31 Perfect Father’s Day Gifts (That Aren’t Grilling Accessories)

When it comes to designated hiking backpacks, you’ve got a delicate balance to maintain. You want your day pack to feel lowkey enough to use casually, but durable enough to withstand heavy duty hikes. And on top of all that, you want to ensure that it doesn’t make you look like an oversized pre-teen en route to day camp. Thus, we give you the classic Topo Designs Rover Pack. Trust us, it checks all the boxes.

Nothing says “rugged dad” like literally every product Filson has ever manufactured. So help your father keep his 402 receipts safe (and dry!) with this weatherproof leather wallet from the good ol’ fashioned American brand. 

You didn’t think dad would deign to sip a lukewarm post-hike beverage, did you?

Isn’t Dad always saying he wants to get outside more? Well, encourage him to hit the trails in a jacket you won’t be embarrassed to be seen with him sporting—like this handsome, classic olive green anorak from Buck Mason. 

Dad hats earned their title for a reason…so help your father retire the cap he still wears from your high school softball team in favor of something a bit cooler—like this Nat Geo x Parks Project collab hat, with proceeds benefiting national parks across the U.S.

You know how Dad is always saying he’ll fix things up or paint that old shed…and then doesn’t? Well this year, send him a bit of encouragement by way of cool kid DTC paint brand, Backdrop. Frankly, the paint canisters are chic enough to convince anyone to paint a shed, but if you go all in on a kit, it’ll also come with all the other required painting garnishes (think: tray, roller, tape).

Unlike whiskey stones, which seem to be produced exclusively to occupy unnecessary freezer real estate, everyone can use a good set of new whiskey glasses. Whether they’re best utilized for bourbon or merely for elevated ice water consumption, these tumblers certainly won’t sit around collecting freezer dust.

Sure, he already received his monthly mail order razor, but it’s unlikely that Dad has managed to sign himself up for monthly deliveries from Beer Drop. Get him a gift card, and send him to Beer Drop’s website to set up his flavor profile. Then he’ll start receiving 10 awesome beers from across the country every four weeks—a monthly reminder that you are, indeed, his favorite child.

While we’re on the subject of beer, not all thirsty dads are beer guys. It’s just a fact. So you’d be well advised to consider some other potable options this Father’s Day—like this tasty amaro from indie spirits producer Faccia Brutto (the label alone will surely earn you points).

Just because he’s thirsty doesn't mean Dad doesn’t want to protect the finish on his antique wooden table tops. Protect him from himself (and an eminent series of ring-shaped stains) with this set of handmade nickel-and-brass coasters.

Listen, your father is an adult man. So it follows that a case of White Claws might be an inappropriate gift. That said, on a hot day, a spiked seltzer can be uniquely refreshing. Fortunately, artisan gin producer Brooklyn Gin has a solution: ready-to-drink, sparkling canned gin beverages in flavors like lavender, lemon & soda, or hibiscus pear & soda—all of which feel a bit more stately for Dad to crush in the backyard. 

Relishing a good single barrel whiskey is just one of those things that comes in the instruction manual for fatherhood. It’s the law. So this year, rather than offering up yet another bottle of Bulleit or Makers, go for something original: this malty, decadent rye from Industry City, Brooklyn-based producer, Fort Hamilton Distillery.  

This is honestly the Tesla of toasters. With precise temperature regulation, steam technology, and five different warming settings (including a specific pizza-heating mode), the thing is soon to be Dad’s culinary holy grail.

While Best Made may be better known for products like axes, we feel fairly confident that you can skip out on the lumberjack accoutrements this Father’s Day. Instead, go for something a tad bit less lethal and opt for a heavy duty Best Made mug. I may not be able to take down trees, but it sure as hell can hold morning coffee.

You and I both know your dad is way too good for that ratty, old “Kiss The Cook” apron he’s been sporting on Labor Day since 2001. Do him a favor and replace it with a shiny, new chef-worthy piece from Hedley & Bennett just in time for BBQ season.

If Dad is a seafood fan, you’d be hard pressed to find him better, basic raw goods than those included in this responsibly-sourced seafood sampler. Not only will it come rife with fresh mussels, wild Sockeye salmon, canned mackerel and more, but you can rest assured that the good folks at Patagonia have worked hard (alongside the Wild Fish Conservancy) to source their seafood without harming its ecosystem.

It would seem that even dads are getting behind the whole nationwide cutting-down-on-coffee movement. So help your progenitor steer clear of his usual java fix with an ultra tasty, superfood-loaded Super Green Latte Mix from independent Sri Lankan purveyor, Kola Goodies.

The Perfect Pot is the only pot Dad will ever need: an easy go-to for ramen, pasta sauce, soups and stews, and stir fry. Plus, this limited edition colorway is part of a collab between the Instagram-famous cookware brand, Our Place, and the one and only Selena Gomez. Which is to say, it’s basically a collectors edition. 

The only thing dads love more than tackling crossword puzzles is finishing crossword puzzles. And with that in mind, we suggest you kindly stroke your father’s ego with this greatest hits collection of Monday crosswords from the Times (yes, those are the ”easy“ ones).

One thing all self-professed intellectuals share in common is a profuse love of quality pens. And these simple ballpoint gel pens from Muji are undoubtedly a reliable choice when it comes to highly-rated writing tools. 

For the crossword-averse dads: an actual puzzle that manages to pay homage to the Times without requiring that you know who won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1982 or what a guayabera is. Plus, this particular puzzle is customizable: You can personally select which front page you’d like it to feature. 

Help alleviate some of that Zoom fatigue with a pair of blue light glasses designed both to help ward off the harmful, headache inducing effects of excessive screen time and to make any/all dads resemble Gregory Peck (tortoise shell is the hallmark of an intellectual).

There is simply no one under the sun for whom an independent bookstore gift card is a bad gift. Dad doesn’t read? He can buy a moleskin, some fancy pens, good merch. Dad reads? Well, lucky him.

Buying wall art for anyone can be difficult—so a framed, iconic black and white photograph is an easy crowd (read: dad) pleaser. Digital art dealer Sonic Editions specializes in distributing famed reprints of classic photographs, so its an easy one-stop gifting shop. And frankly, who wouldn’t want to hang this shot of Steve McQueen holding a pistol?

If your notably fashion-forward father has yet to embrace the sockless loafer look, this might be a great opportunity to embellish his podiatric wardrobe. This particular five-pair pack from Comme Si is made from 100% Egyptian cotton, so each set will feel as good as it looks. 

These athletic-adjacent shorts in colors like “Jellyfish Yellow” and “Tigerlilly Orange” represent the precise nexus of fashion and utility. They’re loud but not too loud, sporty but not too sporty, and—most importantly—short but not too short.

Dads need loungewear, too. But in all fairness, your old man is probably not interested in the same tie-dye sweatsuit you’ve been coveting on Instagram. Instead, play it safe with some footwear like these hybrid slipper-sneakers from Allbirds, made with temperature regulating Merino wool.

If you don’t take it upon yourself to intervene, Dad might never adopt a skincare routine. So help him avert tragedy and cleanse his pores with this “Bro Mask”—a decidedly masculine gateway skin solution.

Finding shorts for men that are not merely socially acceptable, but actually cool can be a near impossible task. But these staple linen bottoms from Alex Crane—on offer in a wealth of different prints and colors—may be single-handedly responsible for restoring the tarnished reputation of Shorts For Men.

Dad already has ties galore—and odds are, this Father’s Day, someone will gift him yet another one. What he may not already have, though, is a proper cowboy-inspired bolo tie. We assure you, he’ll get a real kick out of sporting it—even if he doesn’t know it yet. (Everyone harbors cowboy fantasies; none of us are immune.)

A tad bit cliche, we know. But for the practical dads out there, a shave set will always be put to good use. And this particular set from beloved men’s shave brand Harry’s come in a sweet little box set that makes the whole razor-head-shave-cream bundle all the more giftable.