Forget the stereotypes about men. We love a great gift. But zany ties, silly gadgets, and cheap cologne are not on our list. Instead, get the man in your life something he’ll love. Below are 10 great gifts for your boyfriend, dad, husband, groomsmen or good friend for his birthday. Whatever the occasion, these will work.
1. Apple HomePod
Bringing together great tech and great sound, the Apple HomePod is ideal for any guy who loves music or tech. Here’s what you need to know about it…
• It’s just under 7 inches tall.
• Using spatial awareness to sense its location in the room, it automatically adjusts the audio to sound great wherever it is placed.
• It features a large woofer for deep bass, and a custom array of seven beam-forming tweeters that provide pure high frequency acoustics with directional control.
• With an array of six microphones, HomePod can hear, “Hey Siri,” from across the room, even when loud music is playing.
• Setup is as easy. Simply hold an iPhone next to HomePod and it’s ready to start playing music in seconds. The Siri waveform appears on the top to indicate when Siri is engaged, and integrated touch controls also allow easy navigation.
• HomePod is designed to work with an Apple Music subscription.
• HomePod can handle advanced searches within Apple Music’s catalog, so users can ask questions like, “Hey Siri, when was this song released?” or “Hey Siri, can you play something totally different?” to change the mood.
• Watch out Alexa, it can send messages, set timers and reminders, check the weather and listen to shows on Apple Podcasts.
• With support for HomeKit, HomePod can control hundreds of home accessories like turn on the lights, raise the shades, set the desired temperature or make other adjustments.
• Coming later this year in a free software update, users will be able to play music throughout the house with multi-room audio.
2. BARTON Leather NATO Style Watch Strap
So maybe you don’t want to spring for a new watch, but you can afford to help dress up a man’s current watch. These top-grain leather Zulu watch straps represent the business end of Barton’s NATO collection. The leather portrays slightly more sophistication than their nylon counterparts, while still portraying a hint of vintage playfulness. Cleanly designed with minimal bulk and a precise fit, the Brown Leather NATO Style Watch Strap is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
3. Lands’ End’s Colorful Seagoing Duffel
Most guys have a tattered old duffel that sits in the back of their closet. It’s time to freshen it up for them. This one is ideal. Lands’ End is bringing back its iconic duffel. A near replica of their duffel from the ’70s, this durable bag is built from extra-tough fabric that resists tears, scuffs and abrasions, with a few adjustments for the better, including durable, smooth-sliding metal zippers and webbed handles that wrap around the bag so they won’t pull or tear.
The bag measures 24-inches long with an 11-inch diameter and is available in six colors, including Beacon Blue, Court Green, Regiment Navy, Flame Orange, Atlas Yellow and Vibrant Red.
4. Nike Metcon 4 Invictus
Whether a man is a work out enthusiast, or just wants to look good, he’ll love these. Nike’s Metcon 4 shoes are ideal for cross training and weightlifting by providing a strong, stable base, flexible support, and extreme durability for a wide range of training activities. A new textured mesh makes it stronger, lighter, and more durable than previous Metcons.
So what’s the story with this “Invictus” edition with its awesome green colorway? Invictus (which means “unconquered” in Latin) is a San Diego-based gym known for accessible and exceptional functional fitness training for all levels. Since 2015, Nike and Invictus have partnered to create a special colorway of every edition of the Nike Metcon to date.
The design details of the new Nike Metcon 4 Invictus embody the box’s ethos — particularly the shoe’s tongue, which features their mantra (the famous Invictus poem by William Ernest Henley) that speaks to the strong character needed to overcome obstacles. Additionally, the primarily white-with-green-accents colorway is a nod to the “sea of green” Invictus fans are known for creating in the stands with their fan gear and “V” graphics from the gym’s logo appear on the upper.
5. Bodyfriend Rex-L Plus Massage Chair
OK, this man gift is way over the top, but guaranteed to put a smile on any man’s face. Behold the Rex-L Plus massage chair. Here’s what you need to know: it can go zero gravity, has 12 customized auto massage modes (including athlete, relax, office), heating, hand massage, Bluetooth connectivity, stereo speakers, and looks ridiculously cool.
The company says that it also has “brain massage” that comes in two different modes – concentration and meditation. According to them, “the concentration mode uses centuries-old massage techniques that encourage the brain first to stabilize and then recharge for enhanced cognitive skills. The meditation mode gives priority to stress relief, and then uses massaging techniques that result in deeper levels of relaxation. Both options use healing music with binaural beats to allow users reach a deep state of relaxation and heightened concentration levels. And if healing music is not what helps you de-stress, the Rex-L Plus gives you the option to wirelessly connect your music player and take full control over the sounds you hear during your chair time.”
6. Sony WF-SP700N Truly Wireless Earbuds
Here’s another sonic treat. These modern-styled wireless earbuds from Sony offer active noise canceling, adjustable bass (with “Extra Bass”), and in the future Google Assistant capability. They’re also sweat-proof, which makes their perfect for chronic exercisers who need musical motivation.
Fully charged, the headphones give you up to three hours of music playback. Better yet, the compact charging case not only keep your headphones secure, but holds a further two full three hour charges letting you power up on the go. Four color options are available.
7. Casio G-SHOCK’s “Black Out” Series Watch
Every man needs an indestructible (and cool) watch. Casio G-SHOCK has added five new timepieces to the men’s Black Out series. Now comprised of 10 total styles, the latest releases include a DW5700 revival model, two new DW6900 models and one new GA100 model – all with a tactical-inspired colorway.
The new DW6900 timepieces, which feature a 50mm circular case and bezel, come in both a resin (DW6900BB-1, pictured above) or CORDURA cloth (DW6900BBN-1) band, which provides extremely high resistance to stretching and tearing.
Each model also comes equipped with standard G-SHOCK technology of shock resistance and 200M water resistance. The DW5750E-1B, DW6900BB-1 and DW6900BBN-1 each have Multi-Function Alarm and EL Backlight.
8. Norelco Beardtrimmer 7200 Vacuum
Yes, it’s practical, but any man will thank you once he uses it. Finally, a trim without all the mess. A built-in vacuum grabs most of your clippings as you go, keeping your sink clean, while getting a clean cut. The trimmer offers 20 built-in length settings, so you can select your preferred trim length by simply turning the zoom wheel until the length you want is displayed from 0.5mm – 10mm. A one-hour charge will get you about 80 minutes of cordless use.
9. Helly Hansen’s Odin Veor Down Jacket
For those who aren’t familiar with Helly Hansen, you’re missing out. The latest from H/H (founded in Norway in 1877) is the Odin Veor Down Jacket. It’s lightweight, breathable, warm, and ideal for those who enjoy outdoor adventure in colder climates. The jacket features 90/10 Goose down with 800 fillpower and has back air flow baffles and front zipper vents so you don’t get overheated.
Currently two colors are available, Graphite Black and Olympian Blue.
10. GrowlerWerks’ uKeg 64 Stainless
Remember, when in doubt, beer and beer-related gifts are always great (although probably not for alcoholics).
This stainless-steel uKeg is a pressurized growler that keeps craft beer fresh and carbonated for two weeks or more. It’s durable, double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel that has a CO2 regulator cap with customizable tap handle and gauge. We also love the brass carrying handle. It comes with two 8 gram CO2 cartridges.
Essentially this pressurized growler keeps oxygen away from beer, maintaining perfect carbonation from the first to last pour.
This 64-ouncer holds 4-5 beers. And yes, they have also have a larger 128-ounce uKeg.
Man And Gear 