Picking a great gift for one of the men in your life may not be easy. Some of us put in a huge amount of effort, only to miss the mark and reaffirm the fact that while men and women enjoy getting gifts, the way to go about getting a gift for a guy is different than getting a gift for one of our girlfriends. Whichever male you are buying for, be it your brother, father or lover, here is how to pick a great gift for him.

Think from a male perspective

What women value from a gift is generally different from what men value. Men appreciate the effort made with the gift and are impressed when a gift shows that you understand what he needs. This means that practical gifts that improve his life personally or professionally are most appreciated. Any intention to solely impress or surprise is not likely to lead to a great gift and your efforts are unlikely to be appreciated in the way you would like.

The occasion

Picking a great gift means considering the reason for the gift-giving. A significant birthday will usually see you spend more money on a gift than other years, or if you are buying a gift for the holidays, you should spend more on your husband than your brother.

Whilst small gifts are fine for passing a test, you want to pick something great for someone coming to the end of their career. The top retirement gift ideas for men will all focus on how he wants to enjoy this free time. You can celebrate interests that he wants to expand or gift something that he can keep forever that acknowledges his interests and also acts as a reminder of your appreciation of him.

How he spends his time

If he is a man that does not often spend money on himself, consider instead how he spends much of his time.  If it is out walking, surprise him with a new pair of walking boots, waterproof jacket or another item that will make the time more enjoyable. Anything you buy that links in with his interests will be a great gift. If he likes photography, help him take this to the next level with a new camera bag if you are not sure which lens he really wants.

What does he buy for himself?

If your man spends money on himself, observe what he buys. If he likes craft beers, consider a subscription to a brewery that will send out a selection of different craft beers each month for him to buy.  If he spends money on his favourite football team, consider a season ticket if he hasn’t yet got one, or arrange for a tour of the team ground which may be given by one of the team’s players or staff. Where he spends his money is the clue to finding him a gift he will appreciate.  

His career

For men who are career-focused, consider what gift will help him do his job easier or faster. He may have already talked about what would help in his career or may have spoken about an issue where you can offer a solution. If he needs a new suit to look the part and you know the brand, colour, style and size that would suit him the best then go ahead and buy it. Alternatively, arrange to meet him after work to go shopping for his gift and surprise him with a new suit that he cannot justify buying for himself.