What Gifts Make Men Happy

Women love gifts. Men do too. Only the answer to the question of which gifts men like tends to be rather different from the answer for women. Women love perfume, flowers and jewellery; men, beer, tools and cars. At least, that is the theory according to the clichés.

Or is that actually true?

Yes, no, perhaps. It naturally depends on the type of man involved (and the woman receiving the gift, too – see our little A to Z of gift-giving for women). Everyone is pleased by something different – and while one person may fit the stereotype quite closely, others prefer something more individual.

What are good gifts for men? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Factors such as age, interests and social circumstances all play a part – quite apart from the fact that every person is simply different. Gifts for young men are certainly not the same as a birthday present for the man who already has everything.

In any case, we are never short of varied gift ideas – and we are very happy to share them below. After all, there are suitable gifts for men for almost every conceivable occasion.

Birthdays: gifts for an 18th and milestone birthdays

Birthdays and Christmas (see the next section) are the classic occasions for giving gifts. In the search for a pleasing present, one quickly ends up with supposedly useful gifts for a man – and the old standbys of ties, socks and handkerchiefs. We have all experienced first-hand the unrestrained delight with which any gentleman unwraps those…

What do men really want for their birthday? The following ideas for the best birthday gifts for men may help with the search – for every special birthday:

• 18th birthday: Finally an adult – and the gifts should reflect that. But what should parents give for an 18th birthday? Money? Certainly an option, as a little saved-up capital never hurts when starting out in life. Paying for driving lessons is also a very good idea – or contributing towards a first car. Travel is another wonderful gift, as the newly turned 18-year-old can finally set out to explore the world alone. So why not give a long weekend in Barcelona or Lisbon? Gifts for young men should essentially be one thing: genuinely exciting – or useful.
• 30th birthday: Turning 30 marks a milestone in life for many people – a point at which much begins to change. This is when life becomes more serious, with responsibility, family and rather fewer parties. A 30th birthday gift should therefore promise a little fun before all else. Bungee jumping from a harbour crane in Hamburg, for example.
• 40th birthday: The key phrase here is “midlife crisis”. A man turning 40 still wants to feel young, even though he knows perfectly well that time cannot be turned back. How about one of the following 3 gift ideas:
  • Stuntman at Babelsberg Film Studio: A stunt workshop offers experiences such as stick fighting and a fire stunt.
  • Zero-gravity flight: In an Airbus A310, it is possible to recreate the sensation of weightlessness in space.
  • Bobsleigh ride: In the race taxi in Berchtesgaden, the recipient speeds through the ice track at great pace.
• 50th birthday: What can you give for a 50th birthday? And what is a good birthday gift for a man who has everything? Difficult – because the birthday boy is no longer quite young enough for full-on action, but not yet old enough for spa retreats either. However, 50 is exactly the right age for a drive in a dream car. Or for a glider flight, which almost every regional flying club offers. The best birthday gifts for men at this age are clearly experience gifts.
• 65th birthday: At last, time to enjoy retirement – well, the retirement age today is a little higher, but it is no longer far off. Now is precisely the right time to discover the world. For example in a motorhome or on a safari through Africa. After all, who says that being a senior and enjoying adventure cannot go together?!

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Christmas: every gift is welcome – except socks

Christmas is the festival of love – and of giving. When it comes to gift ideas for men, one is rarely at a loss, because most men are pleased by anything remotely technical. Or delicious. Or something to tinker with. Or simply anything that is not a pair of socks.

Three ideas for Christmas gifts for men:

• Gift for whisky lovers: Even complete novices can find the right whisky online from specialist retailers – for example a 41-year-old Benromach from Scotland’s Speyside region or a rare bottle from the now closed distillery Dallas Dhu. But naturally there are also more affordable bottles of truly excellent whisky at around 50 euros.
• Gift for tinkerers, DIY enthusiasts and hobby craftsmen: There are splendid gifts for everyone who enjoys a challenge. From an 18,000-piece puzzle for adults to a Bugatti Veyron made from 3,600 Lego bricks, or even a book for anyone who would like to build furniture themselves, there is something here for everyone.
• Gift for art lovers: Giving paintings or sculptures has rarely been as simple as it is now. It can be done online through art auctions. Another option is regional galleries, which can be found in every major German city and are never short of exclusive gift ideas for men.

Easter: simple gifts are best

Easter is a little like Christmas – only with eggs. But do not worry: we are not about to produce strange macho jokes and peculiar gifts linking men and eggs. Instead, our advice is to keep gifts for men simple – with chocolate (nearly every man has a sweet tooth), accessories for the upcoming barbecue season, or small technical tools such as new headphones or a Swiss Army knife. All of these often bring more pleasure and are far more practical than some supposedly funny egg cup or similar novelty. Truly!

Alternatively, luminous gifts are also very well received. A personalised neon sign, for example, which you can find at LumiXpress – because sometimes glowing words say more than a thousand others.

Wedding: give individual wedding gifts for the man (and the woman)

Wedding gifts are generally shared gifts for the bride and groom. Neither the bride nor the groom should therefore expect special treatment. Even so, wedding guests can still delight each of them individually, so that the gift table is not filled solely with silver cutlery, frying-pan sets and houseplants decorated with five-euro notes awkwardly taped on as leaves.

Creative wedding gifts for men might include, for example:

• Vouchers for solo evenings (without the spouse) with his closest friends – ideally both newlyweds receive the same number of vouchers.
• A honeymoon weekend just for the groom and his friends (in the spirit of a stag do), with activities organised for married men – so no stripper, but perhaps chopping wood for the fire and enjoying a sauna followed by a plunge into the lake, or a few laps in a formula racing car on a real circuit if the aim is something a little more exclusive.

Valentine’s Day: at least a small token of affection

Valentine’s Day is, of course, meant to be the day for lovers, when love itself ought not to require any extra gifts. And of course, on Valentine’s Day it is usually only women who receive an additional present on top of their boyfriend’s or husband’s affection. But as we are all in favour of emancipation and, above all, equality, we believe men should receive gifts on Valentine’s Day too. At least something small. A photo collage of pictures of the couple and of her beloved. A good dinner. An excellent book. A vinyl record by his favourite artist. A session of go-karting (even if his sweetheart does not enjoy it, gifts ought to please the recipient rather than the giver – and after all, we also come along to the Rosenstolz concert). Or simply a massage, because men’s shoulders can be tense too!

Father’s Day: gifts centred around beer and more

While Mother’s Day calls at the very least for a bouquet of flowers, fathers (and men in general) usually treat themselves on their day and head off into the countryside with a handcart and plenty of beer. Men do, after all, love beer!

If you still want to give your father an extra Father’s Day gift, the following ideas are sure to please:

• Beer brewing workshop: Anyone can drink beer, but brewing it is an art in itself. Anyone curious to try it will certainly be delighted, as a beer lover, to be given a place on one of the seminars run by the Bremer Braumanufaktur. Among gifts for men, this idea is first class!
• Voucher for a visit to the barber: Shaving is part of everyday life for men. But even everyday routines can be enjoyable. And a visit to a proper barber, now found in every major German city thanks to the hipster revival, is a wonderful Father’s Day gift idea. At least for men with beards.
• Barbecue course with a meat expert: Even the greatest grill masters can undoubtedly still learn a thing or two about preparing meat to perfection. Weber offers just that opportunity through its Grill Academy – an excellent gift for all barbecue enthusiasts.

Promotion: gifts for men in the office beyond simple bouquets

Gift-giving has always played a major role in professional life as well. There is no shortage of occasions at work – from a promotion and years of service to quarterly targets achieved or projects successfully completed. And in such moments, a little more creativity than the usual bouquet and coffee mug is entirely welcome. Three ideas for practical yet elegant office gifts:

• Plant: We spend well over a third of our day at work. So we should make it feel a little more pleasant – which is why a plant is certainly a gift that brings pleasure after a promotion.
• Fountain pen: It is true that almost all work is done on the computer nowadays, but that is precisely why an elegant ballpoint pen or fountain pen looks all the more distinguished on a desk. A wooden rollerball pen is a high-quality gift after a successful project: attractive, useful and enduring.
• Voucher: There are vouchers for everything and everyone, but the truly modern choice is to give vouchers from local shops and in doing so support the regional economy. In some towns, several city-centre retailers have joined together to offer shared vouchers redeemable in any of the participating shops. It is worth enquiring with the local chamber of commerce.

Housewarming: from practical kitchen appliances to table football

A first home of one’s own, a move to a new city or a newly built house: a housewarming calls for gifts. They may be useful, they may be enjoyable – and sometimes both at once. Men are usually pleased to receive home entertainment electronics such as speakers for a sound system, a table-football game to enjoy with friends, or a modern coffee machine – although true connoisseurs are rarely won over by capsule coffee and tend to swear by Italian espresso makers.

DIY enthusiasts moving into a house with a large cellar or a garage can also always use something for their tool collection, or may be delighted by a practical workbench.

Just because: because giving brings joy

Does a gift really always need a particular occasion? Is it not enough that there is someone you simply want to delight? Exactly.

The loveliest gifts are the ones that arrive unexpectedly and as a surprise. Just because. For example:

• An hour in an escape room strengthens bonds and creates shared experiences – making it perfect as a spontaneous way to celebrate a friendship. In any case, experience gifts for men are always an excellent choice.
• A stylish graphic T-shirt from the label Green-Shirts, which aims to produce as ecologically, locally and fairly as possible. Men and fashion do, after all, go together rather well.
• A few bottles of beer from one of the countless microbreweries that offer an endlessly varied range of flavours just waiting to be discovered – and tasted. Because not only in the world of clichés are (almost) all men lovers of beer!

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Conclusion

There is always an occasion for a gift. The loveliest one is simply wanting to bring joy to your partner or a good friend. That applies to men just as much as it does to women – because even the supposedly tougher sex appreciates thoughtful gestures.

What makes a good gift for a man? The same things that are well received by women: gifts that come from the heart and show genuine thought. Depending on the person, that can vary greatly – sometimes a tiny token, sometimes an exclusive adventure such as a parachute jump.

In truth, only one thing really matters: simply give. Because the act of giving itself – quite regardless of the gift – automatically brings joy. We promise!