As a woman, buying gifts for men that they actually want is completely confusing. I’m sure men have the same problem buying gifts for women. It’s easy to say, “This is what I would want, therefore my mother-in-law would like it, too.” And usually that works. But with men…who knows?

Answer: other men.

So to write up this gift list, I went directly to the source. I tracked down three different men with different sets of interests and asked them what their five perfect gifts would be. There was a good bit of overlap, though, which is why I only have 13. Let’s do a breakdown of who I asked, though, just in case you’re curious about how similar they are to the men in your life. Feel free to skip this part and go directly to the list.

My husband is pretty nerdy. He’s into video games (particularly Nintendo), board games, science, and they love to read (basically anything). He watched his favorite sports teams and keeps up with football season, but he’s not into the “sports for the sake of sports” stuff.

My brother is into that–he’s a walking encyclopedia for sports-related trivia. He would attend any sports game for any team just for the sake of going. He loves technology–particularly Apple, PlayStation, and Xbox–and he’s always on top of the latest gadgets. He also has very expensive taste.

My sister’s husband is a country boy through and through, though he can be a bit nerdy at times. He’s into outdoorsy stuff like fishing, but he’s also into technology and is currently obsessed with Breaking Bad (which is also one of Zach’s favorite shows).

Between the three of them, I got a pretty decent list of gift ideas. Here are things that, not only would they want, they wouldn’t mind receiving multiple years in a row. (Sit back, because this is a long one.)

Great Gifts for Men (That They Actually Want)

1. Game consoles

This is the one I absolutely expected. And I was right. It was the number one listed item.

Consoles to consider will depend on the type of gamer you’re dealing with. Popular right now? The PS5 Horizon Forbidden West bundle, the Nintendo Switch OLED (even if they already have the original Switch, or the Switch Lite, the reviews for this OLED model say that the hype and the large screen are both worth it), and the Xbox Series X.

2. Gift cards

Gift cards sound like a super lame gift, but I always appreciate getting them (even though society has trained us to think it’s not OK to give them). It’s especially nice if it’s for something you know they like, but you don’t know enough specifics to buy the actual item.

Another great reason for gift cards? Video games! As gaming moves onto digital content and away from physical copies, it can be harder and harder to gift those desired-and-still-expensive games.

• Nintendo’s eShop can be particular difficult, as they don’t allow digital gifting of any kind through it. The best way around that is to purchase a Nintendo eShop gift card. The price of the card will depend on your budget and your giftee’s interests. I find $30 enough to buy a few small, casual games; whereas, $60 is the typical price of more popular games.
• PlayStation and Xbox both offer digital cards, as well, though it is easier to just gift a game through their systems.
• Do you have a PC gamer on your hands? A Valve gift card for Steam (a platform used for buying and playing computer games) is a great choice!

3. Tickets to see a favorite sports team

This is a bit expensive, but if you can swing the money, I’ve found that a lot of guys are really looking for experiences. So if you have a guy who likes sports, game tickets are a great idea. I know a lot of guys who are also into musicals and live music, so those are also good.

Zach likes basically anything, so just a day to go see something would be awesome for him. (I don’t have a single idea where to find the best deals on game tickets since I’ve never bought any. But for football, I would start with Stub Hub, Ticket Master, and NFL.com. Good luck.)

4. Favorite clothing apparels

My brother particularly likes hoodies from Adidas and Nike. (He’s like a walking billboard.) Zach prefers sports paraphernalia to brands. He especially likes clothes that can be worn in all weather (so, t-shirts).

That said, I have found that as long as you don’t deviate too far from their preferred style, you can get pretty creative with clothing gifts. A couple ideas:

• Jeans — I’ve found all of them appreciate a good pair of Levi’s straight -cut jeans and a cardigan to throw over their clothes on chillier days.
• Sweaters — A shawl collar cardigan looks good on everyone and is an easy way to make an outfit look more sleek and put-together.

5. Board games

This won’t be true of all guys, but Zach and I are BOTH thrilled to receive new board games. Here are some of our current favorites:

• Spirit Island – A cooperative game for 1-4 players, trying to keep control of the board.
• My City – A competitive, Tetris-like puzzle game for 2-4 players.
• Transmissions – A competitive, and adorable, resource-gathering game for 2-4 players.
• Concordia – A competitive, resource-control game for 2-5 players.
• Carcassonne – A competitive, tile-playing game for 2-5 players.
• Twilight Imperium 4th Edition – A competitive, diplomacy game for 3-6 players who are trying to control the galaxy.
• My Father’s Work – A competitive game for 2-4 players, each controlling their own mad scientist who is trying to uncover new knowledge and take care of their estate in a Victorian-esque era village.

6. Physical video games

I think video games are relatively safe for a lot of guys (as long as he has a console 😛 ). You just need to figure out what sort of games they like and which ones they don’t already own. And if you search

Games that are popular this (2022) season are:

• Nintendo Switch:
  • Harvestella
  • Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Pokémon Legends
  • Nintendo Switch Sports
• Playstation 5
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • The Last of Us: Part 1
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (great for ages 10+)
  • Evergate
  • Resident Evil Village (adult only)
  • Marvel Avengers
• Xbox Series X
  • One Piece Odyssey
  • Lego Star Wars
  • Sonic Frontiers 
  • Call of Duty Vanguard
• Computer Games
  • The safest thing to buy someone who loves computer games is a Steam gift card

7. A new TV

A shocker, right? If you’re dealing with someone who likes to upgrade TVs every now and again, here are some good options:

• Best budget TV — Amazon Fire TV 55″ 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV
• Best overall value — SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Crystal 4K UHD AU8000 Series
• Best TV for bright rooms — SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90B Series

8. Coats or jackets

It’s getting pretty cold in much of the country and men don’t like being cold. (Actually, no one likes being cold.) Guys like new coats and they recognize when they need one…but in my experience, they hate shopping for them. So take of it for him!

Currently trending styles are:

• MOERDENG Men’s Waterproof Ski Jacket Warm Winter Snow Coat Mountain Windbreaker Hooded Raincoat
• MACHLAB Men’s Pullover Winter Workout Fleece Hoodie Jackets Full Zip Wool Warm Thick Coats
• Legendary Whitetails Men’s Journeyman Shirt Jacket

9. Shoes

This one surprised me, because shoes seem like an item you need, not an item you want. But this seems to be another item they hate shopping for and appreciate having it done for them.

Some top-notch shoes to consider:

• Running shoes under $100 – Under Armour Men’s Charged Assert 9 Running Shoe
• Running shoes under $50 – ASICS Men’s Gel-Contend 6 Running Shoes
• Best rated casual shoes – Skechers Men’s Moreno Canvas Oxford Shoe
• Best rated dress shoes – DREAM PAIRS Bruno Marc Classic Modern Formal Oxford Wingtip Lace Up Dress Shoes
• Best rated sneakers – Skechers Men’s Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-up Sneaker

10. Items for their facial hair

Guys have this tendency to grow hair on their faces. Some like it, some trim it, but for both parties taking care of the hair and the skin is important.

• Best beard care kit – Viking Revolution Beard Care Kit for Men
• Best electric razor – Braun Electric Razor for Men
• Best hair clipper – AMULISS Pro T Outline Clippers Trimmer
• Best hybrid – Philips Norelco OneBlade Hybrid Electric Trimmer and Shaver
• Best straight razor – Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor
• Best head shaver – Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold PRO Head Shaver for Men
• Best shaving brush – Viking Revolution Badger Hair Shaving Brush

11. Slippers

When I was growing up, my dad had this pair of basset hound slippers. Over the years, of course, he wore them down and now he has none (also I think one of the dogs chewed them up a bit). So I a few years ago, I got him these awesome grizzly bear slippers. The moment I looked at them I thought of Dad. They were incredibly warm and soft and he LOVED them.

But slippers can be pretty personal, from actual backless slippers to house shoes. So here is a quick list of slippers he might love:

• Best arch support – COFACE Mens Cozy Memory Foam Scuff Slippers
• Best house shoe – IZOD Men’s Two-Tone Moccasin Slipper
• Most well-reviewed – RockDove Men’s Original Two-Tone Memory Foam Slipper

12. Death Wish Coffee

If you haven’t given Death Wish Coffee a chance yet, DO IT!

Is it good? Yes.

Is it strong? Yes.

It also comes in many flavors, and they have some pretty cool merch.

Lesson: Men are just as complicated and diverse as women. These gifts work well for most of the men in my life, but may not work for yours. So the question is…what kind of gifts will you get them? Let me know in the comments!

Need more gift ideas? Check out 15 Great Gifts for Bakers, 15 Cozy Gifts for People Who Are Always Cold, and 5 Awesome Gifts for Knitters.