January Birthday Gifts for Men, 2021

Ski Goggles

Hit the slopes ready for a day of snow-filled adventure! See everything with a great peripheral range and the ultimate eye protection.

• One size does not fit all - be sure to get the right size
• Design is inspired by the helmet visors of fighter pilots
• Maximized field of view
• Engineered for seamless compatibility
• Change lenses quickly

Insulated Tumbler

If you’ve never seen them before, look up videos of Yeti cups surviving car fires or still having ice in them days later. They’re like actual yetis, but of the cup world.

Ramblers are the only cups available with Yeti’s proprietary MagSlider lids. They’re also dishwasher-safe, come in tons of colors, and are insanely durable. Even if your GUY already has a Yeti collection, one more never hurts. 

Why we recommend it: Yetis are our go-to gifts for men, no matter what the GUY’s into. We all drink something, after all, so why not keep it extra cold or hot?

Portable Gym

The BodyBoss 2.0 can simulate any gym workout with a collapsible bar, resistance bands with handles, a door anchor, and more. The resistance levels can be adjusted, so GUYs can continue to use this as they crush their new year’s resolutions.

Why we recommend it: We love this product because GUYs can use it anywhere, from their living room to apartment patio, plus it can be used while traveling. 

• Designed to simulate all the bulky equipment and machines
• Work out your upper and lower body
• Burn calories like never before
• Compact and portable

XBox Series X

When XBox releases the new Series X in November 2020, the company promises it will be “the fastest, most powerful XBox ever.” Games from all four generations of the XBox are compatible on the Series X, making this one of the best gifts for men. Ever. 

In terms of gaming specs, the Series X blows the competition away. The graphics are insane, with built-in HDR and 8K capabilities. That’s not a typo – 8K, not 4K. Microsoft is also offering “backwards compatibility,” making previous generations of games playable on the Series X.

Whether you’re shopping for your boyfriend, husband, brother, nephew, dad, or even yourself, the Xbox Series X is guaranteed to be one of the best gifts for him – and certainly the most memorable. Gamers will completely geek out over the speed, processing power, 4K video, and insane graphics. It can also play games from all four previous Xbox generations.

• Introducing Xbox Series X, the fastest, most powerful Xbox ever. Play thousands of titles from four generations of consoles-all games look and play best on Xbox Series X.
• Experience next-gen speed and performance with the Xbox velocity architecture, powered by a custom SSD and integrated software.
• Play thousands of games from four generations of Xbox with Backward compatibility, including optimized titles at launch.

Why we recommend it: Do you want to be the reigning king or queen of the holidays or not?  If you’re a gamer (or the GUY you’re shopping for is), this is one of the all-time best products for men. 

GPS - Garmin

We love our ATVs. We spend a number of weekends trekking around our area exploring, camping, fishing, etc. We take the Garmin along to keep us on track. 

Garmin GPS devices are reliable. We typically use one when we're deep in the back country. Road and trails can get confusing in unknown surroundings. At least once during an exploratory outing we find ourselves backtracking to correct a wrong turn.

We have a friend who has the Garmin inReach Explorer. It connects to satelite communications to allow 2-way text messaging from just about anywhere. It's surprising how often we've used the texting features to let people know where we are and when we'll be home.

Recommendations:

• bring the paper area trail map along as well
• consider the 2-way satelite text version
• predownload your maps
• check the GPS location regularly in unknown territory

Calvin and Hobbes Complete Collection

"Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time..."

I wonder some times if our kids identify too much with Calvin. :)

A couple of them are on their second round through the famous comic collection. Our guests pick them up. We find them in the bathroom. We find kids curled up in their beds with them.

Calvin and Hobbes and their adventures are staples for our kids.

Amazon Echo Dot Smart Speaker With Alexa

The Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker with Alexa is ultra-compact and has a lengthy list of features. Some of the best are setting alarms, reading news highlights, controlling other smart home devices, and voice-controlled calling and texting. 

Why we recommend it: As homes continue to get smarter, we especially love tech products for men that can keep up.

• Improved speaker quality
• Voice control your music 
• Ready to help
• Voice control your smart home
• Connect with others
• Alexa has skills
• Designed to protect your privacy

DAW Audio Interface Studio Bundle

Set up one bundle and get your audio tracks rolling. The hardware/software kit comes ready to connect your instruments, mics, etc. 

Includes:

• Mic
• Stand
• Pop Filter
• AudioBox (USB)
• Robust mixing software

Recommendations:

• great gift for a birthday or holiday
• get used to the software first so you know what you need to do with your planned tracks
• consider this a basic kit, you'll likely upgrade some equipment over time
• this is perfect for the soloist

Roku Streaming Media Player

The Ultra is Roku’s “top of the line media player,” compatible with a wide range of devices, streaming services, and live television. Gamers and tech GUYs will geek out over the 4K, HD, and HDR streaming abilities and the many voice-activated controls.

Why we recommend it: We already thought the Roku Ultra was an ideal new year gift idea, but the lost remote finder feature really sealed the deal.

• New! Disney+ and Apple TV are now streaming on all Roku devices
• Power, picture, performance
• Ultimate connectivity
• Brilliant picture quality
• Take control of your TV
• Fully loaded
• Endless entertainment
• Enjoy free TV
• The free Roku mobile app
• Automatic software updates

Home Theater Projector Benq

This BenQ 4K home theater projector is an awesome and unique gift for GUYs. We love this product for men because the dynamic iris perfectly optimizes light, color, and contrast. It can also be installed in small areas, providing a home theater experience even if space is limited. 

Our home theater screen is 8 feet wide. This BenQ projector is perfect for the room. Combined with a Dolby Atmos surround system with high-end speakers we become immersed in our movies. 

We do love our in-home cinema and probably catch a movie once a week. The projector creates bright and clear images.

The annual highlight is to have a group of boys over and set up multiple XBoxes so all 16 can play Halo against each other. The projector is such a huge part of that event.

Why we recommend it: This is one of our favorite creative gifts for men because let’s be honest, who wouldn’t love a 4k home theater setup?

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR Camera

We have had our Canon Rebel for years. It takes great quality photo shots with easy to operate lenses. The 24MP sensor allows for great detail. We won't need to replace the camera for many years because it does all we need.

The camera is easy to upgrade because it works with other standarized equipment. Lenses, straps, memory cards and other equipment are easy to swap out.

In our tests, we've compared the Rebel to other DSLRs and found it's not missing obvious features or gear. Buying the camera in a kit like this gives you everything you want for a very affordable price.

Recommendations:

• take a class - while the point and shoot options are straight forward, learning to use the advanced features will unlock the camera's potential
• back up your photos regularly
• view your photos on a PC before having them printed

RFID Blocking Wallet

Have you ever dealt with identity theft before? For work we went to California to a conference. We learned about RFID technology (the ability for scanners to read cards and identify people) and how useful it can be. Well, like most useful technologies, people have figured out how to use it for illicit behavior. 

Thiefs can walk past unsuspecting marks and scan their wallets including credit card data among other personal details. It's spooky.

Protect yourself with technology that blocks RFID scans.

Recommendations:

• check out the Amazon ratings for this product - they're impressive

Ancestry DNA: Genetic Ethnicity Test

The Ancestry DNA testing kit plus the Traits add-on helps people build their family tree and learn a great deal about who they are and where they came from. If you’ve ever wondered why you have very distinctively-shaped ears or when your great-great-grandfather went bald, this kit can tell you.

My grandmas have binders and books and software housing hundreds of family stories and origin documentation. They respect their ancestors and value their posterity. Family is everything to them. We hear stories about gold miners, homesteaders, pioneers, land owners, poverty, interesting marriages, etc.

The AncestryDNA test is a great way to get back to your roots. GUYs who value their family will find value in tracking down their heritage. 

Why we recommend it: Ancestry DNA makes some of the most popular DNA testing kits. The addition of the traits feature makes this one of the most unique gifts for GUYs.

• be sure you're sure about your parentage before gifting this DNA test - most GUYs don't want a Maurie Povich moment
• have multiple extended family members take a test
• people who have very little information on their roots can find additional information on ancestry websites