12 Father’s Day gadget gifts your dad won’t stop talking about, based on raves from 15 dads | Father’s Day

DCLINA

IonVac Cordless Vacuum

$32.99

Crumbs, dirt, and dust in dad’s precious car are a no-no, and a cordless vacuum like this one helps to keep them at bay. “All you have to do is just charge it,” said Vince Spano, a retired dad of one with two grandkids. With two speeds, Spano even uses it around the house if he spots a mess, like when the grandkids spill their cereal. “It’s got power to it,” he adds, “so it does collect a lot.”

Chipolo

Card Tracker

from $38.99

James Ghandour, a software developer and dad of two young girls, uses the Chipolo Card to keep track of important items that tend to walk off – like his wallet. “It’s basically the same as an AirTag but shaped like a credit card,” he said, which makes it easy to slot into his wallet. It works with both Apple and Android phones to easily locate the missing item, even if it’s outside the house. But with his kids often moving things around indoors, Ghandour said it’s “perfect for finding stuff around the house”, too.

ANMONE

Long Stylus Pen

$16.99

Instead of note taking or sketching, John Persaud, retired dad of two and granddad of three, uses a stylus for easier navigation on a small screen. “I sometimes have problems texting or playing games on my iPhone or iPad,” Persaud explained. This five-pack of styli “has a clip I can grip. Plus, it’s longer and the tip does not split and break up.” Available with multiple colors, dad can have one for home, one for on the go and a few to spare.

Meatmeet

Wireless Bluetooth Meat Thermometer S Pro

$49.99

Not every dad can channel Gordon Ramsay and tell when meat is done with the poke of a finger. This wireless meat thermometer eliminates the ambiguity and communicates with an app, so dad can watch the game while the steaks are grilling. It’s a gift Chris T, a real estate agent and dad of two under six, didn’t know he needed. “I was surprised how much I benefited from this,” he said. “It’s easy to use … anything that lets me multitask is a big hit for me.”

Toshiba

VHS-to-DVD Recorder

from $731.90

Dads of retirement age usually have tons of old VHS cassettes they would love to preserve, and they’re losing fidelity every day. That’s why Alex Munro, retired father of two and grandfather of three, loved receiving this VHS converter, which lets him digitize memories for himself and make copies for family members. Home movies come back to life without searching for that old VCR that probably no longer works. “I watch them every year, and they have a lot of people on them who aren’t around anymore.”

Cat Mate

C200 Automatic Pet Feeder

$29.99

This automatic feeder for small cats and dogs holds both wet and dry food, dispensing it on a timer. John Notten, an artist and dad of two grown kids, thought this gift was more for his cat Stomper than him. But his son reassured him that he’d be the one to benefit. It only took a day for John to admit his son was right. “After that day,” said Notten, “Stomper never again followed me around the house begging for food.”

Green Mountain Grills

Peak Prime 2.0 BBQ

from $749

The Wi-Fi controls on this smart grill let Daniel Munro, a firefighter and father of one, slow cook a brisket and adjust the temperature from the golf course while playing a few holes before dinner. “I love it because it’s something I use all year round,” he said. “My daughter is a picky eater, but she loves ribs, so I make those often, or smoked salmon for my wife.”

Dads love to whip out a cool gadget on a camping weekend with buds, and a fire-spitting torch really brings the theatrics. Jason Thomas Lawrence, realtor and dad of two under five, loves the Sondiko for elevating his outdoor cooking. Dads who don’t want to settle for the usual burgers and dogs can put a sear on steak and veggies, or even caramelize a creme brulee for a five-star meal in the woods. “It also works great for getting the campfire started quickly,” said Lawrence.

LEGO

Icons Transformers: Soundwave Building Set

from $189.99

Don’t let kids have all the Lego fun. This Transformers set offers Dad a retro-tech twist with a working cassette player built right in, which can play sound effects and recorded voices from inserted tapes. Adam Doud, a journalist and dad of two teens, especially loves that you can transform the build from boombox to robot and back. “It comes with Laserbeak and Ravage as cassette tapes that can be inserted into the boombox, which is a nice touch,” he said.

Fitbit

Charge 6 Fitness Tracker

from $79.99

Keeping on top of their health, wellness and fitness is important for dads of any age, which is why Nick Martino, retired dad of two kids and four grandkids, appreciates the Fitbit Charge 6. “The features I like the best are real-time heart rate, tracking my steps, sleep timeline, and stress management score,” he said. Available in three colors with swappable bands, it’s water-resistant and runs for up to seven days on one charge.

Shokz

Open-Ear Headphones

from $79.95

Shokz headphones allow you to listen to music without blocking out the world around you, and they’re so popular that two dads I spoke with have received and loved a pair. Mohammed Shirazi, real estate agent, mortgage broker, electrical engineer and dad to a young boy, owns the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2. This model wraps around the back of his neck and sits on top of your ear instead of inside it. “I love it because it never falls off, and it doesn’t feel like it’s hurting my eardrum.”

Luis Coria, stay-at-home dad to two young girls, has the more affordable Shokz OpenMove headphones with a similar design. He loves the long battery life, ability to hear what’s going on around him, and the handy side button for controlling calls and music playback. “Sound quality is great considering it’s not an in-ear headphone, which is the main selling point for me.” Both are especially great for dads who like to run, bike or just walk the dog without losing awareness.

Nintendo

Switch 2 Pro Controller

from $89

When Drew Kozub, a journalist, TV personality and dad to twin four-year-old boys, treated himself to the Nintendo Switch 2 game console, he opted not to get the Pro controller. “I was toughing it out with the Joy-Cons, even though for Mario Kart, I knew I’d race better with a Pro controller.” When his family surprised him with one, he appreciated it not just because it’s “an awesome controller, but because it’s also permission to take time to myself to enjoy video games without the dad guilt”.