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There’s no one-size-fits-all gift for dads. There are dads who are more tech-savvy than their kids, dads who watch the forecast for golf weather, and dads who will cross state lines for a rare beer. We’ve come up with the best gifts for dads of any stripe and put together the following list of 53 options, many of which we’ve tried and loved ourselves, or are recommendations from the cool dads we’ve talked to over the years. (We’ve done the same digging to find great gifts for moms, too, in case you’re looking.) To make it even easier to shop this list, we’ve arranged the items by price, from an inexpensive, ingenious lawn-raking tool to a splurge-y cannabis infuser.
Gifts under $25
For the dad with sweaty feet
According to us, cool people, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Darn Tough sells some of the best wool socks out there. They’re made in Vermont and come with a lifetime guarantee.
For the dad with a grout vendetta
Strategist editor Maxine Builder calls the Drillbrush — a brush attachment for your power drill — the best thing that ever happened to her shower: “The drill did all the hard work, scrubbing faster and harder than I ever could by hand, and the results were noticeable even after the first pass. All the built-up grime had basically disappeared, though I did a second round just to be sure. The nylon bristles were gentle enough that I couldn’t find a single scratch afterward.”
For the dad with a mosquito vendetta
If he’s a magnet for mosquitos, this little doodad — recommended by Strategist writer Lauren Ro — uses suction to remove the irritation and itching caused by bites.
For the dad who gets competitive about bird-watching
If your dad loves birds, “a field guide is a great gift; they’re available for countless locations around the world, from the obvious to the extremely esoteric,” says Andrew Farnsworth, a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He has a soft spot for this Peterson guide that contains illustrated entries for hundreds of species.
For the dad who likes heat
If your dad is really into fire, Strategist contributor Regan Stephens suggests these charcoal logs, made from the wood of the rambutan tree, which were the secret to “the most tender, wildly delicious poultry I’ve ever tasted.”
For the dad who always has his iPad on hand
Strategist contributor Jinnie Lee told us about this stand, which will allow Dad to watch his shows hands-free: “Of the several dozen I researched, it’s the most sleekly designed, perfectly sized, and wildly affordable.”
For the dad who’s a whiz with a can of compressed air
If he acts like archaeologist on a dig when removing crumbs from laptop keys, this marker-size, two-sided electronic cleaning brush will be a welcome addition to his toolkit.
For the dad who waxes philosophical
When we spoke to people who have turned 60 about the best 60th-birthday gifts, architect Christopher Choa said one thing people start asking themselves at that age is “Are you living an eudaemonic life?” The term refers to living a truly happy life, and Choa says How to Live, which chronicles the life of 16th-century essayist and philosopher Michel de Montaigne, provides a blueprint.
For the dad who could use a wax
We heard about this $10 wax kit from Strategist contributor Nick Norcia, who has this tip: “There is a little technique to nose waxing: You have to twist the wand slightly to gather up all the hair before you pull.”
For the dad who’s already planning for pie season
“We were skeptical of this contraption at first — it looked like it was going to be much more trouble than it was worth — but we were so wrong,” say Emily and Melissa Elsen of Four & Twenty Blackbirds. “This peeler is the easiest way to peel, core, and slice all at once.”
For the dad who watches the same movie over and over
Author Jenny Han calls this carton of flavored salt “the secret to movie-theater popcorn at home.” A three-quarter teaspoon of this and he’ll swear he’s at the movies (even though he’s just rewatching Master and Commander on the couch).
For the dad who sends handwritten thank-you notes
This affordable fountain pen “writes perfectly,” according to author André Aciman. “It’s like the Volkswagen of pens with a Jaguar engine.”
For the dad who spends all day on his feet
This analog wooden foot massager is one of our favorite gifts for doctors — it’s even compact enough to fit under a desk.
For the dad who keeps an eagle eye on the lawn
If Dad can’t relax until he’s tackled any lawn imperfections, he should try these leaf scoops. “The dorky, low-tech scoops are bright-yellow, Pac-Man-shape plastic disks with a strap that you slip your hands through; imagine those little monkey toys that play the cymbals,” says Strategist contributor Sarah Z. Wexler of the slightly silly tool. “And I am in love,” she concludes.
For the dad who still buys Barbasol
For a few dollars more, you can upgrade him to Italian brand Proraso’s toning aftershave, a brand recommended by barbers as the best on the market and what they use on their own faces.
For the dad who hates food waste
Gift him this actually attractive stainless-steel compost bin that comes with a two-layer charcoal filter and performs well in hot New York City summers.
For the dad who wishes he had more time to read
In talking to authors about the best audiobooks, many said that having a book read to you means you are more likely to actually finish it because you can listen while doing other things, like the dishes, walking the dog, gardening, or driving. If Dad’s many duties are getting between him and the latest Jack Reacher thriller or Obama memoir, a subscription to Audible’s audiobook library could be just the thing.
For the dad who can’t just let the kids win
Invented by a German optometrist to teach his children numbers and colors, Dutch Blitz is described as a kind of “very energetic solitaire.” Strategist contributor Lauren Guidry writes that the game threatened to tear her family apart. “I’ll persuade my husband to play a few hands between meetings as we both work from home and are slogging through the day,” she says.
For the dad who is lotion averse
“It’s a funny invention, no?” says pastry chef Jacques Torres of these exfoliating gloves. “Call me lazy, but these make things so much more efficient.”
Gifts under $50
For the dad who refuses to play Settlers of Catan ever again
We recommended this cooperative party game for a reader’s “neurosurgeon son who is into Magic: The Gathering,” but it would be great for dads who get too heated when they don’t have enough sheep to build a settlement.
For the dad who carries everything he owns in his pockets
According to Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon, MagSafe is one of the iPhone’s best, most underutilized features. This magnetized wallet can attach right to his phone and has a stand that allows him to scroll in portrait mode hands-free.
For the dad who uses his shampoo as a bodywash
Class up his shower with this handsome, old school soap-on-a-rope by Portuguese brand Claus Porto, a favorite brand of barber Hung Nguyen. It has notes of sandalwood, amber, musk, and vetiver.
For the dad who likes to tour distilleries
“The world of whiskey is littered with glassware,” says Jason Julier of whiskey website Malt Review. He mentions these tulip-shaped glasses as a favorite: “They provide solid performance and a robust, practical design.”
For the dad who has Autocorrect typos in his texts
If he hates texting on a small phone screen, this nifty Bluetooth keyboard will turn his iPhone in to a tiny typewriter. “Weighing just seven ounces, it folds up into a slim nondescript rectangle that can easily slide into a tote bag,” says Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie.
For the dad who makes pesto all summer
If he’s killed a windowsill basil plant, it’s not his fault: “The roots of herbs are somewhat simplistic,” says Sera Rogue, the owner of the Brooklyn gardening company Red Fern. “They require daily watering.” The AeroGarden is our best-in-class hydroponic smart garden and will provide a constant supply of basil he can harvest straight from the kitchen counter.
For the dad who’s always running out of juice
This lightweight portable charger will keep his phone charged on the go — and it makes a great gift, according to Megababe founder Katie Sturino.
For the dad whose favorite book is The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power chronicles work created by Black artists from 1963 to 1983. That 20-year period defines the civil-rights movement, and thus lots of art at that time dealt with race, politics, and what it meant to be Black in America. This would look nice sitting out on a coffee table and makes for good reading material, too.
For the dad who struggles to fall asleep
One of our 100 most-stood-behind products, this affordable white-noise machine has helped New York Magazine deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff get to sleep for no less than eight years (and in three apartments) and counting.
For the single-origin-only dad
Singer Jake Shears suggests this roast straight from New Orleans’s iconic Café du Monde. (If Dad’s the type to go through several bags of beans in a month, you might consider a coffee subscription instead.)
For the dad who’s mourning the closure of Noma
This kit should cover all his Nordic-inspired fermentation experiments.
For the dad who’s always clean-shaven (but prefers doing things the old-fashioned way)
Many men swear by safety razors and say they provide a smoother and less irritating shave. The Merkur 34C is our best-in-class safety razor; the expert barbers we spoke to praised its reliable engineering and ease of use.
Gifts under $100
For the grill-master dad
After sticking this Tom Colicchio–approved, “perfect meat every time” thermometer in his T-bone, he can monitor its temperature from his phone up to 165 feet away.
For the forgetful dad
If your dad is the type to spend 15 minutes in a panic trying to find his keys before leaving the house, we suggest the Tile bluetooth tracker, which is about the size of a nickel and can stick to all his valuables.
For the dad who likes to tour breweries
An insulated growler is the perfect thing for him to fill with his favorite grisette or DIPA — and keep it cold for hours.
For the dad who taught you how to use a Chemex
Baristas have a lot of opinions about best way to brew a cup of coffee, but all agree that freshly ground beans are better. If Dad’s still buying his pre-ground — or if he’s still using a grinder he bought ten years ago — this relatively affordable grinder would make for a just-fancy-enough upgrade, according to Paul Schlader, the head roaster at New York City’s Birch Coffee. It has 12 grind-size settings for different brewing methods along with a “cup selector” dial.
For the dad who taught you how to open a beer bottle with a spoon
In our gift guide for beer lovers, Andrew Burman of Other Half Brewing Co. recommended this rapid cooler from Cooper. “Having a rapid cooler for beer, wine, or Champagne is key, especially for last-minute gatherings,” Burman says. Dad will never have to clean up another exploded beer in the freezer again.
For the dad who loves to lounge
This made-in-America aluminum lawn chair is a classic. The UV-resistant webbing seat has a bit of flex, so it’s comfortable to sit in for hours.
For the dad who lies to his dentist about how often he flosses
If he’s all but given up on using tiny bits of string, the expert-recommended Waterpik may finally be the thing that gets him to stick to a regular flossing habit.
For the dad who refers to Florence as “Firenze”
Whether he’s an Italophile or simply loves to cook, this precisely calibrated pasta machine from an Italian company that’s been around since the 1930s is a classic and comes recommended by a pasta pro.
For the dad who’s been going to the same barber for decades
The Wahl 5-Star Detailer, one of our best-in-class beard trimmers, will let him do barber-tier touch-ups between haircuts.
For the dad who uses his phone in a cup as “speakers”
An audiophile-recommended speaker that’s “portable but still loud enough to make the neighbors jealous of your sick-ass barbecue.”
Gifts under $200
For the dad who has podcast dreams
A Twitch-streamer-approved microphone will set him apart from the other tinny-sounding podcasters — and it plugs into a USB port, so it doesn’t require advanced tech skills to set up.
For the dad who owns every NPR sponsor gift
This stylish radio is just that — a radio. It does AM/FM and nothing else. But as Dad will tell you, that’s the point.
For the dad who hasn’t bought a new razor since the Bush administration
The Philips Norelco 7700 is our best-in-class electric razor, delivering the “smoothest, most effortless shave” of all the razors our tester tried out. “Norelco definitely leads the way,” says Patrick Butler, senior director of creative and technical at Floyd’s 99 Barbershop.
For the dad who’s a bit of a gent
There’s always something dashing about whipping out a nice umbrella. After testing 37 of them, we declared Davek’s wind-resistant, comfortable-to-hold, stylish-looking, fast-drying model as one of our absolute favorites.
For the dad who needs to relax
Chiropractor David Perna of Back & Body Medical told us the Hypervolt is “used a lot by therapists, masseuses, chiropractors, and athletes alike,” adding that it is “great for personal use to massage sore muscles” because he can hold it so the head hits the exact spot that’s bothering him.
For the dad who wastes not, wants not
If throwing away perfectly good food is his worst nightmare, consider this vacuum sealer that does more than just replace Tupperware — you can use it to ferment vegetables, cure meat, sous-vide, and more. Anthony Accardi, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Transmitter Brewing, says, “You can marinate something for ten minutes instead of overnight and get the same amount of flavor. I cure pastrami, bacon, and ham in it.”
Gifts under $500
For the dad with a record collection
Audio-Technica turntables are a favorite among experts — they won’t scratch records and are “built like tanks,” says Jake Sullivan, co-owner of Tucson store Wooden Tooth Records.
For the dad who has started experimenting in the kitchen
The Levo II took the top spot in our roundup of cannabis infusers. And it even makes a great gift for dads who prefer baking the traditional way: “You can even get extra chef-y and play around with making non-cannabis infusions in it as well: Basil finishing oil, lavender honey, pandan coconut cream — you’ll find yourself wanting to infuse everything,” says Stephanie Hua, founder and chief confectioner of Mellows and author of the cookbook Edibles.
For the dad on a quest for the perfect char
“If you want to see a grown chef cry, gift them an Ooni,” Strategist food and dining writer Emma Wartzman says. If he’s been fiddling with his pizza setup, he’ll appreciate this outdoor oven, which can get as hot as 950 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the dad who wants to work from his dock
A Strategist-favorite Yeti cooler to keep his brews frosty.
For the dad who lives for movie nights
This Coke-can-size projector can play his favorite flicks on walls both indoors and out.
For the dad who lives for starry nights
If he’s really into stargazing, a pair of binoculars designed specifically for observing the night sky like these from Celestron will allow Dad to see constellations much faster than setting up a telescope. They come recommended by Strategist contributor Steven John, who says the binoculars “let me see details on the surface of the moon I thought were reserved for Apollo astronauts.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best gifts for mom, hostess gifts, baby shower gifts, gifts for your boss, bar mitzvah gifts, and gifts for tweens. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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