Christmas Gifts for Men Under $50 That Don't Look Cheap

The trap with a budget gift is buying something big. Fifty dollars buys a large thing that feels cheap or a small thing that feels like it cost more than it did, and the small, solid thing wins every time. Metal, wood and weight are what make a gift feel considered.

The second test is the one that matters most: will he still be using it in a year? A gift that ends up in a cupboard by March was not worth the money at any price.

For the man who likes a game

A magnetic folding chess set is the best value on this list. The pieces are magnetic, so a game survives a train, a car or a nudged table, and the board folds shut with every piece stored inside. It is the gift for the man who used to play and would again if a set were to hand. Our guide to gifts for chess players covers the serious end.

A digital chess clock is for the man who already plays. It turns a casual game into a timed one, which is where chess gets exciting, and it runs the standard time controls, including bonus and delay timing. If he has never used one, chess clock rules explains the lot.

Clay poker chips are heavier and quieter than plastic ones, and they make a home game feel like a real one. Ten to a set, which is right for a single stack or a high-value denomination in a bigger game.

For the man who likes to think

A set of eight metal wire puzzles is a month of evenings. Each one is two or more shapes of bent steel that look impossible to separate, and every one of them comes apart. It is a gift that gets passed around at the dinner table.

A waiter's tray labyrinth is a wooden tray with a maze and a ball. It sounds simple and takes a steady hand and real patience, which is exactly why it ends up on a desk rather than in a drawer.

A secret puzzle box has a hidden compartment and opens only if you find the sequence. Put the real gift, or a note, inside it, and the box becomes part of the present. More ideas in puzzle boxes for adults.

For the man who likes objects

A steampunk pocket watch in bronze with Roman numerals is a statement piece for the man who wears a waistcoat at weddings, or would like to. It is a quartz watch, so it keeps time without winding, on a chain.

An infinity cube in gold-toned aluminium folds endlessly in the hand. It is the quietest desk toy there is, and the metal version has a weight to it that the plastic ones do not.

How to choose between them

If you know what he does with his evenings, buy for that: the chess set for a player, the wire puzzles for a tinkerer, the poker chips for a host. If you do not, the puzzle box is the safest choice on the page, because almost anyone enjoys opening a box that does not want to be opened. For the man who seems to have everything already, try gifts for men who have everything.

Order early

Everything ships from our supplier, and we do not quote delivery dates because we would be guessing. For Christmas, order in November rather than December.