Birthday Gift Ideas for Men From a Man's Viewpoint

Author:
Enda McLarnon
Updated:
Sep 14, 2022

Read on to find examples of great gifts for men of every age.

"Manly" Birthday Gifts

Over the years, I have had many so-called "manly" birthday gifts purchased for me. Some of them were great, and others were downright awful.

Despite what many ladies may think, men actually talk to each other about memorable birthday presents, and yes, we discuss subjects other than football and beer. (Not many other things, though.)

We have one thing in common that will never change—men are boys who have never grown up. I would imagine that many ladies already know this, but sometimes I wonder if they really do. How could they know and decide to just ignore this fact?

You have heard remarks like "boys and their toys," and the facts are that it's completely true. Would I like a mini remote-controlled helicopter for my birthday or a bottle of expensive aftershave? Every single time I would choose the aftershave. Like heck, I would! I have no doubt that if I had the money in my hand, it would be the helicopter every single time.

Would I like a pair of socks for my birthday gift or a Swiss Army knife?

Would I like one of those hideous skincare kits or a new electric screwdriver that does stuff?

Men like things that do things or are just fun to have. There are hundreds of them, and we don't like anything that would have the words practical or sensible involved. Shoes, new ties, new shirts, or underwear are not gifts. They are things we need, so they are not even close to being the same.

I will include a whole range of perfect birthday gift ideas for men, and hopefully, men around the world will benefit from this article. There are many birthday presents for men that we really will love, so please enjoy the read.

birthday-gift-ideas-for-men-from-a-mans-viewpoint — By Sebastian Kamper (Own work (taken by myself)) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

60th Birthday Gift Ideas

We are now approaching the time when we are just about to retire or are most certainly thinking about it. Like any of the big birthdays, the 60th birthday should really be a special one.

At this time, and especially with retirement firmly in mind and on the horizon, the best types of gifts to buy will be based on that person's likes and hobbies. Now, of course, no two men will be exactly the same. I have many friends who have just reached this birthday, and they all like slightly different things.

However, if there is a general theme to what they like, it may help guide you along the way to getting a great birthday present for someone who has reached 60 years of age. Common themes include books and reading, gardening, and tools they can use to develop their hobbies.

Here are some ideas for gifts you can buy for a 60-year-old man:

Tools and auto equipment for the man who enjoys cars.
Cooking tools or supplies for a 60-year-old chef.
Books, plants, or seeds for the avid gardener in your life.
A record player or autographed records are great ideas for a music lover.
If he's interested in fitness, he might enjoy a high-tech water bottle or nice headphones.

Any of these gift ideas are sure to please the man in your life. The important thing to remember is to keep his interests in mind and make sure you focus on finding something he'll really enjoy!

Travel-related gifts could provide inspiration and motivation to men interested in seeing the world.

50th Birthday Gift Ideas

This was a great birthday. To reach the milestone of being half a century old is pretty amazing and should be celebrated in style. I had two fantastic parties—one with my family and one with my work colleagues. We also went away to Geneva for four days, and that was a wonderful experience. We flew through the Swiss Alps to reach our destination and also visited Switzerland.

This was a birthday that I really enjoyed, and it is a turning point for many guys. They have survived half a century and should have by now done all the main things in their life.

50 is a great age to then plan out the other things in life that they have always wanted to do but have just never had the chance. For most guys, this will be the travel of some kind.

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This is a great age for men; honestly, we will love almost any gift, especially if we happen to be grandfathers at the time. I have added a short list below of ideal gifts for a 50-year-old man who still thinks he is 21.

Custom keychain
Cigars or cigar flask
Pocket watch
Framed photograph
Cufflinks

40th Birthday Gift Ideas

So, the old man has reached the splendid age of 40, and life, in theory, has now begun. By this stage, most men have been married for a few years, and their wives are probably running out of ideas of what to buy them.

I remember my own 40th birthday very well, and it was a great one. We went away for a fantastic weekend in Galway and had an absolute ball. A weekend trip away is a great idea—just to be able to chill out, eat great food, have a drink, and celebrate was great for me.

My daughters bought me a new watch for this birthday, and it was a cracker. My good lady took me away and also bought me a new set of golf clubs, and life could not really have been much better. Here are some other ideas for a 40th birthday gift:

Personalized golf balls
A nice wallet
Cigars
Beard trimmer
Whiskey decanter set

30th Birthday Gift Ideas

If there was one birthday that I hated, it was certainly this one. Leaving my 20s was painful, and entering my 30s was also horrible. They say today that being 30 is the new 20, and that may well be the case, but for me, it was just awful. There was something about that age transition that depressed me. Thankfully, it didn't last for long—but it marked a significant change in my attitude and the way I thought.

I must have blanked most of it out because I don't remember what gifts I received or the actual celebration. One thing I did know was that I did not want or have a party, nor did I want anything that reminded me that I had turned 30.

Here are some gift ideas for a man's 30th birthday:

Cutting boards or grilling equipment
Cocktail glasses
Robe
Beer mug
Pocket knife

Here are some ideas to inspire you on your quest to find a gift for that hard-to-shop-for man in your life.

Gift Ideas for Men Who Have Everything

Now for the interesting part of this article. I can promise you that if you buy any of these suggested gifts for a man's birthday, he will utter phrases like:

Fantastic!
Great idea!
How did you think of that?
I can't wait to use this!

All of these gifts should be recognized as being excellent in the eyes of any male. We like birthday gifts that we can use, play with, and, most importantly, have fun with. I will give you a very long list, so please remember that any of these will be very well received.

Concert tickets for artists we like.
Tickets to a good play. Try to find out about plays we would actually like to go and see.
Tickets for a big sporting event.
DVDs of our favorite films—movies like Die Hard, Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather, The Matrix, Full Metal Jacket, and Saving Private Ryan are best.
Music. It has to be our favorite artists and hopefully in either MP3 mode or a CD we can play in the car.
For smokers—we like lighters a lot, especially really good ones like Zippo with our favorite team on them.
Gadgets. You can pick almost any useful gadget under the sun, and we will love it.
Tools are good as long as we have mentioned we need particular ones. Please don't buy those ones that you find in pound shops as they break whenever you use them, and they are useless.
Wine. You can never go wrong with wine, or any alcohol, for that matter. Red is best!
Glasses, but they have to have a logo. I mean beer glasses and not spectacles.
Toys. Yes, I said toys; I mean toys for grown-ups (mini helicopters, train sets, etc.).
Car stuff. We love our cars, and we like most things that are associated with cars—not silly things, though—we won't use those.
Adventure things, like a day rallying, hot air balloon, paintballing, or off-road driving.
Binoculars. We love them. I don't know why, but we do.
Digital cameras. The more stuff that we can fiddle with on them, the better.
Keyrings with a torch on them. Silly but true.
Just about anything to do with a computer.
Anything to do with our favorite football or hockey team, especially tickets to a match.
Kindle for reading—we love those a lot.
Put money on our Amazon account, especially for Kindle.
A bottle of Jack Daniels—I don't know why we like it, but we do!
Subscription to a magazine that we like—that means we will think of the person at least 12 times a year.

Once again, I will continue to add to this list, but that should be enough to get you thinking.

My Favorite Gifts

The Wheelmate

Every now and then, something special and also a bit different comes along. I think this is one of these products. I would also wager that not many men will actually have this, so it will make a great birthday gift.

This is especially true if the man you are buying it for uses his car a lot or is out and about on the road. Believe it or not, it costs less than $20. That makes it a great value buy, in my opinion.

The Wheelmate is just a great thing for a guy to have in his vehicle. It can be used for writing, for lunch, and a load of other things. I got one, and as soon as I did, many of my friends and colleagues got one, too.

This is just something that I think makes a great gift idea and something that most guys can make use of and will probably not already own.

Playmaker Toys Flingshot Flying Monkey

We have had a ball with this thing in the office. I know it's sad, but honestly, you have no idea how many times this monkey flew around the office and how much laughter was enjoyed.

Now, I know this sounds silly, but please do not forget that we guys really do not grow up. Therefore, something as stupid as this can create a lot of fun in a man's mind.

Cards Against Humanity

This is a super fun game and is ideal if the guy is in any way competitive. Cards Against Humanity is one of the best presents that I have ever received—it is a fantastic game and suitable for a few, or for large groups of people.

I have yet to meet a guy who doesn't love this game.

Funny Birthday Gift Ideas for Men

Sometimes, a funny birthday gift idea for men is all that you need. This is especially true if the guy you know is a friend of a friend or someone you don't know very well. This is also true if the man already has everything, or you are just not sure exactly what he already has.

It is also a great idea if you are going to a birthday party as it will introduce a bit of fun and humor to the party.

If your guy is getting on in years, then this will bring a bit of fun back into his life. This is just a fun gift and not too expensive, but it will raise a few laughs along the way.

Gift Ideas for Men for Less Than $10

I have put together a short list here of some great gift ideas for less than $10. The monkey one is fantastic fun, and men love it. There will always be times when we want a gift for a man but also don't want to spend a fortune. Any of these will tick the boxes, I promise you. Men are not as hard to please as many people think.

If it makes us laugh or if we can eat or drink it, then you are on to a winner. Here are some ideas for great gifts you can get for under $10:

Wine stopper
Chocolate
Fountain pen
Gloves
Gift cards

The Worst Birthday Gifts

One example of the worst gift I ever received was a shoeshine kit. The brushes were so small that I had to hold them with two fingers, and you can probably guess how much shoe polish I got on them.

It is now confined to the bin, and I think this is the best place for it, to be honest.

What Not to Buy for Men

Allow me to begin with what we don't want. There is a long list, but it is worthwhile doing this to remove any idea that we gain a single moment of pleasure from receiving any of these. Sure we might smile, but if we say, "that is nice," it is very likely your idea of a gift appears on this list.

Suits
Shoe types that we don't normally wear or strange colours
Cheap trainers that make our feet look huge
Track suits... Sorry but I just hate them
Socks (If they are in a pack, that's even worse)
Big, patterned shirts or strange colors
Ties (Some are ok)
Plastic Belts (Leather ones are great)
Clothes, in general, are a bad idea.
Skincare products
Shaving products like foam
Just about any of those horrible sets that come out at Christmas qualify for this list
Shoeshine kits: my number one hate!
Pens with our names on them: even we know who we are (Moon pens are ok)
Those books that say "100 things a man should know" or something similar
Stupid combinations like three golf tees and a mug in a box
Jigsaws of Florence or any other city
DVDs about how to communicate our feelings or any of that nonsense
Self-help books (we hate most of them)

I have no doubt I will add to this list, but that is enough for now.

What Is The Worst Birthday Gift You Have Ever Received or Given? - I would love to hear about it - mine was a cheap shoe shine kit

Dale Anderson from The High Seas on July 23, 2019:

This was a fun read. Some things on here that I never would have thought of so this was pretty neat.

Charles on July 01, 2019:

if there stereotypical guys, ask what tools they need like detail for detail. don't spend to much, u can get ripped off, ask what model they want. in my experience with tools some of the brands just use their name to jack up prices and give you. something you could get for less but just a different brand. if they dont need tools SMATHERS & BRANSON makes some cool stuff, wallets, belts, and they have nice flask's

mara on September 01, 2018:

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leibon on April 22, 2018:

A pair of shoes. There's a Filipino superstition about giving a pair of shoes that you paid for to someone you're in a relationship. I got divorced from that guy. So since I'm in the "meet" market again, I found this totally free dating site which must be the nicest looking dating site I've ever seen. They have a ton of gift ideas ads on some of their pages which I believe they must have handpicked. Good to check out. Here's one of their pages https://modjes.com/what-to-wear-on-a-first-date/

Quang on January 18, 2018:

For me, It is very simple. I just need a holiday next to my family.

AnitaTaco on November 17, 2017:

I would love a list like this about what homemade things a man would actually appreciate. That's a trickier one. We are low on funds, but I'm high on creativity. I just don't want to spend a lot of time, and love and effort on something he won't truly enjoy. For our 9th wedding anniversary I made him "open when" letters and used more male oriented categories like open when you need to know why you're our hero, open when we're fighting and you need to remember why on earth you put up with my crazy arse, etc, etc.

I mean, what says to man, Wow, she REALLY, truly loves me!

Sandra on August 28, 2017:

Hi Enda, what do you think of (designer) wallet as a gift?

Sandra on August 28, 2017:

I am planning to buy Tiffany cufflinks for my boyfriend for his 50th birthday. What do you think? I will also compliment it with fun stuff like 1967 tshirt that says Vintage Aged to Perfection.

Liana on June 27, 2017:

Thanks for an honest and helpful article! I got my husband tickets to a basketball game, awesome seats. I would have never ever thought of giving that as a gift if I had not read your article. As a female, I want flowers, jewelry, clothes – tickets to a sporting event would be the last thing on my list.

Tina on March 24, 2017:

This is fantastic also great help. Love reading all these great ideas .Thank you also very much appreciated .

Bandits Mon on March 14, 2017:

Love this!!!

Snisha from mumbai on August 19, 2016:

Nice and Interesting ideas... But i really feel men wants to go out so they can go out with friends and enjoy trips... so you can book tour and travel package options available on this site.

http://www.gofreeads.com/listings/travel-hotel-dea...

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Sonyalynae Matthews from Maryland on December 24, 2015:

Loved this post! I needed this for Christmas gift ideas.

jaket kulit on November 18, 2014:

Nice post, thanks

jualsextoysmurah.com on October 22, 2014:

I loved this men's gift lens 'From A Mans Viewpoint'. It was not one bit boring. I had a good laugh but I also got some very useful ideas. Great lens, Endamac!

Enda McLarnon (author) from Belfast, Ireland on September 18, 2014:

Thanks Melinda..looks like a great idea

Melinda on September 17, 2014:

thought I'd share this with some folks. My husband (being a fan of whisky) I found these accessories called 'balls of steel' and he absolutely loved them! They are stainless steel drink chillers and a portion of their proceeds goes to testicular cancer research! I loved that bit to them. Very inexpensive, and certainly a change from a regular gift. cheers!!

Enda McLarnon (author) from Belfast, Ireland on February 03, 2014:

@umbrella-bagger: Thanks very much and I am glad that you liked them

Enda McLarnon (author) from Belfast, Ireland on February 03, 2014:

@Babu Mohan: Well I am sure not every man likes the same things, but these are a good set of ideas for most men. I know that I love receiving gifts.

Mohan Babu from Chennai, India on December 01, 2013:

Glad you have given a good list. We men would love gifts too.