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Why are the dads in our lives so darn difficult to get a gift for? Listen, we’ve all been there, struggling days before Father’s Day to find that one present that dad didn’t even know he wanted. No, you don’t have to get him a pair of socks or another shirt. Instead, why not get him a gadget or techy toy that will spark a little joy in his life?
The Gizmodo Consumer Tech team curated a selection of gifts to help you think beyond your father’s lawn-mowing obsession. Why not consider a co-op board game that will help you bond with pops? If your dad is the solitary type, there’s always a pair of earbuds or headphones that will finally replace his decaying earcups. Or heck, why not replace his old low-resolution monitor with a relatively inexpensive QD-OLED gaming screen?
You don’t need to spend a ton of money this Father’s Day, but in case you have something extra to spend, we have a few suggestions for gifts that will seriously upgrade dad’s at-home setup. Artsy types may appreciate a canvas-type TV, while fathers in the travel phase of their retirements could get a lot of use out of a quality, easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera. Hopefully, something here inspires you to get that gift that finally breaks the dad gift-giving curse.

Moondrop Old Fashioned
Nostalgia is always a good play on Father’s Day, and these wired headphones are dripping with it. The Moondrop Old Fashioned have a retro look, a two-pin cable for versatility, and 40mm drivers. They might not have modern features like ANC, but what they lack in software, they make up for in style.
YoLink Water Leak Sensor 4
Water damage is a real thing. Why leave your dad to clean up a leak after it’s been dripping when you can just get him this water detector that delivers instant notifications the second a leak is detected? These sensors even claim to work when the Wi-Fi is down thanks to “device-to-device” pairing, which could save your dad some grief during inclement weather. Make sure you pair these sensors with the YoLink hub for full functionality.
Desperation – Bully Pulpit Games
Was your dad a theater kid, or the equivalent of a theater kid in his school days? Desperation from Bully Pulpit Games is a way for your father to put together his own play of horror and dread thanks to the game’s excellent card-based prompts in two unique scenarios.
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Roku’s 4K streaming stick is the easiest way to give your dad’s TV access to a bevy of free live TV channels he can peruse. The stick supports HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision standards, meaning he won’t be without options for a high-quality streaming experience.
Fiio Snowsky Echo Mini
MP3 players are hot again. Remind dad of the old days with this one that looks like a cassette player and plays music from its 8GB of internal storage and includes support for a microSD card (up to 256GB).
YouTube TV (Sports Plan)
Streaming sports is a nightmare, but your dad doesn’t have to suffer the fate of 1,000 streaming apps with YouTube TV’s Sports Plan. The sports-only plan includes local affiliates like ABC, Fox, and CBS, as well as ESPN networks and general cable like TNT and TBS. It won’t get him all the sports all the time, but it’s among the most compelling packages money can buy.
8BitDo Pro 3
Upgrade dad’s stock controller for one with swappable ABXY buttons and joysticks. The latter are also TMR (tunneling magnetoresistance), which means they won’t suffer from any input “drift.”
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Lego Smart Play: Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter
The Smart Brick is the next evolution of Lego. With the sensor-packed piece, this Star Wars set comes to life with sounds and reactions when it’s in proximity with other creations that have a Smart Brick or Smart Tag.
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Arkham Horror the Card Game Core Set
Arkham Horror the LCG will help you connect with your dad over the course of many hours of cosmic horror-filled romps. The game is easy to set up and take down, and it offers in-depth storylines and strategic deck building and gameplay.
Nintendo Virtual Boy for Switch 2
Your father may be young enough that instead of waxing on about seeing the Beatles live, he tells you about his first time straining his neck to play the Virtual Boy. The recreation accessory for the Nintendo Switch 2 is surprisingly accurate and a great way to experience the original consoles underrated library.
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Razer Kiyo V2
If all those those weekly calls you have with dad feature trash video quality, you may need to help him upgrade his webcam. The Razer Kiyo V2 gives your pops the option to stream in at 4K and 30fps. It’s easy enough to set up, so you shouldn’t need to get on a separate call to teach him how to change his video source on WhatsApp… hopefully.
Belkin HDMI Display Adapter
You can stream a lot nowadays, but not everything is that easy… not unless you have Belkin’s HDMI Display Adapter, that is. With this little device, you can stream your laptop or other USB-C device wirelessly, meaning no screwing around with HDMI cables tucked behind a dusty TV. Dads have enough on their plates as it is, they don’t need to add unwieldy cables to the mix.
Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike
Uh oh, Dad’s been playing Counter-Strike again. If you want to help him level up his game, the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike with its haptic click and rapid trigger option will keep him happily clicking on heads.
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Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds
There are all kinds if wireless gaming earbuds out in the world, but not a lot of them are open-style. With the Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds, you can give your dad the gift of good quality, low-latency audio for gaming, as well as unmatched comfort to go along with it.
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AirPods Pro 3
When dad needs some alone time, the AirPods Pro 3’s top-notch active noise cancellation will help him drown out the cacophony of everyday life. The live translation feature could come in handy for him, too.
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Analogue 3D
If dad grew up on old-school games, this modernized Nintendo 64 might appeal to him. It plays all original N64 cartridges and can even upscale them for 4K TVs.
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Nothing Headphone 1
Other wireless headphones may have better active noise cancellation and longer battery life, but they won’t turn heads like Nothing’s Headphone 1. These cans make a statement, and your dad will appreciate the glances in public.
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RayNeo Air 4 Pro
Video glasses are all the rage nowadays, and if your dad is into gaming or XR, the RayNeo Air 4 Pro are a great way to dip his toes. They make for a 201-inch virtual display when they’re on your face and they’re plenty bright and sharp. The price is right, too, compared to other AR glasses.
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Alienware AW2726DM QD-OLED
The dad in your life deserves QD-OLED in his life. Alienware’s 1440p, 27-inch monitor will certainly be an upgrade for pops’ aging screen gathering dust on his desk. Even better, you can tell your money-anxious dad you didn’t spend that much money on his gift.
C-200 Ultrasonic 8
Knives are a key tool in any kitchen, but they don’t quite scream “gadget.” If your dad is tech-inclined, get him the C-200 ultrasonic knife, which features a vibrating blade for smoother, more seamless cutting. This might actually be the perfect gift for the dad who has everything, because we can almost guarantee your dad doesn’t have this.
DJI Osmo 360
The Osmo 360 is one of our favorite 360-degree cameras. It’s compact, easy to shoot with, and connects seamlessly with DJI’s existing wireless mics.
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Fujifilm Instax mini Evo Cinema
Unlike other Instax mini cameras, the mini Evo Cinema resembles a vintage 8mm camera. It also does something other Instax cameras don’t: shoot 15-second videos that can be styled in 10 different “era” looks using the sweet physical dial.
Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer / Scriber Optics
Smart glasses are all the rage these days, but not every pair is friendly towards people who wear prescriptions. If your dad needs glasses to see, Meta now makes two styles that suit actual eyeglasses wearers more, and they still have all the stuff in the original Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, like a camera, open-ear audio, and a voice assistant.
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Hisense Canvas TV
Art TVs are popular for a simple reason: they blend into a room’s decor when they’re off. This one from Hisense looks great and doesn’t break the bank.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro is right around the corner, but if dad needs a new phone ASAP and can’t wait, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the biggest, most powerful smartphone Apple makes. It won’t fail him.
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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
If dad is more of an Android guy, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best there is. It’s got all the cameras he’d need, plus an S Pen for when he wants to jot down fleeting thoughts.
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Robosen Soundwave G1
This one is for the Transformers superfans only. Sure, $1,400 is a lot of money to spend on a toy robot, but how many toy robots can transform into a tape player on command? Oh, this thing actually works as a Bluetooth speaker, too, so there’s a little function to the ridiculous form.
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Ricoh GR IV
Dads with the travel bug will absolutely fall in love with Ricoh’s ultra-pocketable fixed lens cameras. The photo quality you can get from these lightweight shooters is certain to have pops sending you his amateur photography.
Dell XPS 14
Dell’s XPS brand is back, and if your dad has any nostalgia for these PCs, he may also enjoy the modern upgrade. The XPS 14 features the latest Intel chips and a stellar battery life further enhanced by the laptop’s 1Hz to 20Hz display.
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