Valentine's Day 2017: Gifts to buy for him

Prestat truffles (185g) - £19.50 - prestat.co.uk

4/5

This box of truffles came packaged in a stunning pink heart-shaped container - and were one of the most delicious truffles I've ever tasted.

Milk Walnut Marzipan was my favourite out of the bunch. The Dark Ginger Hunk caught me out when I was looking for a dark chocolate truffle, as I wasn't looking properly on a car journey, the huge piece of ginger inside took me by complete surprise - and, I'm afraid, disgust... Though this is only due to personal taste.

The fruity chocolates were delicious too - and I'm not usually one to even take a glance at fruity choccies in other collections.

Prestat's chocolates are, in fact, so good that even Roald Dahl mentioned them in his writing. In his adult novel My Uncle Oswald, the titular character discovers the world's most powerful aphrodisiac, and infuses it into Prestat truffles. He referred to Prestat as 'the great chocolatiers of Oxford Street', and in his autobiographical recipe book, wrote 'I also adore so-called truffles as Prestat makes them'.

What better present could you buy for Valentine's Day? After trying these, normal boxed chocolates don't even compare.

Armani Exchange black leather watch - £129 from www.watches2u.com

5 out of 5

This stunning designer watch is an ideal gift for men of all ages, given its sophisticated, masculine design.

It has a soft, black leather strap, which fastens with a buckle, and an attractive stainless steel watch head frames the face.

Measuring 46mm in size, the watch head is undeniably masculine, without being too large or overbearing. It's also lightweight, making it ideal for daytime or nighttime wear - though it is dressy, so perhaps only really suitable for work if you wear a suit.

Its face is made up of a black background and a silver bar across the middle, bearing the words Armani Exchange. Silver hands and silver markings around the outside make the watch eye-catching, while remaining suave and understated.

A really stunning, high-quality present worth every penny.

The Man Package - £32 from www.dontbuyherflowers.com

2 out of 5

These gift sets are great for someone you've not long met. Not overly personal, and containing a customisable range of goodies - from magazines, to socks, beers, coffee and chocolate. This gift is ideal if you're not sure of someone's tastes just yet.

The package we sampled included a copy of GQ Magazine, a Tray Bakes biscuit tiffin bar, a pair of purple and blue Scott-Nichol socks, a packet of Mexican sweet chilli nuts from Mr Filbert's and Rave 'The Italian Job' coffee.

Different flavoured nuts can be included, or different coloured socks. You can also choose from a range of magazines and add beer, tea or coffee. Beard oil can also be added.

In my opinion, more than £30 for our box did, however, seem steep for its contents.

Scuderia Ferrari iPhone cover with fragrance (also available in black) - £30 from www.boots.com

4 out of 5

This inventive phone case is great for guys on the go - particularly if they are car fans.

Designed for the iPhone 6 and 6s, this cover comes in both black and Ferrari red - a colour, Boots says, is the colour of success. I don't know about that, but the red case is certainly striking and is made of a lovely smooth material. It also carries a yellow Ferrari emblem, which prevents the phone from slipping when on hard surfaces.

The cover comes with two 25ml containers of Ferrari Red or Ferrari Black cologne - one which sits inside the case, another for refill.

The Ferrari Red scent is lovely too - fresh and citrusy, while maintaining its masculinity with base notes of sandalwood and musk.

Though this is great value for money at £30, I would have liked the scent to remain on the skin for longer.

Fire basket - £139.99 from www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk

3.5 out 5

My other half absolutely loves building fires and, as a couple, one of our favourite things is watching the sun go down on a warm evening in the garden with our chiminea burning away beside us until the early hours .

With this in mind, he had talked about digging a fire pit in the back garden - something I wasn't overly keen on the idea of.

So, when I saw this for him I thought it would be perfect. I wasn't wrong, and he certainly wasn't disappointed

He spent a few hours burning a tree he cut down and cardboard waste from when we moved into our house, he filled the large basket to the top and at some points higher so the flames were furiously shooting up taller than either of us. Once he'd burnt everything in sight inside his new toy (ie. was told enough is enough before the neighbours started complaining or called the fire brigade), he emptied it of ash - and the product looked good as new.

Though the moon and stars design is lovely when no fire is burning, the ash covers and blocks them when it is; meaning you can't really see them as well as we'd hoped, but with a traditional coal and wood fire you probably would. We've not used it at nighttime though, admittedly, so it could be a completely different experience in the dark.

Our only complaint was that the large poker which came with the basket began to bend in the middle almost straight away when it was used to stoke the fire.

The set also comes with a top and a grill tray, meaning it can be used as a barbecue.It does come with a cover, meaning it can be left outside (handy as it's so large). Our was ripped, unfortunately, but I believe this must have been due to a fault.

We would buy this product again.

Gillette Fusion ProShield Chill razor - £12 - Amazon or Superdrug via a Gillette Club subscription

4 out of 5

My other half has very sensitive skin, and so can be left with horrendous red, sore patches after shaving.

As a result, he's very picky when it comes to razors, but said this was excellent - and that he had no cuts and little to no rash from it. He did, however use a moisturiser afterwards and would recommend that you do too.

The razor itself was very well made for the money, so is great value.

The blade did appear to have lost some of its sharpness after he had used it - but he did use it to shave an entire beard off.

The only complaint we had here was the cost of the replacement blades - which, £25.99 for six (RRP), seems very steep when you only really get one use on a thick beard or heavy stubble.

Multi tool Leatherman Wingman - £49.95 from leatherman.co.uk

5 out of 5

25 year warranty and engraving service. Very sturdy and comfortable to hold, both closed and whenever you are using one of the tools which include pliers, 420HC stainless steel knife with a slightly serrated section at the bottom, scissors, package cutter, small ruler, bottle opener, wood/metal file, phillips screwdriver and medium and small flat headed screwdriver.

On a lot of previous multi tools I have used in the past the pliers have been the weak point and have often broken when trying to grasp something tightly, but having used these on a very stuck radiator valve I can vouch that they are not only comfortable to use, but there is little give or flex which gives you confidence that should you need to grip tighter you can without risk of them snapping and crushing your thumb/fingers or both (speaking from experience), other multi tools I have used in the past leave a nasty indentation in your palm which can get quite painful but the wingman is very comfortable because the edges have been nicely folded over. The box cutter tool is particularly sharp which I found out to my cost after foolishly running my finger across the edge of it. The bottle opener is nice and sturdy and does as advertised. The knife is of a high quality and sharp which is nice as they don't often come with much of an edge and are of little use after a short while. The scissors tool is well made, which is great. I've only used them so far on everyday items like paper or light plastic packaging, I did however test them out on a thick cardboard box and was very impressed with how well they coped, cutting their way through with relative ease and without jamming up. The wingman does have a nice big clip on it meaning it can be attached somewhere that is easy to access saving you from having to fumble about in your pockets when you really need it.

Godiva Buffet de Gâteaux chocolates (9pc) - £15 - godivachocolates.co.uk

2 out of 5

Sachertorte Chocolate were my personal favourites out of the five flavours however with quite the steep price tag none really stood out as exceptional. I saved the Strawberry Shortcake for last as you only get one. I wasn't overly impressed, as the flavors seemed to blend together. The Lemon Cheesecake chocolate was much the same - nice and zesty, but lacking individuality and - much to my dismay - biscuit.

These chocolates have been designed to be like miniature cakes, but in reality were nothing more than average chocolates.

The box, however, was stunning - making it a very attractive gift. The Buffet de Gâteaux's striking packaging was designed by the American artist, Sarajo Friden.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche De Toilette (30ml) and shower gel (50ml) giftset - £29 from www.beautybase.com

4 out of 5

This gift set is instantly stunning, thanks to its attractive, eye-catching box - as would be expected from top designers Versace.

Unlike many of its muskier counterparts, this cologne is light, fresh and citrusy, carrying notes such as neroli and black pepper. It also has notes of saffron, cardamom and tobacco, adding a slightly spicy feel the already masculine scent.

The fragrance - though perhaps better for use during the day, as it is such a light scent - stays on the skin/ clothes well too, making the set good value for money.

It comes with a shower gel, which bears the same scent - a lovely addition to the already energising cologne.

A delightful, attractive gift - ideal for men of all ages - and fab value for money.

My only complaint is that the cologne was a little too light and zesty for my liking - but that is most certainly down to personal taste.

Deejo knife - £18.95-£35.95 - from my.deejo.fr

5 out of 5

We absolutely adore this as a gift idea - not just because their knives look tremendously cool, but because they are completely customisable, from the material the knife is made from, through to the handle, size and decorations.

They are ordered from a French website - http://my.deejo.fr/ - which is a slick, highly-attractive interactive site that allows the customer to make an array of changes to the knife, while viewing it from all 360 degrees.

A range of customisable options are available on the knife - from the finishing (available in mirror, grey titanium or black titanium), while the handle can be plain, coloured, wooden or carbon fiber - there is a variety of woods and colours to choose from.

A pattern or design - from trees, to skulls, to motorbikes, feathers and much more - can be chosen for the blade, while additional text (perhaps your Valentine's name) can be added to the handle.

The weight can also be changed - from 15g to 37g.

For any men who like the great outdoors or DIY, this super-personal gift is wonderful. A superb present and something completely unique.

The knife itself doesn't feel massively sturdy, however, so take care when using. This would be ideal for display also.

It comes in an attractive black box, complete with a small drawstring bag in which to keep the knife too.

Leatherman tread - £139.95 to £189.95 from leatherman.co.uk

5 out of 5

It can be so difficult to find jewellery for men, which is both high quality and masculine. But this bracelet - in my view - truly has it all. And my other half loves it.

The Leatherman Tread bracelet is nothing like I'd ever seen before - a stunning piece of sturdy, corrosion resistant stainless steel jewellery, with customisable links - each of which is a different tool to use on the go. Options on the links included range from screwdriver heads, to box wrenches, square drives, hex drives, cutting hooks, sim card picks, and carbide glass breakers.

As it is made of links, it is easily customisable in terms of size too - so don't fear, it will fit whoever you buy it for. It is heavy, so do make sure you have it adjusted to the right size, or the links could catch your skin.

Though it is essentially made up of tools, this bracelet still looks really smart - and would be suitable for both daytime and evening wear.

Quite probably our top pick of the guide. Worth every penny.

Groove-e Classic Vinyl Record Player with FM Radio - £59.99 from Tesco, Amazon and www.prezzybox.com

5 out of 5

The rise of vinyl records comes hand in hand with the need of a record player - and Groove-e put a modern twist on the classic model.

The player not only looks the part with it's vintage theme but it is also capable of a manner of musical tasks that bring it straight into the modern world.

It can play all sizes of vinyl and also has the capability to convert vinyl to digital files with ease and with exceptional playback quality - no longer will you need to buy your favourite records on different formats, all you need is this record player.

If that wasn't enough, it also comes with an auto-stop feature for your records as well as a built in FM Radio, speaker and headphone socket.

An absolute must have gift for music lovers who love other music lovers - the Groove-e classic Vinyl Record Player with FM Radio combines all of your musical needs in one compact, easy to use item.

Sex on Earth: A Journey Through Nature's Most Intimate Moments by Jules Howard - £9.99 from The Natural History Museum Gift Shop

4 out of 5

Ever wondered all about the sex lives of the creatures that we co-inhabit this Earth with? No? Me either, but Sex on Earth is the perfect light-hearted read that is also educational.

Author Jules Howard takes us on a journey of sexual discovery - from the surprisingly active sex life of Pandas, prehistoric heavy petting, the smutty side of science and every weird encounter in between.

Howard blends zoological facts with tongue-in-cheek humour and a colloquial tone that sucks the reader in from the first dirty giggle.

The book is instantly endearing and accessible as he explains complicated zoological and scientific formula in common terms with no patronising tone in sight - it is evident he clearly just wants to share his love, and the love life of other animals, with all.

Cucumber Premium Dry Gin by The English Drinks Company - £35.95 from www.englishdrinkscompany.co.uk - OVER 18'S ONLY

4 out of 5

I am also on the hunt for a brand new, delectable gin and I found it in the crisp and sharp cucumber premium dry gin from Tanners Wines.

It mixes the subtle and fresh flavour of cucumber with the faint taste of juniper, various spices and citrus notes for a taste to really excite the tastebuds.

It has a dry and refreshing aftertaste that doesn't have the familiar chemical burn and stickiness that go hand in hand with some flavoured spirits.

It's not one to be diluted by mixers this one is better served with sliced fruit and ice to truly appreciate and accentuate the flavours - as they can get lost when mixed with heavy soft drinks.

Zippo Bifold Wallet - £24.90 from www.whitbyandco.co.uk

4 out of 5

Tough, long-lasting and oodles of space - that is the basics we all look for in a quality wallet and that is exactly what Zippo deliver with their stylish bifold wallet.

Made with simple, soft leather with only their logo as design, by it's feel you could be tricked into thinking that this is a wallet that is not built to last.

I gifted with wallet to my partner - someone who has gone through numerous wallets in the time we have been together and I am pleased to say that this one stays intact. The soft leather means it moves and stretches against your body as it lies in your pockets for comfort.

It contains two separate spaces for notes, numerous card slots and a clear plastic divider for a driving license.

My only criticism of this product would be that their is no zip on their compartment for coins, it would be easy for coins to slip out of this wallet if you removed it from your pocket with any sudden movement.

Despite this, Zippo's bifold wallet is a hardy offering that offers numerous storage opportunities in a compact and flexible packaging.

Godminster Heart to Heart Gift Pack - £17.45 from www.godminster.com

4 out of 5

Some gifts for Valentine's Day are a little bit cheesy - but none more than the Heart to Heart gift pack from Godminster.

The pack lovingly combines vintage organic cheddar and organic brie shaped as hearts in their very own unique gift box.

Left to age the flavours of these cheeses will blow your mind - they champion a creamy texture with a strong aroma and flavour both sweet and savoury, overpowering the senses.

Perfect with crackers, in a toastie or cooked into a hearty meal - you won't be able to stop eating these cheeses even once Valentine's Day has passed.

Upgrades are available for these gift boxes including different handmade chutneys and jams to personalise your gift.

Be cheesy this Valentine's Day for the right reasons with this gift perfect for food lovers.

By Kirsten Rawlins and Becci Stanley