Unusual Gifts for Men: 12 Unique Christmas Ideas That Won't End Up in a Drawer

Gift ideas · Ippos Beard

An unusual gift for men is something he has never seen anywhere else and still ends up using. Here are 12 unique ideas from 10 €, for Christmas or a birthday, with the Beard Sponge first because it gets a laugh when opened and gets used the next morning.

The trouble with unusual gifts is that they are funny for five minutes and then vanish into a drawer. For this list we kept one rule: every idea has to surprise him and be useful. At Ippos Beard we sell beard accessories, so three ideas come from us. The other nine are things we would happily give a brother, a colleague or a father in law, and that we do not sell. If you are leaning towards the useful side, we also have an article on original and practical gifts for men.

01A sponge that picks up beard hair

Nobody expects to unwrap a sponge. And yet every man who trims his beard knows the sink covered in tiny hairs that stick everywhere. The Beard Sponge picks them up in one pass, rinses clean and gets reused. At 9.99 €, with a buy 2 get 1 free offer on the product page, it is the unusual gift that does not stay in its packaging. It has passed 7 million views on TikTok and is rated 4.8/5 from more than 1,300 reviews. For a boyfriend, a flatmate or a colleague at Secret Santa.

02A make your own hot sauce kit

Dried chillies, spices, a few bottles and a recipe: he makes his own sauce, gives it a ridiculous name and brings it out at every barbecue. It is unusual, it fills a Sunday afternoon and you can eat the result. Expect 25 to 40 €. For the man who puts chilli on everything, or the one who likes to cook without following recipes.

03A metal brain teaser

Two pieces of metal locked together that have to be separated without forcing. It looks simple and can take a whole evening. He leaves it on his desk, picks it up between two calls and makes every colleague try it. Between 10 and 20 €, with several difficulty levels. For the patient man, or the one who claims to be.

04A star map of his date

A print showing the night sky exactly as it was on a given day, in a given place: his birth, the day you met, the birth of his child. It is original without being a gadget, and it ends up on the wall instead of in a cupboard. Between 25 and 50 € depending on the size and the frame. For a husband, a new dad or a close friend.

05A beard bib with suction cups

This one always gets the same reaction: a laugh, then "hang on, that is clever". The beard bib with suction cups attaches to the sink and catches the hair while he trims. All that is left is to tip it into the bin. At 29.99 €, it is the unusual gift for a man with a big beard and a shared bathroom. And whoever cleans the sink will thank you too.

06A grow your own mushroom kit

A box, a little water every day, and about ten days later he is picking oyster mushrooms in the kitchen. It is fascinating to watch them grow, and it ends in an omelette. Between 15 and 25 €. For the curious man, the one without a garden, or the dad looking for something to do with the kids.

07A magnetic dartboard

A board that hangs on a door and magnetic darts that put holes in neither the wall nor the cat. He plays at the office, in the living room, or during a video call that drags on. Between 20 and 35 €. For the competitive colleague or the family man who wants a safe game at home.

08Socks with his dog's face on them

You send a photo, you get back a pair of socks printed with the face of his dog, his cat or himself. It is silly, and that is exactly why it works. He will wear them, promise. Between 15 and 25 € a pair. Allow two weeks for delivery before Christmas. For the man who talks about his dog like a child.

09An engraved straight razor

The straight razor is what barbers used in the old days, and few men have ever held one. Our engraved straight razor is personalised by hand in our workshop in France, in Burgundy. At 49.99 €, it is an unusual gift of a different kind: he does not laugh when he opens it, he goes quiet for a second. For a man who likes beautiful objects, a best man or a father. More engraved accessories are in our personalised collection.

10A blind tasting box

Chocolates, coffees or beers with no labels, score sheets to fill in, and the evening turns into a game. Who recognises what, who gets it completely wrong. You can buy one ready made or put it together yourself with six products and some brown paper. Between 20 and 45 €. For the man who always says he can taste the difference.

11A giant hooded blanket

Halfway between a hoodie and a blanket, it looks ridiculous in photos and is impossible to take off in winter. It is the gift he laughs at on Christmas Day and wears every evening in January. Between 25 and 40 €. For the man who is always cold, the gamer, or the 35 year old teenager who lives on his sofa.

12An experience he would never have booked

A blacksmith class to forge his own knife, an axe throwing session, a night in a treehouse. An unusual gift does not have to be an object. Expect 30 to 90 € depending on the activity, and check there is a date available near where he lives. For the man who has everything, or the one who answers "nothing" when you ask what he wants.