Father’s Day is undoubtedly the best time of the year to show dad just how much you care. But with so many gift ideas available, it’s hard to pick out just the right one amongst all the clutter. Fortunately, we’ve done the busy work for you. So let's take a look at what toys Dad might enjoy on his special day.
Martian Notifier Smartwatch - $129.00
Perfect for the: Fashion-Forward Dad
If Dad hasn’t jumped on the smartwatch bandwagon yet, the Martian Notifier will sure help solve that problem. The timepiece combines the classic style of a fashion-first wristwatch with all the best alerts of a first-rate smartwatch. That includes Caller ID, texts, Facebook, Twitter, weather, Email, Calendar appointments, fitness stats, and even Instagram and Pinterest updates. You can also initiate voice commands from your smartphone’s built-in mic for such things as “read text” while you’re on the move. And finally, it does all this without the bloated $250 price tag of its biggest competitor, the Pebble Steel.
Mr. Bar-B-Q 18 Piece Stainless Steel Tool Set with Aluminum Case - $50.77
Perfect for the: Grill Master
It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day Gift Guide without a rugged, BBQ tool set. And we have just the one for you. The makers of the Mr. Bar-B-Q 18-piece kit go above and beyond any ordinary hardware. The set, which comes in a sleek aluminum case, includes a 4-in-1 spatula, a silicone basting brush, 8 corn skewers, 4 kabob skewers, togs, and a heavy duty knife and fork. The BBQ set itself is backed with a hefty 5-year warranty, so there’s no need to take it easy on Dad's favorite tools. After all, it wouldn't be a "man's man" gift without one.
Amazon Fire TV - $99.00
Perfect for the: TV/Movie Addict
Amazon isn’t just a website anymore. Its slate of new, portable products has not only entered the crowded space of media-streaming devices (like the Amazon Kindle Fire), but it’s even taken up a hefty share of the market. And there’s a few good reasons why. For instance, the Amazon Fire TV.
The small, set top box provides two key features that separate it from its competitors: voice search and gaming. The highly-touted voice search is the marquee feature for Amazon Fire. Simply speak into the remote’s mic when you’re in the Amazon app and it picks up search terms related to title, actor, director or even a game, nixing the pain of tediously typing letters via an on-screen keyboard. As for the gaming, the Amazon Fire TV offers up the most extensive array of video games we’ve ever seen in a media-streaming device of its kind (that includes Roku and Apple TV). And for the extra $40 game controller, you have almost unlimited gameplay at your disposal, which Dad will undoubtedly love.
Karma 4G Hotspot - $99.00
Perfect for the: Dad On-the-go
Karma might not look like a juicy Father’s Day gift on the outside, but the 4G Wireless hotspot packs some major hardware. It broadcasts 802.11b/g Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHZ band with 1 GB of free data. If Dad can't understand that, just tell him that the device can support as much as 8 other simultaneous connections on 5 hours of battery life. What’s even better is that for every person he shares his Wi-Fi hotspot connection with, he’ll get a free 100 MB of data. Hence the Karma.
Once you run out of data, it’s a simple $14 for each additional gigabyte – a reasonable rate compared to what its competitors charge. There’s no contract required. No sign up fees. Just a good ol’ fashioned pay-as-you-go plan perfect for the traveling Dad.
Livescribe 3 Smartpen - $149.95
Perfect for the: Creative Dad
Handwriting can increase your creativity, boost your memory, and enhance your ability to learn. And the science proves it. When you put pen to paper, the brain engages what’s called the reticular activating system (RAS), which in turn sends a signal to your cerebral cortex to “Wake up! Pay attention” Unfortunately, this step is lost when typing on your computer.
So that brings us to one of the most creative gifts a Dad could ask for: the Livescribe 3 Smartpen. It’s designed to work like any other premium ballpoint pen, except that it digitally registers your handwriting to any of your compatible iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, Macbook, etc.) via the Livescribe 3 app. What’s even cooler? The Livescribe 3 app can collate and organize relevant pieces of information together. This works great if you’re always jotting down random snippets of information and don’t have time to figure out where it belongs in your notebook.
Anki Drive Starter Kit - $199.99
Perfect for the: Gamer Dad
Do you ever remember slot cars when you were growing up? Well, the Anki Drive is a fresh take on that old classic. And it doesn’t disappoint.
Players effortlessly pair their tiny, electric toy cars to compatible iOS devices and help them accelerate around a large, vinyl sheet of race track. But here’s the kicker: the cars are no longer confined to their specific lanes. Players and their AI-driven counterparts can weave their cars in and out of lanes, seamlessly passing others on the track with ease. It’s all controlled from sensors in the cars so they’ll never crash into each other. It's one of the coolest things we've seen from a toy.
And if that wasn’t enough, players can actually enable weapons to their smart cars and fire away at the other racers, as if you’re playing a game of laser tag. It’s truly a technological feat.
Fugoo Bluetooth Wireless Speakers - $199.99
Perfect for the: Music Junky
When it comes to style and sound, the Fugoo bluetooth wireless speaker is your best bet for a Father’s Day gift. It’s got an incredibly sharp sound, excellent base and crisp vocals. But what really separates it from the rest of the portable speaker collection is because of its ruggedness and lengthy battery life. The Fugoo portable speakers can handle almost everything you throw at it...literally. It provides a heavy-duty waterproof and dust proof rating so Dad can feel safe carrying it around in the elements. As for the battery life, it's best-in-class. When we tested it, the fugoo speaker lasted a whopping 38 hours on one charge. That’s more than enough time for Dad to listen to the classics on a long weekend away.
Piper - $239.00
Perfect for the: DIY Dad
The Piper is the first step towards a complete smart home. And it may be the best investment you can make for your family.
The Piper is an all-in-one security system which helps you control and safeguard your home while you’re away. It features an incredible 180-degree wide-angle lens to see a whole room (which is more expansive than Dropcam Pro’s 130 degrees), a two way audio platform for communicating, a motion detector that alerts you via the iOS or Android app in real-time and a siren to signal when there’s a security breach. So let Dad rest comfortably knowing that there’s a safe, watchful eye on his home and family.
And there you have it. All the best Father’s Day gifts a dad could ask for in one quick guide.
Be sure to stay updated with all the best consumer products this year by following @nicktrenchard.
