Secret Santa Gifts for Men: Funny Gifts That Aren't Rubbish
Secret Santa Gifts for Men: Funny Gifts That Aren't Rubbish
Secret Santa sounds easy until you actually draw a name. Now you've got a bloke from work, your brother-in-law, a mate or someone you know just well enough to realise you have absolutely no idea what to buy them. There's usually a budget. There's usually a deadline. And somehow there are always a lot of mugs and novelty socks involved. Whether you call it Secret Santa or Kris Kringle, here's the goal: find something fun enough to get a reaction but useful enough that it doesn't go straight into a drawer.
What Makes a Good Secret Santa Gift for Men?
A good Secret Santa gift needs to do quite a lot for not much money. Ideally, it should be:
Useful. Something he'll actually eat, drink or use.
Interesting. Not necessarily ridiculous. Just not completely forgettable.
Easy to buy. Secret Santa shouldn't require three weeks of research.
Within budget. Turning up with a wildly expensive gift rather defeats the point.
Consumable gifts work particularly well because you don't need to know someone's clothing size, decorating style or highly specific opinion about gadgets. Food is usually safer territory.
Funny Secret Santa Gifts Don't Have to Be Useless
There's a difference between a gift that's funny and a gift whose only purpose is being funny for approximately eight seconds. Novelty presents can be great. But something that gets a laugh and gets used is better. Hot sauce fits that category surprisingly well. There's already a little bit of danger involved. Everyone can immediately understand the difference between the sensible bottle and the bottle that might make lunch considerably more interesting. And unlike the novelty mug, there's a reasonable chance it'll eventually be empty.
Secret Santa Gifts Under $30
A smaller budget doesn't mean the gift has to look like an afterthought. Good options can include locally roasted coffee, quality chocolate, spice blends, BBQ products, chilli products and other Australian-made food gifts. Or hot sauce. The Hardcore Harry Starter Pack is $24.95 with FREE SHIPPING Australia-wide, putting it neatly into a $30 Secret Santa or Kris Kringle budget. Inside are two Australian-made 150ml hot sauces with very different ideas about appropriate behaviour.
One Sensible. One Questionable.
H-01 STANDBY — Chipotle BBQ — 3/10
Smoky, savoury and approachable. Put it on burgers, steak, eggs, pizza, chicken or BBQ. This is the bottle you give someone who likes flavour without needing every meal to become a personal challenge.
H-06 LIFTOFF — Garlic Ghost Pepper — 8/10
Garlic first. Ghost pepper shortly afterwards. Considerably hotter, but still built to make food taste better rather than simply cause regret. Together they make a Secret Santa gift with a built-in question: Which one are you opening first?
Secret Santa Gifts for the Man Who Has Everything
Secret Santa becomes even harder when you've drawn someone who doesn't seem to need anything. Don't buy them more stuff simply because Christmas requires an exchange of objects. Consumables are your friend. Food. Coffee. Sauce. Chocolate. BBQ products. Something they'll enjoy, use and eventually finish. If you've drawn someone particularly difficult, our guide to gifts for the man who has everything has more ideas for dads, husbands, brothers, mates and generally unhelpful gift recipients.
Secret Santa Gifts for Foodies
Foodies are simultaneously easy and difficult to buy for. Easy because food gives you an obvious direction. Difficult because they've probably already tried quite a lot of it.
Look for something with a point of difference: an Australian producer, an unusual flavour, a chilli they've never tried or something that can become part of their cooking rather than another kitchen gadget. Hot sauce works because it isn't tied to one meal. Eggs today. Burger tomorrow. Pizza on Friday. Potentially leftovers on Saturday morning. No judgement.
Kris Kringle Gifts for BBQ Lovers
If your Secret Santa recipient spends an unreasonable amount of time standing around a barbecue, you've got options. BBQ rubs, sauces, chilli products and good ingredients all make practical gifts. H-01 STANDBY is particularly at home here. Chipotle. Smoke. BBQ. It wasn't exactly a difficult connection to make. For someone who prefers considerably more heat, H-06 can come along too.
Secret Santa Gifts for Workmates
Buying for someone at work can be tricky because you may know what they do for eight hours a day without knowing almost anything else about them. This is where simple, broadly useful gifts win. Food doesn't require sizing. It doesn't need to match their house. And unless your workplace has specific gift rules or dietary considerations, it's relatively easy to choose something based on what you've seen them eat, cook or talk about. If they're the person who keeps hot sauce in the office fridge, your research is already complete.
Secret Santa Gifts for Dads, Brothers & Mates
Sometimes you know the recipient extremely well and they're still impossible to buy for. Dad doesn't want anything. Your brother buys whatever he needs. Your mate responds to “What do you want for Christmas?” with “Dunno.” Excellent. Choose something connected to what they already enjoy. BBQ. Cooking. Chilli. Coffee. Food. Sport. Experiences. You don't need to reinvent gift giving. You just need to avoid buying another thing they'll politely thank you for and never use.
An Australian Secret Santa Gift That Gets Used
The best Secret Santa gifts aren't necessarily the weirdest or most expensive. They're the ones people actually want to take home.
The Hardcore Harry Starter Pack gives you:
H-01 STANDBY — Chipotle BBQ — 3/10
H-06 LIFTOFF — Garlic Ghost Pepper — 8/10
Two Australian-made 150ml hot sauces. Two completely different heat levels.
$24.95 with FREE SHIPPING Australia-wide.
Secret Santa sorted. Try not to look too pleased with yourself.