It can be a daunting task to buy something the old man will like this 20 June especially with the spectre of covid still looming over us. While those restrictions are slowly starting to ease, buying a Father’s Day gift is no easy task especially if you’ve spent over a year apart.
We’re here to offer you some inspiration, whether you’re looking for something simple, cheap and cheerful, or premium – whether it’s from daughter or son, or if you’re buying for your husband.
With the special day still over a week away, ordering now means you still have time for your gift to arrive within time. Whether you choose to have the presents delivered straight to Dad’s door, or want to have it hand-delivered to his doorstop, there are loads of gift ideas and options to choose from.
Virtual assistants are a great gift option if your Dad loves using Google voice or Siri.
Amazon’s Echo Dot 3 (39.99/US$39.99) or the newer Echo Dot 4 (£49.99/$49.99) is an obvious choice if you want something that won’t break the bank. Though of course, there’s the Google equivalent, the Nest Mini (RRP £49/$49, though available for £27.99 from MyMemory).
If you have a higher budget, there’s the larger Google Nest Hub smart display (£89.99/ $99) which allows hands-free access to videos, recipes and more.
See our reviews: Echo Dot 3, Echo Dot 4, Nest Mini and Nest Hub.
If your dad is constantly fighting for the TV remote, enjoys reading news online or maybe enjoys a spot of gaming, a tablet could be a really good idea for a Father’s Day present. It’s an extra special gift under lockdown, as it’ll open up the world of video calls via Skype or FaceTime.
The gold standard of tablets is surely the iPad (£349/US$329), which gained Apple Pencil support in 2019. Right now you can get money off the iPad from Amazon. See the best iPad 10.2in deals here.
Yet for under £50/$50 you could opt for Amazon’s recently updated Fire tablet (US link here). It’s ridiculously good value and available in four colours.
That’s just two options, so why not take a look at our definitive guide to the best tablets available too?
DNA kits are becoming ever-popular gift items for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day alike, and thankfully DNA Kit services offer discounts around those events too.
23andMe is offering the largest discount at the moment with £40 or US$50 off its Health and Ancestry kit. The discounts are even greater if you buy two such kits.
You can also save up to £30/US$30 on Living DNA as well as £20/US$20 off the MyHeritage Ancestry and DNA kit.
There’s also 25% off the ever-popular Ancestry DNA service in the UK, and $40 off in the US.
See our full guide to DNA Kits to learn more about what sets these services apart and other promotions on now.
If your dad struggles with aches and pains, it’s definitely worth considering a massage gun. If you don’t already know what it is, a massage gun pummels your muscles hundreds of times within seconds for deep tissue relief.
The Theragun is the brand that started the craze. Its products are on the pricey side, but you can pick up the portable Theragun Mini for £179/US$199.
See our review of the mid-range Theragun Elite if you want to upgrade.
Of course, if that’s out of your budget, there are plenty of other brands out there. The Sportneer K1 massage gun which costs £70/ US$99.99 and works better than you think, as Tech Advisor Editor Jim Martin said in his review.
If your dad is still toting around a creaky old feature phone or you just feel he deserves a swanky new handset, there’s always a smartphone – and it doesn’t have to be expensive. For instance, the Realme 7 boasts a 90Hz screen and only costs £179
If money isn’t an object, we have a list of all the best smartphones here. Though if you prefer, we’ve rounded up the best budget smartphones on the market too.
A nice case can also add a special touch. Many case makers will have discounts on now too, like Mujjo which make premium leather cases and has 15% off until 20 June with code #dad.
If your dad loves TV and movies, you might find that a media streaming device is a good way to give him access to services such as Netflix, HBO Max or BBC iPlayer without having to fork out for a smart TV.
Many also offer additional benefits such as the ability to stream content from a tablet or smartphone, for example.
If you’re on a budget, our recommendation is the Roku Streaming Stick+ (£49.99) sits pretty at number 2 in our best TV media streamer list.
Another undisputedly great option for around the same low price is the Amazon Fire TV Stick (£39.99/ $49.99). Simply plug it into the USB port on your dad’s telly and he’ll have a wealth of shows and films at his fingertips.
As long as it’s not a cheeky ploy to get him to lose weight, an activity tracker is a cool, affordable present for your dad this Father’s Day.
There are so many on the market, so maybe a peek at our list of the best activity trackers and best fitness tracker deals is in order.
We’d pick out the Fitbit Charge 4 (£129.99/$149.95) as the best all rounder, which you can now get for £99 (or $99 in the US).
We’ve also rounded up all the best Fitbit deals all in one place.
There’s always the option to go full-blown smartwatch, so long as your dad is a smartphone user – he’d need to pair the two over Bluetooth.
Smartwatches have more features and a screen, and the go-to example for most is the Apple Watch, which has a few models. If you don’t want to go for the top-end Apple Watch 6, you could opt for the Watch SE, which starts at £269/$279. If you want cellular connectivity, however, prices start at £319/$329.
Compare all Apple Watches here, and click here to see options on Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Additional smartwatch options that we’ve been loving can be found in our best smartwatches chart.
Even if he’s blasting Rod Stewart, it’s his day, so let him. Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Here is our guide to the best.
High on that list is the outstanding yet affordable Earfun UBoom for £59.99/ $79.99, which pretty much includes everything you’d want in a speaker: built-in mic, low latency, strong battery life, long Bluetooth range, USC-C charging, and IPX7 waterproofing. See our full 5-star review.
If you’d rather your dad kept his questionable audio tastes to himself, you’re in luck. Headphones are an affordable item that he can use with his phone, tablet, laptop or even TV.
A good pick is the Soundmagic E11BT headphones. For £69.99/$39.95 you get great audio quality and the option to connect over Bluetooth 5.0.
See our full run-down of the best budget headphones available, where the E11BT comes first!
For the literary-inclined father in your life, there’s always an eReader. It’s impossible to not mention Kindle. The recently updated base Kindle is only £69.99/ $89.99, though you may want to pay the optional extra £10 to avoid your dad having adverts on the lock screen.
For a Kindle-heavy rundown of the best eReaders, check out our guide
Why not pair the eReader with a subscription service?
A Readly subscription can get him a variety of great magazines with just one monthly subscription rate. Choose from titles like Men’s Health, Sport, Esquire, GQ – it’s like a gift that grants more gifts. It’s like the Netflix for magazines.
Readly comes with a 1 month free trial but you can get gift cards ranging from one month (£7.99/US$9.99) up to one year subscriptions (£95.88/US$119.88). See full prices here (US prices here).
Here’s an option if you’re on a tighter budget. This is tech any practical-gift-loving man would appreciate, especially under lockdown.
With three stubble combs, the OneBlade covers clean shaves, stubbles, and general grooming.
In our review of the Philips OneBlade we said it is” as close to perfect as it gets” and at £40 or under, it snagged the top spot in our round-up of the best electric shavers of 2021.
The Sub bundle
It may not be strictly tech but which dad wouldn’t want a beer tap for Father’s Day? The Sub is one of a few beer delivery systems which requires only a countertop and mains power.
Insert one of the special kegs, available from Beerwulf, and the Sub will cool it to 2°C so it’s ready to drink. Dad can perfect pulling the perfect pint, and the fresh beer will impress him, as well as everyone else who tries it.
The compact version doesn’t take up much space and there’s a bundle deal with eight kegs that’s currently 26% off.
Pinter
Again, not tech, but perfect for Father’s Day. If you’re buying for a dad who won’t be happy with simply drinking beer, the Pinter is the simplest system out there for brewing it as well.
The Pinter may look a lot like the Sub, but it’s an all-in-one fermenter and dispenser. Brewing takes just a few days (a bit longer if you want even better-tasting beer) and is practically foolproof.
Two ‘Pinter packs’ come with the kit, which includes everything dad needs to brew 20 pints of the freshest possible beer at home. The packs are designed to fit through your letterbox, and there are currently 15 to choose between on the Pinter website.
The device itself is available in a range of different colours and there’s always a beer of the month. Right now that’s a Euro 2020 pack of three ales: Welsh Red, English Pale and Scottish Amber.
If you still can’t decide what to get Dad, you can always have him choose instead. The One4All gift card works with over 130 High Street stores in the UK, such as John Lewis, Argos, M&S, Argos, Curry’s, and many more.
So whether he prefers tech, fashion, fine dining or wants a bit of R&R on a Virgin Experience Days, the One4All card has it covered.
You can load the card with £10 to £120, and also personalise it for Father’s Day with a message, which is a neat touch. You can order the One4All gift card online or buy it at the Post Office.
Author: Somrata Sarkar, Senior Staff Writer, Tech Advisor
Somrata researches and writes about the best tech deals to help readers make smart, informed buying decisions. She's an expert on accessories and also reviews laptops, phones, audio and other devices.