Gifts for your brother, whatever he’s into
For the brother who’s impossible to buy for: presents for his music, his hobbies and his car.
Price guide: £ under £15 ££ £15–£40 £££ over £40
More ideas: Gifts for your brother
Brothers rarely drop hints, and a joke present only lands once. These are things he’ll use week after week, whether he’s the one with the playlist, the one in the garage, the runner, the golfer or the one who hosts.
Every pick comes from one of our top lists, where it was compared with the best of its kind. A few are treats and a few are well under £20, so there’s something here for a birthday or for Christmas.
A big portable speaker
Price band: £££For the brother who’s always in charge of the music, at the barbecue, the campsite or the kitchen table.
Our pick
JBL Charge 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
£169.99 RRP
JBL was founded by James B. Lansing in 1946, and its speaker tech later became the basis of the THX cinema standard. The Charge 6 is the one for room-filling sound and all-day battery.
- Up to 24 hours playtime
- Playtime Boost adds 4 hours
- 10-minute fast charge gives 150 minutes
- AI Sound Boost
What owners say: Superb sound, seamless connection, battery that lasts all day, and a sturdy carry handle.
A closer look: Plug a flagging phone into the built-in power bank on a day out and the music keeps going while it charges. The speaker copes with a drop of up to a metre, a splash in the shower or a dusty campsite, and the handle strap unclips, so it can be swapped for another or used to hang keys from.
A gaming headset for online nights
Price band: £££For the one who plays online with his mates every Friday: a comfortable headset with a clear mic.
Our pick
HyperX Cloud III Wired Gaming Headset
£84.98 RRP
Plugs into whatever he plays on, from a PS5 controller to a gaming PC, and the memory-foam cushions stay comfortable through a long evening’s session.
- Works with PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and phones
- Angled 53mm drivers
- Noise-cancelling mic with mute light
- DTS spatial audio on PC
- 3.5mm, USB-C and USB-A
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable for hours at a time and a real step up from a cheap headset, with a fit that suits different head shapes.
A closer look: On a console, plug the 3.5mm cable into the controller and chat works straight away. On a PC, use the USB adapter instead: that's what unlocks the DTS spatial audio, which makes footsteps easier to place. The little light on the mic shows when you're muted.
Noise-cancelling earbuds
Price band: £££For the commute, the gym and the train home: earbuds with noise cancelling that pair instantly with a Samsung phone.
Our pick
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
£61.66 RRP
The Samsung equivalent: they pair instantly with Galaxy phones and have noise cancelling at a friendly price.
- Active noise cancelling
- Wing tips for a secure fit
- Deep bass
What owners say: Great value, excellent sound and a snug fit, and they pair effortlessly with Samsung phones.
A closer look: Spend a few minutes on day one trying the different ear tip and wing tip sizes, as a good seal helps the noise cancelling and stops them working loose. Listening time runs up to 30 hours, and the UK version comes with a two-year manufacturer warranty, so keep the receipt somewhere safe.
A GPS running watch
Price band: £££For the brother training for his first 10k or half marathon: pace and distance on his wrist, without the phone.
Our pick
Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Watch
£149.99 RRP
Built-in GPS tracks pace and distance without taking a phone out, and a charge lasts up to two weeks. The name Garmin is a blend of its founders', Gary Burrell and Min Kao, who started the company in 1989.
- Built-in GPS
- Up to 2 weeks a charge (20 hours with GPS)
- Free 5K, 10K and half-marathon plans
- Suggested daily workouts
- Phone notifications
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use, with accurate GPS and heart rate, and love that it only needs charging every couple of weeks.
A closer look: Pair it with the free Garmin Connect app and pick a Garmin Coach plan: it sets the week's runs and adjusts as they go, which suits someone training for a first 5K or parkrun. It uses buttons rather than a touchscreen, so it works with wet or gloved hands.
A box of golf balls
Price band: ££For the Sunday golfer: a dozen soft balls for club rounds, and enough spares for the ones that end up in the pond.
Our pick
Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls 2025 (box of 12)
£28.99 RRP
A soft two-piece ball for everyday club golf: the HyperElastic SoftFast core adds ball speed, and the hybrid cover keeps a little bite round the greens. It costs little enough that losing one in the pond doesn't hurt.
- Box of 12
- Two-piece build
- HyperElastic SoftFast core
- Hybrid cover
- Also in yellow and matte colours
What owners say: Owners say it feels lovely off the club, has good pace and is easy to see on the course, and they find it great value, especially for beginners and mid-handicappers.
A closer look: Soft enough to feel good on the putter without the price of a tour ball, it's a safe box to give when you don't know what someone plays. The yellow version is easier to follow against a grey winter sky.
A proper multi-tool
Price band: £££For the one who fixes everything, from a loose hinge to a bike on the side of the road: a multi-tool he’ll keep for decades.
Our pick
Leatherman Wave+ Multi-Tool (black)
£129.95 RRP
The multi-tool most others are measured against: 18 tools, including pliers, replaceable wire cutters, blades and scissors that open from the outside with one hand, and a 25-year warranty.
- 18 tools
- Blades open one-handed from outside
- Replaceable wire cutters
- Every tool locks in place
- 25-year warranty
What owners say: Owners find it excellent and versatile, sturdy and reliable, with pliers, screwdriver and blade they use for everything.
Heads up: Its blades lock, so under UK law it needs a good reason to carry in public (work, fishing, camping): it lives in the toolbox, van or camping kit rather than a pocket.
A closer look: Wipe the black coating with a drop of light oil now and then, as Leatherman suggests, to keep it looking good. The wire cutters can be swapped when they wear.
A car care kit
Price band: ££For the brother who washes his car every Sunday morning: shampoo, shine and wheel cleaner in proper big bottles.
Our pick
CarPlan Demon 7-Piece Car Care Gift Pack
£24.99 RRP
Five one-litre bottles from CarPlan's Demon range: foam shampoo, Demon Shine, Demon Wheels, Demon Tyres and Demon Clean for plastics, plus a big sponge and an air freshener. Litre bottles last a good many washes.
- 5 × 1-litre bottles
- Foam shampoo
- Demon Shine spray-on gloss
- Wheel cleaner and tyre shine
- Sponge and air freshener
What owners say: Owners call it superb quality and good value, say it leaves the car looking like new again, and like it as a birthday present.
Heads up: Check the caps are tight when it arrives, as a few owners have had a bottle leak in transit.
A closer look: Start with the foam shampoo to lift the grime, do the wheels and tyres, then finish with Demon Shine, which CarPlan says leaves a just-waxed look that lasts for weeks. Demon Clean works on plastics inside and out.
An engine code reader
Price band: £For the one who wants to know what the engine light means before he books the garage: a simple plug-in code reader.
Our pick
RICOKEY V309 OBD2 Code Reader
£10–£20 Price range
A low-cost way to see what's behind the engine light: it reads generic and manufacturer-specific engine codes, including pending ones, and shows what each means on its backlit screen. It also checks whether the emissions monitors are ready.
- Reads and clears engine codes
- Pending codes too
- Code meanings on screen
- Live data and freeze frame
- 24-month warranty
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set up and good value, handy to keep with the car, and quick to show the code behind an engine light.
A closer look: As the maker points out, it covers the engine and emissions only, so it won't read airbag, ABS, oil-service or tyre-pressure lights. It needs no batteries or charger, and the menus are in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.
A hand coffee grinder
Price band: ££For the coffee fan who’s moved on from instant: fresh-ground beans at home, at work or on a camping trip.
Our pick
Hario Mini Mill Plus Hand Grinder
£35.00 RRP
A hand grinder with ceramic burrs that shave the beans rather than smash them, made entirely of plastic so it survives a rucksack.
- Ceramic conical burrs
- Adjustable grind
- About 24g of beans per fill
- All plastic, 300g
- Comes apart for cleaning
What owners say: Owners rate the quality and value highly, one saying it beats pricier electric burr grinders, though some get an uneven grind.
A closer look: It holds enough for one or two cups, so it suits a morning pour-over or a camping trip rather than a big cafetière. Adjust the grind in small steps and brew a cup before changing it again. With no motor, it won’t wake the house on an early start.
A camping hammock
Price band: ££For festivals, camping trips and lazy afternoons in the garden: a light hammock that packs into its own little bag.
Our pick
NATUREFUN Ultra-Light Camping Hammock (300kg)
£10–£20 Price range
Parachute nylon that packs into a bag sewn onto the hammock itself, so the bag can't get lost, and weighs 580g with its straps and carabiners. Rated to 300kg, with wide tree-friendly straps.
- 275 × 140cm, 210T parachute nylon
- Rated to 300kg
- 580g with straps and carabiners
- Stuff sack sewn on, packs to 18 × 13cm
- Triple-stitched seams
What owners say: Owners find it good quality, sturdy enough for two adults, easy to put up and take down, and very light to carry.
A closer look: Hang it with a gentle curve rather than pulled tight, and lie slightly diagonally: it's flatter and far comfier that way. Straps round the trunk, not rope, protect the bark.
A cocktail making kit
Price band: ££For the brother who hosts: a bartender’s set on its own stand, for cocktails at home when everyone comes round.
Our pick
KINGROW 23-Piece Cocktail Making Kit with Stand
£20–£30 Price range
A proper bartender's set: two 25oz Boston-style shaker tins, a strainer, a double measure marked in 25 and 50ml (British pub measures) as well as 15/30ml, a muddler, spoons and pourers, all standing on an acrylic stand.
- 23 pieces
- Boston-style shaker tins (25oz)
- Double jiggers: 15/30ml and 25/50ml
- Strainer, muddler, spoons, 4 pourers
- Acrylic stand and recipe guide
What owners say: Owners find it looks great, has everything needed, is easy to use and clean, and makes a great present, though a few had scratches out of the box.
A closer look: Fill the tin two-thirds with ice, add the drink, clamp the tins together at a slight angle and shake hard for about 10 seconds. A tap on the side breaks the seal.
A doorway pull-up bar
Price band: ££For the one training at home between gym sessions: a bar that fits the doorway with no screws.
Our pick
RHINOSPORT Pull Up Bar for Narrow Doorways (70–92cm)
£30–£50 Price range
A telescopic bar that fits doorways from 70cm, with a built-in spirit level to get it straight and a spring lock that RHINOSPORT says grips tighter as you pull.
- Fits doorways 70–92cm
- No screws or drilling
- Built-in spirit level
- Full-length EVA foam grips
- 200kg static load (maker’s figure)
What owners say: Owners say it stays put without slipping and goes up in minutes with no tools.
A closer look: RHINOSPORT’s rule is solid wood or brick frames only, never glass, hollow, carved or tiled surfaces. Level it with the bubble, lock the gears and check it’s firm before each session; the thick PVC end pads come away without leaving marks, which suits a rented home.
Tips for your brother’s present
- Check which phone he has before choosing the earbuds: the Galaxy Buds suit Samsung phones best.
- Charge the speaker and the watch before wrapping, so they work the moment he opens them.
- Measure his doorway before buying the pull-up bar: this one fits frames from 70 to 92cm.
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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