Valentine's Day gift guide for him - tried and tested
Looking for the perfect gift this Valentine's Day?
With a wide range of present ideas, ranging from food to booze, tech, fragrances and more - we've got you covered.
We've even tried each one out and reviewed them, so you know what to expect before buying.
Vivienne Westwood Millano Man Billfold Leather Wallet - £109.95
Available here
5 out of 5
This stunning leather wallet from Vivienne Westwood is the perfect gift for men of all ages this Valentine’s Day.
Made in Italy, this gorgeous black billfold wallet from Standout.co.uk comes in a lovely Vivienne Westwood box and packaging - ideal for gifting.
Lightweight and understated, it is made from superbly soft textured leather and has six card compartments, as well as two wallet-long spaces for cash and receipts.
Inside, it bears the Vivienne Westwood name imprinted, while on the front it has a sophisticated, small silver Vivienne Westwood logo on the bottom right-hand corner.
An absolutely wonderful gift for someone special.
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon (over 18s only) - £31.95 for 70cl
Available here
5 out of 5
A bourbon with its own romantic tale - and it’s a real quality taster too.
First the taste; Four Roses produce a selection of 10 Kentucky bourbons and Small Batch blends four of them, packing a powerful 45 per cent proof punch along with a stunning depth of flavour, with vanilla and winter spices in the body and tail.
Adding to the Valentine factor are the cut-glass roses on the label and the fact the bottle itself is shaped like an upturned rosebud.
And the romantic tale? The story goes that the brand’s founder was so smitten with a Southern belle he sent a proposal to her and she replied if her answer was 'Yes' she would wear a corsage of four roses on her gown at an upcoming ball - which indeed she did.
Ikon 910 Eau De Parfum (100ml) - £60
Available here
4 out of 5
Treat your Valentine to this superb eau de parfum for men this February.
Bold, spirited and sensual, this fragrance is warm, spicy, rich and musky. It boasts a woody base, with notes throughout of pink pepper, lemon, bergamot, jasmin, amber, moss and musk.
Exclusive to The Fragrance Shop, the Ikon line is vegan and cruelty free.
This cologne is ideal for day or night time wear and suitable for a range of ages.
CK Jeans CKJ 20105SGV Men's Sunglasses - £89
Available here
5 out of 5
These superb shades from Vision Express are sure to wow that special someone this Valentine's Day.
Boasting classic aviator frames, these sunglasses from Calvin Klein Jeans are lightweight, farirly flexible and attractive.
Simple yet stylish, they boast gold-coloured frames with gold and brown arms.
Though the lenses are not polarised, they give a clear view and provide 100 per cent protection.
The shades are available with prescription lenses in store.
A superb gift - and suitable for men of almost all tastes and ages.
Tommy Hilfiger Lounge Graphic Sweatshirt - £57.95
Available here
5 out of 5
This comfy lounge long-sleeved top from Tommy Hilfiger is sure to be a winner with the special man in your life this Valentine’s Day.
The casual ribbed sweatshirt, in an attractive army green, forms part of Standout.com’s loungewear range, but is great for wear at home or out.
Made from 100% organic cotton it is wonderfully soft to the touch and is a generous fit too.
It features a large embroidered Tommy Hilfiger logo in white across the front and a small embroidered logo on the left cuff, with elasticated cuffs and hem.
A really great gift for men of a range of ages who enjoy both style and comfort.
Hyde 6 Year Old No.4 The President's Cask (over 18s only) - £42.79
Available here
4 out of 5
Based almost at the southern tip of Ireland, the Hyde family are not distillers but instead 'bonders', selecting whiskeys from leading Irish distilleries and then crafting them in specially chosen wooden barrels, into a wide-ranging selection.
With a near 400-year award-winning history behind them, the full ten-strong collection of Hyde Irish Whiskeys is now available in the UK from Master of Malt, starting at £39.95.
We sampled 'No.4 The President's Cask', a rum-finished six-year-old single malt whiskey, which is tripled distilled in a traditional copper pot still from 100 per cent malted Irish grain barley.
It is first aged in 200-litre flame charred ex-bourbon oak casks from Kentucky before being transferred into 200-litre flame charred dark rum casks from Barbados for the last six months of finishing.
There's a real tropical fruitiness to the nose and a smooth full-bodied toffee-meets-spice flavour which gives way to raisin and rum in the finish - a lovely whiskey and a superb gift for that special someone this Valentine's Day.
The firm's full range also includes sherry, bourbon, burgundy and port finishes.
Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist - £25
Available here
3 out of 5
A luxurious fine mist spray which is said to use a combination of bergamot, lavender and geranium essential oils to work with each stage of the nighttime sleep cycle to improve sleep quality.
Two spritzes applied to linens are said to ease you into a trouble-free slumber, enhance the health benefits of deep sleep, and boost your daytime energy levels.
The idea is you pump a couple of sprays on your pillow just before lights out, imbibing your linens and spaces with a calming, refreshing fragrance.
This was tried out by the most sleep-deprived member of the test team, who reported that it had a pleasant fragrance but they didn’t know know if it worked as suggested as their sleeping patterns remained wilfully uneven.
However, they did twice sleep in past 10am, which is unheard of - luckily on days off! It has now become part of their bedtime ritual, preparing, hopefully, for a good night’s sleep.
Sous Chef French Salted Butter Caramels in Gift Tin - £8.50 (150g)
Available here
4 out of 5
These French salted butter caramels from Sous Chef are so moreish you’ll be wishing you ordered more tins.
Ultra buttery, they are made with sea salt and fleur de sel from Guérande, a medieval town in Brittany, which is famous for its salt marshes.
The sweet sheer buttery-ness is almost overwhelming, we tried to make each soft sweet last as long as possible in the mouth... it's quite a challenge!
Added to that is the charm of the lovely old-fashioned metal gift tin, which you can of course re-use time and again.
Fire TV Stick 4K Ultra HD with Alexa Voice Remote - £49.99
Available here
5 out of 5
Enjoy a romantic flick with your Valentine - or give them the gift of endless boxsets - with the new Amazon Fire TV Stick.
It boasts 4K Ultra HD clarity and supports popular HDR types such as HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision, giving viewers stunning 4K picture quality. And if you've got a Dolby Atmos sound bar, you can enjoy enhanced sound too.
The Fire Stick is built with a super fast processor, reducing buffering and allowing viewers to watch TV uninterrupted.
The TV Stick can be controlled with easy voice commands using the Alexa Voice Remote, allowing you to simply request what you wish to watch - or, indeed, ask it daft questions too.
You can also sync the remote to your smart home devices such as Philips Hue lights or Hive thermostat, for convenient control of home devices.
Noveltea The Tale of Moroccan Mint (over 18s only) - £24.95
Available here
4 out of 5
If your Valentine is a tea or gin lover - this is absolutely the gift for them.
Gone are the days of failing to get the mix of tea and spirits right for hot toddies - this comes ready-made and can be enjoyed cold or hot.
Smooth, sweet, and unique, this beverage is ideal for drinking all through the year and is sure to impress.
The award-winning cold-brewed tipple boasts flavours of sweet yet fresh Moroccan green mint tea, with a hint of apple, delicately mixed with white rum.
An unusual present sure to delight - and light too, at just 11 per cent ABV. It is also suitable for vegans and gluten free.
All-new Amazon Echo (4th Generation) - £89.99
Available here
5 out of 5
Delight your Valentine with this super duper new Amazon Echo speaker.
Available in a range of four colours, the new Echo delivers clear highs, dynamic mids and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room.
The Echo can be used for a huge range of things, but for us it's all about the music - and with this, you can stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and more.
You can also ask Alexa (using voice command) to answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices and more.
The Echo can also be paired with Fire TV and can be set up to play synchronised music across Echo devices in different rooms, filling your house with music.
It can also be used to make hands-free calls - and make announcements throughout the home if using other Echos.
It also allow users to turn the microphone off when not in use.
An attractive, extremely high quality speaker - and sure to impress.
Mr Trotter's Eight Pack Gift Selection - £18
Available here
4.5 out of 5
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach - and these bostin' pork scratchings are a great route to take.
Hailing from Rugeley in Staffordshire, these splendid treats are sure to delight the tastebuds of pork lovers.
This superb little gift selection, package in a delightful black box bearing the firm's logo of a pig stood upright donning a union flag top and dark suit, contains four flavours - original, salt and vinegar, English mustard, and jalapeño chilli.
And each one is delicious - moist yet crunchy and ever so wonderfully indulgent. Just the type you would hope for, had you spent time in Black Country and Midland pubs.
Each flavour is fairly light, allowing the full flavour of the scratchings to come through and complementing it very well.
Our personal favourite was the English mustard flavour - but all are sure to delight.
Cherry Tree Breakfast in Bed giftbox - £35
Available here
5 out of 5
Oh my goodness, here's one for the foodie in your life, and we’ve just found our go-to supplier for jams, conserves and chutneys.
Beautifully packed, you get a generous selection in a blue gift-box, along with a hand-made Valentines greetings card and even a handwritten message of your choice if you wish.
The Breakfast in Bed Gift Box contains eight jars to suit every palette, from a lovely sharp lemon and lime curd, to a spicy tomato and caramelised onion chutney and our favourite, the cherry with amaretto extra jam.
There’s also strawberry jam with Marc de Champagne, Seville orange breakfast marmalade, raspberry extra jam, blackcurrant with sloe gin extra jam and delicious smokey tomato and garlic chutney.
Also check out the Valentine's chutneys and preserves tubes.
KitSound Diggit 55 speaker - £39.99
Available here
4 out of 5
Treat that special someone in your life to this great speaker from KitSound, which allows your loved one to enjoy music outdoors.
Simply attach the removable stake to the speaker and then place it in the grass, sand, or even snow. The stake keeps the Diggit 55 elevated, so the music can flow without being lost in the ground, while its Outdoor EQ Mode optimises the audio for wherever it is placed.
The speaker boasts 15 hours of battery life too, so it can be enjoyed all day without needing to be charged.
It is also water and dust resistant, making it resilient in a range of situations.
A great gift at a fair price, with good quality sound and innovative design.
Toff London Watch - RRP £89
Available here
3 out of 5
Ever fancied the idea of designing a watch for your beloved? Well with Toff of London you get close with a dizzying choice of more than 790 watch face designs aligned to a myriad selection of case and strap colour combinations, along with a choice of the size of the face with some models.
You can also have them engraved - some inclusive of the price of the watch.
We went with the simple elegance of the Traditional White Numerals 38mm Watch, with a clear white background and gold-coloured strap presenting a clear sharp look.
But we really could have gone to town with designs including love hearts, bouquets of flowers, dogs (you can get really specific with breeds) cats, rabbits and ever more esoteric looks.
The strap on ours is easily adjustable to give a comfortable fit and it looks really smart on. Nice big face and clear figures make it super easy to read.
A lovely gift for men and women of all ages.
Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau De Toilette Men's Aftershave Spray - £64.99 (100ml)
Available here
5 out of 5
Delight the special man in your life to this iconic fragrance from Paco Rabanne this Valentine's Day.
Strong, instantly recognisable, and long-lasting, this superb scent from Perfume Direct is woody and masculine, spicy and daring.
It boasts notes of blood mandarin, peppermint, grapefruit, cinnamon, rose absolute, leather, wood, amber and Indian patchouli.
A wonderful gift for men of any age, ideal for night time wear, but also suitable for in the day.
Cutter and Squidge Passionfruit and Pistachio Cake - £29.90
Available here
5 out of 5
A delicious handmade cake in a beautiful embossed gift tin that came in the post straight to our door.
This is a beautiful, moist, sweet flavour-packed six-inch sponge cake that is alive with the sharpness of passionfruit and is topped off with pistachio icing, pistachios, freeze-dried raspberries, white chocolate pearls and 24 carat gold leaf.
To add to the passion of the passionfruit there are also gift packs that include a choice of prosecco or alcohol-tree sparkling white wine.
The cake is very sweet, but oddly was loved most by the most savoury-toothed member of the test team.
Best before enjoyed five days after dispatch, we froze and then defrosted a few slices and they were none the worse for it.
Rita Farhi Luxury Belgian Chocolate Fruit Selection - £49.95 for 880g
Available here
3 out of 5
If you like to get dark and fruity at Valentines then this Belgian chocolate fruit selection in a nine-way gift box cuts a luxurious dash - it’s sold in Harrods and Selfridges.
It looks stunning when you unwrap it, and at 880g it’s a weighty and generous selection.
This is definitely a gift for someone who likes their chocolate on the dark side.
We particularly liked the juicy dark chocolate amarena cherries, dark chocolate covered figs and sweet dark chocolate pears.
The gift box also includes sweet milk chocolate candied orange sticks, candied orange and lemon slices dipped in dark chocolate, pate de fruit raspberries, dark chocolate crystallised ginger sticks and dark chocolate candied orange sticks.
