(You can find my For Her gift guide here, and my For Toddlers gift guide here!)
I asked Kevin to share some of his favorite things to put together in a guys’ gift guide post, and he delivered! (As we know, guys tend to be hard to shop for, so it’s nice to have some insight from someone who’s, you know, a guy himself!) 🙂 Just like with my For Her list, this is a collection of products Kevin actually uses and loves, and his descriptions provide great context.
Hopefully this will help you as you search for gifts for some of the guys on your list this year!:
Audible Audio Book Subscription: Audible is one of the best ways I spend my money. While I am emptying the dishwasher, lifting weights, raking leaves, folding laundry, and all the other mundane things that are incredibly boring but necessary, I get to listen to someone read me a book. It makes all of those chores feel like moments of indulgence. I love learning new things, and the ability to sneak in reading two or three books each month is one of my favorite parts of my life in a weird way.
Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones: The best way to listen to those audiobooks, or music while I am on a run is with good over the ear headphones. Because I often keep headphones on for hours and hours at a time, over the ear headphones are by far the most comfortable option for me. I run in mine all the time, and I love this model in particular because they have an “ambient sound” mode that actually amplifies the sound around me, so I stay safe even when running on a busy road. Plus, unlike earbuds which always seem to fall out for me, I have never had a pair of good headphones fall off. These are a fantastic deal if you’re a Costco member.
Under Armour Sleepwear Joggers: Apparently, these pajamas have mineral-lined fabric that returns infrared energy to your body to restore your muscles faster. All I know is that they are by far the most comfortable pajamas I have ever owned and I sleep really well in them.
Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush: For years, I thought all electric toothbrushes were basically the same, and I never cared about mine. But my mom raved about her Sonicare for enough years that I finally got one, and it’s my favorite. My teeth feel cleaner, and it feels so nice. Plus, the first time I went to the dentist after buying it, the hygienist took a look around in my mouth and without any hints from me said, “You got a Sonicare, didn’t you?” That was all I needed to hear to make me a lifer.
Men’s Classic Crew T-Shirt: I got a three-pack of these t-shirts from Costco on a whim several years back, wondering if they would be decent for the gym. Now, they’re almost all I wear around the house. For me, they’re the perfect shirt. They stay cool and light when I wear them while exercising, they’re long enough to stay tucked in when I wear them with jeans, and they are ridiculously comfortable. If they were four times more expensive, I would still think they were a good deal.
Stanley Growler: In the COVID era, growlers aren’t as popular as they once were, but I love the one I own made by Stanley. It’s nice looking, and more importantly, it keeps beer really cold, which means that bringing a growler to a friend’s house doesn’t also mean that you need to ask them to make room in their fridge, Plus, since it looks so distinct, no one is accidentally walking off with my growler.
TEMPUR-Neck Pillow: I am not good at sleeping. Consequently, I have become a complete diva regarding just about every aspect of my sleep, including my pillows. The Tempur-Pedic neck pillow makes sleeping a little easier and a whole lot more comfortable. Because I am a side sleeper and a fairly large person, I stack the Tempur-Pedic on top of another pillow for sleeping, and it is the best.
Garmin vivoactive 4: I have enjoyed running for the past ten years or so, but my Garmin watch has made me love running. The trainer app that comes along with the watch guides you through 5K, 10K, or Half Marathon training plans, not only telling you what to do every day, but guiding you through each run in real time, encouraging you to slow down, speed up, increase your cadence, etc. as you run. The result is like having a very not-annoying running coach following you around during each run…but you can still somehow listen to your music. Additionally, I’m a junky for data, so all of the monitoring of my heart rate, my blood oxygen levels, respiration rate, and V02 max is also so interesting to me. The app for lifting weights is also really intuitive and easy to use. I love this watch.
