Birthday gifts for him that feel like a proper treat
For a boyfriend or husband’s birthday: presents for his music, his coffee, the garden and the golf course.
Price guide: £ under £15 ££ £15–£40 £££ over £40
More ideas: Gifts for your husband or boyfriend
Buying for a partner is harder than it should be. You know him better than anyone, but he’s already bought the obvious things himself. These are the presents that feel like a treat: something for his music, his morning coffee, the garden on summer evenings or his Saturday round of golf.
Every pick comes from one of our top lists, where it was compared with the best of its kind. Most are bigger presents, with a few smaller ones that pair well with a card and a meal out.
Noise-cancelling headphones
Price band: £££For the commute, the long flight and the open-plan office: headphones that shut the noise out so he can hear his music properly.
Our pick
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
£229.95 RRP
One for frequent flyers: Quiet mode shuts out as much as it can, Aware mode lets the gate announcements in, and plush cushions keep them comfortable on a long-haul flight. A carry case and cable are in the box.
- Quiet and Aware modes
- Up to 24 hrs a charge
- 15 min charge = 2.5 hrs
- Carry case included
- Adjustable EQ in the Bose app
What owners say: Owners rate the sound and noise cancelling highly, find them comfortable (even over glasses) and like the quick charge.
A closer look: The cable has an in-line mic and keeps them working even with a flat battery, which suits a plane's seat screen. The ear cushions are removable, so they can be replaced when they wear.
A record player
Price band: £££For the one rebuilding his record collection, or the one who’s always meant to: a turntable that does the fiddly bits by itself.
Our pick
Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT Fully Automatic Bluetooth Turntable
£179.99 RRP
Press start and it lowers the arm, plays the side and lifts the arm back by itself, so nobody has to handle the stylus. Bluetooth sends the record to a wireless speaker or headphones, and the cartridge is Audio-Technica's own: the company started out making phono cartridges in Tokyo in 1962.
- Fully automatic
- Bluetooth out to speakers and headphones
- Switchable built-in preamp
- Dual Magnet cartridge, replaceable stylus
- 33⅓ and 45 rpm
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set up and ready to play straight from the box, with good sound for the money and Bluetooth that pairs quickly with speakers and soundbars.
Heads up: It has no speakers of its own, so pair it with a Bluetooth speaker or plug it into powered speakers or a hi-fi.
A closer look: Set the preamp switch to LINE for powered speakers or a hi-fi's aux input, and to PHONO only if the amplifier has its own phono input. When the stylus wears, the replacement is the ATN3600LC.
A pizza oven
Price band: £££For long summer evenings in the garden: a gas pizza oven that’s hot in about 15 minutes, ready for pizza nights with friends.
Our pick
Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven
£299.00 RRP
Click the gas ignition, turn the dial and it's up to 500°C in about 15 minutes, with no fuel to feed or fire to tend. Ooni began in Scotland in 2012 as a Kickstarter project, and its name comes from uuni, Finnish for oven.
- 500°C in about 15 minutes
- 12-inch pizzas in 60 seconds
- Regulator and hose included
- Folding legs, 9.2kg
- 5-year warranty when registered
What owners say: Owners say it lives up to the hype: it's easy to use, turns out great pizzas in a couple of minutes and makes pizza night fun.
Heads up: The gas bottle and a pizza peel aren't in the box, so pick up both before the first pizza night.
A closer look: The regulator and hose come ready to connect to a propane bottle, so setting up takes minutes. Keep the first few pizzas thin and lightly topped, turning them partway through, while you get a feel for how fast it cooks.
A fire pit with a grill
Price band: ££For garden evenings that carry on after dark: a small fire pit that doubles as a barbecue.
Our pick
Vivo Square Fire Pit with BBQ Grill, Mesh Lid and Poker
£20–£30 Price range
Fire pit and barbecue in one: the grill sits over the coals for burgers and sausages, then comes off so the mesh lid can go on for an evening round the fire. At 46cm square, it's sized for a small garden.
- Grill for cooking, 43 × 43cm
- Mesh spark lid
- Fire poker included
- Wood or charcoal
- No tools to assemble
What owners say: Owners say it's just right for a small garden, easy to put together and use, and gives off plenty of heat.
A closer look: For cooking, use charcoal and wait until the coals have turned grey before the food goes on, then add logs afterwards for a fire to sit round. Stand it on level paving, well away from fences and sheds.
A golf rangefinder
Price band: £££For the Saturday golfer: the exact yardage to the flag, so he can pick the right club instead of guessing.
Our pick
REDTIGER Golf Rangefinder with Slope (1,200 yards, 7x)
£100–£150 Price range
A lot of rangefinder for well under half the Bushnell's price: 7x magnification, ±0.5-yard accuracy, a slope switch, flag-lock vibration, a magnetic strip and USB-C charging.
- 7x magnification
- 5–1,200 yards, ±0.5 yard
- Slope switch for competitions
- Flag lock with vibration, magnetic strip
- USB-C rechargeable, 181g
What owners say: Owners find it brilliant value and accurate against course markers, easy to use with good battery life, though clarity gets mixed comments.
A closer look: Aim at the flag and hold steady until it buzzes to confirm the lock. Check it against a 150-yard marker on the first round to build trust in it.
An espresso machine
Price band: £££For the one who’s always in the coffee shop queue: proper espresso and frothy milk at home, before work or on a lazy Sunday.
Our pick
CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine with Pressure Gauge
£100–£150 Price range
A slim stainless machine with a pressure gauge on the front, so you can see what the shot is doing and adjust grind and tamp to suit: a good one for learning the craft.
- 20 bar pump
- Built-in pressure gauge
- Steam wand
- About 1-litre removable tank
- About 14cm wide, stainless steel
What owners say: Owners find it makes delicious espresso with plenty of crema and good cappuccinos, and superb value, though the milk isn't always very hot.
Heads up: Some owners find steamed milk not quite hot enough; warming the jug first helps.
A closer look: Watch the gauge: aim for the needle in the middle of the espresso zone. If it's low, grind finer or tamp harder.
A leather wallet
Price band: £££For the one whose wallet has seen better days: a smart leather replacement with a proper coin pocket.
Our pick
Tommy Hilfiger Eton wallet with coin pocket
£65 RRP
Smooth leather with the brand’s metal flag on the front and its stripe lining inside, plus four card slots, a note section and a press-stud coin pocket.
- 100% leather
- 4 card slots
- Press-stud coin pocket
- Metal flag logo
- Stripe lining
What owners say: Owners praise the quality leather and craftsmanship, like how it looks, and find good room for cards and cash.
A closer look: Four slots suit a lighter load: a bank card, a travel card, a driving licence and one more, with the rest left at home. Notes sit in the cash compartments folded once. Black goes with anything, and the brown version pairs well with tan shoes and belts.
A fleece dressing gown
Price band: ££For slow weekend mornings: a warm, smart dressing gown to replace the one he’s had for years.
Our pick
Tokyo Laundry Domas Fleece Dressing Gown
£39.99 RRP
Navy fleece with a plaid check trim on the shawl collar, pockets and belt, which makes it look smarter than a plain gown, in a longline cut that keeps more of the legs covered.
- Polyester fleece
- Shawl collar with check trim
- Longline cut
- Belt with belt loops
- Sizes M to XL
What owners say: Owners find it soft, comfortable and well made, and say it’s just the thing to pull on first thing on a cold morning.
A closer look: Dry it on a hanger rather than in the tumble dryer, as Tokyo Laundry advises, and the fleece keeps its soft finish. The cut is on the generous side, so anyone between two sizes can usually take the smaller one.
A heated throw for two
Price band: ££For nights in on the sofa together: a heated throw wide enough to share, so nobody ends up with the cold end.
Our pick
PROALLER Heated Throw (130 × 160cm)
£20–£30 Price range
A touch wider than most, which means two people can share it on the sofa without a tug of war.
- 130 × 160cm
- 10 heat settings
- 1–9 hour timer
- Overheat protection
What owners say: Cosy and soft, with plenty of heat settings and good value for money.
Heads up: A few owners find some areas warm up more than others.
A closer look: Unclip the controller and cable and the whole throw can go in the washing machine at 40°C, which matters for something that lives on the sofa all winter. One face is smooth flannel and the other fluffy sherpa, so flip it to suit the evening, and set the timer to roughly the length of whatever you’re watching in case you nod off.
A dash cam
Price band: ££For the one who drives every day: a simple dash cam that records each journey with nothing to set up.
Our pick
iZEEKER GD100 2.5K Front Dash Cam
£20–£30 Price range
No app, no pairing, nothing to set up: it starts recording when the engine starts and stops when it's off. The 2.5K camera and 3-inch screen are plenty for most drivers.
- 2.5K front camera
- 3-inch screen
- 32GB card included
- Records automatically
- Two-year warranty
What owners say: Owners find it simple to set up, with crystal clear video that's especially good at night, and great value.
A closer look: Press the emergency button to save a clip by hand if something happens. It only films the road ahead, so pick a front and rear model if tailgaters are the main worry.
A 3-in-1 charging stand
Price band: ££For the bedside table with a tangle of cables: one stand that charges his iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods overnight.
Our pick
KPON 3-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Charging Station
£20–£30 Price range
One folding stand for an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, so the bedside loses three cables, and it comes with its own 20W plug. The magnets hold an iPhone 12 or later in place.
- iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at once
- Magnetic for iPhone 12 and later
- Folds for travel
- 20W USB-C plug included
- 24-month warranty
What owners say: Owners say it charges quickly, folds neatly for travel and has a strong magnet that holds the phone firmly.
Heads up: AirPods need a wireless charging case to charge on it.
A closer look: Folded, it goes in a bag with its plug and cable for weekends away, and the non-slip base keeps it put on a bedside table.
An instant camera for days out
Price band: £££For trips away and nights out together: an instant camera that prints wide photos for the fridge door.
Our pick
instax WIDE 400 Instant Camera
£129.99 RRP
Prints twice the width of a mini, so the whole family fits in the frame at a wedding or on holiday. A 4 to 10 second self-timer means whoever's taking it can be in the picture too.
- Biggest instax prints (62 × 99mm)
- Self-timer, 4 to 10 seconds
- Normal and landscape focus
- Tripod socket
- Runs on 4 AA batteries
What owners say: Owners love the big prints for family groups and landscapes, and find it simple to use.
Heads up: It's a big camera (616g without film), better for special occasions than for a pocket.
A closer look: The box includes a close-up lens and an accessory for angling the camera, plus a tripod socket underneath, useful for timed group shots. WIDE film comes in 10-shot packs, and the four AAs last about 10 of them.
Tips for his birthday present
- Check he has an iPhone before choosing the charging stand: it’s made for an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.
- The pizza oven needs a gas bottle and a pizza peel, so add both if the budget stretches.
- Wrap a pack of WIDE film with the instant camera, so he can start taking photos straight away.
Photos are illustrative. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
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