Men Might Be From Mars, And Martians Love These Gifts

This post contains sponsored/affiliate links.

It’s coming to the time of year when the need to find that perfect gift is lingering in the back of your mind. Particularly the gifts you haven’t purchased or even decided on yet. Husbands, boyfriends, family, friends, grown sons – the men in your life – might be some of the hardest people to shop for. Unless you have a specific idea of what they would like, it can sometimes seem like their priorities, when it comes to gifts, don’t make sense. However, throughout the years there are women who have discovered the gifts are almost always destined to make a good impression and here they are.

A Big Day Out

If it’s a boyfriend or a husband you’re buying for, you might want to skip the wrapped package beneath the tree for the main present. There’s a lot of evidence suggesting that the experience of receiving a gift is often more treasured than the gift itself and that we value experiences more than physical objects. If your guy doesn’t get enough time to go see his favorite team, then think about getting him some baseball tickets or tickets to his favorite sports team. If you think he needs a break from work, then book the both of you a weekend getaway after the New Year. Just make sure the experience is centered around him. If you can enjoy sharing the experience, that’s all the better, but remember that this is your special gift to him.

Something to His Taste

They always say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and that’s true of gift-giving as well. If your guy is a foodie, then a gift basket containing things like meats, sweet treats or other high-quality food he’s been itching to try is an easy win in the gift department. Even if he isn’t a foodie, most guys appreciate gifts of good food or drinks. A dram of his favorite spirit, a subscription to a gourmet meat delivery service, a cheese tasting hamper. If you’re getting a food gift, go a little above and beyond what they most often get to have.

Let Him Show Off His Style

Fashion gifts tend to be fixed firmly in the world of presents for women in most occasions. There are some assumptions we make that men might not appreciate a nice addition to their wardrobe as much as women. That’s not necessarily true, although it is true that men might value different kinds of fashionable gifts. For men, a lot of the look is defined by the accessories they wear, too. Prestigious watches or trendy gold chains for men might go a lot further than a new shirt, for instance.

The Nose Knows

A high-end cologne might be another great choice for the man you’re romantically involved with. Women might be hesitant to buy fragrances as a gift because they worry the gift would be perceived as an insult or “subtle hint.” The old “you got me this because I smell” conundrum. However, the truth is that men very rarely think like that. If anything, it will be a bit of an ego boost to him knowing that you’ve got him something that can make him more attractive to you. Just take your time choosing the right scent. Take a sniff of his current favorite colognes to help you choose a scent he likes.

Boys and their Toys

While it’s not true in every case, on the whole, guys are a lot more into their gadgets than women are. It’s worth taking a look at the latest gadgets on the market when birthdays or the holidays are approaching. Right now, GoPro cameras, drones, smart home devices, smart watches, and fitness trackers are some of the most popular devices on the market. Which seems like it might be the best fit for the man you’re shipping for?

For the Online Warrior

This generation of men is a gaming one, too. Not all guys are into gaming, but many of them are. Unless you know their tastes right down to the specific titles, buying video games as a gift can be tricky if you don’t know the games they like to play. Buying hardware, such a gaming mouse if they’re a PC user, a high-quality headset or even a supportive gaming chair (these can be expensive) might be a better alternative to a video game gift. Otherwise, keep an ear out if he’s having conversations about gaming with his guy friends and see what title he might be dropping hints for. You can also get him a digital store gift card so he can the games he wants. If you do decide to buy your man a video game gift, make sure you get the right one for the right platform. PlayStation and Xbox gift cards are easy enough to recognize. If he’s on PC, it might be Steam or another online gaming service that offers their own play video games and gift cards.

Read Between the Lines

Is he a reader? Then a good book will always be a relatively inexpensive way to his heart. When buying a book, don’t be afraid of getting a gift card. In fact, gift cards were invented solely for readers, to help their friends avoid getting them titles they’d already read. That said, it’s a lot easier to get a return for a book and let them choose their own, so don’t be afraid of getting some inspiration from a male-centric reading list and picking a title for him. Just take a look through his bookshelf to make sure you’re not getting any obvious copies. If he catches you looking, he’ll likely just think you’re admiring his taste.

The more intel you can gather on the man in your life, the better. The gifts above will work for the majority of men, but if you can narrow your gift options, that’s all the better. Keep an ear out for hints and take a look at the kind of thing they buy themselves for more gift giving clues.