Knowing what the best, most useful gifts for police officers are can be tricky if you’re not a police officer yourself. This is the ultimate list of the gifts your police officer will appreciate most!
I know it’s still a smidge early to be talking about Christmas, but I personally start thinking about Christmas way earlier than December. To be honest, since most of my gifts are handmade, I start the planning process around December 26th each year.
But I wanted to help you guys out in case you’re not sure what to get your husband this year. I know gift giving for men can be hard, but I think giving things to a police officer, you have a small advantage because there are certain things you know he’ll love and use regularly.
Note: if you’re more into DIY gifts, be sure to check out this post for super-easy (but useful and fun) ideas!
The Best Thoughtful and Practical Gifts for Police Officers
Handcuffs
You can’t really go wrong with handcuffs, since they’re sure to be used a lot.
My husband has always been a fan of Handcuff Warehouse for handcuffs, since they consistently carry the ones he likes best: Peerless Superlite Aluminum Cuffs. As the name implies, they’re incredibly light, and they make a great gift you can have them engraved, either with your officer’s name or with something about the event they were given for.
They come in lots of colors, too. They have the normal ones like black and silver, plus they have four color coated options that I’m kind of in love with. They’re about $40 each plus $3 if you choose to get them engraved.
We actually got these a few months ago for as a police academy graduation gift for a friend of ours. We were just going to get the handcuffs, but it came to about $43, and shipping is free over $50. So we added an engraved handcuff key arguably “for free”, since we didn’t have to pay for shipping anymore. It ended up being a great gift set (especially combined with a batch of thin blue line cake balls ;))
But even if your husband isn’t a fan of the superlight cuffs, Handcuff Warehouse has tons of options, so they’re bound to have something that’ll make a great gift for your police officer!
And if you’re ever bored, it’s kind of an entertaining website to look through – like the “no shank” stuff. What a strange world LEOs live in.
Concealed Carry Gear
If your husband is anything like mine, he (still!) won’t step foot outside the house if he’s not packing, so comfortable concealed carry gear for everyday carry is a necessity. While I don’t think I’d buy a fitted-type holster for him (too much room to buy something he hates if I don’t know precisely what he’s looking for!), these concealed carry shorts from Undertech Undercover are pretty easy to gift.
Side note: They’re actually the men’s version of the ones I reviewed a few weeks ago, and I loved those.
The awesome thing about these is that they’re perfect to wear when your husband goes for a run. They can be worn on their own, or, for a little more modesty (or comfort, whatever term you want to use), he can layer gym shorts over the top.
Either way, they’re a great way to securely conceal a firearm when it’d normally be difficult, and therefore a great gift idea for a police officer!
They come in both black and white, and are available here for $60.
Heavy-Duty Phone Case
I still remember when my husband mentioned he’d like to upgrade from his crappy flip phone to a smart phone, I couldn’t help but cringe. He’s infamously hard on phones. He once broke 3 phones in a week when he was doing construction work. I mean, they were flip phones, but the track record is still not so hot.
So I told him we could totally get him a smart phone, but he had to have some sort of awesomely protective phone case to go with it. That’s when we discovered Lifeproof.
I have to say, these cases are freaking awesome. He’s destroyed the cases with use before, but the phone inside? It stayed in pristine condition, even after two years.
It’s waterproof, sandproof, dustproof – basically, everything-proof. So if you’re the mom of small children, it might also be a good investment for you, because it’ll protect against your phone being tossed in the toilet or bathtub or sandbox (all of which have happened to me, with no damage to my phone – win!)
Plus, you can take advantage of its waterproof-ness to take pictures under water, which is fun in the summer!
But really, a case like this is great gift idea for people who tend to get dirty, slam into stuff, and can’t be worrying about their phone constantly. You know, like a cop 🙂
You can get Lifeproof cases here, and they start at about $60. I’d recommend buying them from the official Lifeproof website even if you find them cheaper elsewhere, because there are a lot of substandard knockoffs out there and it’s hard to know you’re not being duped.
Lunch Packing Supplies
I’ll admit: this doesn’t seem like the most exciting gift in the world. But for police officers – especially patrol officers! – it can be hard to find the time to grab a bite to eat. And by the time you do, it’s sucky to have cold food that’s supposed to be hot (or vice versa.)
Plus, this gift can help your husband eat better, because if he has awesome lunch-packing “equipment” he can use to have a lunch he actually enjoys, he doesn’t have to go through the drive-through as often. And health benefits aside, packing your lunch saves a ton of money – so that’s a nice plus 😉
And if you want to make this gift more exciting, you can always stuff any of these full of candy or another gift you think he’d like 😉
Some ideas:
- YETI Rambler Stainless Steel Bottle: These are the best thermos/drink container on the market. It can keep drinks hot or cold all day long, which makes it incredibly useful year-round. By the way, even though these are available on Amazon, it’s another product that unfortunately gets knocked off a lot – I’d feel safer buying from the YETI website myself.
- Crock Pot Lunch Warmer: This small crock pot is perfect for keeping food warm or warming it up sans microwave. You could even get a cigarette lighter adapter so your officer can have it plugged in in his patrol car, if that’s something you think he’d like!
- Insulated Lunch Bag: While there are lots of insulated lunch bags out there, this one has lots of great reviews. It’s insulated to keep food warm or cold for hours (great to pair with the YETI ;)) and it’s even freezer safe, meaning you can freeze it to help it keep food even colder during the summer.
- Bento Lunch Box Containers: These are great used with an insulated lunch bag. I bought this set a few weeks ago for us to use, and it’s been great for packing lunches for all of us.
Gear Storage Rack
When your husband comes home from work, how fast is your bathroom counter covered in gear? Sure, you probably have a secure place for his service weapon, but the rest of it… well, if you’re like a lot of police wives, you’re probablt in need of a better storage solution.
Enter Warrior Rack.
The guys who created these noticed there were no all-in-one gear storage solutions on the market and wanted to fill that gap, so they created their own. And they nailed it!
One of these racks would be a welcome gift, as they’re ridiculously useful, and not just because they’ll reduce arguments over the clutter 😉 Having a specific place for gear to be stored also means fewer last minute scrambles trying to find part of his uniform. That will make everyone happier.
They have both free-standing and wall-mounted racks (like the one pictured), and lots of different styles to choose from with customization options, so definitely check it out!
Language Learning Software
Being able to speak a second language is incredibly useful, regardless of where you live. Overcoming language barriers is an asset in policing especially, whether you’re talking to a victim or a perpetrator. It also helps you understand the culture they’re from, which can help you connect with them better.
There are so many different options for learning a foreign language now, which is awesome, but can, of course, be pretty overwhelming. I’ll share a few that I’ve liked. And since Spanish is going to be probably the most useful in the US (depending on where you live, of course), I’m going to share mostly Spanish ones (but if you ever want to learn Japanese, hit me up!)
Thin Blue Line Gear
Even when your LEO isn’t in his uniform, he’s still a cop, through and through. Any wife who’s been asked to move so her husband can have the better tactical spot can attest to this. So why not give him a gift that allows him to show off that pride every day?
Thin Blue Line USA is by far my favorite source for blue line clothing. They have t-shirts, sweatshirts, ties, silicon bracelets, and even wedding rings (I wrote a little about their rings here, if you’re curious). Besides their awesome selection, they’re also an extremely charitable company that supports lots of different LEO-affiliated organizations, like C.O.P.S. I love supporting companies who truly stand behind their beliefs!
Pictured: “Remember” Hoodie – Thin Blue Line Flag Hat – Sheepdog T-Shirt
You can also find blue line style watches on Amazon, like the G-Shock in the picture. It’s awesome for everyday use because it’s shock-, magnet-, and water-resistant (meaning it’s unlikely to get broken during a scuffle on shift), and it just looks cool, IMO. It’s a classic gift with a bit of a twist.
Regardless, thin blue line gear is sure to be appreciated.
Other Novelty Gifts
While this list is all about practical gifts, there’s still room for some novelty gift ideas for your officer. And the best part is, these are all incredibly useful, too! They’d be especially great for stocking stuffers, or even just small surprise gifts throughout the year.
- A set of pens specifically for lending to others: My husband is extremely territorial about his nice pens. If he’s forced to let someone borrow one of his Zebras, he watches them like a hawk until he gets it back. So a set of pens specifically for lending would be well-received by him 🙂 And these are hilarious!
- A gun-shaped USB drive. I got my husband a USB drive like this last year, and he got such a kick out of it. It’s been super useful, too! And yes, people still use USB drives – in case you had your doubts 😉
- A Leatherman multi-tool. Cops are like giant boy scouts: freakishly prepared for everything, ever. So having a tool that can do a million different things? Totally up their alley. This one is awesome – it has 17 different tools, including a knife, a can opener, a saw, a screwdriver, pliers, and a bottle opener.
- I also found this cool pocket survival tool: it has 11 different functions, fits in your wallet, and is under $5. Perfect for a fun stocking stuffer!
- I got this badge-shaped bottle opener for my husband for Christmas a few years ago, and it remains probably the most used gift I’ve ever given him. And it’s held up extremely well over the years! Even with a toddler who steals it regularly now. So it’s a great gift idea for any police officer!
RELATED POSTS:
- 12 Tactical Stocking Stuffers That Will Make Your Officer’s Christmas
- 13 Surprisingly Simple DIY Christmas Gifts for Police Officers
- 18 Christmas Open When Letter Ideas for Police Officers
What’s your favorite part of Christmas?
Becca says
The pens and the Spotify subscription are awesome ideas!
Leah says
Thank you! 🙂
Angela Adams says
Check out the book “bullet proof marriage”. It is the best gift for a police officer and wife that I can think of.