Christmas Gifts for Your Boyfriend: 9 Ideas from Projector to Fragrance

What to look for: Check which of his games offer local co-op or split screen. To pair the new controller, Sony says to connect it to the PS5 with a USB cable while the console is on, then press the PS button. [4]

What to look for: For an engraved set you type the text when you order, for example his initials or a date you both remember. Check every letter before you place the order. Personalised items, such as a glass with a name on it, usually fall outside the right to cancel an online order, says the German consumer advice centre Verbraucherzentrale. [5]

What to look for: Check the number of players in the description. For the music card game Hitster you need a smartphone with a camera, a speaker and internet access, says the maker. Without a paid streaming account Hitster plays only short clips of each song. [6]

What to look for: Measure a chain he already owns and compare the length with the product description. The jeweller Heideman advises taking steel jewellery off before a bath or a swim. If he has a nickel allergy, talk to him first. According to a 2008 statement from Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, common grades of stainless steel contain nickel, and some people with the allergy react even below the legal limit. [7, 8]

What to look for: A scent strip gives only a rough idea of a new fragrance. A fragrance smells different on each person, the VKI wrote in 2003. If he is allergic to fragrance ingredients, read the ingredient list. Since August 2026, says Germany's consumer safety office BVL, the list must name up to 80 fragrance allergens instead of 24 whenever one makes up more than 0.001 per cent of a perfume. Bottles released before August 2026 may still be sold with the old label until the end of August 2028. [10, 11]