About this list: This guide is published by 23andMe and includes our own products, as marked below. Our editorial team selected the other 14 gifts, and we do not receive payment, commission, free products, or other benefits in return from any of those brands. Product details are the responsibility of each brand, images are for illustration only, and prices and availability may vary.
Some men are just harder to shop for, usually because they buy what they want, when they want it. But that leaves no gaps for someone else to fill, no wishlist to count on. So, by the time a gift idea comes to mind, there’s a very good chance it’s already sitting in his house.
The 15 unique gifts for men below are all one of two things: a better version of something he already uses, or something he’d never think to buy for himself. Either way, anything from this list will bring genuine surprise and appreciation, even for the man who has everything.
Key Takeaways: Unique Gifts for Men
Start with the man, not the gift category.
- The gifts that don’t end up in a drawer are usually a better version of something he uses every week, or something he’d never spend his own money on.
- The five gift rule for men covers: want, need, wear, read and do. Most people skip “do,” but that’s where the good stuff usually is.
- Anything engraved or made to order can take up to two months. Check the maker’s own page before you promise it for a date.
Unique vs. Novelty Gifts for Men
A unique gift for a man is one he usually wouldn’t pick up for himself. Maybe it’s made to order, tied to something specific about him or something to experience instead of another object to own. Ultimately, novelty isn’t what most men appreciate from a thoughtful gift. Instead, they just want something they’ll still be using months from now.
Remember, a gag gift is funny once. After that, it sits on a garage shelf with the rest of the “unique” gifts. Male friends, brothers and fathers all seem to have that very same shelf. What gets used instead is often duller, simpler, but better: a sharper knife, a heavier pan, a wallet that isn’t falling apart.
So, to begin, you really want to start with two simple questions. What does he use every week, and what has he wanted and never bought?
When to Break the 5 Gift Rule for Men
The five gift rule for men includes one gift from each of five categories: something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, something to read and something to do. It’s a budgeting trick more than anything. Families often use it to keep a birthday from turning into a pile of random stuff.
But that doesn’t mean the five gift rule is gospel. It’s usually best to break the rule when it would amount to five entirely forgettable gifts. Most men would rather have one thing they’d never buy for themselves than another wrapped set of socks, a book or a mug. Instead, spend the whole budget on “do” by choosing an unforgettable experience, or even on the single object he keeps going back to, just a new and improved version of it.
Everyday Gifts for Men, Upgraded
The safest unique gift for a man is, once again, a better version of something he already uses. He picked the category himself, so you can’t really go wrong. Look for whatever he’s worn out, chipped or taped back together.
Smithey No. 10 Skillet: A Gift for the Man Who Cooks
Isaac Morton spent years restoring rusted vintage skillets before he started making his own in Charleston. The No. 10 was Smithey’s first skillet, with a cooking surface polished smooth instead of left pebbly the way most cast iron arrives. It comes pre-seasoned by hand with grapeseed oil, and Smithey backs it with a lifetime guarantee, so it’s the kind of pan someone can keep cooking with for years.
Tactile Turn Bolt Action Pen: An Everyday Upgrade
He writes with whatever pen is nearest, which means he never chooses by what actually feels best between his fingers. The Tactile Turn Slim Bolt Action changes that, made out of titanium in a Dallas shop that machines its pens start to finish, down to the screws. The grip features the brand’s signature tactile texture so it doesn’t slip out of a dry hand. They’ll even engrave up to 20 characters on the clip.
Craft and Lore Port Wallet: Replace the One in His Pocket
Nathaniel Von Lind works out of a shop in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and his maker’s mark is a Swedish carving axe. The Port Wallet carries that mark on a slim, folded design cut from one piece of full-grain leather. It’s built for the guy who carries a few cards and a little cash, with room for up to about 10 cards plus a bill or two, and Craft and Lore stands behind its stitching.
Unique Gifts for Men That Show Real Thought
Anyone can buy him something nice. But what really hits home is the thing that could only have been meant for him.
From 23andMe: 23andMe Premium Ancestry: For the Man Curious About Himself
23andMe Premium Ancestry starts with a detailed map of where his DNA comes from and the living relatives who share it, all organized into a family tree. Then it goes further back: Reconstructed Ancestors show him the people who came generations before him, and Historical Matches compare his DNA with ancient and historical individuals. New matches and features keep arriving throughout the year. It’s a fitting gift for the man who’s always half-wondered where his family came from and never got around to asking.
Gränsfors Bruk Small Forest Axe: For the Man With Land
Gränsfors Bruk has been forging axes in the same Swedish village since 1902. Look at the head, and you’ll find two stamps, one bearing the Gränsfors Bruk mark and the other bearing the initials of the smith who made that particular axe. To take advantage of the 20-year warranty against manufacturing defects, just make sure to buy from an authorized dealer and keep the receipt.
Treehut Atlas Watch: An Engraved Gift He’ll Wear
The dial on this watch is a slice of Italian marble with a window cut into it. And through that window, he can watch the movement wind itself, no battery needed. Treehut was founded in San Francisco in 2013 and now builds its watches in a Bay Area studio, the Atlas being their first automatic. You can even add an engraving on the back.
Gift Ideas for Men, Matched to His Hobby
Think about what he does on a Saturday, then buy the better version of whatever he uses to do it.
Seamus Golf Wool Headcover: A Gift for the Golfer
Megan and Akbar Chisti started sewing headcovers in their Oregon garage in 2011 and named the company Seamus Golf after the family’s Irish terrier. Their headcovers are still made by hand in Oregon, and many use Pendleton wool. It’s an easy upgrade from the plain cover that came with his driver.
Swanky Badger Whiskey Decanter: For the Whiskey Drinker
Swanky Badger’s Heirloom decanter holds 28 ounces, comes with a glass stopper and is built with real heft, so it sits on the bar like it owns the place rather than sliding around. The decanter can be engraved to order with his name, so it’s a gift that’s clearly his from the start. Plan ahead: regular processing takes three to five business days before it ships, and because each one is personalized, double-check the spelling before you order.
Porter Road Dry-Aged Steaks: A Gift for the Griller
Chris Carter and James Peisker met in a Nashville restaurant kitchen, opening Porter Road in 2010 for one simple reason: They couldn’t reliably buy meat they trusted. They cut everything by hand at their own facility in Kentucky, using whole-animal butchery rather than buying boxed beef. All the beef is dry-aged, and most cuts ship fresh rather than frozen.
Unique Experience Gifts for Men
If he already owns everything he wants, give him somewhere to be instead. All three of these are destinations, so the one to pick is whichever he’d clear an entire weekend for.
Porsche® Experience Center: A Driving Gift for Men
He gets 90 minutes on Porsche’s 1.6-mile South Track in Atlanta, a car he picks from Porsche’s fleet and a coach then teaching him to drive it like a track-tested veteran. Equal parts fast, furious and invigorating, he’ll even learn to corner and control oversteer without panicking, which is usually the part he’ll replay and retell long after he hands the keys back. Drivers have to be 21, and the gift certificate never expires, so there’s no pressure to book it by a certain date.
Sky Combat Ace: A Flying Experience Gift
Yes, he’ll fly it himself. A former Air Force F-16 pilot founded Sky Combat Ace using an Extra 330LC, an aerobatic plane the company notes was also used to train the cast of Top Gun: Maverick®. Loops, rolls and aerial combat maneuvers, all with an instructor on dual controls the whole way. You can even add a low-flying scenic pass through Red Rock Canyon, where the nearby neon of Las Vegas gives way to towering red sandstone cliffs. Riders need to be between 80 and 265 pounds and no taller than 6’6″, so check that before you book.
WoodenBoat School: A Week-Long Gift for Makers
WoodenBoat magazine started this school in Brooklin, Maine in 1981, running more than a hundred courses a year, including lofting, bronzecasting, coastal navigation and more. Many students stay on campus for the week, and registration for the whole year opens in January, so this is definitely one to mark on the calendar.
Under $50: Unique Gift Ideas for Men
Inexpensive unique gifts work best when there’s something specific or special about them. Down in this price bracket, the detail and story make the whole gift.
A DIY Hot Sauce Kit: For the Guy Who Puts Hot Sauce on Everything
Instead of another bottle from the store, give him the ingredients to make his own. This make-your-own hot sauce kit makes four bottles, using a lineup of peppers that runs from jalapeño and chipotle up to ghost pepper, plus spices and dried mango for sweeter blends. Bottles, labels, a funnel and gloves are included, and the recipe booklet shows how to dial the heat up or down. He’ll need a few things from his own kitchen, including a saucepan, a blender and vinegar.
Darn Tough Hiker Socks: A Useful Gift
These socks are knit in Vermont, in Darn Tough‘s own mills, from merino blended with nylon and a touch of elastane for durability. If they ever wear through, Darn Tough replaces them, and no one will even ask him how long he’s had them. They’re also midweight, so they work in a boot in August as well as February.
Blackwing 602 Pencils: For the Guy Who Still Writes Things Down
John Steinbeck and Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones both favored the original Blackwing 602. After it went out of production, Blackwing revived it in 2011 for a new generation of writers and sketchers. The 12-pack has a gunmetal finish, a smooth, firm lead and the brand’s signature flat-sided eraser holder, and the eraser can be swapped out when it wears down. Once the pencils are out, the gift box stands up on his desk as a pencil cup.
How We Picked These Gifts for Men
For every gift on this list, we link to the maker’s own page, so you can read about the product and the people behind it straight from the source. That’s where you’ll find the details that matter most when he opens the gift, like a smith’s initials stamped into the steel or a story on how Steinbeck wrote with the original version of that pencil.
Pick the Unique Gift He’ll Actually Use
Two questions, and you already know the answers: What does he reach for every week, and what has he picked up twice but then put on a shelf forevermore? Every one of the unique gifts for men above directly addresses one or the other.
And if the answer to the second one is that he’s always half-wondered where his family came from, that’s the one gift on this list he’d likely never get around to buying himself. So have a look at the 23andMe gift options, or read what other people discovered about themselves at 23andMe stories, and give him something he’ll appreciate more than anything else: his own story.
FAQ: Unique Gifts for Men
A good unique gift for a man who has everything is one he can’t or won’t order for himself. Look for things made to order, or tied to something specific about him. A Gränsfors Bruk axe carries the initials of the smith who forged it and a Treehut watch can be engraved on the back. Or skip objects entirely and book him a week at WoodenBoat School.
Good, inexpensive, unique gifts for guys run under $50 and usually showcase one specific feature or detail rather than the entire object. Three from the list above are the make-your-own hot sauce kit, Darn Tough hiker socks and Blackwing 602 pencils. Each has something that makes it special, like a lifetime guarantee or a pencil with a place in literary history.
Yes, an experience is the better gift for a man who already owns everything he wants but is short on occasions. It’s the worst choice, however, if he’s hard to pin down or hates being committed to a date months out. That’s why it’s always best to choose experiences that fit their lifestyle and schedule as well as their interests. For example, gift certificates from the Porsche Experience Center never expire, so you don’t have to worry about booking within a set timeframe. If he’s more curious about where he comes from than where he’s headed, 23andMe Premium Ancestry offers a journey through his own family history, from the living relatives who share his DNA to the ancestors who came generations before him.
Lead times on personalized gifts run anywhere from same-day to two months, so check the maker’s own page before you commit. Swanky Badger quotes three to five business days to process an engraved decanter, plus shipping, while most digital gift certificates are instantaneous. A DNA kit from 23andMe is the one to order first, though, because results usually take three to four weeks after we receive a saliva sample.
A DNA test is a great personal gift for a man who’s curious about his own origin story. 23andMe Premium Ancestry starts with his ancestry composition, his maternal and paternal lines and DNA relatives. It also includes Reconstructed Ancestors, which shows him the people who came generations before him, and Historical Matches, which compares his DNA with ancient and historical individuals. New matches and features are added throughout the year, and so on, as long as the membership is active. Health reports start a tier up, so compare the DNA tests to decide which he would enjoy the most.
