As a man who received quite a lot of gifts, blogs about gifts, and spends hours researching for gift ideas, I can say that some people just do not get it. (Hello, mom!)

Getting a gift for a man is just hard. NOT! Oftentimes, getting a great present for a man is easy, if you follow these four simple rules. There are only four and these are really easy to follow. Here’s how to select gifts for men.

Side note, my wife did a gift guide about gifting for women.

The Four Rules of Selecting Gifts for Men

The first rule is that men are extremely practical. So buy practical, useful stuff. It can be a new tablet (win!) or a new set of pocket multi-tool. Your gift can be a new shirt that he looks good on or that high-end cologne he likes. He will appreciate stuff that is useful because that’s what guys are: practical!

The second rule is if it is not practical, it should be fun. Guys like fun stuff: manly toys, gadgets, booze, sports equipment are a few things that come to mind. For example, he will like (and might have been salivating over at) an iPhone-controlled quadcopter. This can give him hours of fun, maybe until it breaks. Another example is a samurai sword (especially if he is the Japanese-otaku kind of guy, like me) or a piece of new equipment for his favorite sport. When in doubt, ask yourself: will he brag this when he is having a barbecue with his best buds?

Also, sexy is fun. Keep that in mind, ladies.

The third rule is that guys are naturally attracted to technology and powerful stuff. It is in guys’ instincts. That newest flat-screen TV? If you have the money, get it for him. The latest tech is not always high ticket items, though. A high-end headset only costs around 100 bucks. The same goes for power stuff. We will most likely play with that tactical flashlight than a firefly-in-a-jar.

The last rule is guys will choose few high-ticket items over many small, cheap items. Unlike women who like much small stuff, when men want something, it would be a car, a new laptop, a mountain bike.

Moreover, when guys want something, they probably have researched quite a bit on that item. If you ask your man, he is already VERY specific on what he wants. For example, when your man says, he wants that Lenovo Yoga 500 laptop, get that specific model. Period.

So, you should follow one or more of these rules and you are golden.

49 Things You Should Get Him

If it satisfies one or more of the rules above, he will like it. Here are forty-nine examples, in no particular order:

  1. Beats by Dr. Dre
  2. Bluetooth speakers
  3. Tickets to NFL
  4. Quentin Tarantino film collection
  5. All-Terrain drone
  6. Tactical flashlight
  7. Barbecue multitool
  8. Funny macho aprons
  9. Lifestraw
  10. iPad latest generation
  11. Rubber band machine gun
  12. Edible undergarment
  13. Star Wars Wampa rug
  14. Self-defense pen
  15. Samurai sword set
  16. DSLR camera
  17. Camera lens
  18. Flexible camera tripod
  19. Cooking for Geeks cookbook
  20. 4-Hour Workweek
  21. Hire a chef for you two
  22. Fighter pilot lessons
  23. Racecar driving lessons
  24. Wine and painting class
  25. Beer tour
  26. Sushi Bazooka
  27. This suggestive banana case
  28. Dr. Who Pocketwatch
  29. Swiss Army watch
  30. Ironman light-up shirt
  31. Golf clubs
  32. Punching bag laundry bag
  33. Latest Apple iMac
  34. Geek Dad book
  35. Handheld vacuum cleaner
  36. Grenade screwdriver set
  37. Playable guitar shirt
  38. Whiskey stones
  39. Black playing cards
  40. Campfire cologne
  41. 101 Things Every Man Should Know How to Do
  42. Corkcicle
  43. The Art of Fixing Things
  44. Unbreakable Hatchet
  45. Zombie Survival Kit
  46. Bartender set
  47. Hip Flask
  48. Man Up! The Real Man’s Book of Manly Knowledge
  49. Playstation 4

Some Gift Ideas You Should NOT Get Your Guy

OK let’s get a rundown on what you should not get him, too, because, well, we want to make sure.

  • Small, romantic stuff. Like heart-shaped cupcakes. Stuffed animals. A kitten. Anything that can make a girl go “aaaw”. Pink pillows that say, together forever.
  • Couples shirts that do not look good when you are apart. I am a guy up for romance, but a shirt that says “I am in love with her —>” will make me look stupid when we are not together… or you are walking on my right side.
  • Personalized shirts with your photo, or ours, or our child printed on it.
  • Just a card.
  • Picture frames.
  • Most DIY gifts from Pinterest, like those colorful jellybeans in a jar that says, “hooked on you”.
  • Snowglobe.
  • Cute keychain.