A good gift for your dad fits something he already does. Many dads say they don't need anything, and often that's true of new things, but not of better versions of what they already use: the tools in the shed, the weekend round of golf, the coffee first thing, the razor he has had for years.
What dads really want
Start with how he spends a Saturday. If he is always fixing something, a better tool will get more use than any gadget. If he plays golf or fishes, a gift for the hobby shows you know what he enjoys. If he is the one who never sits down, something that makes him stop for an hour, like a massage gun or a good speaker in the garden, may be the most welcome of all.
Check what he already owns before you buy. Dads tend to keep things for a long time, so a duplicate is easy to buy by accident, and a replacement for something worn out is often the best gift of all.
Before you choose, ask yourself
- What does he do on a free Saturday?
- Is there something he uses every day that's worn out?
- Does he have a hobby he spends money on?
Dad gift ideas
His downtime
For the time he actually takes off. A suits a dad with sore shoulders or a sport habit, a Bluetooth speaker brings music to the shed or the barbecue, and an suits the dad whose day starts with coffee.
His shed
For the dad who fixes things. A multi-tool lives in a pocket or the glovebox, a suits the one still borrowing a neighbour's, and a suits the dad who washes the car every Sunday.
His game
For the dad with a hobby. A lets him practise at home, a always gets used, and a suits the one who heads to the water whenever he can.
His grooming
The everyday things he may not replace for himself. A or a suits the dad still using an old one, and a leather wallet replaces the one that has been falling apart for years.
Something to do
Dads are hard to buy things for, so give him a day instead: a at the ground he follows, a , or a .
Christmas gifts for Dad
Buying for Christmas? See our Christmas gift ideas.