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Lego Speed Champions 007 Aston Martin DB5

Guys never really outgrow Lego sets, particularly when they’re this cool. A miniature version of James Bond’s Aston Martin, this 298-piece set has the cachet of 007 without the high prices of most of Lego’s takes on exotic cars. It’s a great gift for all kinds of Lego builders, even those who haven’t built a Lego set since middle school.

[$15; amazon.com]

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 55 L

A duffel bag is a perfect blend of sentimental and practical, a way to send your son on his own adventures and make sure he’s prepared to do so. A Patagonia Black Hole is a well-known option, with recycled ripstop polyester fabric coated in a weather-resistant laminate and a water-repellent treatment. It’s the kind of bag you can take around the world when he’s old enough that’s also great for sleep-away camp while he isn’t.

[$169; rei.com]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Boys love video games and dads love sharing hobbies with sons. Enter Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the latest installment of the classic franchise that’s a thousand percent more fun when you’re playing with others in the room. It’s a great gift for sons from 8 to 40 as an introduction to the series or as a reminder of the power of a blue shell.

[$50; amazon.com]

Waterman Expert Fountain Pen

A fountain pen is an old-fashioned gift, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In an era when pens are used less and less, having a solid one to use when you do need it is a nice little indulgence to have from time to time. This Waterman model doesn’t break the bank, making it an excellent first fountain pen that still looks and writes nice enough to be an heirloom.

[$72 (was $84); amazon.com]

Brunt The Marin 8-Inch Soft Toe Boot

A good pair of daily boots is hard to find. Be your son’s hero this holiday season and give him a pair of the Brunt Marin moc toe boots as a gift for Christmas. They offer triple-layer waterproofing, built-in oil and slip resistance, and eight inches of ankle support. The full-grain leather and rubber soles give them a handsome, classic aesthetic that means they’ll look great for years, which is also how long they’ll last. Whether he’s a tradesman or just in need of a hardy boot, these are a great value.

[$169; ]

Vuori Monterey Jacket

From the brand known for putting a stamp on men’s athleisure apparel, this handsome water-repellent Vuori jacket is something of a hidden gem. It’s made with Primaloft insulation and has a water-repellent coating and classic fleece collar, so it’s definitely got the goods, materials-wise. And as for looks, it’s stylish now and would’ve been stylish in the ‘70s, so we’re pretty confident it’ll be stylish for years to come. The only downside is that once you get him hooked on Vuori, it’s hard to look back.

[$288; vuori.com]

New Balance 574 Sneakers

New Balance is the brand behind some of the finest dad shoes around, so a pair of less chunky 574s is something of a logical gift for a dad to give to their son. Available in plenty of striking colors, 574s are an uncomplicated, comfortable, classic sneaker. It’s hard to go wrong with a pair for Christmas, a birthday, or just because—there’s no such thing as sneaker season.

[$90; nordstrom.com]

Wingspan the Board Game

As new-school board games go, Wingspan is one of the most popular because it’s one of the best, boasting a 4.8-star average rating with over 4,000 sets sold this month alone. It’s a great gift for sons who are generally anti-board games and haven’t played one since Candyland. Recommended for ages 14 and up, it’s a beautifully designed game built around players competing to attract various species of birds to their wildlife sanctuaries.

[$47 (was $65); amazon.com]

Persol Steve McQueen Sunglasses

Whether you resonate more with The Great Escape or Bullitt, Steve McQueen is firmly ensconced in the dad movie canon. These polarized sunglasses capture some of that timeless movie star vibe he had, a cultural cachet that hasn’t changed much from your dad’s childhood to your son’s. They also fold down smaller than most sunglasses thanks to the hinged bridge, so they’re easy for your son to take along to his next prison escape or car chase through the streets of San Francisco.

[$164; amazon.com]

Kiehl’s Men’s Energizing Essentials Gift Set

Taking care of their skin is the kind of thing that all men could benefit from but not all men do. Get your son started on the right track with this gift set from Kiehl’s. It contains face wash, face moisturizer, and an exfoliating bar of soap, all solid upgrades over drugstore competitors.

[$43; nordstrom.com]

Leatherman Sidekick Multitool

A tool is only useful if it’s within reach. This multitool makes it easy for your son to keep 14 tools on his person. Once he’s old enough to have his own knife, it’s a useful gift for a birthday, Christmas, or a first camping trip. And because it’s made of hefty stainless steel, odds are he’ll be using it at least until he’s your age.

[$70; amazon.com]

The Ridge Wallet

Speaking of metal EDC that’ll last forever, this cleverly designed Ridge Wallet is a near-indestructible slim metal wallet. Cash slides into the exterior money clip while cards stack neatly between the two metal panels that make up the bulk of this RFID-blocking wallet. It’s something your son will carry around every day, which means it’s something of an omnipresent reminder that you love him.

[$95; amazon.com]

Monkey See Monkey Poo Game

Monkey See Monkey Poo is a good gift for young sons but is guaranteed to make even the toughest of tough guys smile as soon as they unwrap it. Made for 2-4 players, this classic catapult-based game allows players to launch banana-scented simian scat toward a tree in an attempt to knock out bananas. Rack up points for knocking out more bananas to win the game.

[$15; amazon.com]

Theragun Mini Percussion Massager

It’s hard to watch a professional sporting event without spotting a Theragun or two on the bench, lending the brand a certain cachet among sports fans and amateur athletes. Whether your son is playing high school varsity tennis, intramural soccer in college, or just getting some of the aches and pains of getting older, he’ll appreciate this compact version of the famous massager. It’s quiet, powerful, convenient, and effective.

[$140 (was $149); amazon.com]

Nike Solo Swoosh Crewneck Sweatshirt

Equally suited for athletic competition and lounging around the house, this classic, simple Nike fleece sweatshirt is guaranteed to come in handy. It’s a roomier cut everywhere but the cuffs, which cling to the body to keep heat in on cold days. The only hard decision is which of the eleven colors your son would like best.

[$90; nike.com]

Carhartt WIP Nash Denim Jacket

A denim jacket is a wardrobe staple, and this particular denim jacket from workwear stalwart Carhartt’s more fashion-forward line is built to last. The fabric is 13.5-ounce denim and the jacket is unlined, a decidedly mid-weight option that’s great as a single transitional layer and winter jacket over more warming layers. It’s a pretty timeless design with some small touches, particularly the heart logo, that make it modern enough for younger generations.

[$218; nordstrom.com]

Nocs Provisions Binoculars

Young sons will be fascinated by the sort of superpower that binoculars afford them. Older sons will love having them on hand while hiking, in the nosebleeds at a football game, or wherever else they need a better look at something far away. We tried these binoculars and came away impressed with the compact size, easy-to-grasp exterior, and waterproof and fog-proof design.

[$95; rei.com]

Belkin MagSafe 2-in-1 Charger

Free your son from a lifetime of untangling cords and fumbling around to find the business end of their charger with this wireless charger from Belkin. It has austere good looks and both a floating MagSafe charger for their iPhone and another wireless charger on the base that’s perfectly sized for a pair of AirPods. You’ll probably want to order one for yourself too.

[$89 (was $100); amazon.com]

Onsen Waffle Towels Complete Set

Good towels are the kind of everyday luxury everyone should enjoy, and these waffle towels from Onsen are some of today’s best. They’re made from extra-long-staple Supima cotton with an open weave that the brand says will dry in half the time of traditional towels. Whether for the holidays, a birthday, or just because, they’re the kind of gift pretty much anyone would enjoy.

[$150 (was $164); onsen.com]

Peak Design Mobile Car Vent Mount

Watching their sons get behind the wheel of a car for the first time is a nerve-wracking experience for any parent. This car mount keeps their hands on the road, their directions in sight, and their phone charged (for calling Mom and Dad later of course). It’s among the most secure car phone mounts we’ve ever used, an equally fantastic companion for road trips across the country and day trips across town.

[$65; amazon.com]

Tissot Classic Dream Leather Strap Watch

A watch is the kind of masculine-coded gift that fathers and sons exchange all the time. This Tissot has classic good looks and a price tag that we’d call eminently reasonable. Even if your son is all about his smartwatch, having a watch to wear while dressing up is a useful thing indeed.

[$275; nordstrom.com]

Marshall Emberton II Portable Speaker

Portable Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen, but this one truly stands out. It marries the classic look of a Marshall amplifier with a standard black and gold or, our preference, luxe cream colorway. Underneath the hood, there’s a multidirectional speaker, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and enough water resistance to protect it from sudden sprinkles or spills when used outside.

[$170; amazon.com]

Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler

Somewhat of a premium gift for adult sons, the Yeti Roadie 48 wheeled cooler is a Men’s Journal favorite and one of the most convenient pieces of outdoor gear you could have. The 48 size is perfect for tailgating, beach days, and backyard barbecues and uses its wheels and telescoping handle to run laps around most other Yeti coolers. Virtually indestructible, it can keep contents cold for at least a couple of days. It also comes with a complementary dry storage bin that nests at the top of the cooler.

[$450; yeti.com]

Topo Designs Global Jacket

Getting caught in the rain is the kind of unpleasant experience dads have the wisdom to know to avoid. Impart that wisdom upon your son with this rain jacket, a vented, stretchy number that will keep him warm and dry no matter how brutal the downpour gets. Never has a life lesson looked so stylish.

[$149; topodesigns.com]

Talking Heads 77 on Vinyl

Talking Heads’ debut album is best known for “Psycho Killer,” but the bulk of the record is buoyant pop songs that form something of a bridge from the band’s CBGB era to New Wave. If your son already sees the appeal of collecting and playing vinyl, this is a record he’s sure to treasure. If he doesn’t just yet, this is a record that could turn him into a believer.

[$24; amazon.com]

Darn Tough Close Encounters Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks

Darn Tough makes some of the best socks around. These are a merino wool, nylon, and Lycra spandex blend that will stay snug during long hikes and, like all Darn Tough socks, carry a lifetime guarantee. The design, which features the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, is the only non-serious thing about these socks because getting outside is all about having a good time after all.

[$25; rei.com]

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

The second generation of Apple’s fancier true wireless earbuds feature an updated chip for better sound quality, particularly when one of the three noise cancellation modes is activated. If your son has an iPhone but doesn’t have a pair of AirPods, they’re an obvious surefire present. But beware: the noise cancellation is so good it might help him tune you out when you ask him to take out the trash.

[$190 (was $245); amazon.com]

Carhartt Tool Bag

A favorite Carhartt accessory is this tool bag, the perfect thing to hold the various tools sons tend to accumulate (read, steal) over the years, from a screwdriver to put together IKEA furniture to a stud finder that helps them hang art in their first apartment. It comes in the classic Carhartt color, fully equipped with six exterior and 15 interior pockets and loops, tough enough and big enough to last through a lifetime of DIY projects.

[$45; amazon.com]

Global Knives 3-Piece Starter Set

Raising a kid who can cook more than just scrambled eggs is an important job for any parent, and a set of sharp knives makes cooking and learning how to cook much more enjoyable. This trio of Japanese blades—chef’s, utility, and paring knives—is a great place to start. Each knife is made of a single piece of steel, feels lightweight and well-balanced in the hand, and has a straight edge that’s sharper than the beveled edges common in Western knives.

[$180; amazon.com]

West: The American Cowboy by Anouk Krantz

A heuristic gift for sons that we like is buying them adult gifts that connect back to childhood interests. This big, beautiful coffee table book full of fine art photographs of cowboys and stark western landscapes would be a perfect gift for a son who loved horses, cowboys, and the like during his preschool years. It has the added benefit of feeling like a real adult thing to own, a subtle nudge in the direction of maturity from the person whose job it is to raise him.

[$47; amazon.com]

Drift Car Air Freshener

If your son’s car tends to have an odor—some mix of food, sweat, and car exhaust—this sleek and simple air freshener is a godsend. It’s a metal clip that attaches to a visor and a piece of wood (or stone) soaked in a fragrance that attaches via magnet. It’s a more elegant, more effective solution than hanging trees.

[$13; amazon.com]

Pendleton Bandana

Is there a more versatile accessory than a bandana? They can connote everything from Western flair or hip-hop cool and be worn as a headband, handkerchief, or around the neck. Sons will love having this Pendleton bandana, complete with a cowboy and horse, in their rotation.

[$25; amazon.com]

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

When properly maintained, a cast iron skillet will last for life. Assuming you don’t want to give your son your own skillet when he moves out, paying less than the price of a movie ticket for one of his very own is a no-brainer. For life in a dorm and/or a small apartment, he’ll be happy to have a single pan that can cook pretty much anything he might want to eat. If the cast iron skillet is one of the best gifts for your son, the Lodge’s silicone handle holder would be the best stocking stuffer.

[$19 (was $34); amazon.com]

The Internal Affairs Trilogy (The Criterion Collection)

Because there’s only so many times you can watch The Godfather as father and son, check out this trio of Hong Kong crime dramas in a special Criterion release. All three are stylish, taut thrillers that hit all the right action thriller notes. The first was even the inspiration for The Departed, another film that fathers and sons have been bonding over since its release.

[$76; amazon.com]

Topps Chrome Baseball Cards Value Box

No matter how long ago your son’s Little League days were, a fresh pack of baseball cards is a great way to reconnect over the sport. This Topps Chrome box comes with 32 cards, with chances to pull autographs, refractors, and other less-than-ordinary editions. Whether a fresh entry into the hobby or restarting a childhood tradition, it doesn’t get more classic than baseball cards.

[$38 (was $50); amazon.com]