Father’s day is June 19th and you don’t have a gift yet. But don’t despair. The Review Dads are going to give you ten recommendations for father’s day that don’t suck.
1. Make Your Dad His Favorite Breakfast, Lunch, AND Dinner.
Do not underestimate how touching it will be to make your dad his favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It will not only show that you know what he likes to eat, but it will also show you really care and that you put some actual thought into making his day special. You may think, “Well, shouldn’t we just take him out to a restaurant?” You could do that but a dad’s most comfortable place to be is at home. He can dress in his own clothes. He doesn’t need to find parking somewhere. He doesn’t need to overhear conversations from strangers. He’ll be with his favorite people eating his favorite food at his favorite place. It’s a perfect equation.
2. Do The Yardwork
Mow the lawn well. Trim the hedges. Use the weed whacker. Put all the sticks, leaves, and vines you pulled into leaf bags and take them out for collection. In other words, do all the manual labor that your dad does to maintain the yard. Don’t ask him on Father’s Day what needs to be done. Start asking now or observe what he does to the yard, where he keeps the tools, and if necessary, ask him how to use those tools. One of a father’s greatest gifts is having his son or daughter ask to teach him or her.
3. Get Him A Theragun Mini Handheld Massager
There are a lot of handheld massagers online. Many of them are cheap and have seemingly 200 attachments. But there’s only one we recommend: the Theragun Mini. It’s without question the most powerful, well-built massage gun for under $200. Unlike many of the other massage guns on the market, the Theragun Mini feels like a premium product . . . because it is. It’s easy to grip, making it easy to reach the muscles that will most often be sore for your dad: feet, thighs, back, and neck. It’s not loud either. It’s no surprise then that chiropractors and sports therapists rely on the Theragun brand for their practices. If your dad is a runner or weightlifter, he will love how this massage gun loosens tight hamstrings, neck, and shoulders. This product works even for dads that don’t think they like massages. If that’s your dad, start by massaging the bottom of his feet with the Theragun Mini. He’ll be a convert in no time.
4. Get Your Dad A Pair Of The Most Comfortable Slippers Ever Made
You’re probably thinking slippers? Newsflash for you. Your dad’s feet hurt. That’s why he likes to put his feet up any chance he gets. If your dad is a runner or into fitness, he’ll especially love the OOFOS OOahh Slide. They’ll provide amazing support for your father’s arches and are super comfortable to wear. They are without question the most comfortable slippers we have ever worn. I have two pairs myself, one I wear inside and one I wear outside. You’ll probably end up buying one yourself. The OOFOS OOahh Slide fits true to size.
5. If Your Dad Loves Hiking, Cycling, or Outdoor Adventure, Then Get Him The GoPro Hero 9.
Does your dad love outdoor adventure? Does he like going on hikes to the top of the mountain? Or how about riding the waves? Or barreling down a hill on his longboard? Then you should get him the GoPro Hero 9. It’s waterproof, has image stabilization and 5K UltraHD video, has a long-life battery, and is easy to use and set up. Your dad can be the star of his own action movie. Sure, there are action cameras available online that are cheaper than the GoPro Hero 9 but there’s a reason for that. GoPro isn’t a fly-by-night company. They’ve set the standard in the industry for good reason. Get your dad a camera that’s going to last and allow him to capture his favorite moments with a handsome, easy-to-use, and high-quality machine.
6. Forget the Airpods. Grab Your Dad A Pair Of Bone Conduction Headphones Instead.
Airpods and other in-ear pods are great for telephone calls and listening to music. But have you ever biked, ran, or done any exercise with those things? Not only can you not hear what’s going on around you (making it potentially dangerous if you’re in traffic) but your Airpods or whatever in-ear pods you are using become a waxy, sweaty mess. Enter Bone Conduction Headphones. You don’t put anything in your ear canal so you can hear the environment around you and your music or telephone call. It’s mind-blowing. I can be at the office listening to my boss and a podcast at the same time. How do bone conduction headphones work? They transmit sound waves through the bones in your skull, specifically the cheekbones.
I don’t know the exact science behind it but it works like magic. If your dad is a cyclist, a runner, or goes to the gym to listen to music, then get him the AfterShokz OpenMove Bone Conduction Headphones. They are super comfortable, low profile, have excellent sound quality, and are not expensive. These are built to last.
7. Get Your Active Dad Some Sunglasses That Look Good And Won’t Slip Off.
There’s nothing worse than going on a run, a bike ride, or doing a strenuous activity outside, and spending every few minutes adjusting your damn sunglasses because they keep slipping down your nose. Bad sunglasses not only can ruin your workout but are potentially unsafe if they don’t block the ultraviolet rays. Give your active dad the gold standard in lightweight, no-slip, quality optics sunglasses, ROKA Sunglasses. Their sunglasses are versatile enough so that your dad can wear them even when he’s not running or biking. These sunglasses are worth every penny. Sunglasses are much like shoes. Don’t skimp on them. These will last.
8. If Your Dad Is A Runner Or An Avid Hiker, Then Forget The Apple Watch. Get Your Dad The Polar Grit X Instead.
The Apple Watch and other smartwatches are really cute and beautiful. But their battery life sucks, you have to worry about breaking it, and it’s not reliable if you’re using it to track activity, especially off the beaten path. Enter the rugged Polar Grit X. It has a battery life of 40 hours in standard GPS mode (up to 100 hours if you have it ping every 2 minutes — which makes that feature useful for hikers in particular). If your dad loves the backcountry, the breadcrumb feature works perfectly, as does the Hill Splitter, which automatically detects whether you’re ascending or descending a hill. At the end of the day, it’s a good-looking, rugged watch that won’t take up your dad’s entire wrist like other rugged smartwatches like the much more expensive Fenix 9. Give your dad a watch that represents your dad’s strength, individuality, and ruggedness. The Polar Grit X will get the job done, plain and simple.
9. Get Your Dad A Shirt That He Will Actually Wear
Don’t get your dad a fancy dress shirt from Bloomingdales for Father’s Day. Don’t get me wrong. He’ll wear that fancy shirt but he’ll only do it because you bought it for him. And, as a general matter, a fancy dress shirt means your dad has to shave and brush his hair, and wear fancy pants and fancy shoes with it (and maybe a tie) before traveling to a place where he has to sit up straight and make polite conversation. Put another way, a fancy dress shirt for a dad means work, and that’s something you don’t need to put front and center on Father’s Day. That’s why we are recommending the ATG Long Sleeve Shirt by Wrangler. It’s one of the most versatile, lightweight, and smart shirts we have ever used. He can wear it hiking. He can wear it to dinner with shorts, jeans, or casual khakis. He can do yard work in it. He can tuck it in or let it out. He can roll the sleeves up or not. To top it all off, he will never have to iron this shirt. This shirt will come out the wash perfect even if your dad hang dries it. This will undoubtedly become your dad’s favorite shirt. It’s ours.
10. Get Your Dad A Premium Spotify Account
Is your dad still using Pandora? Or how about Apple Music? Get him a premium spotify account so he can do his workout without commercial interruptions. The service is night and day when you compare it with the free account. Once your dad goes premium he’ll never want to go back. And your dad isn’t going to find the Joe Rogan podcast anywhere else.
Note: We only recommend products The Review Dads have used themselves. All opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission.