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Every dad is different. Some of them are weird (like me) and some of them are weirdly normal. Either way, finding the best Father’s Day gift can be a challenge. That’s why we’re here. We spend all day reviewing and recommending products, so we have fantastic alternatives to the typical ties and beef jerky fare. So, regardless of what your pops is into, there’s something on this list for them. And hey, chuck a crayon drawing in there instead of a card. A little sappy nostalgia never hurts on Father’s Day.
Best tabletop campsite lantern: GigaPower Tabletop Lantern
GigaPower Tabletop Lantern $100
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The Snow Peak Tabletop LED Lantern is a $100 dimmable camp light that produces a warm even glow rather than the white blast of most camp lanterns. Snow Peak is the Japanese outdoor brand that designs camp gear like high-end furniture: matte aluminum body, frosted diffuser, tactile aluminum knobs. It runs on Snow Peak’s proprietary battery or USB. It looks at home on a campsite picnic table or on a nightstand in your bedroom, which is the design language Snow Peak has made its signature.
Best illustrated reference book: Hungry Minds The Book
Hungry Minds The Book $119
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The Hungry Minds Book is a hand-illustrated encyclopedia of mechanisms, biology, optics, and social systems, 400 pages from a small Florida-based studio. Every illustration starts as a pencil sketch and finishes in lithographic ink. The cover is silver-embossed and the binding is sewn. Chapters cover anatomy, bicycles, animation, festivals, and sushi, which sounds scattered until you spend twenty minutes inside one. A five-pound coffee-table object that rewards being opened. Use the promo code CURIOUSDAD during checkout and get the premium gift box for free.
Best heritage sunglasses: Vuarnet Racing 05
Vuarnet Racing 05 sunglasses $330
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The Vuarnet Racing 05 sunglasses come equipped with mineral glass lenses instead of polycarbonate, which makes them slightly heavier but offers a visibly sharper image with optical clarity polycarbonate doesn’t match. The acetate frame is hand-finished in Italy. The Racing 05 is the investment pair that replaces three rounds of $100 sunglasses and tends to outlast the cars it rides along in.
Best alpine shell jacket: Norrøna Falketind dri1
Norrøna Falketind dri1 Jacket $399
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The Norrøna Falketind dri1 is a $399 lightweight rain shell built around dri1, Norrøna’s own waterproof-breathable membrane. The cut is alpine, seams are minimized to reduce failure points, and the jacket packs into its own hood pocket. Skimp on a jacket in this category and it will start to flake and disintegrate a year or two in. You won’t have that problem here. With proper care, this will last for years, even under heavy use.
Best limited-edition notebook: Moleskine NASA-Inspired Edition
Moleskine NASA-Inspired Limited Edition Notebook $37
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The Moleskine NASA-Inspired Notebook is a $37 limited edition with Apollo-era graphic design on the cover and a sealed envelope at the back containing a small commemorative print. Inside, it’s the classic Moleskine ruled paper that has barely changed in decades because users love it so much. The whole package feels like a nice gift and it’ll actually come in handy for everyday use.
Best digital writing tablet: reMarkable Paper Pure
reMarkable Paper Pure $399
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The reMarkable Paper Pure is a $399 e-ink writing tablet that drops the front light and color display of the Paper Pro to bring the price down by $180, per our full review. The textured screen and 21-millisecond pen-to-ink latency match the Pro’s, so the writing feel doesn’t compromise. The chassis is built with screws and snaps for repairability, weighs 0.79 pounds, and the battery runs three weeks on an hour of daily note-taking.
If your pop loves his pooch, get him a leash worthy of his best friend. The reflective mesh leash is super durable, so even large dogs can pull on it without worry. The wrist loop closes with a simple magnetic Fidlock clip, so it’s easy to get on and off, but only when you want to. The auto-locking Talon Clip provides a super sturdy point of contact with a leash or a harness, so the whole package is secure (and handsome) from end to end.
Best chore coat: Carhartt Crafted Series Drill Painter Chore Coat
Carhartt Crafted Series Drill Painter Chore Coat $150
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Carhartt jackets look better once they’re broken in and that’s especially true here. Made from 9-ounce 100% cotton drill, this jacket is designed to break in and patina the way Carhartt’s original painter coats did a century ago. The rest of the feature sheet includes Two-piece sleeves for mobility, metal button front, snap cuffs, an interior chest pocket, and exterior pockets sized for brushes and carpenter pencils. The Crafted Series is Carhartt’s elevated line with cleaner cuts over the same construction. You’ll want to steal it once your dad has worked in it for a while.
Best EDC flashlight: Olight ArkPro Ultra
Olight ArkPro Ultra $129.99
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This is four light sources in one body: a 1,700-lumen flood, an 800-lumen spot, a 365-nanometer UV mode for inspection work, and a green laser pointer. It charges magnetically or over USB-C, and the flat aluminum body is comfortable in a pocket in a way most cylindrical flashlights are not. This is a gift he’ll carry around with him every single day.
Best garage storage bins: DECKED Payloader
DECKED Payloader 32L 3-Pack from $125
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DECKED is best known for engineered truck-bed drawer systems, but the Payloader is a stackable garage storage bin engineered to bring tough storage into the house. Sizes run 32 to 133 liters, lids hold up to 200 pounds static, and the bins lock into a Stable Stack formation so a tower of three doesn’t slide off itself. Lifetime warranty. I’ve been testing these in my house for a few weeks and I’ve already dropped them several times with no breakage.
Best cutting board: STEELPORT SteelCore Cutting Board
STEELPORT SteelCore Cutting Board (Oregon Maple, 18×12) $240
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This edge-grain Oregon big-leaf maple board has a steel matrix embedded inside it, which keeps the board flat against the dimensional movement that warps and splits ordinary wooden boards over time. STEELPORT hand-finishes them in Portland. The Oregon Maple variant has a recycled paper-composite reverse with a juice groove for raw proteins. At 0.75 inches thick, STEELPORT claims it’s the thinnest end-grain board on the market. Plus, it looks nice enough to keep on the counter all the time without having to stash it away in a cabinet.
Best adventure smartwatch: Suunto Vertical 2
Suunto Vertical 2 (Stainless Steel) $599
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A 1.5-inch AMOLED screen peaks at 2,000 nits of brightness, so this adventure-ready watch is visible in just about any conditions. Dual-frequency GNSS provides accurate location data even if you’re battling a canyon or tree-cover. Free downloadable offline maps and a 65-hour run time per charge (with GPS turned on) make this a wearable that you can rely on during off-grid adventures.
Best high-resolution camera: Sony Alpha 7R VI
Alpha 7R VI: Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera $4,499.99
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Yes, this is an expensive camera, but consider this a passive aggressive attempt on my part to get my kids to buy me one. The A7R VI is built around a 66.8-megapixel fully-stacked Exmor RS sensor and shoots blackout-free continuous bursts at 30 frames per second. That means photographers don’t have to choose between high-res images and high-speed shooting. Dynamic range hits 16 stops. In-body stabilization claims up to 8.5 stops under ideal circumstances. Real-time Recognition AF+ uses skeletal pose estimation to predict where a moving subject’s face will be next. This is a beast of a camera that’s worthy of pro work.
Best propane fire pit: Solo Stove Infinity Flame
Solo Stove Infinity Flame $599.99
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Not every dad is great at building a fire with wood, and that’s OK. The Infinity relies on a propane tank you swap when it runs dry. Twin burners put out up to 72,000 BTUs combined, the unit runs five and a half hours on a 20-pound tank at maximum output, and the dual-burner geometry recreates the swirl pattern of a real wood fire. You get all the ambiance and warmth without the kindling, false starts, and ash cleanup.
Best portable jump starter: NOCO Boost GB40
NOCO Boost GB40 $99.95
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Despite its small size, this box delivers 1,000 amps of starting power, enough for any gas engine up to six liters or any diesel up to three. It weighs 2.4 pounds and works as a portable USB power bank. The built-in 100-lumen LED offers seven modes of illumination depending on your needs. All those featured are wrapped in an IP65-rated case to protect against dust and water. It may really get your dad (or you) out of a jam down the line.
Best work boot: KEEN Utility Targhee Blur
KEEN Utility Targhee Blur Waterproof (Carbon Toe) $210
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The KEEN Utility Targhee Blur is a $210 lightweight work boot, the work-boot version of KEEN’s long-running Targhee hiker. KEEN’s ReGEN+ midsole returns 60 percent of energy per step, the carbon-fiber composite safety toe is 15 percent lighter than steel and meets ASTM F3445 and F2413. Inside, the KEEN.DRY membrane keeps water out without trapping moisture in. The Targhee Blur is available in mid or low collar heights, both with reflective webbing for low-light visibility. Plus, they look a lot cooler than your dad’s old boots.
Best cooling underwear: Duluth Trading Armachillo Cooling Boxer Briefs 3-Pack
Duluth Trading Armachillo Cooling Boxer Briefs 3-Pack $74.50
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Many dads aren’t willing to splurge on underwear, so you have to do it for them. Jade-infused cooling fabric make these boxer briefs some of the most comfortable we’ve ever worn at work or the gym. Microscopic jade particles embedded in the nylon-spandex knit are dense enough to draw heat away from the skin, which makes the fabric measurably cool to the touch and not just moisture-wicking. The Armachillo briefs solve an actual hot-summer problem in a way most $25-a-pair boxer briefs cannot.
Best electric shaver: Philips Norelco i9000
Philips Norelco i9000 Wet & Dry Shaver with SenseIQ $229.96
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Disposable razors are over. This rechargeable shaver has a SenseIQ sensor inside that reads beard density 500 times per second and modulates cutting power on the fly. The Triple Lift & Cut head pulls flat-lying hairs upright before cutting them, which is the difference between a clean shave and a close-but-not-quite one. The motor and battery carry a five-year warranty. Self-sharpening blades last two years between replacements.
Best gaming headset: Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II Wireless Gaming Headset $349.99
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The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II runs 60-millimeter Eclipse dual drivers, Japan Audio Society-certified 24-bit/96kHz hi-res wireless over a 2.4GHz USB transmitter, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and adjustable active noise cancellation. Does that sound nerdy? Yes, but it’s also awesome and if your dad is a true gamer, he’ll appreciate all of it. Dual swappable 40-hour batteries mean zero downtime between charges. CrossPlay 2.0 handles up to four USB transmitters, so the Stealth Pro II moves between PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Bluetooth without rewiring.
Best washable wool rug: Revival Rugs Mori
Revival Rugs Mori Washable Wool Rug (6' x 9', Guava) $799
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Dad needs a rug to tie the room together. The Revival Rugs Mori is a $799 hand-knotted wool rug (in the 6′ × 9′ size) built around a washable construction most wool rugs can’t claim. Revival works with artisan partners on washable yarns and weave geometry that survive a wash cycle without the dry-cleaning intervention traditional wool rugs require. Three colorways: Guava, Matcha, Sakura. The Mori is the rug pick for someone who appreciates the look of a hand-knotted wool rug without the maintenance overhead.
Best mechanical keyboard: CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless
CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless $249.99
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You don’t have to know how magnets work to appreciate this high-end keyboard. Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) switches replace the typical sensors most premium gaming keyboards rely on. CHERRY claims 0.01-millimeter precision and lower power draw than Hall-effect equivalents. The 8,000Hz polling rate works in 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or wired modes. Hot-swappable sockets accept the brand’s magnetic switches or traditional mechanical switches, which is rare in the category. TKL layout, PBT keycaps, 300 hours of gaming on the 8,000mAh battery. Plus, it sounds awesome.
Best flat-top grill: Traeger Irontop 2-Burner
Traeger Irontop 2-Burner Griddle $499
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The Traeger Irontop 2-Burner is a $499 flat-top grill provides edge-to-edge heat across the cooktop as default rather than luxury. That means the burgers at the center of the surface cook at the same speed as those around the edge. The two-burner has 504 square inches of cooking surface. The four-burner steps up to 648 square inches at $599. Both ship with integrated wind guards, a P.A.L. accessory rail, side shelves, and a three-year warranty.
Best pocket knife: Opinel No. 12 Explore
Opinel No. 12 Explore $60
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Ticks are the worst, but they’re a way of life when you spend a lot of time outside. The Opinel No. 12 Explore is a $60 folding knife with a built-in tick remover, a notched slot on the handle that slides under an embedded tick and lifts the head out cleanly. If you don’t get the whole bug out, it could regenerate over time and increase your risk of disease. A Virobloc safety ring locks the blade and the handle is glass-filled polyamide.
Best commuter backpack: Chrome Industries Barrage 18L
Chrome Industries Barrage 18L Pack $155
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Roll top bags can save your gadgets and everyday carry during bad weather. The welded main compartment is exceptionally resistant to the elements, which makes this a great pack for commuting or spending time outdoors. The Barrage has an exterior webbing cargo net for awkward loads and an internal 15-inch laptop sleeve. The floating tarp liner is made from recycled auto-glass and the main fabric is 1050D recycled nylon. PFAS-free. Best of all: it looks really cool.
Best personal cooler: Yeti Roadie 8
Yeti Roadie 8 Hard Cooler $165
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The smallest cooler in Yeti’s lineup is sized for one person going out for the day rather than a family tailgate. It holds 12 cans or nine pounds of ice with the same Permafrost pressure-injected polyurethane insulation and ColdLock gasket as the big Tundra. The AnchorPoint tie-down slots are built to strap the cooler to a paddleboard, motorcycle saddle, ATV, or golf cart. To make it an even better gift, fill it up with cans of Arnold Palmer (or any other beverage he may like).
Best submersible dry bag: Watershed Ocoee
Watershed Ocoee Drybag from $167
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The Watershed Ocoee is a submersible dry bag from $167 in standard colors, sized to fit under a kayak deck or a boat seat. The ZipDry zipper is the same closure Watershed sells into the military waterproof-gear category, rated IP68 for full submersion rather than splash resistance. 10.5 liters of capacity, 1.5 pounds, plus rugged carry handles and hard lash points for tie-downs.
