You know what time it is, friends! It’s time for another one of our signature Love + Specs last-minute gift guides because, hello, Father’s Day is this Sunday June 17th and around these parts we refuse to let you go down in flames as the worst gift-giver in the family. No no no. We want you to achieve gift-giving greatness and show the dad in your life that you love and appreciate him, and that you’re not as much of a procrastinator as he thinks. Because you’re not. You’re great. And we love you.
In today’s epic last-minute Father’s Day gift guide you’ll find 10 dad-approved gift options that are anything but average. All are cool in their own way, will totally make that dad you love “oooohhh” and “aaahhh”, they’ll all arrive in time for the big day on Sunday and all under $150, so you won’t have to cry yourself to sleep after you hit “order”. And now… the gifts!
Shop Father’s Day Gifts
1. The Boys in the Boat
So no, this isn’t a new book and I seriously debated including a bevy of new “must-reads” to round out this list like Tiger Woods, the new bestselling biography about the beleaguered superstar athlete dudes can’t seem to quit, or A Higher Loyalty, the bestselling book by former FBI director James Comey. Both great dad book choices. But, when talking to my book-loving dad about whether he had read or was interested in either of those, he without hesitation said that right now, if someone hasn’t read The Boys in the Boat, they must and they’ll absolutely love it. And I think what he means is that we need these stories right now. Grit. Triumph against all odds. Hope. Passion. Teamwork. It’s a true story about the working class team of guys that beat ze Germans rowing for Hitler in the 1936 Olympic games to become the most unlikely of Olympic rowing champions, and it’s the kind of story we all need more of right now. I’ll let you read the whole synopsis in the link, but I think my dad’s right – a winner of a gift for any dad out there!
2. Picnic at Ascot Golf Trunk Organizer
If the dad in your life is anything like just about every guy I know, his car may be clean from where you’re sitting, but the trunk is another story. Golf shoes, golf balls, water bottles, jackets, briefcases, notepads, gym socks, etc. If they’ve used it in the last month… or 6… it has been haphazardly thrown in there. Which is why this find is so awesome and an organizational item you’ll both love. They’ll still be able to throw their golf goodies or work, gym, etc. essentials in the trunk for later use with ease, but they’ll actually be able to find it when they need to and their trunk won’t look like a bomb went off in there. Their Ultimate Heavy-Duty Organizer with a built-in cooler would also be a pretty genius gift, too!
3. Sperry Leather Sneakers
We’ve talked about this before, but there’s just something so awesome about gifting someone you love a great pair of sneakers you know they’ll enjoy. And that goes double for dads, who like having cool sneaks that up their dad style cred, but don’t love to shop for themselves. We’re particularly loving these classic leather Sperry sneakers that are perfect for dressing up or down and will basically pair well with anything and everything. Chris said that he wants all three colors, which include black, grey and the brown.
4. Garmin Approach S20
This is an item we’ve recommended before for a guy gift, and we had to list it again because now that Chris has it he basically doesn’t take it off. If the dad in your life is as into golf as the guys in my family are, they need this watch. Not only is it stylish for every day wear with the normal time-telling stuff, but it also pairs with your smartphone and can receive text messages and incoming calls, tracks general activity like steps, distance traveled and hours of sleep, and includes a bevy of super cool golf functions like measuring and recording shot distance, course analysis for over 40,000 courses worldwide, a digital scorecard and it pairs with the Garmin TruSwing™ sensor for metrics to improve your swing consistency. The dad in your life will be thanking you until the end of time.
5. Global G-2 Chef’s Knife
OK I know it’s a knife, and you may think that’s slightly lame, but I promise this one is worth including on this list! I’ve seen everyone from serious chefs and food bloggers to average Joes raving about Global knives, saying that the Global G-2 8″ Chef’s Knife is hands down the very best knife on the planet and because of that, its price point is mind-blowing. It’s made in Japan, is 100% stainless steel without a spot of plastic or wood anywhere, is insanely durable and holds its edge for a long time, is lightweight in the best way, has the most comfortable grip and can cut anything from fruits to veggies to meats with equal ease. If the dad in your life likes to cook, what could be better than gifting him the best knife out there?
6. Hearth & Hand by Magnolia Dartboard Set
Dads love games – it’s just science. Especially outdoor games they can play while sipping a cold beverage with friends and family. It’s the dude version of spending an entire Saturday at Zara with someone else’s credit card. Bliss! Sure there’s the standard bags, badminton or putting green, but we just put this awesome dartboard set and scoreboard from Hearth & Hand by Magnolia up next to our firepit and C has been seriously loving it — we had no idea it would be this much fun to have around. We store it inside when we’re not using it to protect it from the elements because it’s meant for indoor use I think, but it would be so much fun inside or out and would such a great gift for the dad that loves a good game! Bonus: it’s the most stylish dartboard we’ve ever seen, so it won’t be an eye sore in your house! Because duh, Chip & Jo never do anything that’s not stylish.
7. The Wonderboom
Yes, we’ve mentioned this in the last few gift guides for guys and gals, but it’s worth repeating because it’s just. that. awesome. The little wireless, bluetooth, waterproof wonder is the portable speaker dreams were made of and has incredibly superior sound quality. Trust us when we say that this is the gift that keeps on giving and the dad in your life will thank you endlessly for it! If you want to go the extra mile, grab him the carrying case, too for his travels.
8. The ProSource Accupressure Mat & Pillow
This may seem a little odd or hilarious, but dad won’t think it’s hilarious when he’s finally free of back paint pain after using this baby. I’ve heard more than a few people say that using this mat saved their back, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never known a dad who doesn’t have some amount of back pain so… win! All dad has to do is lay on the mat for 10 to 30 mins a day and his muscle tension, back pain, neck pain will apparently go bye bye, his stress will be relieved and his circulation will be improved. The mat has 6,210 acupressure points and the neck pillow has 1,782 acupressure points. OK that’s it I’m ordering one for me and one for dad!
9. Corkcicle Canteen
One thing I know that dads hold in high regard is superior functionality. They’ll talk your face off about all of the cool features of a superior product that lives up to all of it’s promises, whether you think said product is the most boring product on Earth or not. The success of the Yeti brand, including this bucket (yes, a bucket) is a testament to that fact. They’ve made coolers (and things like buckets) the coolest thing ever! And though I’d never say a water bottle is boring, per say, it’s not necessarily the most exciting thing on the planet. But this Corkcicle water bottle is pretty darn cool! It keeps cold beverages cold for 25 hours and hot beverages hot for 12, which I’d say blows every canteen/water bottle I own out of the water. I can’t tell you how many of Chris’ less-than-awesome water bottles end up in our water bottle graveyard, so one that actually lives up to its promises is gold.
10. Baxter of California Shaving Products
After living with a guy for the first time (with the exception of my dad) in the last few years, I’ve realized that finding great shaving products isn’t as easy as it looks and can be a really annoying process for dudes. Little did I know that they actually do, in fact, care about what’s going on with their skin. And… welcome to our world, guys! But recently it seems like every guy we know and beyond has been raving about Baxter of California’s line of superior shaving products. The reviews we’ve read have given the brand’s range a resounding two thumbs up, which any woman knows is a great sign when it comes to skincare products, making these little shaving luxuries the perfect dad gift! The travel set is awesome for the dad who travels for work, play and more, but Chris says that their Shave Starter Kit and their Skin Starter Kit are awesome, too.
These are some really amazing gift ideas. I love that they also don’t break the bank but show Dad that you care!
So many great ideas! My husband would absolutely love that trunk golf organizer!!
I need that wireless speaker for me… Im curious about the acupressure mat too…
My husband was just telling me he didn’t want anything for father’s day and I was at a loss! These are some great ideas!
What a great list with many options!
Great ideas for Father’s day. However, I could never spend $150 on my dad for Father’s Day, though I’d love too, this is way too much. I do about $20 to $25