20 Signs He’s Husband Material

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Sylvia Smith, Author

Sylvia Smith

Expertise: Relationships advice, Pre-marriage and general

Sylvia Smith shares insights on love revitalization and conscious living. She believes purposeful actions can transform relationships into happier, healthier ones.

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Updated: 3 Aug, 2026

Table of Contents

Acceptance builds safety: When he accepts you as you are, you can dare to be authentic and deepen your connection.
Trust and open communication: When he is honest and talks through tough moments, you feel seen and safe to open your heart.
Shared values and mutual support: Aligning on core beliefs and encouraging each other's dreams helps you grow closer and feel truly seen.

Ask a million people what makes a man a good husband material, and you’ll get a million different answers. But there are a few qualities and characteristics that almost everyone wants in their future husbands, making a guy hubby material.

What are those traits, you might ask? You look at the guy you’re dating and ask yourself, ‘Is he marriage material?’ or ‘Am I with the wrong person?’ What does husband material even mean?

What does it mean to be husband material?

By definition, is someone you’d consider good enough to spend the rest of your lives together. But what makes a man good husband material? Are the qualities of a good husband learned or innate?

Well, some men take their relationships more seriously from the beginning. They don’t date to have fun and jump from one relationship to the next when things stop being fun. They put effort into their relationship to get through tough times and want to get married.

On the other hand, some guys may like having someone in their life but don’t like the idea of getting married. They might prefer a live-in relationship and can happily cohabit with their partner but don’t want to get married shortly (or ever).

While they sure have their reasons, and there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to get married, it might break your heart if you want to get married someday and already plan a wedding in your head.

So, early into the relationship, you should keep an eye out for signs if the guy is marriage material or not. A guy who doesn’t respect you or treat you well and only shows up when convenient, no matter how physically attractive he is, isn’t hubby material.

Also, it depends on what you’re looking for in a guy. Your best friend’s definition of a perfect husband might not match yours.

However, if he is mature, stable, doesn’t fear commitment, and is willing to stand on the altar(or wherever you decide to get married) with you at some point, he deserves a chance.

Related Reading: Qualities of a Good Husband

20 signs he’s husband material

What makes a good husband?

Here are 20 qualities you need to look for before saying ‘I do.’

1. He accepts you as who you are

We all have our shortcomings and quirks. If a guy knows yours and accepts them without judging you, he is a catch.

You’ll feel comfortable in your skin when you’re with him. Because he loves and respects you for who you truly are.

Related Reading: Developing Acceptance Skills in a Relationship

2. He inspires you to be the best version of yourself

While he loves you for who you are and doesn’t want you to change, being with him makes you want to be a better ‘you’ every day.

He wants you to pursue your wildest dreams, break your bad habits, and maintain the healthy lifestyle you’ve always wanted.

He pushes you to go the extra mile for your own good. The way he lives his own life and treats you makes you want to do the same for him.

Related Reading: Ways to Bring Your Best Self to Your Relationship

3. He’s trustworthy

Cheerful African Friends Having Fun at Day on Blue Ocean Background

Trust is the bedrock of a marriage or any relationship, for that matter. If you’re with a guy who happens to stick to his words, doesn’t lie or hide things from you, and makes you wonder if his feelings for you are honest, he is a keeper.

Just as Christiana Njoku identified in her article ‘What Women Want from Men’:

Any man that shows himself as being honest and straightforward in his dealings with others, automatically becomes more appealing and desirable to a woman. If a man is dependable, truthful, genuine, and speaks from the heart, no woman would want to stay away from such a man, because he and his words can be trusted.

These can be signs of a good man to marry. With a trustworthy guy like him, you don’t have to worry about his whereabouts when he is out because you can trust him.

Trust is a two-way street, and a trustworthy guy knows that he can trust you too.

Also Try: Can I Trust Him Quiz

4. He shares similar core values as you

Having similar core values is essential because those values define who you truly are. For a happy and healthy married life, it’s crucial that the guy you’re thinking of marrying shares the same vision of the future, values, moral code, and lifestyle as you.

Do you both want to settle down and get married? Does he feel the same way about having children? If he is on the same page about these important life decisions, it’s one of the signs of a good man to marry.

Related Reading: Core Relationship Values Every Couple Must Have

5. He thinks the world of you

A guy who is husband material can’t stop talking about you to his friends and family. He genuinely thinks you’re an incredibly talented human being who makes him happy, and he wants everyone to know that.

6. He is emotionally mature

Emotional maturity is very important, and you should add this quality to your husband’s material checklist when you’re looking for a husband to marry. Check if he can own his mistakes and apologize when he is wrong.

If a guy is emotionally mature who can deal with his emotions constructively, and take responsibility for his actions, he will make a suitable husband. He respects your boundaries and knows how to deal with any relationship issues effectively.

7. He makes you feel seen and heard

A guy who is looking for commitment isn’t always busy with himself. He pays attention to you and actively listens to you. You can talk to him about your fear, insecurities, and challenges without the fear of being judged.

It’s important to have a partner who is empathetic and validates your feelings instead of discounting them.

8. He is financially responsible

Relaxed Attractive Businessman Undoing Tie and Working in Modern Office

Money habits are something very important to consider before deciding to spend the rest of your lives together. Financial issues are one of the top causes of a failed marriage.

So, while you’re wondering what makes a good husband, look at how he spends his money, how much debt he has, and what his credit score looks like.

It’s not a dealbreaker if he still hasn’t paid off his student loans yet, as long as he has a plan in place and doesn’t hide anything from you.

9. He has a great sense of humor

What does a woman want in a husband? The ability to make her laugh is one of the most desired traits in the list of qualities women want in their partners.

Another thing a woman wants in a relationship, according to Christiana Njoku, is humor. She says,

A man who is humorous, is a lively, funny, playful and happy man. Any man who exhibits this kind of life, no woman can resist him, because being with that man is like being in a safe haven. ⁣

If she finds being around you to be fun-filled, and she feels the liveliness in you to be something that transcends her heart, thereby making her laugh, even in her low moments, be rest assured, she would be attracted to you.

A study shows that a sense of humor comes before physical appearance when women look for partners on dating websites.

It’s important to marry a guy who gets your jokes and can make you laugh at his ones.

A good husband doesn’t mind being silly around you and can lighten your mood when you’re feeling down.

He is good company, and you can enjoy doing even the most mundane things when you’re with him.

10. He is independent

He doesn’t need to be a millionaire or have a fancy place to be husband material. However, It’s important that he has a place of his own and can pay his bills without depending on you or anyone for that matter.

If he’s still living with his parents and doesn’t plan to move out any time soon, he needs to step up his game.

Related Reading: Why Is It Important to Be Independent in a Relationship?

11. He has an adventurous spirit

He doesn’t mind spending the weekend watching old movies with you. But, he is also open to trying out new things with you.

You’ve got something on your bucket list that scares him? He may put his fears aside and do it with you to experience a new thing with you.

12. He is ready to do anything for you

However trite or cliched it may sound, a guy who is hubby material is willing to do everything in his power to make sure you’re happy.

He knows relationships require hard work and is ready to put in the effort even when it’s not convenient and easy.

If you’re sick, not feeling your best, had a bad day at work, he’ll be there to take care of you and cheer you up. He’ll be there because your physical and mental well-being is at the top of his priority list.

13. He can communicate with you even when it’s hard

If you’re dating a husband material, conflicts and disagreements will still be there, but they won’t take an ugly turn because he knows how to resolve arguments healthily.

A man who doesn’t try to put off a difficult conversation and knows how to discuss to reach a middle ground is someone who’ll make a great husband.

14. He treats your friends and family well

He will try to accept and get along with anybody who matters to you because he wants you to be happy. He might not see eye to eye with some of your friends or family members but will put aside his differences and still treat them well.

Chances are, with time, he might even win their hearts and fit into your social circle.

15. He considers you as an equal partner

He respects your thoughts, ideas, interests and makes sure to consider your opinion before making any decision in the relationship. He doesn’t want to hold all the power and tries to keep a balance.

Be it a big decision like where you want to buy a house or a small one like what to order for dinner, he asks for your input and values them.

He also tries to treat you as an equal partner in bed and cares about your sexual likes and dislikes.

Related Reading: What Exactly is an Equal Relationship

16. He pushes you to reach your goals

A Helping Hand, Businessman Climbing the Career Steps Drawn on a Black Chalkboard

He is supportive of your career and always cheers you on. He doesn’t feel jealous or insecure when you achieve something. He genuinely gets happy and celebrates your win with a proud smile on his face.

Not only does he try his best to share household chores, but he also takes things off your list so that you can concentrate on work.

He motivates you and is always there to give you a pep talk whenever necessary.

17. He is consistent

A guy shouldn’t be considered marriage material if you can’t depend on him.

If he has been consistent throughout the time you’ve been together, which makes you comfortable enough to rely on him, he is marriage material.

18. He knows what he wants in life and goes for it

We all have lots of ideas and plans in our life. If the guy you’re dating not only has goals and plans but is also working hard to execute them, he may be the one.

He knows where he wants to be in a few years and doesn’t mind going the extra mile for that.

And when he talks about the future, he includes you in it.

19. He is brave enough to be vulnerable with you

Being vulnerable in a relationship means letting your partner see you without reservation. If a guy is ready for commitment, he’ll open up to you.

He’ll allow you to know his feelings, deepest desires, and worst fears because he knows how critical vulnerability is to build trust in the relationship.

20. He is ready to get married

Even if a guy has all the qualities that make a man good husband material, none of them would matter if he isn’t willing to take the relationship to the next level, aka marry you.

Maybe he is just starting in his career, struggling to manage finances, or recently got out of a bad relationship.

For whatever reason, if he is not ready to get married, he isn’t husband material. So, when you’re considering the traits to look for in a man before marrying him, figure out if he wants to settle down.

His actions will speak for themselves, and you’ll know for sure if he thinks you’re the one.

Are you still confused? Take this marriage material quiz to be more confident if the guy you’re dating is marriage material.

Related Reading: Qualities of a Good Man That Every Woman Wants

Conclusion

Marriage is undoubtedly a big step, and you want to make sure you’re marrying the right person. When you’re looking for a guy to spend the rest of your life together, it’s important to look beyond appearance.

While physical attractiveness might draw you closer to someone initially, it’s their personality and character traits that will make them a good husband.

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Sylvia Smith Author

Sylvia Smith loves to share insights on how couples can revitalize their love lives in and out of the bedroom. As a writer at Marriage.com, she is a big believer in living consciously and encourages couples to adopt this principle... Read more in their lives too. Sylvia believes that every couple can transform their relationship into a happier, healthier one by taking purposeful and wholehearted action. Read less