W hether you have been together for years, just made it official, or maybe you’re just shopping for your brother, one thing remains certain: he is going to claim he doesn’t need anything . The special guys in our lives often default to what they’ve always used and loved, from threadbare T-shirts to melted spatulas.

This season, give him the gift of novelty. Introduce him to a new gadget he hasn’t thought of for his man-cave (yes, our respondents still have those). Show him that it’s OK to cry with a personalized keepsake commemorating your shared history. Introduce a little color into his life if his year has been a bit bleak.

We tapped several guys to hear about the unexpected gifts they now couldn’t live without – and we heard from some of the givers, too. From headphones to keep

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