Whenever Benson and I are thinking of gift ideas for guys, we usually start by going through some of Benson’s favorite things. He’s one of those people that researches all sorts of sites to find fantastic products. If you ever thought *I* liked reviewing things, well, I learned from him! Here’s a roundup of gift ideas for men made mostly of products Benson’s been loving, with a few extras thrown in!
Links to Shop:
1. Henley Tee // 2.Thermal Henley // 3. Earbuds // 4. Sweater Knit Fleece
5. Water Bottles // 6. Tumbler // 7. Down Jacket // 8. Slippers // 9. Apple Watch
10. Baseball Tee // 11. Kindle Oasis // 12. Suitcase // 13. Layering Tee
14. Joggers // 15. Sneakers // 16. Boot-Sneakers // 17. Massager
18. Cable Organizer //19. Quilted Vest // 20. Black Jeans // 21. Electric Kettle
REVIEWS OF ITEMS
1. Henley Tee – These are expensive but are such a great fit! They are as comfy and easy to wear as a t-shirt, but a step up. Benson regularly wears one of these, a pair of chinos, and cool sneakers (SUCH an easy outfit formula) and gets tons of compliments!
2. Thermal Henley – Benson doesn’t own these as they have a slightly looser/longer fit than he’d like, but these are a much cheaper option than the ones above.
3. Earbuds – Benson only recently got these, but so far he’s loving them. AirPods and Apple ear buds usually fall out of his ears, but these have extra tips for people with different sizes and actually stay in his ears. There’s also a “hear through” function that you can turn on to allow you to hear external noise so that you don’t have to take them off when someone talks to you or allows you to be aware of what’s happening around you. Lastly, the case is a charger, so you can always top off the charge just by putting them away.
4. Sweater Knit Fleece – Light, but warm, zip fleece with great reviews!
5. Water Bottles – I’ve said this before, but these water bottles are THE BEST. We’ve sold all our friends on these because they keep water cold up to 24 hours and hot up to 6. They come in so many sizes, colors and different types of lids.
6. Tumbler – After loving the water bottles for so long, Benson “splurged” on this cup. I guess it’s supposed to be for beer to keep every last sip perfectly cold, but Benson uses it for both cold and hot water. It’s so nice to keep water hot in the winter. And with cold water, the cup doesn’t condense or sweat, plus it stays cold for a while! He’s said over and over, “It’s kiiiind of expensive for a cup, but I’m not sad that I got it AT ALL.”
7. Down Jacket – Benson’s had this for years and years and years. Tons and tons and tons of people have these where I grew up (where it’s colder–NOT here in SoCal, haha!) They are very thin but filled with down. Benson wears this as a thin layer over flannel shirts, or when we visit colder areas he wears this as a thin layer UNDER other jackets that aren’t as warm.
8. Slippers – Benson’s had these for quite a while, and while they are nothing to rave about, they are good slippers and only $14.90! They’ve got great reviews. Read more about them HERE.
9. Apple Watch – It’s available on Amazon Prime HERE, or at an even lower price (but not through Amazon) HERE.
10. Baseball Tee – This is from Target’s line Goodfellow & Co. I could write an entire post about this line and my husband’s thoughts on it. Basically, it’s the styles and fit of higher end men’s casual wear and sportswear (that my husband tends to love–like, did you see how Option 1 is a $98 henley t-shirt? He’s got expensive taste!) that are pretty good quality but at way, way cheaper. Most of the items Benson’s tried have felt fairly good, though of course you’ll always find some that feel cheap–that’s true in any store. This baseball tee in particular is one of his favorites. I asked what he liked about it so much, and he said “It has so many details!” Such as: it’s thicker than most other baseball tees, the sleeves are full length whereas most baseball tees are 3/4 sleeves, the hem of the wrists is finished rather than undone like most baseball tees, the bottom hem is curved and slit on the sides, there is contrast stitching at the shoulders and a stitched V at the neck for more detail and interest. And they’re under $15!!!
11. Waterproof Kindle Oasis – Benson’s had several versions of Kindles and said, “I think this is the best Kindle unit I’ve used.” It’s hi-res and waterproof. The standard Kindle Paper White is much, much cheaper, and “It’s pretty solid,” according to him, but he loves most that the Kindle Oasis is light and that he can use it with one hand because of how you are able to turn the pages.
12. Suitcase – We have no firsthand experience with this, but for some weird reason I always appreciate a good suitcase, haha! This one is very affordable, comes in 3 sizes, and has really good reviews.
13. Layering Tee – Both Benson and I swear by these HEATTECH shirts. We wear them when it’s really cold, and they are usually lower cut in the neck with slim fitting waists and shorter sleeves so that you can’t see them peeking out at the neck or sleeves or waist under your normal clothes. They’re thin and keep you warm, but also have wicking material to keep you from being sweaty. And they’re very affordable! There’s a regular version and an extra warm version. You can find other pieces with this same HEATTECH material, like long johns, turtlenecks, and tees HERE.
14. Joggers – These are quite expensive and one of those things that someone may never buy for themselves but would appreciate receiving as a gift. They’re comfy and fit really, really well.
15. Sneakers – Benson loves this shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger and has been wearing them for several years. The sleek design works well for modern casual looks. A similar looking sneaker that my very hip brother wears are these Nike Killshots. Both of these pairs are very versatile and modern!
16. Boot-Sneakers – Benson LOVES a good sneaker that looks like boots! I tell him often how shoe choice REALLY defines outfits, especially for men. Boot sneakers like these give a combo like red plaid button up + black jeans an urban twist, and instantly the cool factor goes up 100%. He ordered these Nikes to try after trying a pair of Timberlands that didn’t work out.
17. Massager – This is from last year’s gift guide, and we had given it to 3 guys at that point. Everyone is still in LOVE with this thing. My friend brought it to one of his work meetings a month ago, and everyone there passed it around using it. And then they each ordered it for themselves right there! Hahaha! It helps get out knots in harder to reach places, and I like that I can massage myself because at some point I feel bad asking people for massages!
18. Travel Cable Organizer – Benson already has something like this, but this one is super affordable at only $19.99, comes in several colors, and has really good reviews. Not only great when you go on trips, but helpful for everyday commuting!
19. Quilted Vest – Thin vest with a fairly tailored fit–something that was hard for Benson to find.
20. Black SOFT Jeans – These are Old Navy! They are extremely soft and stretchy. My husband got them two years ago and continues to wear them and love them. Even though they’re for men I tried them on just to see what my husband was talking about. They feel like a pair of Paige Denim that I own that retails for $180, except these cost way, way, WAYYY less and are for men. Our friend immediately went and tried them after seeing them on Benson, and he loved the stretch. They were just too slim for his taste! Good news is that there are different cuts with the same stretchiness, from Straight to Slim to Skinny to Super Skinny! See them HERE.
21. Electric Kettle – The design is super sleek design, and you can boil water at different temperatures, which means my water always comes out the perfect temp for me to drink right away. I never have to wait for it to cool down enough anymore. ? And it keeps the water hot up to 30 min after!
What would you add to the list of gift ideas for men?
Check out last year’s Men’s Gift Guide for a few more ideas. And find all my Holiday Gift Guides HERE!
