Of all the members of a family, fathers are always the hardest to buy gifts for. We all know this, and yet, every birthday, every winter holiday season and every Father’s Day, we are left scrambling for ideas to show the number-one dad in our lives that we appreciate all he does. That’s why so many dads end up with unfortunate collections of mugs, ties and grilling utensils.
This year, you might try to be a little more proactive and thoughtful with the gifts you give your dad — starting, of course, with the holiday that is closest: Father’s Day. First, you should consider what you know about your dad’s interests and hobbies; then, you can find exactly what your dad wants on the following list:
Table of Contents
For the Dad Who Is Always Listening to Music
It doesn’t matter whether your dad is always looking for a new sound or stuck listening to the same three classic rock bands from his youth; if your dad is around, you know music is playing. You can help him keep the tunes flowing wherever he goes by gifting him a shower speaker this Father’s Day. A waterproof Bluetooth speaker that can stick to the wall will let your dad stay fully immersed in whatever he wants to listen to, even as he is fully immersed in the shower.
For the Dad Who Needs Everything Clean
You might not call your dad a clean freak to his face, but you know that he works hard to keep his most important spaces sanitary and organized. If this sounds familiar, you might help your dad clean up what is potentially the dirtiest thing in his life: his smartphone. A phone sanitizer uses UV light to kill germs that may be clinging to the screen or case without harming the delicate electronics inside, and it is small enough to fit in a desk drawer alongside chargers, pens and other essentials.
For the Dad Obsessed With Efficiency
Many dads strive to be paragons of efficiency — to avoid extraneous action, to minimize their waste, etc. One of the easiest ways to improve efficiency is by paying attention to the items one carries with them every day, so a great gift for dads interested in being as efficient as possible is a multi-tool, which is a pocket-sized gadget that provides many different functionalities, eliminating the necessity of carrying several different kinds of tools. A shiny new multi-tool is not only a fun gift, but it will remind your dad of your appreciation for him every day.
For the Dad Suffering From Serious Allergies
In some houses, “it’s allergy season” is heard year-round. Dads who are constantly sneezing and wheezing due to allergens in the air can benefit from a nasal emollient once used by NASA to keep astronaut sinuses clear and comfortable. Even when pollen counts are high — even when your pets are in desperate need of grooming — your dad will breathe easy if you get him a special allergy treatment for Father’s Day.
For the Newly-into-fitness Dad
Most dads are happy to tell you about how strong, fast and overall fit they were before they had kids. Yet, when little ones are at their neediest, fitness regimens tend to fall to the wayside. Now that your dad is a bit older, he might be getting back into fitness — and finding that his body needs a bit more support than it used to. You can help him reach his fitness goals by supplying him with compression socks, which help his body better regulate blood flow during intense activity.
For the Dad Who Is About to Retire
When you are young, traveling is too expensive; when you are working, you don’t have time to see the world. So, many men wait until retirement to fulfill their dreams of traveling the world. If your dad is the jet-setting type, you might help him prepare for his journeys with some travel cubes, which will help his belongings stay organized as he moves from place to place.
Maybe buying gifts for dads is so hard because we overthink what they want, like and need. The sooner you can think of your dad as someone with interests that you can support with gifts, the easier Father’s Day will be for everyone.
