The best cologne gifts for dad

Why it lands: it is a smart, understated designer bottle from a brand dads already associate with pens and watches, and it smells like a man who has his life together. Who it suits: almost any father, which is the point - our Montblanc Legend review calls it the most broadly acceptable designer fragrance made. Check first: the live price against the list price on the same page. This bottle is discounted often enough that paying full price is rarely necessary.

Why it lands: for a man who was buying cologne in the late 1990s, this is the bottle - it is our best-of-all-time winner and it has never gone out of style. Who it suits: a dad who dresses cleanly and dislikes anything sweet or loud. Check first: his shelf, and the bottle size on the listing. The Acqua di Gio review explains why it still holds up and where the current version is softer than he may remember.

Why it lands: it gives a man who has worn the same fresh bottle for fifteen years something recognizably better in the same lane, without asking him to change who he is - it is our fresh-scent winner. Who it suits: a dad with a job that has meetings. Check first: that you are buying Carbon, not one of the other Luna Rossa bottles on the same listing; the Luna Rossa Carbon review separates them.

Why it lands: the brand is one dads trust, the bottle is big enough to feel generous, and the scent is the definition of inoffensive. Who it suits: a conservative man - our Polo Blue review calls it the least risky fragrance you can wear to a job interview. Check first: the concentration. Polo Blue exists as an EDT, an EDP and a Parfum and they do not smell identical; the EDT is the classic and the one we link.

Why it lands: a bottle he wore at twenty-five, reappearing at Christmas, is a present about him rather than about fragrance - and that is a good present. Who it suits: a dad who has said the words "I used to wear Cool Water." Check first: that he actually did. The Cool Water review is honest that today's version is softer than the one he remembers, so pair it with a card, not with expectations.

Sauvage is our best overall pick and a fine present for a partner or a brother; for a father, we would think twice. It is worn heavily by men in their twenties, it is loud, and it is the bottle least likely to feel chosen for him specifically. If he has asked for it, buy it - the Dior Sauvage review is positive. If you are guessing, one of the quieter classics above is the better guess.

Why it lands: some dads simply will not wear a designer bottle, and a warm, quiet scent from the shaving aisle is the one they will actually reach for. Who it suits: a practical man who owns one razor and one deodorant. Check first: the scent variant - the Reserve Collection comes in more than one scent, and the bourbon-and-oak one is what we link and review. Our Cremo Reserve review is candid that it is competent rather than special.