5 Easy Gifts for Men that Any Man Would Enjoy

Seeking an easy gift to get almost any man? Well look no further, and read on to find some of the hottest gifts of today that almost any man would be happy to receive!

Pocket Knife

Although a common item, many men still don't have a pocket knife! If you aren't sure whether or not the man you are shopping for has one, just ask. Of course it may drop a hint if you don't have a reason for asking... so make sure you have a backup story such as, "I was just wondering if you did so I could use it for..."

There are many types of pocket knifes from the simple spring switch knives, to the fancy Swiss Army Knives that have many different functions. Because there are so many types, you need to ask yourself, what will be the primary uses of this pocket knife for the man I am buying this for? If you are thinking of simple tasks such as cutting a rope on occasion, slicing something like a tag on a shirt at home, or even like a friend of mine: using it to eat with, then you are probably looking at a normal clip on switch blade. (Please note: not all switch blades or knives are legal in certain areas! Check with your local law enforcement regarding knife laws in your area.)

For a quality switch blade, you may want to check out www.nicnac.net. They have buck knives which are quite common and very fancy. They would make an excellent present!

If the man you are shopping for has a fancier taste, or would have multiple uses for a pocket knife, consider the Swiss Army knife. For a variation of knives, check out www.swissarmy.com. I would recommend a "do it yourself" style army knife from their site. With so many options to choose from, you can't go wrong!

Pocket knives are fun no matter what age for men. It's a simple gift you can order online or find at a local hardware store.

GPS

Guys and directions, what is up with that? It's true, we don't like asking for directions, and do you know why? I feel it's because as men, we were born to lead, and when we stop to ask someone else where to go, we are giving up that calling on ourselves to lead. So what will help boost a man up? A Global Positioning System. A gift like this isn't saying, "I know you get lost, so here is something to help find your way" it's saying, "I care about you so much, that I spent a lot of money on this fun electronic device to show off to your friends and buddies." Of course he's going to use it!

Women of the world, please understand, we know and respect that you like to give us directions and guidance, but as men, we feel we need to lead, and when we have a GPS it really helps us out. (Yes, you may call it just a crutch for our ego, but just watch as your man no longer gets lost and feel his ego drop which causes stress).

Now, there are many types of GPS systems out there, so which one is right for you? Well personally, I've been using a Garmin Nuvi for a couple of years now, and it has only led me down the wrong trail once. (And admittedly, it was my fault for changing a setting on the GPS that I thought would help get me places quicker... I was wrong). If you are curious, I changed the "Which route to take" from "Quickest" to "Shortest". Little did I realize that "Quickest" was quickest... and "Shortest" was... shortest but not quickest. So all in all, I would recommend a Garmin Nuvi. Even my parents got a Nuvi themselves and have been incredibly pleased with it. A friend of mine has one with a traffic alert feature as well, and he has been able to avoid hours of traffic with his. This is why I would strongly recommend Garmin and the Nuvi. If I had to recommend a brand to stay away from, I would say Tom Tom's. I've heard their interface is poor and the connections aren't that great.

Also, cell phones these days have GPS systems on themselves too, but they aren't that great. They are good for finding your way around a small city on foot, or in case of an emergency, but a lot of times because of the signal being cellular, it won't be the best. Plus when you lose signal in remote areas, you will be lost for sure. GPS systems use satellites to track your position, so you are never out of range.

For a good GPS system, I would check out the Garmin site at www.garmin.com. They make a great gift, are easy to pick up, and with prices dropping for GPS units these days, you can pick one up for cheap. I will recommend a GPS unit that also has the traffic feature like my friend's did. I wish I had one...

LCD Flat Screen Television

So what is all the rage these days? Still the same old thing, "Mine is bigger!" So what makes a man feel like a real man? Indeed and shallow: a huge LCD flat screen television. After shopping around myself, and doing some repair work on flat screen TV's as well, I have a good analysis for those of you who are curious what brands to buy, stay away from, and sizes that are good.

32"s are about where the quality for normal TV starts to drop. This is what I have noticed time and time again with huge TVs versus the smaller ones. Right at 32" is where the TV quality typically from a cable hookup or a DVD is just right. It's nice and big to watch from far away and not hurt your eyes, and not too blurry at all from the quality of the TV. More than 32", you start to lose quality (unless you are using a blue ray player) and less is no fun for an LCD flat screen.

I personally have a 42" Olivia LCD HDTV and have had it since May of 2008. It has served me well, and sure enough, the quality from cable isn't the best. Of course with HD channels, it shows up nicely on my TV, and when I had a Play station 3 with Blue Ray capabilities, the whole screen would be full of detail and animation! So really, the size is up to you and your pocket change. The prices for TVs has gone down over the last year, and now is a good time to buy. If you are asking "What is your take on plasmas?" Don't. Plasma TVs are old now (yes, already...) and suck power. They are energy hogs and weigh a ton. Go for a longer lasting LCD TV.

Brands to buy: Olivia, Toshiba, Vizio, LG, Mitsubishi, Sony, Sharp

Brands to stay away from: Magnavox, Philips, Hitachi, Westinghouse

I am indeed a TV repair technician on the side, so I know what I'm talking about when the most TV's I've had to repair has been Magnavox. Their products have never been the best though, so I would be weary. Yeah, you will save a lot of money going for a Magnavox, but you will pay for it when it breaks in a year or less.

A new TV is probably one of the best gifts next to a GPS for a man (I'd say), and with the prices being as low as they are, this holiday season would be a great time to buy a new one for the man you are hunting for.

Blue Ray Player

So your husband, boyfriend, friend, or male acquaintance has an HDTV? Great! Why not get him a Blue Ray player? They are also dropping fast in price, and those Blue Ray movies are amazing to see on a huge flat or DLP TV. Ok, so now the question is, what Blue Ray player, and how much?

Well, after doing extensive research I have these two options for you:

The Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray disc player, or a Play Station 3. The Samsung runs around $170 plus tax, but the Play Station 3 with also falling prices is only about $100 or so more. The thing is, a Play Station 3 would also be 2 gifts in one: a game system (which most men enjoy) and a Blue Ray player. I do in fact know some families that only use a Play Station 3 as a Blue Ray player, and nothing more.

At this point, it's really up to you to decide what to get, but if money is an issue, then I'd shoot for the Samsung Blue Ray player. It makes a great gift, and is really easy to go out and buy. Most electronic stores should carry them, and if you can't find one in stores, buying one online is also real easy. Not to mention, you can check for discounts!

iPod Touch

Last but not least, is this rather easy gift to buy: an iPod Touch. An iPod Touch is practically like an iPhone but without the "phone" aspect on it. Although it does have many capabilities and is just like an iPod but fancier, more sleek, and a lot more fun. It has wireless access, music storage, and video. It also has over 100,000 apps to purchase off the iTunes App Store for cheap or free.

Let's face it though, it's an easy gift, and a nice one at that. An iTouch is high on a lot of people's wish lists this year and last, and it's still hot on the market today. With over 32GB of storage now, these things are more popular than ever. Not to mention, you can find them almost anywhere electronics are sold (E.g. Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Fry's, etc.)

It's a practical gift as well, which makes it useful to almost any man. It's also affordable which makes it easy for you to give him.

And that concludes my list of "Easy Gifts for Men". If you find something or think of something that is "man worthy" and an easy gift to find and give to most any man, feel free to add it to my comments area below! Thank you, and Happy Holidays!