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Most families around the country are celebrating dads and father figures in honor of Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18. Like Mother’s Day, though, the pressure is on to find a present. However, dads can be notoriously difficult to shop for. Though most of the parents we polled said what they want most is quality (and screen-free) time with their kids, there are a few other ways to show your appreciation. From experiences that maximize your time together to a subscription box that’s tailored to his interests, this list of creative Father’s Day gift ideas makes shopping for a thoughtful present quick and easy.
Our top picks
Best Father’s Day gifts for new dads
Vuori Performance Joggers
Price: $98
The best gift of all for new fathers is a few hours of naptime (for both dad and baby), but if you want to give something you can wrap, it’s all about an uber comfortable pair of Vuori sweatpants with zippered pockets to keep baby monitors and car keys at hand. Pajamas, late-night runs to the grocery store, or early morning walks, these “comfy soft” pants (as my friends hail them) do it all.
Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger Pants | Charcoal Heather | XS, Size Extra Small
The Dad Hoodie
Price: $108
Pair your pants with the trending The Dad Hoodie with its special pockets and stretchy pouches for bottles, diapers, wipes, and more. You may never go back to a diaper bag again with this combo.
The Dad Hoodie
Best Father’s Day gifts for husbands
Yeti Rambler Magslider Tumbler
Price: $35
Why should kids get all the gift-giving fun on Father’s Day? Pick up a thing or two for your favorite spouse. For husbands on the go, a 20-ounce YETI Magslider will keep his beverages at the right temperature, no matter where he goes.
The Ellis Multi Tool by James Brand
Price: $99
The Ellis Multi Tool includes a blade, scissor, and screwdriver that fits in a pocket, so he’s ready for whatever life throws at him.
The Ellis Multi Tool by James Brand
Best Father’s Day gifts for stepdads
House of Staunton Chess Set
Price: (Varies on price)
Any dad may appreciate a gift they can share with their kids. Pick up a new chess set from House of Staunton to play one-on-one with your stepkids.
House of Staunton Chess Set
Kids Against Maturity
Price: $40.46
If board games are more his scene, try Kids Against Maturity—a family game where behaving badly is encouraged.
Kids Against Maturity: A Card Game for Kids Super Fun Hilarious for Family Party Game Night
Best Father’s Day gifts for grandfathers
Sony - UX Series Digital Voice Recorder
Price: $99.99
My 13-year-old has spent many evenings interviewing his 99 -year-old grandfather with a digital voice recorder, capturing decades of memories in a digital format for future generations to enjoy. This device is highly rated, and files are easy to download.
Sony - UX Series Digital Voice Recorder - Black
Skylight Digital Frame
Price: $159.99
For grandfathers who live far away, a Skylight Digital Frame is a way to connect across the country—or even continents. You can share photos via mobile app or email without a subscription. The good news: If you have a large family, there are no restrictions on the number of users or accounts required.
Skylight Digital Frame
Best Father’s Day gifts for two dads
Dad Me Activity Bucket List
Price: $50
Grab the box and the kids and make some memories. Appropriate for all ages, this box contains 100 ideas to help you celebrate with the ones you love the most.
Dad & Me Activity Bucket List
Stella Brings the Family
Price: $16.99
The book “Stella Brings the Family” is a great choice for younger children to share with and/or give to their dads on Father’s Day.
Stella Brings the Family
Best personalized gifts for Father's Day
Shutterfly Custom Socks
Price: $20.99
Who says socks can’t be a cool gift? Show your love by keeping his feet comfy and decorated with love. Custom socks from Shutterfly can be made to order—in multiple pairs—one for each kid or every day of the week.
Shutterfly Custom Socks
Best Father's Day gifts for outdoor enthusiasts
Nebula Solar Portable Projector
Price: $499.99
For the dad who loves movies and the great outdoors, this portable projector can travel with your family from a campsite to your backyard deck. The Nebula Solar Portable Projector is lightweight and has a built-in rechargeable battery for set-up ease.
Nebula Solar Portable Projector
Solo Stove
Price: $79.99 and up
But if your dad prefers his starry nights a little quieter, a Solo Stove is a great gift to help gather your family together. Father’s Day s’mores, anyone?
Solo Stove
Best Father's Day gifts for anglers
Orvis Fly Fishing Gear
Price: Varies per item
If your dad would prefer to spend his Father’s Day near the water, a gift card from Orvis to buy new fly fishing gear should delight him.
Orvis Fly Fishing Gear
KÜHL Endurawax Bush Hat
Price: $75
Next, pick up an Endurawax Bush Hat to keep him safe from the sun. Not only does the hat offer UPF 50+ protection along with wind and water resistance, it has a built-in sweatband designed to reduce skin temperature.
KÜHL Endurawax Bush Hat
Best Father’s Day gifts for sporty dads
Amazin Aces Signature Pickleball Paddle Set
Price: $70.99
Pickleball is all the rage and if your sporty dad hasn’t caught on yet, buy him this signature set and hit the courts together ASAP.
Ticketmaster gift card
Price: Varies
Whether he wants to catch a game or his favorite band this summer, a Ticketmaster gift card ($30 and up) will get him there.
Best Father's Day gifts for grill lovers
Yummly Smart Thermometer
Price: $79
Here’s a gift he’ll love to use year-round: A quality meat thermometer that lets him monitor temperatures from his phone. Use it for grilling, cooking (stove or oven), or in a smoker.
Yummly Smart Thermometer
Weber Grill Cleaning Kit
Price: $79.65
Upgrade his years-old grill cleaning tools with a fresh set. After dinner, older kids can use the kit to tidy up (because it’s Father’s Day, after all).
Weber Grill Cleaning Kit
Best experiences to give for Father's Day
Backroads Active Tours
Price: Varies based on the type of adventure
Take dad (and the rest of the family) on a never-to-be-forgotten walking and hiking tour along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal for a Father’s Day experience of a lifetime. Pick up a copy of author Andrew McCarthy’s Walking With Sam: A Father, a Son and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain ($28) to help your dad prep for your trip.
Atlantis
Price: Varies per hotel and package
If hiking 500 miles isn’t your dad’s jam, try a week under the sea, so to speak, at the family-friendly Atlantis resort. Swim with dolphins or sting rays, explore water parks, or just lay on the beach and enjoy Paradise (Island), Bahamas.
Best Father's Day gifts for fathers-in-law
Dynapower Carbon Driver
Price: $499.99
If your budget knows no bounds and he loves golf, give your father-in-law a classic Dynapower Carbon Driver and offer to be his caddy for the day.
Soft Pretzel Gift Box by Eastern Standard Provisions Co
Price: $39.99
If a game of golf doesn’t grab your interest, few people will say no to a delicious artisanal soft pretzel with a heap of Maui onion mustard—just $39.99 for a box of different types plus the condiment.
Best Father’s Day gifts for techies
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
Price: $199.99
The Pro Spotlight camera is a great gift for the dad who wants to know when his teenagers get home at night.
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
Sony Wireless Headphones
Price: $399.99
Alternatively, Sony wireless noise-canceling, over-the-ear headphones can be useful in a houseful of kids and teens.
Sony - WH1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones - Blue
Best Father's Day gifts for foodies
Emergency Hot Sauce Kit
Price: $14.99
Your hot sauce-loving dad can always use an emergency set in case he runs out, and Fuego’s four pack should do the trick.
Sea2Table boxes
Price: Varies per box
If your foodie dad loves to eat fish, try a Sea2Table box. You can order wild gulf shrimp, Maine lobster tails, and Alaskan sockeye salmon and have this sustainable seafood delivered to your dad.
Best Father's Day gifts for beer lovers
Custom Etched Growler
Price: $89.00
Bring dad to his favorite taproom (I’m partial to Industrial Arts in New York’s Hudson Valley) and give him a custom etched growler (up to 12 characters) from Uncommon Goods with his name on it.
Belgian Golden Ale Beer Brewing Kit
Price: $54.00
Let dad live out his dream of being a brewmeister from the comfort of his kitchen. This kit comes with everything he needs, hops, yeast and grains to make a big batch (10 12-ounce bottles in total) of Belgian ale.
Best Father's Day gifts for cocktail enthusiasts
Aged and Infused Natural Liquor and Cocktail Infusion Kit
Price: $32.00
If your dad loves to mix it up, treat him to a cocktail infusion kit containing two 16-ounce glass jars and pre-measured ingredients from organic and sustainable farms. Add a bottle of their favorite liquor and watch your dad’s spirits rise.
Drinking Glasses by Made In
Price: $59.00
After making a drink, pour it into a gorgeous high-ball glass hand-made in Parma, Italy. This set of four drinking glasses will even make tap water look good.
Best Father’s Day gifts for frequent fliers
MalinGoetz Bestsellers Travel Kit
Price: $38
If your dad is always leaving on a jet plane, this cute travel set of TSA-size approved toiletries may make his journey more pleasant. It includes face wash, shampoo, moisturizer, and more all tucked into a biodegradable bag.
Aways Travel Compression Socks
Price: $35
This handsome pair of blue (or black) travel compression socks have minimal seams and anti-odor technology, to help keep him comfortable on long-haul flights.
Best Father’s Day gifts for book lovers
Dr. Who Book Light
Price: $13.99
For science fiction or Dr. Who fan dads who stay up late reading, this clip light gives just enough illumination to read but not wake your spouse.
I Read Banned Books Socks
Price: $14.00
If his feet get cold in bed, a pair of “I Read Banned Books” socks will keep them warm.
Best subscription box gifts for Father’s Day
Man Crates
Price: Varies on crate
Create a crate of treats and treasures for your dad using Man Crate. Choose from dozens of crates themed around food, drinks, grilling, sports and more and have them shipped directly to your dad in a handsome wooden crate.
Horti
Price: $30 and up
For the plant daddy who always wants more green in his life, Horti is a plant subscription box that delivers a plant a month right to your doorstep. Horti offers month-to-month, six and 12 month subscriptions of pet-friendly or exotic plants, plus a new-to-planting option so he can feel the Father’s Day love long past June.
Best online photo printing and framing service for Father’s Day
Framebridge
Price: Varies on size of frame
Framed photos make excellent keepsakes and gifts. Framebridge makes framing your memories an easy task. Upload images onto the site, choose your frame, and Framebridge will put it together in a beautiful package and mail it straight to the recipient’s doorstep.
Best card options for Father’s Day
Minted
Price: Varies per card
Sometimes the best things in life are simple. Get your kids to customize their cards (prices vary) via Minted for Father’s Day or choose from a large selection of handmade cards by Minted artists. Each card can be personalized with a message—and Minted will send your pick directly to Dad. Good to know: You can also custom design other gifts via Minted, like coffee mugs, calendars and even socks.
What to consider when buying Father's Day gifts
Father’s Day is coming up fast. If you are buying gifts that need to ship, double-check delivery times. If you can pick up an item in-store, you may save yourself some worry. Cards like Minted and electronic gift cards from Ticketmaster or a planned experience are also good last-minute gift options that still feel thoughtful.
How we selected the best Father’s Day gifts
When selecting gifts, we researched some of the most popular Father’s Day gifts on the market for the last several years based on reviews and prices. Most importantly, we consulted with kids, dads, moms, and grandparents to determine what they would like to give or receive on Father’s Day or any holiday. The author also offered up some of her kids' more successful gift ideas in years past.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is the most popular gift on Father's Day?
According to the National Retail Association, the top gifts in 2023 will include special outings/experiences, clothing, gift cards, and electronics.
What do most dads want for Father's Day?
Like most Americans, dads are overworked and short on time, so spending a day with their families ranked high on the list of the dads we interviewed. Experiences and homemade presents are popular, especially among Millennial dads, who prefer to do something with their families and friends in lieu of another gadget or tie.
How can I make my Father’s Day special on a budget?
According to the National Retailers Association, consumers are expected to spend, on average, $196.23 on Father’s Day gifts, but you don’t have to. It’s easy to make Father’s Day special on a budget. A hug, kiss, homemade card, or homemade meal or dessert are all low-cost ways to celebrate. For a few years, my kids made “coupon” books for their dad out of construction paper, offering coupons for various fun or helpful things, like a board game of his choice or helping to wash the car. Experiences on Father’s Day don’t have to be expensive. Planning a picnic, a hike, or a visit to a free zoo or museum are all affordable ways to celebrate.
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