The 30+ Best Gifts for Any Dad (According to a Cool Dad)
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He was “cool” before cool. He helped you ride your first bike. He’s the big cheese — your dad. When it comes to shopping for your old man, there are a few misconceptions and cliches you’ll want to avoid. Your dad, in general, tends to be viewed as “the man who has everything”, therefore making it difficult to gift anything that’ll truly surprise them — but that’s just not true.
Besides another “#1 Dad” mug and a coupon for one game of catch in the backyard, the best gifts for dad are unique and tailored to your specific flavor of dad. There are tech-savvy dads that keep up with the latest Apple releases more than their kids, dads who obsessively watch the forecast for ski season weather, and dads who would be willing to cross state lines to try out the latest restaurant opened by their favorite celebrity chef.
If you want to show them your love this season (or just finally out-gift him for once during the holidays), we’ve consulted a self-proclaimed “cool dad” (my dad) to see what dads actually want to receive this year. The picks on this list are made up of editor-tested, dad-approved items (i.e. not another striped tie), along with top-rated 4+-star products anyone would love.
From personalized accessories, to big-ticket items and experiences, these gifts will make your dad-io the talk of the town (or at least the neighborhood block). But no matter what, just remember that what he really wants is for you to text him back every once and a while (just ignore those spelling mistakes, ‘k?).
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Ninja CREAMi Deluxe
Image Credit: Amazon We all know a dad who loves their superflous kitchen gadgets, whether it be the smoker they lovingly babysit for hours at a time, or the at-home nitro cold brew maker they use to avoid the coffee shop.
Coincidentally, at the top of my dad’s list this year is the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe, the next best thing to an “all expense paid trip to Dairy Queen”. Your dad can make pretty much any creamy treat this heart desires (ice cream, sorbet, even italian ices) in three simple steps: simply prepare your base, freeze overnight, process, and enjoy.
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Crescent 150-Piece Professional Tool Set
Image Credit: Amazon “A gifted toolkit should cover most tools versus whatever hodge-podge of loose items he might have laying around the garage,” advises my dad. “It has to be over 100 tools, or it’s lame.” Well, Crescent’s professional tool set is decidedly not lame, featuring a carefully-selected assortment of hand tools needed for most jobs around the house. He’ll get adjustable wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, all made from chrome alloy steel for a stronger, longer life to his tools.
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Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless Earbuds
Image Credit: Jabra We’ve tested a lot of earbuds here, and many a wireless pair has also gone through their own rigorous third-party testing process (aka, asking my dad what he also thinks). No matter how many have been thrown his way, the ones he always comes back to are these Jabra Elite 10 buds. Not only does their semi-open design make them comfortable to wear for a full workday, their six-mic technology picks up your voice and nothing else, making them superior for phone calls.
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Wellen Performance Lined Swim Trunks
Image Credit: Huckberry A solid pair of swim shorts is always a nice gift before the summertime — and nothing checks off all our boxes like Huckberry’s Wellen performance-minded lined trunks. “It’s got to have deep, secure pockets — sometimes when the closures are flimsy velcro, a wave will hit you, and then all of a sudden your stuff is gone.” Never fear, these vintage-style shorts have two welt pockets, a patch back pocket, and an elastic bungee cord loop for your keys.
“Plus, it has to dry fast.” The supportive and stretchy “DryWetDry” liner not only combines the best of swim shorts and active shorts, it’ll dry faster than your dad can say “put a towel down before you sit in the backseat!”.
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Air Jordan 1 Retro Low Slip
Image Credit: Nike “Your dad needs a good slip-on sneaker for knocking around the house, not just Hokas”. One of the easiest shoe he’ll ever put on, Nike’s Air Jordan 1 Retro Low Slips combine the convenience of a slip-on sneaker with the all-day comfort of a running shoe. They provide plenty of cushion for standing on his feet for hours say, mowing the lawn, and the easy snap-button closure let’s him lock in without laces. Bonus: use the promo code SUMMER25 for an extra 25% off during Nike’s Summer Sale right now.
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NFL+ Subscription
Image Credit: Verizon Don’t let your old man be caught scrambling to get his streaming setup ready for the 2024 NFL season. Another dad-approved pick, finish off the official NFL season right by gifting him the ability to catch all the game-winning plays live. Through Verizon’s +play, you can get him an NFL+ Premium annual subscription, which includes access to live local and primetime games on mobile, NFL RedZone, NFL Network, game replays and more – all for just $39.99 a year.
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lululemon Evolution Short Sleeve Polo Shirt
Image Credit: lululemon While dads are notorious for their decades-old t-shirt collections and color-blocking golf shirts, this polo from lululemon has a classy, timeless vibe that won’t cramp his style. It’s got a stretchy feel (perfect for when he’s working on his backswing) and slim-fit silhouette that will look as good at the bar as it will at a backyard BBQ or on the golf course.
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Bowflex SelectTeach 552 Adjustable Dumbbells
Image Credit: Bowflex Forget that home workout rack your dad has collecting dust in the basement — get him something simple and effective with these best-selling adjustable dumbbells from Bowflex. They come fully assembled with up to 52.5 lbs, and adjusting the weight is incredibly easy, thanks to a nifty dial system on either end of the dumbbell. In our testing, we were able to switch weight in just a few seconds.
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Stanley Tumbler Cup
Image Credit: Amazon “Your father wants that cup,” my mom texted me a few days back. “You know the one. The BIG one.” Stanley’s Quencher H2.0 Flowstate is not only a perfectly dad-sized tumbler, but will answer all your dad’s complaints about the temperature of his beverages. It promises to keep his hot drinks hot for seven hours and cold drinks cold for 11 hours (for iced bevvies, you’ll get up to a whopping two days).
The new rotating lid is also great for sipping on the go, designed for three positions: a splash-resistant straw opening that holds the reusable straw in place, a drink opening, and a full-cover top.
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Crocs Yukon Vista II LR Flip
Image Credit: Crocs Hopefully your dad is too cool for the ol’ socks with slides pairing, but if he isn’t encourage him to get a little more stylish with these versatile, easygoing flips from Crocs. The faux leather uppers with stitched detailing add a bit of ruggedness to what can typically be a pretty flimsy shoe design. He’ll be able to handle whatever the outdoors throws at him with grippy foam outsoles that are perfect for a casual trail walk, but still have sink-in softness that’ll leave him comfortable as he hovers around the grill making his famous “cheese dogs” (a slice of American cheese on a hot dog).
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FYY Travel Cable Organizer
Image Credit: Amazon For the dads that are traveling plenty for work, that means shlepping all their tangled cables, power adapters, and power banks with them. Finding the right place for all of these accessories can be tough, which is why we’ve been recommended FYY’s Travel Cable Organizer. The travel tote is filled with pockets — some large, some small — and dual bungie sections designed specifically to hold smaller cables and similar accessories. This’ll make grabbing his charger mid-flight without disturbing his seat neighbors a breeze, we promise.
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ProXR Signature Pickleball Paddle
Image Credit: Amazon “One word: Pickleball. Get your old man off the couch…if he has an ounce of athletic ability and is doing nothing, get him moving with this paddle and go whoop his butt on the court.” Yes sir! Designed with the same grip tech used by MLB and NHL players, ProXR’s game-changing paddle was specifically engineered to optimize your hand’s connection with the handle. Based on design alone, this racket will have your old man playing like a pro (or at least looking like one).
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Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer
Image Credit: Amazon Yes, dad, an optimally warm cup of Joe can achievable: this Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer proves it. “Get him a coffee heating pad like this one…it has to be very HOT or else 150% of dads will complain ‘my coffee isn’t hot enough.'” The wireless heating device — essentially a powered coaster — is something he’ll use every day, and costs just $15.
“You could also get him this heated mug,” my dad adds. “But it has to be ripping hot!”
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Qobuz Subscription
Image Credit: Qobuz It might be hard to get your dad to part with his favorite throwback radio stations (believe us, we’ve tried), but there’s no better music streaming service for audiophiles than Qobuz. He can listen to all his favorites, from Steely Dan to The Allman Brothers, in better-than-CD-quality high resolution. Not to mention he can also get access to albums with digital liner notes, something we’re sure he laments about physical releases these days — all for as low as $10.83 a month.
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Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker
Image Credit: Bose If your dad loves to take his tunes wherever he goes, upgrade his sound with this portable Bluetooth speaker from Bose (my dad personally doesn’t travel without it). The handheld SoundLink Micro is the brand’s smallest wireless speaker yet, but he won’t have to worry about anything happening to it thanks to its drop-resistant and waterproof design. Your dad can connect it to his phone to stream his playlists for six full hours, or use Siri and Google Assistant to take a phone call while he’s chilling on the beach.
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Aura Mason WiFi Digital Picture Frame
Image Credit: Amazon With high-quality photos, Aura’s Mason picture frame works via a companion app that connects to your digital library. The app boasts unlimited cloud storage for endless photos and sends pictures to any frame in your Aura network. This means you can have a few frames around the house, or send images on a shared network from different households. But no matter what, “it should include all the great pictures of you and him together!”
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Ooni Karu 12G Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
Image Credit: Ooni If your dad is as obsessed with making his own pizza as mine is (his assistance was instrumental in helping out with this review), then Ooni’s Karu 12G is the best you can get. The outdoor oven runs on wood pellets, charcoal, or gas, which makes it incredibly versatile depending on how smokey you want to take your pie. It reaches a top temperature of 950 degrees, and for making 12-inch pies in as little as 60 seconds, your dad can easily turn his backyard into the best pizza party spot on the block.
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NBA Tickets
Image Credit: NBA “Court side tickets to their favorite NBA team might be expensive, however…you might want to go for it. Only if the team is good, though,” advises my dad. No matter how the season is going for him this year, surprise your old man with tickets to a seat (maybe not neccesarily courtside) to see them play live. Favorite team not in his area? Let him stream his favorite teams with a service like DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, or NBA League Pass.
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Parkit The Voyager Chair