Non-Stereotypical Gifts for Men
21 Awesome Gifts for Men That Don’t Involve Leather, Booze, or Beard Oil
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In the past few years, it’s become popular to make fun of gift guides for men.
People have had popular tweets or threads or skeets where they assert that every gift guide for men is just various items covered in gratuitous brown leather, expensive whiskeys, beard oils and grilling accessories.
Some of them add things like woollen socks, hunting knives, and Bluetooth speakers to the mix, but the idea is the same — the most popular gift guides on sites like this one are reinscribing boring, tired ideas of what it means to be a man, and leaving would-be gift purchasers feeling like the men in their lives are being under-served or unrepresented by our gift ideas.
(And for the record, over the years our gift guides for guys have featured all of the above items, if we’re being totally transparent.)
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Well, the rebuttal to such jokes might go, sites like ours often look at the click-through and buying data from such articles (everything is tracked these days, don’t you know) and retain the most popular items over the years. So if the man gift guides look kind of, well, stereotypical, maybe it’s because those are the items that people are buying for the men in their lives.
Regardless, however, while there’s nothing wrong with loving a little “man’s man” cosplay and appreciating some so-called “guy gear,” not every guy wants holiday gifts that reaffirm his masculinity. With that in mind, here are some gifts for guys that don’t fall into that more narrow vision that social media wags love to joke about.
Scotch & Soda Horizontal Textured T-Shirt
For the guy who: Appreciates an updated classic
T-shirts are sort of like the socks of the torso — does anyone really want one as a gift? Well, this one is a really gorgeous iteration that features noticeable yet not overwhelming texturing to help it stand out without going overboard. Whether he’s got noticeable style already or he’s just starting to get into dressing a bit nicer, this is a lovely piece.
$39 at ScotchAndSoda.com
12 Pentagons Badly Drawn Ball
For the guy who: Loves soccer… and being goofy
Jon-Paul Wheatley got into making his own soccer balls during lockdown in 2020, and thankfully for the world, the project didn’t go the way of so many sourdough starters from the same era. He’s made dozens of delightful one-offs using all kinds of unusual leathers and strange design choices, but you can now buy one of his Badly Drawn balls, which, true to form, look like a child’s idea of a soccer ball, but remain fully functional, with a professional’s eye to construction detail. A fun conversation piece you can take to the nearest park for a game of pickup.
$168 at 12P.com
Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker
For the guy who: Wants to take cooking for himself more seriously
Cooking for yourself is one of the things that differentiates a man from a boy. But just because it’s grown-up behavior doesn’t mean it should be hard. An awesome rice cooker like this five-quart one from Cosori will simplify his mealtimes significantly, and he’ll think fondly of you every time he uses it to kickstart a delicious meal. (Maybe pair it with a nice bottle of low-sodium soy sauce.)
$99.99 at Cosori.com
Saucony Progrid Omni 9
For the guy who: Badly needs a new pair of running shoes
Getting into running (or starting to take it seriously) means you need the proper equipment. Running injuries aren’t anyone’s idea of a good time. Your guy of choice can cut down on those, and the danger of accidentally looking like a newb, with this gorgeous pair from Saucony.
$99.95 at Saucony.com
Craighill Metrolog Ruler
For the guy who: Is an aspiring designer
What happens when a designer designs a design tool? You get the Metrolog ruler from Craighill, packed full of clever design choices to make it the favorite tool of any guy who’s sketching out ideas every waking moment. It’s simultaneously easy to use, a joy to hold, casually feature-filled, and a visual delight to have on one’s desk, which you can’t say about, well, basically any other ruler.
$98 at Craighill.co
Lego Lord of the Rings Balrog Book Nook
For the guy who: Loves reading epic fantasy novels
Fun, literary-inspired dioramas are all the rage for book lovers to place on their bookshelves these days, and if you’ve got a fantasy reader in your life, he might find himself thrilled by the opportunity to place a Lego Balrog among his tomes. By far the most badass creature from the Lord of the Rings series, it looks so cool it might even inspire him to write his own fantasy trilogy.
$129.99 at Lego.com
Dickies Stonewashed Duck High Pile Fleece-Lined Vest
For the guy who: Wants to show off a working-class look
Just because you’re a cool guy doesn’t necessarily mean you look cool. Whether he works with his hands or not, help him show off his inner cool guy with this fleece-lined vest from Dickies. Bonus points for guys who run hot and could benefit from having a little cooling going on on their arms.
$89.99 at Dickies.com
The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization
For the guy who: Is curious about everything… or has a prepper streak
What if all the world’s high-tech machinery disappeared, but our knowledge of how things worked remained? How long would it take to build civilization? Could it be done? If you know a guy who thinks about stuff like this, he’d probably love this book, which is an illustrated guide to everything, and we mean everything, from how to make fire to how to couple and decouple railway cars… once you’ve followed the steps for re-inventing the steam engine.
$139 at HowToRebuildCivilization.com
Pelican 22" ATX Carry-On Hard-Sided Luggage
For the guy who: Wants to protect his gear while traveling
Part of owning gear (say, for instance, high-end cameras) is making sure it’s perfectly protected when on the road. Pelican’s luggage is all about protection, which makes it badass in addition to being cool-looking. This 22-inch carry-on is gorgeously constructed with lots of lock-down ability on the inside, and on the outside it’s got two TSA-compliant locks to make sure no one goes a-snooping. Also, “hard-sided” isn’t just a collection of cute words: this thing can take a licking and keep on ticking.
$499.95 at Pelican.com
Vessi Classic Chelsea Boot
For the guy who: Is always getting his socks wet
Whether he never quite grew past the stage of childhood where he enjoyed splashing in puddles, or he owns a dog and lives in the Pacific Northwest, if he’s out in the elements a lot, the Classic Chelsea from Vessi is a must. Comfortable, stylish, durable and waterproof (yes, waterproof, not water-resistant), Vessi’s footwear is a collection that you see far too infrequently these days. He’ll be grateful you got these for him — and so will his socks.
$160 at Vessi.com
Lojel Eblo All-Terrain Backpack Set
For the guy who: Wants to hike a lot in the coming year
Not all backpacks should be worn in the same situations — but some are versatile, like this one from Lojel, which comes with a set of casual straps for a day at the office and a set of more heavy-duty straps for a day in a national park. It’s gorgeous and well-made and wouldn’t look out of place in either context, and will be a big upgrade on a lot of guys’ beat-up knapsacks they’re still toting around many years after graduating.
$220 at Lojel.com
DILF by Jude Doyle
For the guy who: Is really thoughtful about gender
If your guy is a trans guy, or otherwise gender fluid or curious, get a copy of DILF: Did I Leave Feminism? by Jude Doyle ASAP. It’s a brilliant non-fiction book about exploring transition, jam-packed with mind-blowing thoughts and actually brilliant sentences. In fact, it’s so good that some really thoughtful cis guys will dig it, too.
$18.63 at Bookshop.org
John Varvatos Otto Denim Shirt
For the guy who: Wants to mix style and substance
Denim shirts are a staple of many guys’ wardrobes, but the casualness of the look doesn’t fit for everyone. Enter the Otto from John Varvatos, which elevates a reliable look in a noticeable but pleasing way that’ll be a hit with gradient-lovers everywhere.
$248 at JohnVarvatos.com
Rubik’s Cube Tetris Puzzle
For the guy who: Loves solving nerdy puzzles
If he’s the kind of guy who’d rather figure something out than go out, this brand new addition to the Rubik’s Cube canon (which seems like it should have existed this whole time) blends the iconic toy’s fun with the magic of Tetris pieces. It’s an opportunity for the right kind of nerd to be two kinds of nerdy at the same time, which you simply don’t get every day.
$14.99 at Target.com
Okapa Water Bottle
For the guy who: Wants to stay hydrated… in style
It’s not every day that a water bottle is also an art object, but that’s what Okapa have achieved with their entry into the market. High quality glass protected by a gorgeous exterior, an intuitive locking mechanism and a variety of eye-catching colors — this bad boy will have everyone forgetting what the hell a Stanley cooler is.
$295 at Okapa.com
Harold by Harry Rosen Performance Flight Bomber
For the guy who: Really digs the classics
The straightforward bomber jacket can really offer the finishing touch to an otherwise solid outfit, but if he’s not on the showy side, lots of what’s on offer today will feel a little too risky for him. Luckily, brands like Harold are still showing the rest of us how to make a classy-as-hell jacket that’ll give him a distinguished air among the riff-raff and back it up with solid construction.
$674.99 at HarryRosen.com
Goodbye Volcano High
For the guy who: Wants to expand his gaming horizons
Video games are so much more than first-person shooters, but he knows that already. What he doesn’t necessarily know yet is where to go for the really great ones that’ll expand his horizons. This game from KO_OP follows anthropomorphic dinosaurs entering their final year of high school, and it’s full of delightful game design decisions that make it miles from typical video game fare.
$29.99 at SteamPowered.com
H2O Audio Ript Lite Headphones
For the guy who: Loves to work out to music
Is he still using a worn-out pair of headphones where only one of the ears works properly? Gift him a serious upgrade with the Ript Lite from H2O Audio, which are specifically designed for use while working out. Boasting active noise cancellation, sweat resistance and an ultra lightweight construction, he’ll be able to tear it up in the gym to his favorite tunes without even realizing he has a pair of earbuds in.
$113 at H2OAudio.com
Vero Realtree Tide Tracker Compass Blue Watch
For the guy who: Loves boating or fishing
Look, we said no unnecessary leather and no booze — we didn’t say no masculine gear. If your guy’s around the shore a lot, he might get a serious kick out of this gorgeous tide-tracking watch from Vero, which lets the wearer easily track high and low tide using a clever analog bezel system.
$559.49 at Vero-Watch.com
Paka Mountain Crew Sweater
For the guy who: Seriously appreciates being cozy
Stealing your partner’s sweater is a time-honored tradition in relationships, and gifting a beloved boyfriend, fiancé or husband with a seriously comfortable one is basically just giving your future self a gift, too. This one from Paka is made from traceable alpaca wool, meaning it’s soft, durable, and pill-resistant. Dream combo!
$165 at PakaApparel.com
Grayman & Co Acetate Aviator
For the guy who: Really loves the movie Heat
It’s no secret that Heat (1995) by Michael Mann is one of the most beloved action movies of the 20th century, and if your guy is a fan, he’ll love these Heat-inspired sunglasses from Grayman & Co. which will let him look like a dapper ‘90s bank robber with a clearly articulated moral code.
From $245 at Grayman.co
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