The 16 best gifts for dads

For dads who are frequent fliers, the Twelve South AirFly Pro is a handy gadget that’ll let them connect their wireless headphones to a plane’s inflight entertainment system. Just pair the transmitter with the cans, then plug it into the seat’s headphone jack. The device gets a couple dozen hours of battery life, so it should easily endure through longer flights, plus it can connect to two sets of headphones at once, just in case mom wants to watch the same movie or show with them. It’s not limited to planes, either — it can add Bluetooth to older treadmills, car stereos and many other devices with a 3.5mm jack as well. — J.D.

For the dad who often forgets to charge his phone before leaving the house, the Anker Nano Power Bank is a compact battery that attaches directly to the bottom of a device through a built-in USB-C connector. A tiny pack like this isn’t designed to fully recharge recent handsets: As we note in our power bank buying guide, it provided a 65 percent charge to a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in roughly an hour. But it’s handy as an emergency lifeline for a phone on the verge of death, since the whole thing is about the size of a lipstick case and won’t force your dad to remember any cables. The included connector folds back into the device, making it harder to break, and there are four indicator lights to give you a sense of how much juice the bank has left. The battery linked here will work with Android phones and the iPhone 15 series; if your dad is using an older iPhone, know that Anker also makes a similar model with a Lightning connector. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter

Read more: The best power banks

A security camera can be useful not only for deterring porch pirates, but also for capturing irrefutable proof of wrongdoing. Blink sells a range of indoor and outdoor home security gear, but its 1080p Mini 2 camera is a solid choice for keeping an eye on pets or potential unwelcome guests in the dead of night. Its IP65-rated design is weather-resistant enough to survive indoors or out (it even has a built-in spotlight for better recording color video at night), plus it supports motion detection alerts and two-way audio. As Blink is an Amazon subsidiary, the Mini 2 also works well with Alexa, so it’s a sensible choice for families who already own an Echo speaker. Just be aware that features like cloud storage and person detection are locked behind a subscription fee. And to save video locally, you need to add Blink’s Sync Module 2 and a USB thumb drive. Still, for less than $50, the Mini 2 is a better value than most cams. — J.D.

If your dad has any interest in repairing or modding their own gadgets, the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit should cover all the materials they need. It includes several screwdriver bits that can help open up devices that aren’t accessible via standard tools, plus a few tweezers, spudgers and picks for carefully taking apart more sensitive components. Naturally, the whole set works well with the many repair guides on iFixit’s site. Dad should still exercise caution with projects like these, but if he ever wants to, say, replace the battery of an old game console, he won’t necessarily need to pay someone else to do it. — J.D.

There are all kinds of food thermometers out there that will help your dad ensure grilled items are perfectly cooked this summer. Most of them use wired probes that can get in the way when he goes to flip a steak or wrap a brisket. Meater’s probes are wireless and the Meater Pro also more accurate and more durable than previous versions.

Specifically, the Meater 2 Plus has five internal temperature sensors that give you the true lowest reading of your food so that you don’t undercook them. There’s still an ambient temperature sensor on the other end to help you monitor grill temps, too. The Meater Pro can also withstand high-heat searing and it’s waterproof. This means you can still use it to sous vide or deep fry, and when you’re done you can just toss it in the dishwasher. This model also offers Bluetooth 5.2 support with extended range, so dad can venture inside and watch things from his phone for longer cooks. Meater’s app will keep him updated and provide estimated completion times along the way. — Billy Steele, Senior Reporter

The Meta Quest 3S is the best entry point for any dad (or whoever else) looking to get into virtual reality for the first time. As we note in our buying guide, it’s a remarkable achievement for $300: a totally wireless and (relatively) comfortable headset with the same speedy performance and excellent controllers as the higher-end Quest 3. Most importantly, it supports the same robust selection of native VR apps and games. It does downgrade on lens quality compared to the Quest 3 — which remains the better buy for more experienced VR users — but what’s here is still good enough for most people to feel immersed.

In general, a headset like this is still more of a neat toy than some paradigm-shifting breakthrough. But so what? If you think Dad would enjoy playing mini golf or Tetris in a virtual world, the Quest 3S should bring him hours of fun. Just note that it lacks a built-in headphone jack, and that you’ll need to buy a separate cable to use it with a gaming PC. — J.D.

Read more: The best VR headsets

Every dad can use a way to keep canned beverages cold on a hot day, and Brumate’s Hopsulator Trio functions as a koozie and a travel mug. There are a few different models, but I prefer the Trio’s 3-in-1 abilities. For 16 ounce cans, it’s an insulated aluminum holder. For 12 ounce cans, the Hopsulator comes with a reusable cold puck for even more efficient cooling. And as I mentioned, it comes with a lid so you can use it as a cup if you want. I use mine year round, but it gets the most work during the warmer months when I’m out at the grill or sitting on the deck.

DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 has become a mini-phenomenon, with the tiny gimbal cameras being snapped up in large numbers by creators, travelers and others. The new model has a big 1-inch sensor that improves image quality and low-light capability over the past model. It also offers a nice flip screen that automatically changes video from 16:9 to TikTok-style vertical video when you flip it sideways. The updated ActiveTrack feature is better than ever, making vlogging nearly automatic as the camera follows the subject around and keeps it in focus. Along with 4K 60p regular video, it adds 4K 120p slow-mo. The main drawback is the reduced resolution that makes it worse for taking photos. — Steve Dent, Contributing Reporter

I’ve been obsessed with Dremel’s electric multi-tools ever since I watched Alexi Sayle ask “did I mention we cut?” back in the early ‘90s. And yet, despite being an adult with my own home, I’ve never needed to actually go out and buy a Dremel like the 8220 you can see here. Look at the thing, it’s like an electric Swiss Army Knife, complete with drill and screwdriver bits, sanding bits, polishing bits, metal-cutting discs, grinding stones and engraving tools! Just think about all of the things I can drill, screw, sand, polish, cut, grind and engrave if I had one of those right now.

I bet you there’s a whole host of parents and parental figures out there who are just itching to get a Dremel into their lives. But I bet they, like me, are also that little bit too scared to just go out and buy one since they probably don’t know what they’d use it for. That’s why you, as loving people, should go and buy them a Dremel much in the same way that I hope my kids, when they’re old enough to earn money, go out and buy me a Dremel. And maybe a book that will teach me how to use it. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Reporter

The Steam Deck OLED is our gaming handheld of choice for anyone who wants to get some play time in when they don’t have control of the TV. It’s certainly chunky, and it isn’t quite powerful enough to run every new AAA game these days, but it still makes an enormous selection of PC games playable on the go, and its OLED display is superbly vivid. You could alternatively go with a faster Windows machine like the ASUS ROG Ally X, but that one is more expensive, and the Deck is easier to pick up and use from a software perspective. — J.D.

Read more: The best gaming handhelds

Mechanical keyboards are an acquired taste, but the deeper feedback they provide with each press can make everyday typing more pleasurable. If your dad is interested in shaking things up, Keychron’s C3 Pro is a great first step into the hobby. As we note in our mechanical keyboard buying guide, its keystrokes feel soft and springy. While it’s not out-and-out quiet, it gives off a pleasing clack with each press. You do lose some niceties for the price: It’s not wireless, the base model has a red-only backlight and the ABS keycaps can start to feel slick over time. Still, it should be an immediate comfort upgrade over a laptop-style membrane keyboard all the same. Best of all, it costs well under $50. If your dad happens to want features like RGB backlighting and the ability to swap in new switches down the road, Keychron also sells a variant that supports those for just over $50. — J.D.

For dads who are frequent fliers, the Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 is a handy gadget that’ll let them connect their wireless headphones to a plane’s inflight entertainment system. Just pair the transmitter with the cans, then plug it into the seat’s headphone jack. The device gets over 25 hours of battery life, so it should easily endure through longer flights, plus it can connect to two sets of headphones at once, just in case mom wants to watch the same movie or show with them. It’s not limited to planes, either — it can add Bluetooth to older treadmills, car stereos and many other devices with a 3.5mm jack as well. — J.D.

If your dad’s constantly complaining about their home Wi-Fi not being able to keep up with all the sports, news or movies he watches on the daily, just pick him up the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro mesh router system. This is a top pick in our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems for a few reasons, but a big one is easy of setup. Even if you’re not there to help dad set up their new kit, chances are he’ll be able to do it himself with no issues. In our testing, we found Google’s router system to provide speedy, tri-band performance and, once it’s set up, your dad can basically forget about it. While it’s not as customizable as other mesh systems, some will be just fine setting up their Wi-Fi router once and never touching it again — that’s the beauty of Google’s system. It also has Google Assistant, Matter and Thread support, so if dad has tinkered around in the smart home space, it’ll likely work in tandem with the other devices in their home. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

Read more: The best mesh Wi-Fi systems

I’ve loved Withings’ hybrid watches, which put all the health tech you need into an analog watch body, for more than a decade. The ScanWatch Nova crams the ScanWatch 2’s hardware into a diver’s watch body and looks far more luxurious than it actually costs. And, of course, it’s got all the fancy health and fitness equipment you might be interested in buying for a beloved adult.

Buried inside that case is a built-in ECG, heart rate and oximeter, as well as a temperature sensor. You’ll get sleep monitoring, automatic activity tracking and access to the best in class Withings Health app. But for me, the most compelling feature is the 30-day battery life, which will give you, uh, 29 and a half more days of life on a single charge than the comparable Apple Watch.

Actually, the most compelling feature is the analog subdial that’ll keep track of your step count set to whatever target suits you. If it’s getting late in the day and you want to make sure you’ve got your 10,000 steps in, that information is right there. So, it’s useful, practical, stylish and will outperform plenty of other smartwatches on the market — any questions? — D.C.

There are a lot of Bluetooth turntables which are designed for the hip crowd who want to show off their ye olde-fashioned record player. But if you’re looking for something a bit more capital-S serious without shelling out for a high-end Technics unit, Audio Technica’s romantically-named ATLP120XBT might be worth a glance. The fact it could be confused for a Technics SL-1210, right down to the s-shaped tone arm is, I’m sure, just a total coincidence.

The sound is good, and you’ll get adjustable pitch control alongside the belt-driven turntable (sorry, no scratching on this unit). And connectivity-wise, it’s well-stocked, with Dual RCA-out, USB or Bluetooth 5.0, with support for aptX. It’s a unit I’m thinking about getting for my mum, since it’ll enable her to digitize her stack of 78rpm records over that USB connection.

If your dad has floated the idea of making his own pizza, the Solo Stove Pi Prime would make an exciting gift. We name it the best outdoor model for most people in our buying guide, calling it particularly easy to set up, operate and clean. It’s a 12-inch propane-only model, but some may prefer not having to think about supplying wood. And while it will inevitably take a few tries to get things just right, the oven itself is more than capable of baking a good Neapolitan or New York-style pie. If you’d prefer a larger model with multiple fuel sources, we also like the Ooni Karu 16, though that’ll set you back a few hundred extra. — J.D.

Read more: The best pizza ovens