Some dads are great about telling you exactly what they want while others keep you guessing. This year surprise dad with fun and games or items that help make their day more efficient thanks to these 8 products that he’s sure to love.
Custom Cornhole set from Victory Tailgate (currently on sale for $199 from $249) — Backyard cornhole gets an upgrade with a gift of a custom set from Victory Tailgate. We recently received a custom cornhole set, custom bags, and a matching custom carrying case that featured my husband’s alma mater (Trinity College in Connecticut!) and couldn’t be more thrilled with the high quality materials, craftsmanship, and graphics. ½” plywood tops, 2” x 4” sides and legs are painted with 3 coats of primer and 4-6 coats of glossy high quality exterior paint to match your boards (and touched up before leaving the factory), and then finished with clear gloss sealant. The 8 cornhole bags ($34.98 for 8 corn filled bags, $39.98 for 8 all weather bags) we received were constructed out of thick nylon and matched our board beautifully to resemble my husband’s college’s branding perfectly. Having a matching custom carrying case ($49.99) will also make it easier to transport our cornhole set because the high quality materials means that this is not the light set! (Apologies to FedEx who carried our giant heavy box up our front steps!) With hundreds of options to choose from (licensed partners include more than 600 collegiate teams, NFL, NBA, MLS, Nascar, military, Greek), and iconic brands, you’re sure to find one that will be perfect for your dad that he will love and use for years to come. Look for a cornhole giveaway from Victory Tailgate coming to the blog soon!
Stanley Growler ($50)— Available in navy blue or green ($44.99 on Amazon), you can’t go wrong with a gift of a growler for a beer-loving dad but the Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Growler raises the bar in terms of classy. With a vacuum insulated body, foam insulated lid, 18/8 rust-proof stainless steel, BPA-free, stainless steel inner lid, a heavy duty handle that is easy to carry and use for pouring, and the ability to keep beer cold for 24 hours, dad’s favorite brew never tasted better!
Amazon Echo ($179.99)— I have to be honest, when I first heard about Echo during the pre-sale days, I wasn’t sure if we needed one for our house but now I can’t imagine not having one! Sure, we used our Echo to play pranks at Halloween but she’s much more useful than that. Named Alexa, our Echo sits in our kitchen and I often find myself talking to her. She’s the source of music (I can pull up any song in our music library or she’ll access it from Prime Music), information (she can provide current weather, news, and traffic when asked), and I can even tell her to order things for me from Amazon while I’m thinking about it. Echo may have been one of Oprah’s favorite things this year but she is also one of ours!
Tile ($70 for a set of 4)— By now, we know there is an app for everything but some are more useful than others and Tile certainly falls into that category. Tile is a small square Bluetooth tracker that can be attached or stuck on items to help you keep track of them. Use the ring to attach Tile to your keys, luggage tag, your child’s favorite stuffed animal, or even your dog’s collar and if it is the 100 foot Bluetooth range, it will play a loud tune until the items is found. But what if you’re outside the 100 foot radius? The Tile community can help! Anyone with the Tile app open can also help you locate your lost item since you’ll get a location update from them that will help you find your stuff. And if you can’t find your phone, you can also press any of your Tiles to make your lost phone ring. Useful, right? Look for a Tile giveaway coming to the blog soon!
Microsoft Band 2 ($249.99)— I’ve tested a whole lot of wearables and I honestly have to say that I really liked my Microsoft Band that has been my go-to since I got it. I love the easy pairing to my phone (it works with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone), ability to turn on and off notifications for voicemail, texts, calendar, Facebook Messenger, and more, sleep and activity tracking (biking, walking, running, etc.), constant heart rate monitoring, and also the ability to get workouts directly on my band. But then the Microsoft Band 2 came out and I’m all about upgrading to the newer generation. With a band that’s far more comfortable thanks to a flexible band and curved screen, also comes with more sensors (11 to be exact) and features like a barometer for elevation tracking and UV monitor. It has the same apps as the original Band (sleep, heartrate, GPS, step count, calorie count, etc.) but they’ve been improved for greater accuracy. Comes in small, medium, and large. (I have a medium one and my husband’s is a large.)
Monster SuperStar™ Backfloat™ ($169.95 or $94.99 from Amazon)— This rugged floating Bluetooth speaker and speaker phone tat features a tough silicon casing that keeps water out and is completely shockproof. An acoustically transparent carrying case lets dad hang it, wear it, or simply protect it, while playing it plus it floats to make it the perfect companion for all adventures.
Ninja Nesting Dolls ($19.95)— Celebrate dad’s inner ninja with a set of Ninja Nesting Dolls. This set of six makes a great conversation starter when sitting on his desk at work whether stacked together or apart and hiding small items like gum, paperclips, or a dry cleaning receipt. Plus they’re fun to play with to make even the most boring conference calls more tolerable and would probably love making a cameo in a video conference call.
Jord Wood Watch (starting at $129)— There’s something about a great looking wrist watch. Even though we rely on our phones to tell us the time, a head turning timepiece is a true fashion statement. Made of beautiful woods like cherry, koa, ebony, rosewood, maple, and zebrawood, Jord has a fabulous collection of watches including stunning time pieces where you can see the inner workings of the watch through the crystal face as well their original series of classic designs. Since all wood is unique, each Jord timepiece is one of a kind to make a gift that’s just as special as dad himself.
Heated Hoodie from Craftsman (reg $179.99 but on sale for $125.99)— Dads who love to be outdoors don’t have to worry about being cold even in the worst winter weather thanks to Craftsman’s Heated Hoodie with Battery and Charger. This battery-operated hoodie features 4 heating zones to warm your chest, back and neck area thanks to a Nextec 12-volt battery that controls everything with a single switch. Hoodie, 12-volt battery, and one charger are included. If Dad needs something a bit warmer, Craftsman also makes a fleece Heated Jacket with Battery and Charger ($239.99) with 5 heat zones and a built in USB charger.
Need more ideas? Visit my past list of gifts for dads and other 2015 Gift Guides that will help you find the best gifts for all ages!
- 2014 Gift Guide: Gifts for Dad
- Gifts for Frequent Fliers, Outdoor Enthusiasts, and Cool Dads Everywhere
Samples were received for review purposes. Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. All images courtesy of the companies.
My dad would love an echo but of course I’d have to set it up for him…..
These are all GREAT ideas! I think my husband would love to have the Jord Wood Watch.
I have such a hard time buying for the men/dads in my life. These are great suggestions. Thanks! Love the bluetooth speaker idea.
My husband would love the Stanley Growler! He would be taking that skiing with him!
Very cool ideas.
I think, that every dad in twenty-four hours new technologies will be glad from Echo, Microsoft the Bank or MonsterSuperStar:)
At least knowing men, would certainly be useful to them of Tile 🙂
Love the cornhole game for my family (entry for tile giveaway)