Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Every Type of Dad

Father’s Day is just a few weeks away (June 16th). Before you buy your old man yet another wallet or tie he probably doesn’t need, here are some unique and useful Father’s Day gift ideas for five types of dads: the nerdy, the sporty, the frugal, the outdoorsy and the sentimental.

The Nerdy Dad

For the dad who’s into Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, anything from Joss Whedon, LOTR (any or all of the above will do), gaming, computers, and always has to have the latest tech gadget.

Darth Vader and Son ($9, Amazon)/Vader’s Little Princess ($9, Amazon)

We have this book, and it’s really cute. Lots of funny references to the films. (A favorite is when young Luke whines, “But Dad, you said we could go to Tosche Station after nap!” and Vader responds, “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”)

Star Trek Enterprise Pizza Cutter ($23, ThinkGeek)

Make this gift even cooler by pairing it with a pizza place gift card (or even 3-pack of his favorite brand of frozen pizzas).

USB Cufflinks ($15, eBay)

A standard Father’s Day gift, with a cool geeky twist.

Character Bathrobe ($40 to $70, ThinkGeek)

You can find these in a plethora of styles and characters, from Chewbacca and Boba Fett to various superheroes, to Doctor Who Tardis (pictured).

The Sporty Dad

For the dad who never misses a game, gets his news from SportsCenter, and will probably want to celebrate Father’s Day by staying home and watching the US Open on TV.

Game Tickets or Tee Time

Make sure you buy a ticket for yourself, too; that way your dad not only gets to watch his favorite team, or play a round of golf, he gets to spend some quality time with his kid.

A Sports Book

Here’s a list of Amazon’s best-selling sports-related books to give you some ideas.

Officially Licensed Sports Apparel (Adidas NBA Hoodie, $50, Foot Locker)

Finish Line is another good place to look for sports apparel (and they have a $10 off $60+ promo going on right now).

Sports Shot Glasses ($1.40, Lids)

Even if Dad is past the point in his life where he’s going to be taking shots of vodka, these have a variety of other uses (making espresso drinks, toothpick holders, washing down your vitamins or Lipitor pills, to name a few).

The Frugal Dad

For the dad who buys things like mayonnaise by the gallon just to save a couple bucks, will only eat out if he has a coupon, and is on a first-name basis with the people who work at the local Goodwill.

A “Garage Sale Gift Card”

Write “garage sale gift card” on an envelope and put a $20 bill inside. No joke, my dad would seriously love this.

A Groupon Voucher

Groupon has lots of half-off vouchers to local restaurants, activities and retail shops. A gift certificate even the most frugal of dads will be proud to use.

Money-Management Software (around $30, Amazon)

Totally boring for a lot of most people, but the ultra-frugal dad might find this as exciting as George Michael did.

A Sam’s Club or Costco Membership (Costco, $55; Sam’s Club, $45)

Okay, so any true frugal dad will already have one of these, but in case yours doesn’t, a membership gift card is the perfect way of helping him on his quest to save money.

The Outdoorsy Dad

For the dad who loves camping, hiking and biking, and owns every North Face fleece jacket they’ve ever made.

Something for his Bike (Brooks Saddle, $95, Amazon)

Father’s day happens to fall right at the beginning of summer — prime biking season. Here’s a list of fun bike accessories that would make great gifts.

Camping Gear (Byer Tahiti Camping Hammock, $20, REI Outlet)

Check out REI Outlet’s “$20 or under” section for hundreds of great ideas/deals on outdoor and camping gear.

A New Backpack (Kelty Pawnee 55 Pack, $72, REI Outlet)

Also, Ben’s has awesome deals on backpacks all the time; make sure to set up a deal alert so you don’t miss any of them.

Survival Tool Kit (Rothco Survival Tool Kit, $23, Amazon)

This just wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without at least one mention of tools, right? Knives and tomahawks are also perfect for helping your dad feel extra badass on his special day.

The Sentimental Dad

For the dad who often calls just to say “I love you,” likes to pull out old family videos at family gatherings, and always seems to care more about the card than the gift.

A Custom Photo Gift

This is actually a picture of the custom iPhone case I got as a Mother’s day present, but it would make an excellent Father’s Day gift as well. Casetagram makes really cool cases out of Instagram photos, but places like Shutterfly and Snapfish also sell them (along with plenty of other photo gifts).

Something Handmade

My dad still has some of the little presents I made for him as a kid sitting on his desk, over 20 years later. If you have kids of your own, your dad will surely treasure something handmade from the grandkids. Here are tons of easy ideas.

The Perfect Card

Whatever gift you decide to get your dad, don’t forget to include a card that says how much you love him; it will probably be his favorite part.

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