Looking for Valentine’s day gifts for your husband (or significant other) can be a daunting task.
Every guy is different.
Here’s a short list of killer Valentine’s day gifts for your husband that he’ll actually like.
How to Approach Buying Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Husband?
You have a few choices here.
- You could opt for the classic, commercially acceptable choice of chocolate, but let’s be honest, chocolate is for you
- Be brave and buy something specific to one of his hobbies
- Or you could focus on a happy medium and get a high-quality product he is sure to use
Now, let’s not get too niche here. Don’t run out and buy a fly fishing pole or anything.
Don’t even buy fly fishing bait. Unless you’ve hand-picked it from his Amazon cart.
The key to getting Valentine’s day gifts for the husband is choosing something he will use.
Now, let’s get to some winning gift ideas.
#1 Darn Tough Socks – AKA the Best Socks Ever
These high-performance socks are an excellent Valentine’s day gift for your husband if he’s into:
- hiking
- hunting
- or running
Simply put, if your guy is into the outdoors in any capacity, he’s sure to appreciate an excellent pair (or two) of high-quality socks.
This made-in-America item is primarily made of merino wool sourced from happy New Zealand sheep.
One pair will run you $25 – $27 dollars, depending on grade and design.
Be sure to check the description for the intended use of the sock when you purchase.
There are hiker socks and work socks designed with extra cushion for wearing with boots. My husband loves this pair of socks for everyday and work use.
Darn Tough socks last for miles and miles. Whether he’s hiking and camping, working long shifts on his feet, or generally rough and tough on his clothes, Darn Tough socks are a great gift.
They are also moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, and fast drying. These socks are popular among through-hikers because of how easy they are to wash and dry while out camping in the field.
And as a bonus! Darn Tough socks are lifetime guaranteed.
My household loves this brand so much that we gifted Darn Tough socks to our families for Christmas for two years running. This is the ultimate useful gift.
For more details, check out my full Darn Tough sock review.
#2 Carhartt Jacket – A Solid Valentine’s Day Gift for Him
Carhartt feels like a household name at this point.
Whether your significant other loves the outdoors, is into fashion, or is just plain hard on clothes, a Carhartt jacket is a solid Valentine’s Day gift for him.
I grew up wearing Carhartt overalls to clean the deer lease because they were thick enough to withstand briars.
Carhartt is a workwear brand known for creating durable clothes for industrial workers. It is the quintessential work jacket. With water-resistant and flame-resistant options available.
You can opt for a more casual jacket with an elastic band around the waist or one without.
The color and branding of Carhartt are very easy to style if we’re talking strictly fashion. It has become somewhat of a street style.
Even YouTuber turned businesswoman Emma Chamberlain endorsed the Carhartt brand when discussing the perfect backpack for a coffee shop workday. It is her go-to bag when she really needs to carry all her work items. It beats out her designer Louis Vuitton bag.
The mix of functional and stylistic appeal makes Carhartt products an easy choice if you’re looking for a solid Valentine’s Day gift for your husband.
You can get a Carhartt jacket for $120. This is a solid price for a solid work jacket.
If you don’t have the budget to spend on the jacket, you can also check out hats, beanies, and backpacks for cheaper options.
#3 First Lite the Ultimate V-Day Gift for Staying Warm Outdoors
Next on the list, is First Lite.
This company is primarily marketed and sold to hunters.
But even if your guy isn’t a hunter, he will appreciate the fit and function of this high-performing gear.
Let me explain.
If anyone knows how to stay warm, it’s guys who have to sit still in 17-degree (or below) weather for hours. Hunters understand this.
First Lite is the premium brand of hunting clothes that helps make those long, cold sits in the woods bearable. You can get a First Lite shirt for around $100, depending on the design.
This makes First Lite a great gift for anyone who needs to stay warm while outdoors.
The layering technology is the main selling point of the gear. First Lite is primarily made out of merino wool and a small percentage of other materials. Each piece is designed to be worn in a certain order.
First Lite pieces include base layer items, mid-layer items, and top layer items. The layers all perform different functions in the system as a whole. For example, keeping dry while being outside in the cold is a major key to staying warm.
Merino wool does a great job of wicking moisture and or sweat away from the body during these cold temperatures. This keeps the wearer dry and warm no matter the activity.
Pick up the conifer solid green First Lite Men’s Kiln Crew for a great Valentine’s day gift for your husband. This item can work for hunting, hiking, or snowboarding outside while it is extremely cold.
I’d recommend the mid-layer item as your first piece since my husband also has the mid-layer piece and loves it. If you’re feeling generous maybe also throw in the base layer and mid-layer.
#4 Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack – Perfect Gift for a World Traveller
Osprey is the ultimate backpack brand for lightweight traveling and durability.
Do you have summer travel plans?
This backpack will make an excellent Valentine’s day gift for your husband. (And yourself.)
I’d specifically recommend the Osprey Farpoint 40L backpack. My husband and I took these packs while traveling abroad in Italy.
(I took the women’s version of the pack, the Osprey Fairview 40L, which has a harness system that is designed to fit smaller shoulders.)
It was a 10-day trip and while we had to be smart with how we packed, it gave us a lot of freedom to navigate the trains and buses, etc. while trekking through Italy.
This backpack isn’t for you if you’re a heavy packer.
For me, the main selling points of this backpack include:
- the carry-on measurements
- the large panel zipper that allows you to see what you pack (vs. the top down pack-structure)
- the phenomenal fit and feel of the harness system
There are a ton of really nice packs out there, but Osprey’s design and functionality really deliver a stellar item that you are sure to use for years to come. Plus, there is a lifetime guarantee for all packs.
I have two Osprey packs. The Osprey Volt 60L, which I took on my 18-day European trek, and the Osprey Fairview 40L, which I took on my 10-day Italian adventure.
The Volt 60 pack got run over by a luggage cart or something along the way and had some gnarly punctures through the fabric. Osprey held up their end of the lifetime guarantee though and patched up the holes for free.
#5 Benchmade Knife – A Solid Daily Carry Knife
Last on our list of ultimate Valentine’s day gifts for your husband, a Benchmade knife.
Benchmade is a great company that creates mid-level and high-level knives.
Think of Benchmade like Toyota. The brand has a range of models and premium knives, but all of them are made to last.
A knife is an excellent gift for your husband because what guy doesn’t need a solid knife? Not to mention a knife is the quintessential pocket buddy for the everyman. Choose from a variety of categories like:
- Everyday
- Hunting
- Outdoor
- Rescue
- Survival
- Tactical
While you may be intimidated to choose a knife, I would stick with something basic, like an everyday knife. I personally own the Benchmade – Griptilian 551 Knife and have enjoyed using it for years.
It is a manual-opening knife, that can be easily opened using an inertia technique. The Griptilian 551 is a multi-functional knife that fits everyday, outdoor, and tactical uses.
Get your guy a Benchmade knife if he enjoys hobbies in the outdoors (a knife is always useful), needs a dress carry knife (because some of them are just really aesthetic), or would love a good defensive knife.
If your husband is into defense and likes watching defensive videos in his free time, he is sure to appreciate a knife as a gift.
And if you want to make it extra special, Benchmade can also customize a knife of your choice with a blade design featuring one of four national parks.
Bottom Line
The key to choosing great Valentine’s day gifts for your husband is to pick something useful. Because the last thing you want to do is get something he won’t like and won’t ever use.
I hope this list of high-quality gear has given you some ideas for a solid Valentine’s day gift.
While the price range for high-quality gifts can run a little high, you can always choose one of the cheaper options, like Darn Tough socks, and pair it with something else.
Happy shopping.
