11 Things Dads Actually Want for Father’s Day (Trust Us — We Asked)

My dad absolutely loves cool T-shirts, and every Christmas I’ve made a point to buy him something from Parks Project, a very cool National Parks-themed apparel brand that gives back a percentage of every purchase to parklands nationwide. I’ve bought him a few things from there, but he wears this bear pocket tee the most, so I know he really likes it.

Home Projects Editor Sarah Everett said that her dad asked for a pickleball paddle one year, and she knows “for certain he actually uses it because he beat me in pickleball over the weekend.” She likes that it’s an activity-based gift — and paddle sets can be sold for under $20 for beginners!

Not all dads are grill dads, but those who are often need the same things year after year — which is why Home Projects Director Megan Baker Detloff buys her dad a new set of grilling gloves every few years. “They’re essential any time he uses a grill basket, but he also uses them when he’s cooking burgers or steaks, as it makes the whole experience so much more comfortable.”

If your dad loves baseball, but has everything under the sun for it already, Lifestyle Director Stephanie Nguyen has the solution. Her dad is a big Dodgers fan, so she was “happy to discover some other gift ideas that I know he doesn't own and that'll be perfect for him.” This year she’s eyeing this custom New York Times Baseball Book that highlights historic team moments throughout Dodgers history for him. Not a Dodgers fan? No worries — they have an option for every team!

Sometimes the best gift idea is a gift someone has already bought themselves — and Megan wishes she had bought her dad a Kindle “because, frankly, it’s by far his most-used item.”

Lifestyle Editor Sofia Rivera has been thinking about getting her dad a subscription to Skillshare, a site filled with online video courses of all kinds. “I already know my dad [will] love it. From classes in creative writing and book binding to photography and audio engineering, it offers so much more than I realized,” she says. Plus, it’s a gift that lasts a long time — a monthly subscription costs $14 a month!

If your dad has no room in his life for more “stuff,” look no further than a food-based gift like this tinned fish starter set from Fishwife. Sofia’s dad also “loves sardines and preserved fish of all kinds, but might not treat himself to these nicer ones if he didn’t get them as a gift.” He’s also “in constant decluttering mode — so I know he also appreciates that it’s something he can enjoy and recycle.”

For the dad who is always on the go, this LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 is a really fun way to meet hydration goals (while also drinking pretty clean water). It’s also self-cleaning. For the truly outdoorsy dad, this water bottle can also be used out in the backcountry — which means it has some seriously powerful water-cleaning chops. Plus, you can get the water bottle for 15% off by using the code AT15 at checkout.

Another gift for the griller, or general home-cook of any kind, is the smart meat thermometer. Apartment Therapy Staff Writer and The Kitchn Lifestyle Editor Quinn Fish got her dad smart meat thermometers from Chef iQ, which track ambient and internal temperatures via an app. “It's fun watching him play with a new toy, but they've also inspired him to cook new things he wouldn't have tried before!”

Editor-in-Chief Charli Penn says that the older her dad gets, “the more nostalgic he has become.” So one of the easiest sentimental gifts she gets him is an old photo custom-framed from Framebridge. “This year I'm planning to make him a surprise gallery wall of vintage photos of him, my mom, and me,” she says.

Executive Home Director Danielle Blundell says she and her brother are always trying to get their dad to drink more water. So this year she’s looking at the Culligan with ZeroWater Technology Water Filter Pitcher for her dad. “It removes so many of the nasties in water that you can’t even see and has a fairly compact footprint for storing in the fridge. It’s also maybe the easiest grab-and-pour filter pitcher I’ve ever tried — the handle is so ergonomic! Hopefully, my dad will be a fan, too!”