Christmas gifts for men: 40 ideas that are not socks

Socks are not on this list, although they could be: in a December 2022 YouGov poll, 79% of Britons who celebrate Christmas said they would be happy to unwrap a pair. The 40 Christmas gifts for men below go further, grouped by what he enjoys, from the barbecue to the shed, with a section for the man who says he has everything and a table to match each idea to the man you are buying for.

What men say they want for Christmas

In December 2022, YouGov asked Britons who celebrate Christmas which classic presents they would be happy to unwrap. Most of them did well, and a few split men and women:

Gift	Happy to receive it	Who was asked
Jumper	88%	Everyone who celebrates Christmas
Slippers	81%	Everyone who celebrates Christmas
Socks	79%	Everyone who celebrates Christmas
Multi-pack of underpants	69%	Men (56% of women)
Scented candle	48%	Men (78% of women)
Handkerchiefs	34%	Everyone who celebrates Christmas

Practical clothing is safer than its reputation, and a scented candle, a standard present for women, leaves men split down the middle. The ideas below lean on the things men use, eat, drink and do.

40 Christmas gift ideas for men

Stocking fillers

Five small presents that fit in a stocking or a Secret Santa budget. There are plenty more in our stocking fillers for men.

1. A trio of hot sauces in rising heat, for the man who adds chilli to everything.
2. A pocket screwdriver with interchangeable bits, small enough for a keyring or the glovebox.
3. Lip balm and a tin of hand balm, for cyclists, gardeners and anyone who works outside.
4. A pocket card game, or a deck of good playing cards for the pub.
5. An ice scraper with a built-in mitt, for frosty January mornings.

For the cook and the barbecue fan

6. A cast-iron skillet that goes from hob to oven and lasts for decades with care.
7. A digital meat thermometer, so the turkey and the barbecue come out cooked through without drying out.
8. A set of barbecue rubs, saved for the first sunny weekend of spring.
9. A cookbook for a cuisine he already cooks, rather than one you would like him to try.
10. A pizza stone or steel, for crisper bases from a home oven.

For the coffee and drinks lover

11. A manual coffee press or a pour-over set: better coffee without a machine.
12. A bag of freshly roasted beans, ground to suit how he brews.
13. A mixed case of beers from UK breweries he has not tried.
14. A whisky or rum tasting set of miniatures, to compare before buying a full bottle.
15. A pair of heavy tumblers engraved with his initials.

For the outdoors, the garden and the shed

16. A head torch, hands free for camping, night runs and the loft.
17. An insulated flask that keeps tea hot through a cold morning at the match or on the allotment.
18. Good gloves, for work, cycling or the school run.
19. A bird feeder or a nest box, put up together on Boxing Day.
20. A canvas tool roll, to finally sort out the shed.

Tech and gadgets

21. A waterproof Bluetooth speaker for the shower, the garage or the garden.
22. A power bank for commutes, festivals and long days out.
23. A smart plug starter kit, to switch the Christmas lights on from his phone.
24. A mini projector for films on the bedroom wall.
25. Wireless earbuds for the gym or the morning run.

Grooming, comfort and clothes

26. A beard trimmer, or a beard oil and balm set if the beard is already well kept.
27. A safety razor and a pack of blades, with less plastic than disposables.
28. Slippers with a hard sole, for the bins and the garden as well as the sofa.
29. A dressing gown in a heavier fabric than the one he has.
30. A men’s Christmas jumper he will wear every December, knitted, funny or light-up depending on the man.

Experiences

31. Tickets to see his team. Check which team first: one respondent to a 2025 Which? survey, a Chelsea fan, was given a Tottenham Hotspur book.
32. A karting or driving experience.
33. A brewery or distillery tour with a tasting.
34. A cooking class: bread, pasta, barbecue or curry.
35. A climbing, axe-throwing or golf session with his friends.

Gifts for men who have it all

The man who has everything still uses things up and still has free weekends. Five ideas that add no clutter:

36. An upgrade of something he uses daily: the wallet, belt or umbrella in the version he would never buy himself.
37. A three-month subscription to coffee, beer or books, which keeps arriving after Christmas.
38. A map print of a place that matters: his home ground, the town he grew up in, the route of a race he ran.
39. A donation or a wildlife adoption in his name, for the man who really wants nothing.
40. Your time: a booked day out, such as a match, a fishing trip or a long walk that ends at the pub.

Which gift for which man

The numbers refer to the 40 ideas above. Start with these, then adjust to his habits.

Buying for	Start with ideas
Dad	7, 17, 28, 36, 40
Husband or boyfriend	24, 31, 33, 38, 40
Brother or friend	4, 13, 21, 32, 35
Grandad	17, 19, 29, 38, 40
Teenage son or nephew	21, 22, 25, 31, or a gift card
Colleague in Secret Santa	1, 3, 4, 12
A man who likes unusual gifts	10, 14, 24, 35, 38

For longer lists by person, read our guides to Christmas gifts for dad and Christmas gifts for a husband or boyfriend. Secret Santa presents sorted by price cap are in the Stockings, Sacks & Fillers range.

Christmas gifts men do not want

In a Which? survey of 2,047 UK adults in January 2025, one in five said they had received an unwanted present over Christmas 2024. The usual misses for men are easy to avoid:

Gift	Why it misses	Give instead
Handkerchiefs	Only 38% of men would be happy to get them, according to YouGov	Good gloves (idea 18)
Aftershave chosen blind	Scent is personal	A refill of the one he wears
The wrong team’s merchandise	Worse than no present	Tickets, once you have checked the team (idea 31)
Novelty gadgets with one joke	Funny on the day, then a drawer	A gadget he will use weekly (ideas 21 to 25)
A gift for a hobby he does not have	Reads as a hint	Kit for the hobby he already has

Advent calendars and stockings for men

Two presents come before the main one. A men’s advent calendar opens on Tuesday 1 December 2026, so it has to be given by Monday 30 November; sock, snack, golf, fishing and tool versions are in our advent calendars for men. Then there is the stocking on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December: the stockings and sacks themselves, and the small presents to fill them, are grouped in Stockings, Sacks & Fillers.

Frequently asked questions

What do men want for Christmas presents?

Mostly things they will use. In YouGov’s December 2022 poll, most Britons who celebrate Christmas said they would be happy to receive a jumper, slippers or socks. Men were more likely than women to welcome a multi-pack of underpants (69%) and less likely to welcome a scented candle (48%).

What do you buy a man who has everything for Christmas?

Something that gets used up, an upgrade or an experience. Good coffee, a tasting set or a three-month subscription adds no clutter, and a booked day out with you is the present he cannot already own.

What is the best Christmas gift for men?

The one built on a habit he already has. A man who cooks every weekend will use a meat thermometer more than a gadget he has never asked for, and a football fan will remember the match tickets long after the scarf.

What are the most unwanted Christmas gifts for men?

Of the classic presents YouGov tested in 2022, handkerchiefs did worst: 59% of Britons who celebrate Christmas said they would be unhappy to receive them. Aftershave chosen blind, gadgets with one joke and merchandise from the wrong football team also miss, as one Chelsea fan given a Tottenham Hotspur book told Which?.

What is the five gift rule for men?

It is a family habit rather than a fixed rule: five presents, one in each of five categories agreed in advance, for example something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, something to read and something to do. For a man that could be the earbuds he keeps looking at, new work gloves, a jumper, a book on his team and karting tickets.

What are the top 10 Christmas gifts for men?

A dependable ten from this list: a meat thermometer, a cast-iron skillet, an insulated flask, a head torch, a Bluetooth speaker, slippers, a beard trimmer, match tickets, a brewery tour and a booked day out. Swap in his hobbies wherever one of these misses.

What do you give an adult man who says he wants nothing?

Take him at his word and give time or something consumable. A day out you have planned, a donation in his name or a tin of good coffee all respect the request without leaving him empty-handed on Christmas morning.