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How Do I Choose the Best Gadgets for Men?

Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen

The best way to choose gadgets for men is to examine the lifestyle, interests, and habits of the person who will use the device. These gadgets can generally be broken down into categories such as devices that can simplify or speed up an every day task, provide entertainment, or offer some other useful function. When choosing the best gadgets for men, it is as important to understand the devices as the men you are buying for. A man who is a lover of technology and one who has a particular interest that could benefit from some electronic device will typically enjoy different types of gadgets.

If you are trying to decide on the best gadgets for men, you should first consider the man in question. Each man has different hobbies and interests, so it can be just as important to understand the man as to research the gadgets. If you are trying to find gadgets for men you do not know very well, you might be able to pick up the necessary information in a casual conversation or by asking their friends. The most important part is to identify a man's interests and then research the type of gadgets that might apply to his hobbies or interests.

A golfer may enjoy at digital range finder or score computer.
A golfer may enjoy at digital range finder or score computer.

Men who love technology are typically easy to buy for since they often appreciate any type of gadget that is new and useful. This can be especially true of early adopters, or men who like to buy all of the brand new gadgets as soon as they are released. If a gadget is new, entertaining, or has some utility, it will typically be a good choice for that type of man. The biggest issue when choosing a gadget for this type of person is to make sure he has not already purchased one for himself.

Gadgets that aid in woodworking are great for men who enjoy working with their hands.
Gadgets that aid in woodworking are great for men who enjoy working with their hands.

Many other people enjoy the way that technology can improve an experience but are not interested in owning every last gadget that is released. Choosing gadgets for men like this can typically be accomplished by looking at their interests. A man who likes to golf may appreciate a digital range finder or a simple golf score computer. A global positioning system (GPS) range finder or special ball visibility glasses may also be appreciated. Men who enjoy fishing can also benefit from a range of different gadgets, such as fish finders and fancy lures. Each hobby and interest has a range of different gadgets like these associated with it.

Discussion Comments

summing

At the end of last year I was reading some kind of top ten gadgets for men list and it had a lot of the things you would expect, tablets, mp3 players, smart phones, tvs, game consoles etc. But what I was surprised to see was a set of electric hair cutting clippers.

But it makes some sense when you start to think about it. Guys are getting rid of more and more hair these days and a good set of clippers is something that most guys could use. I thought for a minute about getting my boyfriend a set for Christmas because he doesn't have any. But I decided that was kind of a bad gift and I would hold onto the idea for later.

SkyWhisperer

@NathanG - I bought my brother a WiFi hot spot finder once. I don’t know how much he actually used it – WiFi hot spots are practically everywhere these days. But the WiFi hot spot finder didn’t cost a lot of money, so I figured I couldn’t lose.

That’s something I always consider. If I don’t really know the guy I’m buying the gift for, I try to buy something affordable. That way if he ends up not liking it or not using it, it’s not wasted.

I’d hate to spend a lot of money on one of the latest gadgets for men, only to find out that the recipient doesn’t really need it. Of course, you can give them a receipt so that they can return it if they want, but that just puts a burden on them.

NathanG

@David09 - I generally agree, although I wouldn’t classify RAM as a gadget as such. Gadgets are usually standalone devices that are easy to understand, even for someone who is not that computer savvy.

My mother recently bought a tablet computer and she knows almost nothing about computers, except that the tablet is remarkably intuitive and easy to use.

She could have just as easily bought one for me without knowing much about my technology habits, except that I didn’t have a tablet. So I would say that in looking for gadget gifts for men, just stay with what’s easy to understand and has some obvious practical appeal. I don’t think that you can go wrong in that case.

David09

Buying cool gadgets for men is not as easy as just finding out what the latest gadgets are and whether the man you’re buying them for has them.

In my opinion, you should be familiar with the technology yourself. For example, I am a computer hobbyist. There is no way that my wife could buy me much of anything computer related, because she doesn’t really use computers a lot.

That’s not an insult; it’s just a fact. So if, for example, I needed to upgrade my computer with additional RAM then there is no way I could expect her to buy me some RAM memory sticks.

Even if you are an avid computer user you have many options to choose from. So I suggest you become familiar with the technology yourself before you buy it for that special man in your life.

MrsWinslow

@EdRick - It's funny, but my husband is just the opposite way. He *does* like to be surprised with the latest gadgets as gifts. So for his birthday, I got him a Kindle Fire because he likes to read and our library now supports Kindle. He *loves* it! And he didn't really know how much he would like it until he had it.

I think it's so important to respect the preferences of the person you're shopping for and not just your own preferences. I'm more like you - not as into surprises. My husband knows that I want my very own Kindle for my birthday and he is willing to respect that even though he wanted to be surprised, I want to pick mine out. Surprising someone who doesn't like to be surprised is a waste of money - and refusing to surprise someone who loves surprises is just mean.

EdRick

Something else to consider when buying gifts for men is whether your guy likes to be surprised, or would rather pick out his own gadgets (or shirts, or cologne, or whatever you were thinking of getting him).

Me, for instance - I am very particular and I like to do a lot of research before I buy something. My wife is a little more impulse-driven. (Nothing wrong with her way - it gives her great joy.) Last Christmas, she actually surprised me with a hand-made coupon good for a new digital camera. She wanted me to have one, but she knew I would want to choose it myself!

If the guy in question is your son, nephew, etc. as opposed to your husband/boyfriend, you can also try asking his wife/girlfriend/parents what he has been talking about wanting to get ideas.

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    • A golfer may enjoy at digital range finder or score computer.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      A golfer may enjoy at digital range finder or score computer.
    • Gadgets that aid in woodworking are great for men who enjoy working with their hands.
      By: Rostislav Sedlacek
      Gadgets that aid in woodworking are great for men who enjoy working with their hands.