Gift guide · 12 ideas
Gifts for dads who have everything
When he says he doesn’t need anything, he usually means he doesn’t want clutter. These are things he’ll actually use.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
Dads who have everything usually aren’t being difficult. They’ve bought what they need, they don’t like a fuss, and they’d rather you didn’t spend money on something that ends up in the garage. The way around it is a better version of something he already uses every week, or a treat he’d talk himself out of buying.
Most ideas come with our pick from one of our top lists, chosen with a dad in mind rather than simply the top of the list: the headlamp that switches on with a wave, the travel mug that carries like an ordinary mug, the bird feeder that tells him which species just landed. All of them pass one test: will he still be using it six months from now?
Sheepskin slippers for him
Plenty of dads are still shuffling around in slippers they got a decade ago. Sheepskin and wool inside is the upgrade he’d never pay for himself, and he’ll be in them every evening.
UGG Men’s Scuff Slipper (black)
$100–$150
UGG’s backless house slipper with a leather upper, 17mm of UGGpure wool lining over the foot and a 17mm sheepskin insole underneath. It slips on and off without bending down, the pair for padding between the bedroom and the kitchen.
What owners say: Comfortable, cosy and true to size, by owners’ accounts, and they last. The price divides them.
A closer look: Let damp slippers dry naturally, well away from the heater or a heat vent, before wearing them again. The sole is suede, with UGG’s tread pressed in, so this pair lives by the bed rather than the back door.
- Leather upper, wool lining
- Suede sole, for indoors
- 17mm sheepskin insole
A rechargeable headlamp
For the attic, the crawl space, the trap under the sink and the last dog walk of the night. With both hands free, the flashlight can stay in the drawer.
Blukar Rechargeable Headlamp (2-pack)
$20–$30
Wave a hand to switch it on: exactly what you want when you’re holding a breaker box cover or a muddy leash. Each lamp has a spot and a flood that can run together for a wide, even light.
What owners say: Super bright with a wide spread of light, owners say, and a pair that charge rather than eat batteries. The wave sensor is where opinions split.
A closer look: Three of the eight modes are sensor modes: pick one and a wave of the hand in front of the lamp turns it on or off, the setting for jobs with full or muddy hands. Long-press the button to dim it when full power is more than the job needs.
- Two rechargeable headlamps
- Beam 150 m (500 ft)
- Wave-to-switch sensor
Heads up: Expect 3.5 hours a charge with both beams on, or 5 with one, as Blukar’s own listing says, so charge it the night before a long outing.
View on Amazon See our top 5 headlamps →A tire inflator
No more digging for change at the gas station air machine, or driving there on a soft tire. He tops up all four right in the driveway.
AstroAI AIRUN H2 Pro Cordless Tire Inflator (150 PSI)
$50–$75
Power comes from its own battery or the car’s 12V outlet, whichever is handier, and it stops at the pressure you set; AstroAI gives it up to 18 minutes a charge. It does the whole job on its own, with no tool battery to buy and no clamps on the car battery.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set: key in the pressure and it fills to it, quickly enough for a big car tire, and they like how small it is.
A closer look: On its battery it runs for short stretches; plugged into the 12V outlet it keeps going for up to an hour, the way to fill a tire from flat. The nozzles and adapters ride in a compartment on the body, and the whole kit is small enough for the glove box.
- Battery or 12V outlet
- Stops at the set pressure
- Fits in the glove box
A wireless meat thermometer
He’s the one who stands guard over the smoker all afternoon. Now he can come inside, sit down with everyone and still know exactly how the ribs are doing.
TempPro TempSync Wireless Meat Thermometer (TP20)
$30–$50
Leave the probes in a brisket or a roast and walk away: the receiver shows both temperatures and beeps when the meat reaches your target, from up to 150 m (500 ft) on TempPro’s figure. There’s no app to install and nothing to pair.
What owners say: Seeing the grill’s own temperature beside the meat’s is what owners like most, and they find it easy to use and accurate enough to trust. The range and the connection get good marks too, and so does how many kinds of cooking it handles.
A closer look: Run one probe into the meat and clip the other to the grate to watch the smoker’s own temperature, then take the receiver indoors. Pick the meat and doneness, or set your own number, and it flashes and beeps when the meat gets there.
- Wireless, with 2 probes
- Alarm when food is done
- No app or pairing needed
Heads up: TempPro says to wipe the receiver, transmitter and probes clean, so keep them out of the sink.
View on Amazon See our top 5 meat thermometers →A cordless screwdriver
Every dad has a drawer full of screwdrivers; few have one that does the turning for him. Ready-to-assemble furniture, loose cabinet hinges and the battery covers on the kids’ toys all go quicker.
HOTO Electric Screwdriver Set (12 bits, aluminum case)
$75–$100
Light enough to use one-handed, with three torque settings up to 4 Nm, a ring of light around the tip that comes on by itself and 12 bits in a frosted aluminum box. It brakes the instant you let go of the button, so the bit doesn’t spin on and mark the screw.
What owners say: Owners say it makes furniture assembly simple and feels robust, even heavy duty, and they rate the torque and how long the battery lasts; no complaint keeps coming up.
A closer look: Turn the knob to I for small hinge and electronics screws and to III for furniture, and finish a stubborn screw in manual mode, turning the tool by hand, for up to 8 Nm. A full charge over USB-C takes under two and a half hours, and the light goes off 10 seconds after you let go.
- 3 torque settings
- Torque up to 4 Nm
- Light switches on by itself
Heads up: None of the 12 bits is a square (Robertson) bit, but the chuck takes standard 1/4-inch hex bits, so one is easy to add.
View on Amazon See our top 5 electric screwdrivers →Rechargeable hand warmers
A cold rink at six in the morning, an early tee time, the walk to the truck in January: they ride in a coat pocket until his hands need them, and recharge instead of going in the garbage.
Karecel KS-21 Rechargeable Hand Warmers with Thermal Silicone (2-pack)
$20–$30
Each warmer’s heating plate sits inside a soft silicone sleeve that carries the heat round to the front, the back and the sides, so one warmer on its own heats a whole hand. The two work separately, with no magnets, and Karecel gives up to 11 hours each on the lowest of three settings.
What owners say: Warm enough for a cool morning and good for a day on a charge; owners like its size and how it sits in the hand, though some wish the heat lasted longer, and durability divides them.
A closer look: Grooves in the silicone stop it slipping, even in a gloved hand, and at 1.9 cm (0.75 in) thick it still fits inside a glove or a purse. One two-headed USB-C cable charges both, and Karecel backs them with a two-year warranty.
- Heats front, back and sides
- Up to 11 hours (low)
- Grooves stop it slipping
An insulated travel mug
If his coffee rides to work in a mug that leaks or goes cold by the second sip, this is the fix: still hot when he finally gets to it after the first job of the morning.
Thermos Icon Travel Mug with Handle (470 mL, 16 oz)
$20–$30
A travel mug with a real handle: Thermos’s Icon has a lid you drink from all the way round, a slide lock that makes it leakproof for the bag, and a non-slip base that sits quietly on a desk.
What owners say: It holds the heat for hours and seals without leaking, owners report, and it carries well. Size and cleaning are where views differ.
A closer look: The stopper inside the lid comes apart for cleaning, and the mug goes on the dishwasher’s top rack. The handle makes it easy to carry from the car with a bag in the other hand, and it doubles as an everyday mug at the desk.
- Hot up to 7 hours
- Slide lock on the lid
- Drink from any side
A director’s camp chair
For the sideline, the campsite and the fire pit in the backyard: a seat he can settle into for the whole game, a small luxury after nine innings on a plain folding chair.
TIMBER RIDGE Laurel Director’s Chair with Side Table and Cooler Bag
$75–$100
A flip-down side table with cup holders, a cooler bag and a mesh phone pocket keep a snack, a cold drink and the phone within reach. Padded armrests and a full back hold you upright, which suits a meal or a hand of cards outdoors.
What owners say: Owners rate its comfort and support highly, call it sturdy and stable, and say the cooler keeps beer cold; it folds away easily, though its weight gets a mixed response.
A closer look: It folds flat, thin enough to slide in beside a cooler in the trunk or lean against a garage wall between trips. Its seat is about the height of a dining chair, handy for eating at the side table.
- Side table and cooler bag
- Holds up to 136 kg (300 lb)
- Folds flat for the trunk
Heads up: It comes without a carry bag; folded, it carries by a handle built into the frame.
View on Amazon See our top 5 camping chairs →A bird feeder with a camera
The gadget he didn’t know existed: a feeder that snaps every visitor and sends the pictures to his phone. A fun one for the dad who already knows his cardinals from his finches.
Kiwibit Solar Smart Bird Feeder with 4K Camera
$200–$300
The feeder’s front camera records its visitors in 4K, sends an alert to your phone and names the species, with lifetime bird identification included rather than a subscription. Solar panels on the roof keep its 5,200 mAh battery charged, and infrared lets it film after dark.
What owners say: Owners enjoy it, rate the photos and video and the solar charging, and find it easy to set up; some have had trouble with the battery holding its charge.
A closer look: The wall bracket, pole bracket and tree strap all come in the box, so it can go wherever the view and the sun are best; aim the solar roof south for the most charge. Clips go to the app with up to 60 days of cloud storage, or to a microSD card of up to 512 GB.
- Camera feeder
- Holds 1.5 L of seed
- Names the bird species
Heads up: It connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, so check the signal reaches the spot before mounting it.
View on Amazon See our top 6 bird feeders →Leather work gloves
His old pair has probably worn through at the fingertips. A good leather pair stands up to firewood, thorny shrubs and a winter of shovelling the driveway.
See options on AmazonA car cleaning kit
For the dad who washes the car on Saturday morning whether it needs it or not. Good mitts, towels and cleaners make a chore he already enjoys quicker and better.
Worth knowing: Look for a kit with microfiber towels, a wash mitt and an interior cleaner; skip the ones that are mostly air fresheners.
See options on AmazonA cooler for tailgates
Tailgates, a long day at Little League and the lunch he packs for work: a soft cooler with a hard liner keeps its shape, a real step up from the old one with the broken strap.
See options on AmazonHow to buy for a dad who has everything
- Look at what he uses every day and what’s worn out: the slippers, the work gloves, the flashlight in the kitchen drawer that never works.
- Ask whoever lives with him what he grumbles about. A cold walk to the truck, a slow leak in a tire or a dull job in the yard is usually your answer.
- Things that get used up don’t add clutter: a dozen good golf balls, a bag of coffee for the new mug, or firewood for the fire pit.
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
Not quite right? Our gift finder picks from all our lists.
Try the gift finder
