If you’re Googling the “best gifts for boyfriends,” you may find yourself wading through pages and pages of middle-shelf brown liquors, various bottle openers and keychains, cushioned socks, and extremely swagless—but comfortable—sneakers. (So, namely, good gifts for, like, a disappointing father-in-law?) This year, we’re turning things up a notch, which is why we put together the latest installment of our best gift ideas series. After all, no matter the special occasion, whether it’s a Valentine’s Day present, graduation gift, birthday gift, an anniversary gift, or you simply want to make date night a little more meaningful, we have the perfect gift for your man.
The Best Gifts for Boyfriends, According to GQ
In This Guide
For the Stylish Boyfriend
Merrell
Moab 3
The carabiner guy in your life will be practically beaming when he opens up his gorpy Moab 3s.
AYR
The Club Midweight Zippered Jacket
With this waxed cotton jacket from AYR, he can finally join the club—the club of cool jacket owners, that is.
Levi’s
568 Loose Straight Men’s Jeans
Was it Marcus Aurelius who once said “denim makes the man?” No? Well, if your man needs a serious upgrade in the jeans department, then go for these sub-$100 Levi’s that hearken back to the ’90s with a perfectly slouchy-cool cut.
Lululemon
Built to Move Boxer 5″ (Two-Pack)
There’s probably some evolutionary reason why men wear their undies until they’re threadbare—it’s a mystery. Put a little pep back in his step with these ultra comfy boxer briefs. Made from sweat-wicking, low friction material, they’re perfect for the gym.
Miansai
Lennox Light Jasper Ring
There’s something about a signet ring that can take any ordinary man and turn him into the Duke of Swagfordshire. This jasper and sterling silver version has a streamlined sense of elegance for the modern man. Just make to sure pick his pinky size for some extra panache.
Warby Parker
“Harris” Sunglasses
No more squinting into the sun. Instead, get him some cool-kid shades that will fight the glare and keep him looking sharp while they’re at it.
Nike
Nike Cortez Leather (black w gum sole)
The Cortez is the perennially slept-on member of the Nike family. Always on the edge of the zeitgeist (hello, Kendrick Lamar), but never falling victim to the played-out plague (sorry, all-white AF1’s and Panda Dunks). We dig these black and white versions that include a tasteful gum sole.
Les Tien
Heavyweight Zip Hoodie
In case you haven’t heard, the zip hoodie is back. That doesn’t mean your fella needs to look like a slob, though. Pair this cropped, heavyweight version in a perfect vintage wash with matching, loose sweatpants for an at-home or travel uniform that’s downright sexy.
Bombas
Men’s Performance Compression Socks
Pro travelers know that if you’re taking a long flight, compression socks are an important way to make sure blood is circulating and nothing goes sideways healthwise. We love the feel of these high quality ones from the sock GOATs at Bombas.
Whalebone
Clean Up Polo
This unbelievably comfortable shirt from Whalebone is a great gift for the cozy guy in your life. It has a relaxed fit and is available in two colorways.
For the Perfectly Groomed Boyfriend
Aesop
Virēre Eau de Parfum
One spritz of this spicy, citrusy scent from Aesop and he’ll be even more irresistible than before.
Philips Norelco
Multigroomer All-in-One Trimmer Series 7000
The subtle hint your boyfriend needs to trim down that bush growing on his face. And chest. Oh, and everywhere else.
Salt & Stone
Body Wash
If you’re not up on the body wash game, trust us when we say this stuff will make your man (and the entire bathroom) smell amazing. We won’t tell if you sneak a few pumps for yourself.
The Art of Shaving
GilletteLabs Heated Razor
If his idea of self-care is the monthly hot towel and shave at his barber, remind him these earthly delights can be available to him daily with this ingeniously heated razor that’ll give him a comfortingly close shave.
For the Techie Boyfriend
Fluance
RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable
The diamond-tipped stylus on this record player tracks grooves with greater precision for high-quality audio. Play that funky music, boyfriend.
Theragun
Mini
Let them work out their kinks with this mini massager from industry standard Therabody.
Bose
QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Bose’s latest headphones are by far the brand’s most comfortable and quiet, almost like Bose knew what it was doing when it named the damn thing.
GoPro
HERO12 Black Waterproof Action Camera
GoPro has come a long way since its first action cameras, and the latest has some of the best quality video you’d ever expect from a device that’s as small as your palm.
UltimateEars
Epic Boom Bluetooth Speaker
A hefty 360-degree speaker with crystal clear sound quality for blaring a podcast in the kitchen, your dad’s smooth jazz, or mom’s daily meditations.
Sonos
Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB Turntable
This high-quality turntable is the gift that keeps on giving: For all subsequent gifting occasions, you can just get him a new record or two for his collection. Just be careful that he doesn’t become too obsessed with this thing.
Panasonic
Swipe Right Compact Shaver
Forgetting your shaver and having to make due with a hotel razor is a surefire way to get nicks and cuts. Make sure he’s always fresh on the road with this palm-size travel shaver he can leave it in his travel kit and never be without it.
Kodak
Mobile Film Scanner
Does he love shooting film but hate dropping a bag to get it developed? The film OG’s at Kodak have cooked a modern solution with this clever film scanner that lets you view your negatives through your phone and connects with an app to scan the ones he wants to keep (i.e. post to Instagram).
For the Home Chef Boyfriend
Diletta
Bello Espresso Machine
If you’ve noticed his brower search history has him diving through the coffee subreddits, you might want to give him the gift of excellent espresso in this stainless steel machine from Bello. Better if you pull the shots for him.
Gozney
Arc Pizza Oven
If he’s already one pizza pie away from opening his own store, upgrade his culinary arsenal with this Arc oven from Gozney, which can churn out a delicious pizza in just 60 seconds.
Del Maguey
Vida Clasico Mezcal
Ditch the bottom shelf tequila for a smoky mezcal, which he’ll end up using as a sub for all of his favorite cocktails.
Yeti
Rambler Cocktail Shaker
Your at-home bartender can mix up drinks even when you two are on the road.
Ninja
Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine Drip Coffee Maker & Cold Brew Machine
This ultimate do-it-all coffee/cold brew/espresso machine from Ninja is literally like gifting him an unlimited gift card to his favorite cafe—except the only person he’ll need to tip is himself (and maybe you).
Mysa
Natural Wine Club
Bottles of natural wine delivered to your door? This is the future we were promised. (Ideally he’s sharing his wine with you.)
by Colu Henry
‘Easy Fancy Food’
This new-ish cookbook from New York Times Cooking contributor, Colu Henry, is filled with cheats for making weeknight dinners more gourmet.
Fellow
Opus Coffee Grinder
You don’t get his coffee obsession (or why he spends hours a day on a coffee subreddit) but you love him anyway. This is a coffee nerd’s dream grinder—and also extremely aesthetic.