Ties? Aftershave? Come on, you can do better than that. A tech-savvy Father’s Day gift brings a lot of value and years of enjoyment, and you can choose from plenty of gadgets and gizmos that will surely brighten his life.The gift suggestions below could as easily be gifted to fathers who identify as tech experts as well as those who need their kids to show them the way.We also put together a roundup of top gifts for Mother’s Day. For more ideas, check out PCMag’s full gift guide for moms, dads, and grads.
Recommended by Our Editors
For Those Who Need an Assistant
The fourth-generation Echo has a redesigned cylindrical appearance, excellent sound, a built-in smart home hub, and, of course, Alexa Voice assistance—all for just $99.99. That’s more than you’ll get from any other smart speaker at this price, easily earning the Echo our Editors’ Choice award.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review
For the Music-Loving Outdoorsman
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
Is your dad always outside? Maybe he loves to work on the lawn, tinker with the car, or perfect his barbeque recipe. This portable outdoor speaker from Anker will bring some music to his favorite activities in a rugged case. It delivers powerful audio for less money than most competitors.
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Review
For Lifelong Learners
Helping someone learn new skills is one of the best things you can do for them. For $180, give a year’s worth of access to a trove of online classes with A-list instructors recruited by MasterClass. Examples: Natalie Portman teaches acting; Serena Williams teaches tennis; and Frank Gehry teaches design and architecture. MasterClass offers an awe-inspiring lineup with something for everybody.
MasterClass Review
For Trendy Audiophiles
Apple’s AirPods are arguably one of the company’s best products ever. The second-generation AirPods Pro deliver exceptional ANC and audio performance, making them the best noise-cancelling true wireless earphones for Apple device users.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Review
For Trendy (Anti-Apple) Audiophiles
The Anker Soundcore Space A40 earphones deliver quality active noise cancellation and balanced, detailed audio for a modest price. Your music lover will enjoy the app’s sound, control, and noise-cancelling customization options, too. And LDAC support is a major advantage for Android users.
Anker Soundcore Space A40 Review
For Music Lovers Who Need to Work
Know a fan of Bose’s characteristically bass-forward-and-bright sound signature? The true wireless Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II set a new standard for in-ear active noise cancellation while delivering a powerful audio experience.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Review
For a Home Office Refresh
Handsome retro design meets modern features with these Bluetooth-compatible bookshelf speakers. They deliver clear, rich sound and come in a few different finishes: black ash, dark-brown walnut, white-and-brown (walnut), or white-and-tan (bamboo).
Fluance Ai61 Review
For Lighting Aficionados
The Globe Electric Smart Ambient Light connects to your phone and uses motion detection to illuminate bedrooms, hallways, or any other dark areas in your home. You can tune the LED to a specific white color temperature or display any number of RGB colors, create lighting schedules, and control everything from either the app or with your voice.
Globe Electric Smart Ambient Light Review
For Setting the Mood
This Editor’s Choice bulb is one of the best smart light bulbs we’ve reviewed. It works specifically in recessed fixtures, and can produce up to 16 million colors. It’s refreshingly affordable, and you can control it with both your phone and voice. It also supports device-triggered automations, schedules, sleep routines, and more. It comes in a two- or four-pack.
Wyze Bulb Color BR30 Review
For Energy Savers
For the eco-warrior who’s constantly turning off lamps, coffee makers, and other small appliances, this smart plug has an accompanying app that tells you how much energy (kWh) the devices plugged into it are using. Give the gift of a lower electricity bill for less than $50.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim (EP25P4) Review
For the Privacy-Conscious
The super-affordable Wyze Cam OG is PCMag’s Editor’s Choice for indoor/outdoor cameras. With simple setup, strong picture quality, night vision, and voice control support, it’s a great alternative to more expensive Google Nest cameras. The Wyze Cam OG can be paired with other Wyze cameras, smart plugs, and smart bulbs. The Blink Outdoor Floodlight Cam is another affordable camera option with an attached floodlight.
Wyze Cam OG Review
For Mr. ‘I Should Read More’
This e-reader from Kobo has a large, high-def screen that makes it a joy to use. Readers can adjust the color for any lighting, which is especially essential at nighttime for a less-jarring, warmer tone. The Kobo Elipsa 2E is cloud-connected and comes with a responsive stylus for note-taking. It’s a great alternative to the Amazon Kindle Scribe.
Kobo Elipsa 2E Review
For Forgetful iPhone Owners
Maybe your giftee is an absentminded Apple fan. Attach an AirTag to his Apple devices and discover exactly where to find them when they’re inevitably lost, even if they’re miles away.
Apple AirTag Review
For Forgetful Android or iPhone Owners
A great alternative to the Apple AirTag, a Tile attached to his keys, wallet, backpack, or even kids can help him find them, by triggering a noise from an app on his phone. Tile was the first entrant into this space and makes fantastic products that work for all kinds of items, both Android and iOS.
Tile Pro Review
For Someone Who Really Needs a New Phone
The sub-$500 Google Pixel 6a leads the midrange phone pack with solid performance, incredible battery life, and a standout design. For a slight upgrade, check out the Google Pixel 7 at $599.
Google Pixel 6a Review
For Caregivers and Care Receivers
The WellCare Today Samsung Galaxy 4 LTE Smartwatch With HealthAssist is a versatile medical-alert device that quickly connects you with an emergency-response agent, monitors vital health statistics, and reports real-time data to caregivers and doctors. It also offers numerous caregiver features, including medicine and appointment reminders, messaging, and hands-free two-way calling.
WellCare Today Samsung Galaxy 4 LTE Smartwatch With HealthAssist Review
For the Health-Minded
With new features such as body temperature sensing and car-crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the right choice for most smartwatch wearers—whether they already have one and want to upgrade or they’re new to the smartwatch game.
Apple Watch Series 8 Review
For PC Gamers and Twitch Streamers
Is your giftee a gamer? He’ll appreciate the 2022 Razer Barracuda X, one of the best wireless gaming headsets you can buy for $100, with strong performance, a comfortable fit, and lots of connectivity options, including Bluetooth.
Razer Barracuda X (2022) Review
For Next-Level Gaming
It’s time to usher dad into the future with the best VR headset for newbies and experienced users alike. The Meta Quest 2 improves upon its pricier predecessor in nearly every way, with a more powerful processor, a sharper screen, and a lighter design.
Meta Quest 2 Review
For Home Cooks
Air fryers are a miraculous kitchen gadget that crisp up wings, fries, vegetables, and all sorts of food without additional greasy calories. This smart fryer from Cosori comes with a touch screen, presets for fresh and frozen foods, and Google and Alexa voice support.
Cosori Smart 5.8-Quart Air Fryer Review
For Yard Kings
There may be no greater gift than saving your father from a summer of constant lawn-mowing while still guaranteeing the greenery will look perfect. This smart robotic lawnmower from Worx operates on GPS and Wi-Fi, so can you locate and control it with your phone no matter where you are. It’s a bit pricey, and thus a good candidate for a joint gift, but it is more affordable than other competitors.
Worx Landroid M 20V Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower (WR140) Review
For Bird Watchers
Bird watching enters the modern age with this new feeder from Birdkiss. Rooftop solar panels power a cloud-connected camera that alerts you when a new woodland friend has come by for a visit, and it can even identify the species.
Birdkiss Smart Bird Feeder With Solar Panel Review
For TV Addicts
Google’s latest Chromecast offers all the major benefits as its previous versions—including the ability to cast to your TV from your phone or computer—as well as the welcome additions of a custom interface with a wealth of streaming services and Google Assistant voice control. It’s a well-priced Roku alternative with lots of bells and whistles.
Chromecast With Google TV (HD) Review
For the Sentimental
This is, admittedly, not a techy gift. Printing out real, physical photos for someone who is tech-obsessed can be a heartwarming surprise they would never do for themselves. Snapfish offers surprisingly good image quality in the most affordable prints you’ll find anywhere. It has a slick, modern website and a broad selection of photo gift options.
Snapfish Review
(Illustration: Yulia Reznikov/Getty Images)
For more ideas, check out PCMag’s full gift guide for moms, dads, and grads.
