Father’s Day is the one time of the year we stop and recognize the impact dad has had on us. And dad deserves celebrating, but no two dads are alike.
Yours might be the one who travels a lot for business, loves old whiskey or is the dad who has everything. All that is to say, you need specific Father’s Day ideas for your pops. Even if you just need something last-minute (hopefully you didn’t forget) or are working with a tighter budget this year. Whatever your objective is this year for old man, we’ve got you covered.
Father’s Day Gifts Under $50
Blue Bottle Coffee
Starting at $9.50 per month, Blue Bottle’s curated coffee subscriptions get you a fresh shipment of whole coffee beans delivered right to your door. With multiple options for cost and coffee selection, plus a handy tool to help narrow down what kind of coffee the subscriber might prefer, Blue Bottle all but guarantees dad will get something he loves.
Apple News+
For just $10 a month, you can get access to hundreds of great newspapers and magazines all in one place. The list includes titles like Vogue, GQ, TIME, The Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and piles more — titles any reader would spend at least a few bucks a month on print editions or trying to get past paywalls online. This is newsfeed consolidation and convenience at its finest.
Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2019
Jim Murray’s takes are as unpretentious as they are honest, slamming lauded single-malts when necessary and praising the great blends and undervalued bottles that deserve to be bought in bulk. But beyond the sheer fun value of Murray’s writing, this volume was designed for easy reference by someone browsing the liquor store, so you can be sure anyone reading it will get their money’s worth time and time again.
Nuun Rest
If you mixed your favorite dissolvable drink mix with sleep-aiding tea, you’d get something akin to Nuun’s Rest tablets. Enhanced with magnesium, potassium and a tart-cherry extract to promote more restful shuteye, Nuun even claims its Rest tablets will aid with muscle recovery, reducing inflammation and delayed-onset muscle soreness when used properly. Who couldn’t use a little bit of that?
Franklin Steak: Dry Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef.
Penned by James Beard Award-winning Aaron Franklin, this guide to steak will walk you through everything from meat selection to seasoning and marinating, cooking to plating, aging to smoking and far beyond.
CRKT Knife Maintenance Tool
Featuring T6 and T8 torx bits for CRKT handles and hilts, a tungsten carbide blade sharpener and a ceramic honing edge, this little tool will help your dad take better care of his pocket knives when he’s far away from the workbench. And while it’s maybe not the best thing to have to dangle from a keychain — it’s a bit pointy — the fact that it’s even built to be a keychain speaks on behalf of its compact size and how easily your dad could keep it in his backpack, glove box or briefcase.
Some Stories: Lessons from the Edge of Business and Sport
Lifetime outdoorsman and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard pursued a vision that led him all over the globe, as well as to the top of the sporting goods industry. His commentaries and conclusions from his respective journeys make for a pretty compelling read, even if your old man isn’t wildly entrepreneurial or especially outdoorsy.
Gerber Compleat
An engineering feat you didn’t know you needed, Gerber’s ComplEAT is an outdoor utensil set that can be arranged to work as a set of tongs. The tools also feature goodies like a serrated packaging opener, standard bottle opener and even a veggie peeler, and the whole four-piece assembly weighs in at just 2.5 ounces — perfect for anyone looking to carry the lightest load possible.
Weber Grill N’ Spray
Grilled anything tends to be pretty terrific, but cleaning said grill, after the thing cools down, is decidedly not terrific at all. In case that perfectly-seared steak doesn’t take the edge off your pain as you scrape away, Weber’s Grill N’ Spray is here to prep your grilling grates and minimize buildup during the cooking process. Think PAM, but for grilling.
Glencairn Glass
There’s a good reason this glass is the standard for serious whiskey connoisseurs and even spirits competitions the world over. It provides the perfect nosing experience — that’s sniffing the whiskey, in case you’re a newcomer to the whole deal — as well as the optimal flow of whiskey onto the drinker’s tongue, providing the closest tasting experience to what distillers intended. For anyone who’s getting serious about whiskey, it’s worth getting serious about Glencairn glasses.
BumpShox XI License Plate Frame
Whether a car’s parked in a tight urban spot or outside a rural bar and grill, fender benders happen most often at low speeds in tight spaces. Protect dad’s bumper and give him some extra peace of mind with this unobtrusive license plate frame, designed to ward off scratches and scuffs.
Aesop Hair Balm
If your hair tends to do its own thing and doesn’t respond well to gels, clays or pomades, give this conditioning balm from Aesop a try. It promises to tame flyaways, smooth ends and soften your mop for a better hair day whenever you use it.
Casio World Time Digital Watch
Boasting global time-zone selection, a stopwatch function, five alarms, 100 meters’ worth of water resistance and a claimed battery life of 10 years, this watch is hard to beat. It’s also ready to be beat to death, thanks to Casio’s typical bombproof construction. And since the price of entry is $22, this a value so solid that you’d have a harder time hitting water if you fell out of a boat than getting your money’s worth from this watch.
Stanley Ceramivac Stein
Most of Stanley’s beverage transportation products are focused on keeping your drinks hot — think coffee, tea and even soup — but this ceramic and steel stein is actually just a stein for keeping drinks cool. Since it’s not spill-proof this stein is best suited for prime relaxation: sitting around the campfire, lying on a beach or reclining on your favorite aunt’s sun porch.
Twelve South AirFly
Assuming you’ve been on an airplane in the last decade, most seats feature in-flight entertainment — screens, 3.5mm headphone jacks, a selection of movies, TV shows and games to keep you from going insane during your three-hour fast from texting and social media. Thanks to Twelve South’s AirFly, a Bluetooth adapter that plugs into any 3.5mm headphone port, you can now access that in-flight goodness with your AirPods or other preferred Bluetooth buds instead of spending $5 on a throw-away set of earbuds from the flight attendant.
WESN TI Microblade
Some circumstances call for a big burly blade — butchering a large animal, maybe, or fighting off lions and tigers while you do it. But for, like, the vast majority of all the things we do in 2019, a little blade for slicing packaging or trimming errant threads is all that’s required. And all the better, too, because this thing is beautifully designed, made to last and wonderfully pocketable.
Bulleit Rye 12 Years
Ryes benefit from aging just about as much as any other whiskey (or whisky, as it were) and this age-statement juice manages to improve on Bulleit’s shelf-aged-but-glorious Rye proper. For the whiskey lover tired of bourbon, blends, scotches and soda, this bottle ought to be a bull’s eye.
Outdoor Voices Sunday Shorts
These shorts have it all: side pockets, four-way stretch fabric construction, a relaxed fit, a drawstring waist. If your dad’s sunny weekends are best spent doing a little bit of everything, Outdoor Voices’ Sunday Shorts are a great choice for lounging, running, swimming, pick-up games in the driveway and long naps on the couch. Chill on.
Father’s Day Gifts Under $200
Inventery Bolt Action Pen Small
This isn’t just a pen. It’s a writing instrument machined from raw brass using a single tungsten blade, crafted for enjoyable long-term use. Between the pen’s totemic heft, the charming bolt-action design and eminently pocketable dimensions, this is sure to become the thing your dad reaches for whenever he’s signing for the dinner bill (don’t forget to say thank you).
Outerknown Nomadic Volley Shorts
Dad should probably update his old volley shorts he’s been sporting for years. And what better way to do that than with a pair made entirely from recycled polyester that offers Quick Dry to make soggy shorts a thing of the past.
Porter Road Grillmaster Pack
Being a grill master starts with having good meat to grill. Porter Road’s Grill Master Box comes with two dry-aged steaks, 2 lbs of dry-aged burger patties and 2 lbs of bratwurst sausage links. Since Porter Road’s beef is pasture-raised in Tennessee and Kentucky and aged a minimum of 14 days, this is the sort of quality a father can’t find in the grocery store but will greatly appreciate.
Lagavulin 16
When it comes to getting your old man a bottle of Scotch, it’s always smart to go with an unbeatable classic. This legendary product of Islay is one of the best bottles you can buy under $100 and is a smoky powerhouse with a heavy, oily spirit that dads everywhere love.
Mophie Powerstation and Lightning Connector
Parents on the go need a reliable battery to keep their devices charged. The mophie powerstation plus with lightning connector comes with an Apple Lightning connector, an integrated Lightning cable and a 10W USB-A output. And thanks to a cable that tucks into the side of the battery, dad can keep all of his devices fully charged and wires from tangling.
Timex MK1 Aluminum Watch
The iconic Timex MK1 got an anodized aluminum upgrade to offer a durable, modern and lightweight 40mm option. Your father can always use a utilitarian timepiece for everyday wear and you’ll be hardpressed to find a better value for a military-inspired watch under $100.
The Ellis Knife
Sometimes simpler is better, and this is certainly the case with The James Brand Ellis. This minimalist multi-tool is no frills and provides three premium tools to help dad get things done: a partially-serrated blade, a screwdriver that doubles as a bottle opener and a scraper tool.
DCS Chef’s Grilling Apron
Your dad deserves to grill in style. The DCS Chef’s Grilling Apron in a hickory stripe pattern offers a classic look that will last for ages. It’s made from heavyweight cotton and includes brass findings that tie it all together so pops can look good while feeding the fam.
BlueDriver Bluetooth Scan Tool
If your old man is handy, he probably hates bringing the car to a mechanic for things he knows he can do himself. The BlueDriver Bluetooth Pro OBDII Scan Tool works with iPhone and Android and provides an easy code reader to clear a check engine light and all other vehicle systems, making it easy to diagnose any issue that crops up.
Topo Designs Tech Pants
All dads like technical items. The Tech Pants from Topo Designs offer the ultimate weekend getaway pants with a lightweight technical fabric and two-way stretch for added mobility. That’s then finished with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating to ensure a little water doesn’t ruin dad’s day.
Levi’s Crewneck Sweatshirt
When you think of Levi’s you probably think of your father sporting them back in the 80s and 90s. More than just a denim company, Levi’s has plenty to offer for a heritage wardrobe. And this Levi’s Made and Crafted Crewneck Sweatshirt is right in line with dad style.
Kindle Paperwhite
Your old man probably loves reading, and an eBook reader can give him the ability to read anything, anywhere. The Kindle Paperwhite is now waterproof and comes with twice the storage (starting at 8 GB). All that means he can read on the beach or by the pool and not sweat if it gets wet.
Garmin BC 30 Wireless Backup Camera
While your father probably taught you how to parallel park, that doesn’t mean he can’t make good use of a backup camera. If your dad’s car already has a GPS navigator but no camera, the Garmin BC 30 Wireless Backup Camera is a great add-on to help your dad park it a little easier.
Citizen Promaster Professional Diver
Every dad can use a trusty dive watch. The 48mm Citizen Promaster Professional Diver is powered by Eco-Drive technology so it never needs a battery (it’s fueled by light) and provides a comfortable, molded polyurethane band that can go from the water to the office without missing a beat.
Baratza Virtuoso Conical Burr Grinder
When it comes to homemade coffee, consistency in grind size is crucial to making the best-tasting coffee. Dad certainly deserves that, and with over 40 grind settings, a small footprint and an ability to not overheat the beans, pops can make (and drink) superb coffee at home.
Leatherman Free P4
While your dad’s old Leatherman multi-tool is probably still just as good as it ever was, the new Free P4 is such a redesign that it deserves the gifting. All 21 tools are easily accessible on the exterior and thanks to magnetic tech, your old man won’t be spending time digging tools out with his fingernails.
Outerknown Apex Trunks by Kelly Slater
There aren’t many out there who have aged as gracefully as Kelly Slater (he’s 47!). His new Apex Trunks are made from 86 percent recycled polyester, so they’re good for the Earth, too. If there’s one surfer your dad should try to emulate on land, it’s Kelly Slater.
Lotuff Credit Card Wallet
Your father is a gentleman who has no use for bulky wallets. The Lotuff Zipper Credit Card Wallet is the premium option that fits up to 10 cards and cash while still making it easy to locate anything. Something dad will certainly appreciate.
Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old
In the world of bourbon, awards go a long way. Elijah Craig’s 18-Year-Old has won plenty, but the proof is also in the liquid. Bottled solely from the contents of one barrel, this bourbon offers a unique experience for the avid collector with a smooth yet complex flavor. The old man will love this one.
Ray Ban RB344
Your dad has probably owned plenty of Ray Ban styles that have defined different decades. And right now, round metal frames are taking over. Add to dad’s repertoire and help him stay with the times.
Directed Electronics 2-Way Remote
A remote starter is a simple tool that can make your father’s life a little bit easier. With summer coming, being able to start the car and get the air conditioning going to cool off the cabin is a task well within dad’s job description.
Barrington Single Watch Winder
A watch winder is a must for any father who owns an automatic timepiece. The Barrington Single Watch Winder is compact, stylish and ultra-quiet thanks to a Japanese motor. And since it operates on the basis of gentle rotation, it won’t over-wind dad’s watch.
Father’s Day Gifts Under $500
Evergoods MQD 24 Backpack
This is the alpine daypack, reimagined. The minimalist bag offers quick and easy accessibility, a solid build and a great look. Ideal for either wearing out on a day hike or wearing on the daily commute.
Away The Carry-On
If your old man is the type who travels for pleasure, work, or both — you may want to consider gifting something like this carry-on suitcase from Away. Designed to organize and protect all of his stuff, fit it in the overhead bin, _and_ look good doing it, it’s easy to see why so many people love it.
Hodinkee Illustrated Watch Movement Cashmere Scarf
If pops is a watch nerd, you’d be forgiven for being a little hesitant about getting him an actual watch for Father’s day. Either you’re unsure about which watch he actually wants, or you just don’t have the coin to get it for him. This cashmere scarf from the Temple Mount of watch nerdery, however, might do the trick.
This is Ground Tech Dopp Kit 2
Increasingly, travel requires bringing along a lot more than just your airplane-sized toiletries. Cords, cables, dongles, chargers, and other assorted widgets and doodads now accompany us wherever we go. Help dad keep it all straight (and flex a little while doing it) with this high-end leather organizer from the high-end leather retailer This is Ground.
Yeti LoadOut GoBox 30
Whether dad’s idea of fun is working on climbing projects, fly fishing, or just likes to keep some tools on hand for when he goes off-roading — this strongbox serves as a mini gear closet on the go. Made from tough, waterproof materials it’ll keep his tools and equipment safe and easily accessible.
Seiko SKX175
To be completely honest, this watch isn’t a dad-specific item. We’re just so damn enamored by this dive watch from Seiko that we like to recommend it any chance we get. It boasts a classic look, big legible indices, and an automatic movement for a great price. What’s not to like?
ELAC Debut 2.0 Bookshelf Speakers
Whether you just think dad deserves something better than the old radio he’s still using, or he’s an audio-nerd who’s dropped some hints about new speakers — this speaker isn’t a bad way to go. This bookshelf speaker from ELAC has gotten praise from both industry pros and our own staffers for its crisp, clean sound.
McMurdo Fast Find
Usually, the way things work is that kids scare the hell out of parents. Every once in a while, though, parents are known to flip the tables. To save yourself from worrying too much about dad’s next offloading trip, motorcycle ride, or backcountry trek — get him this personal locator beacon.
Yeti Tundra
If dad is still using the foam cooler he bought back on ’04 for your brother’s birthday party, you may want to hook him up with something more substantial for summer ’19. This favorite from the cooler brand can hold up to 28 cans of beer and will keep them all cool for hours on end thanks to its super thick PermaFrost Insulation.
Arlo Pro 2
Help pops keep watch. This easy to set-up surveillance system can record at night, is completely wireless and is engineered to withstand the elements. Coming in either 2, 3 or even 6 camera set-ups, it’s about as versatile as dad could want.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
For those who have yet to experience them, noise-canceling headphones are a revelation. Whether your dad is in need of some focus while at work, or just wants to stream his shows without driving his partner up the wall — it’s hard to go wrong with this pair.
Chimala Camp-Collar Cotton Shirt Jacket
Styled after classic workwear but made with fabric cut from a super breathable cotton Panama cloth, this shirt jacket features an ideal balance of casual and cool wearing for those cooler summer evenings.
Muyshondt Maus UV Redbar Special Edition Light
Made in association with the RedBar, this high-end UV flashlight is designed specifically to quickly charge the lume on watches both new and old. It’s an expensive, intricate machine, but if your dad is a lover of watches, that’ll be right up his alley.
For the Dad Who Has Everything
Oliver Peoples Sunglasses
You can’t go wrong with the classics, and that is exactly what these shades are. Featuring a tried and true silhouette and boasting a top tier construction from acetate frames holding polarized lenses, they’re sure to fast become his go-to sunnies.
Magellan eXplorist TRX7
If dad’s idea of fun is off-roading, and you’re in the mood to spoil him, think about getting him something like this GPS navigator. Featuring over 44,000 OHV routes that are clearly displayed on the substantial and ruggedized seven-inch HD touchscreen, it’ll be a tool he uses all the time.
Jacques Marie Mage Havana Sunglasses
There are the sunglasses you buy on a whim because it’s sunny out, and then there are these. Made in Japan from a plant-based acetate and adorned with 18-karat gold arrowhead pins, these handsome frames are something to behold.
I.N.O.X. Mechanical
For those who know that dad likes something substantial on his wrist, consider this watch from Victorinox. The big, 43mm case holds a Swiss-made automatic movement that moves a trio of hands across an attractive guilloche pattern dial.
Seiko SPB053J1
Looking for something that dad would want to wear by the poolside, beach, or lake? Hard to go wrong with this dive watch here. The 42mm case features an attractive blue bezel, dial, and prominently lumed hands and indices for easy legibility.
Zodiac Jetomatic Watch
Something for more formal, year-round wear is this watch from Zodiac. Modeled after pilots watches from the 1960s, this piece features a big dial, an oversized crown and Super-LumiNova coated hands driven by a Swiss-made automatic movement.
Santa Cruz Chameleon 29
You and your family want to make dad really happy this year? If he loves mountain biking, you should consider this steed from Santa Cruz Bicycles. The aluminum frame hard-tail comes with a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, FOX shocks and set of 29-inch wheels.
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The Best Outdoor Gifts for Dad
Your dad taught you how to tie a knot, how to pitch a tent and how to cast a fishing line. Repay the favor with one of these outdoorsy gifts.
5 Old Whiskeys to Share with Your Old Man This Father’s Day
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The Best Budget Father’s Day Gifts for Any Dad
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This Father’s Day, Introduce Your Dad to Athleisure
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The Best Affordable Watches for Every Kind of Dad
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Some of the Best Upgrades for Your Dad’s Daily Driver
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Gifts for the Dad Who Has Everything
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The Best Subscription Services to Gift your Dad
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Easy Accessories for the Watch-Loving Dad
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11 Ways to Help Your Dad Update His EDC
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