12 truly useful gifts for the dad in your life

If you give a Dad a tiny, take-anywhere Bluetooth speaker, he’s probably going to reminisce about how cool his old 5-disc CD changer was and then he’ll remember that back in his day, music was actually good, not like the garbage you listen to. But give him the speaker anyway.

Dying devices are the bane of the 21st century. We spend far too much time checking our batteries, looking for charger cables and flipping the connector to find the right orientation. (Not to mention the hours we waste complaining about how quickly our phones lose power.) Give Dad one less thing to gripe about with a portable power bank that’s lightweight, slim, and efficient.

Whether Dad fancies himself a veritable Bob Vila or is finally, frantically tackling Mom’s Honey-Do List before she completely loses her patience, here are some nifty products to make the project easier. With wearable magnetic wristbands, tool belts or traditional toolboxes, he can keep everything within reach—without having to mumble through a mouthful of metal or needing a helper to hand him items.

What’s the best way to polish touchscreens? There are spray cleaners specially formulated to remove smudges, dust and debris from the many devices we rely on daily. But who wants to carry a big bottle and a microfiber cloth everywhere they go? And as convenient as it might be, pulling your shirtsleeve down and using the heel of your hand isn’t terribly effective. Instead, try a pocket-sized reusable roller or a wee little brush. Either one will tuck neatly into Dad’s briefcase or glove box, so he’ll be able to see screens clearly again wherever he goes.

How many times, when you were a child, did Dad admonish you to eat your vegetables? Or maybe that was Mom’s refrain and Dad was the one to spoil you with clandestine candy and junk food. It’s time for you to make sure that he’s eating right, so he will be able to stick around for all the special occasions in your life and your children’s lives. Stock up his kitchen drawers with accessories that take the chore out of chopping.

These days, who among us isn’t suffering stress in the form of stiff, sore muscles in our shoulders and necks? Equip your dad with massage and acupressure tools so that he’ll be prepared the next time there’s a painful knot to knead, whether it’s in his lower back or Mom’s shoulder. Foam rollers, yoga wheels, gizmos that target trigger points, arc-shaped back stretcher-outers are some of the low-tech but highly effective options. Or splash out and get Dad a massage gun with interchangeable accessories. (Just don’t blame us if Dad makes the joke that “acu-pressure” is preferable to “approxi-pressure.”)

Swiss Army knives are so pre-pandemic. The new don’t-leave-home-without-it multitasker is a versatile, ergonomic keychain tool. Use it to push, pull and poke doors, touchpads, elevator buttons, doorbells, faucet handles and so much more.

Whatever Dad’s into—llamas, tacos, video games, fighter planes, penguins—he can show it off with a pair of novelty socks, which will lend a touch of whimsy to even the stuffiest suit.

Remember the fidget spinner craze? (If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’re probably groaning “How could I forget?”) Spinners may come and go, but fidget toys are here to stay. That’s great news for anyone who experiences anxiety or has trouble concentrating without something to occupy their hands. These gadgets take many forms; some look like a tactical Rubik’s cube, some are colorful squiggly shapes, and still others are poppable dots made of plastic. There are even fidget cubes that offer all kinds of sensory stimulation, including switches to flick, dials to spin and toggles to flip. If Dad is a pencil-tapper, pen-clicker, or coin-rattler, why not stick a fidget or two in his Christmas stocking?

Dads get a great deal of satisfaction from strapping things to other things. He wants to make sure the Christmas tree atop the car will make it home safe and sound, or that his water bottle stays connected to his bicycle. Of course, securing stuff with straps also gives him the opportunity to utter one of the Quintessential Dad Phrases: “That’s not going anywhere.” Gift Dad a set of ratchet tie-downs, an abundance of bungee cords, or an all-purpose strap and let him go to town.

Thanks to video tutorials, Dad can fix just about anything these days, but it’s hard to hold a phone while also wielding a wrench. Equally tricky is working out without a pocket or other place to stash your phone Luckily, there is no shortage of handy-dandy holders to keep your phone close by without, well, actually using one’s hands. Designs range from gooseneck gadgets that clip onto just about any surface to magnetic car mounts to sweatproof armbands that also keep earbuds in check. Whichever you choose, your dad’s gonna love the safety and convenience they’ll offer.