one from Lofree includes additional Braun elements of volume and mode shift dials.

Bagging the inevitable sweet treat portion of their birthday gift needn’t always mean cake, or even chocolate. How about a box of humongous flapjacks in flavours like millionaire's and milk orange? Seems obvious when we mention it, doesn’t it.

If Rodin had had a 3D printer you could bet he'd have loved a bit of Studio Bust, the company making personalised bronze busts. Choose between nickel-plated, verdigris, mottled and chemically-aged, and attend an appointment to have your body scanned and immortalised for his study sideboard.

We've had personalised chocolate bars and personalised champagne bottles. Now, get ready for a personalised Marmite jar for lovers of the tar-like yeast spread. A foodie gift for the nutritionally eccentric.

Take arts and crafts into the bedroom with this moulding kit, which allows you or your man to create a perfect penis replica. Everything needed to fashion a silicone and water-based vibrator is included in the box, and the moulding powder will work with all shapes and sizes.

An action figure isn’t the first thing you might think of buying for someone — unless that person is into action figures already, that is. Having said that, there can be serious value in these little plastic poseables, as demonstrated well by this figurine of The Clash's frontman Joe Strummer.

It may not seem so unusual a gift for a keen golfer, but Aspinal’s tee holder gets a hole-in-one for its innovative twist on the classic luggage tag. Give them the golf gift of easily accessing their favourite tees with this leather-pebbled innovation in golfing chic and add a monogram for an extra touch of class.

You’ve seen the celeb reactions to their Hot Ones interview, and now comes the opportunity for you and your giftee to see how you fare. This Heat Supply set delivers ten hot sauces, from tingling to tongue-torturing. Set them up, bake your chicken or cauliflower wings and get tasting.

Drool’s database of art, photography and illustrated prints is so diverse that you’ll find any number of clichéd and esoteric ideas within. This piece by Alexander Khabbazi fits neatly in the middle, being somewhat reminiscent of Le Chat Noir but with new wobbly stylistics. Add a frame to make it a complete gift.

Are they stuck in an unfulfilling relationship with their gym? Give them the gift of variety with ClassPass, which lets them have a nosey around a load of the local gyms and classes in their area. No one’s stopping them from doing hot yoga today and lifting weights down the new gym this week.

Throw it back to the days of Vodka Revolution with this Not Another Bill shot paddle with space for several shots and a smattering of lime wedges. Add their name to make it a personalised gift that no one else has thought of giving.

If they know their wine, they know that it should only be poured when it’s just right. This thermal cuff sits around the body of the bottle, a bit like a wristband, and quickly displays its current temperature alongside the optimum one. For the wine connoisseur, it’ll work on everyone from groomsmen to grandads (and is one of our favourites for secret Santa).

Easy on the eye and built from tough cambered steel, the Toyo Toolbox is an essential that'll finally encourage them to slim down their collection of tools. Big enough only for the essentials, the Y-350 is a slim-line, satisfying carry that’ll fit perfectly under the kitchen sink or in their man cave. Also available in moss and coral.

James Patterson on writing; Bill Clinton on inclusive leadership; Lewis Hamilton on having a winning mindset… Masterclass is bursting with experts in every category you can imagine, and they’re all available to learn from. Is your friend a budding writer, musician, artist, makeup artist, scientist, yogi? Whatever their niche, there’s likely a Masterclass for them to explore.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the greatest gift-giver of them all? Any magic mirror would tell you that it is they who gift an artful creation from Italian interiors label Seletti. Collaborating with Toiletpaper magazine, this mirror is typically eccentric and we need it in hanging in our bedroom right this second.

Though more expensive, the coffee table book is just as failsafe a gifting pick as a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. Why? Because there’s an option for everyone. Unusual for many but perfect for some, this Taschen special puts the evolution of the computer under the microscope.

To the Crystal Dome! Quickly becoming a must-visit London experience, the Crystal Maze Experience operates like a large warren of escape rooms, to be tackled one after the other. Arrange them an appointment come their next birthday.

Does your poochie have the tendency to get a little pungent? Sort them out between grooming sessions with this Kiehl’s Cleansing Spritz, which basically acts as a no-rinse shampoo. Better for them to smell of chamomile than whatever monstrosity they rolled in the other day.

Condoms might be a very unusual gift, but when they’re available in a range of skin colours, there’s a case for making the purchase. Roam offers multiples of dozens — or a subscription gift to repeat — of condoms in original latex and light, medium or dark brown. With a promise to donate to a sexual health charity with every purchase, it’s a moral choice as well as a safe one.