Men are hard to buy gifts for, aren’t they? Without over-generalizing the entire gender, men tend not to express their wish lists to their gift-givers. And the provider instinct in them makes them buy whatever they need exactly when they need it. 

That makes it tough to find the perfect gift for the guys on your list year after year.

Things get even trickier if the guy is picky with what he likes and dislikes! To help you out, we have put together a list of gift ideas for men that even the pickiest guy will love. 

But First, Let’s Do Some Digging

The secret to being a great gift-giver is doing some research on the recipient before you buy. Whether it is your dad, husband, boyfriend, son, son-in-law, nephew, friend, or co-worker, there is always some digging we need to do about their desires and wishes before we shop for them.

So, make use of the resources at your disposal to do some research. Look into their social feeds, ask them what hobbies and interests they are into these days, or ask their significant other if you can to find out more about what they want for gifts.  

Some questions to consider exploring are:

• What are his current hobbies?
• Are there any DIY projects he is gearing up for?
• Does he like outdoor activities like camping, hiking, etc.?
• What is his favourite sport?
• Is he into performing arts or the theatre?
• Is he environmentally conscious?
• Is he a minimalist or an avid consumer?
• Is he into grooming and fashion?
• Does he like to entertain?
• Does he enjoy cooking?

Some men prefer experiences as gifts, and others prefer to receive material things instead. You need to do a little digging to see what their preferences are.

Once you have a solid understanding of their current obsessions, likes, hobbies, and preferences, you will have a much more fruitful experience in shopping for gifts for men.

Now that we have covered how to research the recipient of these marvelous gifts you will be buying, let’s dig into some gift ideas in different genres and categories.

Fashion

If the guy you are buying a gift for is fashion-forward and looks his best every time he steps out of his home, this category will suit him well. 

You can pick several gifts from the fashion category based on his professional attire requirements.  

If he is a suit-and-tie during 9-to-5 kind of guy, then these items could be ideal:

1. Cufflink sets with his initials
2. Neck Ties and Handkerchief sets
3. Dress shirts
4. A Pair of business-appropriate sunshades for those patio lunch meetings

On the flip side, if he is artsy or sporty, you can opt for items that fit his style. Some examples would be:

1. His favourite sports team jersey (even if he has one, he is going to love another, and bonus points if you can get it customized with his name on the back)
2. A graphic t-shirt with their favourite artist’s renditions
3. A handloom shirt with a cause (for the socially conscious and the environmentally conscious)
4. A hemp shirt (for the new kind)
5. An ironic shirt for the ironic millennial
6. Something vintage to keep up with the current exploding vintage trend

Grooming

This is for the man who is picky and likes to keep himself well-groomed.  

As men grow older, their grooming needs start to exponentially grow – much like the hair popping out of nowhere in parts they never thought they could grow hair on. So, grooming essentials are a perfect gift for picky men who love to put their best face forward every day.

Consider some of these things as gift options:

1. A beard and moustache trimmer set (that also takes care of any other unwanted facial hairs like overgrown unibrows, nose hair, or ear hair)
2. A personal grooming kit (for the hair below the neck). Caution: you should reserver this one for your significant other or your boyfriend as it is an intimate grooming product
3. A cologne sample set for them to try out different scents of their favourite brand
4. A customized scent that was created for him in a bottle with his initials engraved on it (again, one for the hubby)
5. An old-fashioned shaving kit
6. A facial and body scrub kit
7. Hairstyle gift hampers with their favourite hair products and grooming instruments.

Men Who Love to Entertain

Long gone are the gender roles where only women took an interest in entertaining or hosting grand parties at home. Men in the family enjoy their time hosting, cooking, grilling, and entertaining around the home in this new era. Then again, even Don Draper loved hosting his cocktail parties in the 1950s. So, maybe this has been a thing for a while now.

This opens up an opportunity for picking homeware gifts for men who love to entertain. Some great gifts for the picky guy who loves to entertain could include:

1. A chic martini shaker set with his initials engraved on it. 
2. Some cocktail glasses to go with the martini shaker
3. Dazzling stemware like champagne flutes or wine glasses
4. A winemaking kit for the wine lover 
5. A bottle of fine, rare, aged small-batch imported whiskey or rum
6. A BBQ utensil kit along with a personalized barbeque apron
7. A barbeque (if your budget permits)
8. A crystal liquor decanter with a pair of low ball whiskey glasses 
9. A set of barbeque sauces and hot sauces from a boutique local spice store
10. A trial subscription to a local butcher shop for a monthly supply of organic grain-fed aged steaks and sausages
11. A vegan cookbook for the vegan entertainer
12. A herb garden starter kit 

For The Outdoorsy Type

If the guy you are buying for loves his share of adventures in the great outdoors, then these ideas are for him. 

The pandemic has limited our ability to fly to exotic destinations abroad, affecting how we travel and where we go for recreational travel. Camping, also known as glamping (glamorous camping), is having a huge moment. Along with forest bathing hikes, trail explorations, mountain biking, setting up camp, and a bonfire are all the things people are rediscovering as they spend their vacations nearby in the national parks and in campgrounds around them.

For the outdoorsy type, some gift ideas could be:

1. A fancy quick-set-up tent 
2. A grill and smoker set
3. Camping zero-gravity loungers
4. Hiking gear and shoes
5. Camping survival kit
6. A propane-run coffee percolator
7. A tree hammock
8. Mountain biking safety gear
9. Fishing gear for those who love to fish

For The Man’s Cave

If the guy on your list has his own man cave, you can look into getting something to furnish and decorate his man cave. This is where you need to communicate with him (or his significant other) to see what they might need to add to his space. It is very important to communicate here since every gift you get will occupy some space in his special place. So, it is best to get him something he truly needs or wants.

Some ideas for man cave gifts include:

1. A board game and dart set
2. Something for the bar – like bar essentials
3. Surround sound system
4. A smart TV (if your budget permits for this special guy in your life)
5. Party platter serving set
6. A mini foosball table
7. A chess set
8. Videogames or consoles for the avid gamer
9. Antique beer mugs
10. Personalized barware
11. Puzzle sets
12. Sports collectables

Alternatively, if the guy has specific hobbies indulging in his cave, you can get him supplies for those hobbies.  

For example, if he is into woodworking, you could coordinate with other friends to get him some woodworking tools.

If he is into fixing antique cars, consider getting him the tools he may need for that. 

If he is an artist, art supplies will make a great gift.

If he is an aspiring influencer, consider equipment for his vlogs.

If he is into travel and aircraft, miniature versions of his favourite aircraft and a map of the globe all make for great man cave gifts.

A miniature replica of his favourite racing cars makes a great gift if he is into cars. If he just bought a new car, you could get him some accessories for the car.

If he is into the latest wearable tech gadgets, get him accessories for that.  

Conclusion

There you have it; we have included a few categories and provided you with an extensive list of fifty gifts under each category to get you started with shopping for gifts for men on your list.  

No matter how picky or discerning his taste, he is bound to love something from this list. 

As always, be sure to do your research on the recipient, communicate with him about his wants and wishes, and you will be off to a great start in getting the best gifts for men. Have fun shopping!