Father's Day Gift Guide

The annual ritual of buying gifts for Father’s Day is underway.  When it comes to home products and gadgets, shopping doesn’t have to be a daunting task, especially if you know what Dad loves to do:  Is he one of those hard-core do-it-yourselfers who wants the latest tools?  A sports aficionado?  A culinary or gardening maven?   Or a dad who just likes to take it easy?

Simply browsing through the stores or internet offerings of Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Sears, Ace Hardware, and other retailers, as well as surfing the websites of The Sharper Image, Amazon, and other online-only retailers, can provide a seemingly endless number of gift ideas.

The DIY Dad

Combination tool sets, which are useful for a variety of projects, are usually a popular Father’s Day gift.  Ryobi, for example, offers various tool sets, including its Auto Hammer & Compact Drill Combo Kit, and Black & Decker offers a 24-volt 133-Piece Project Kit.  Individual tools are also available for various levels of expertise, such as a Bosch Brute Tough™ Hammer Drill/Driver.  

Whether one has a large or small number of tools, organization is often an issue, and Home Depot’s Husky 10-Drawer Tool Chest is one of many available solutions.  Electronic gadgets are also an essential part of the do-it-yourselfer’s arsenal — Stanley offers various devices, such as laser leveling devices and stud locators. 

The Sports Dad

For the active sports enthusiast, storing equipment is a big deal.  General organizers can usually suffice, but don’t forget to shop for specialized solutions, such as golf equipment or bicycle organizers, available at Wal-Mart, Rush Gideon, Suncast, and other retailers. With guns, adequate storage addresses both space and safety issues:  Take a look at gun storage cases from Orvis and products from GunVault, such as its MVB500 Microvault Biometric Pistol Gun Safe.

With new storage space, a well-considered gift can help support Dad’s insatiable desire to improve his game — without having to leave the backyard.  Calloway offers a variety of golf training aids, including its 6-foot Home Range Hitting Net & Mat. Discount Golf Supplies offers a Super Size Net Hitting Cage available through various retailers, including Amazon and The Greater Golf Store.  For a fairly relaxed sports experience, consider floating table tennis sets, or other games for the swimming pool, made by Swimline and Poolmaster, and available at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Poolcenter.com, Target, and elsewhere.  For an active father, home exercise equipment might be the way to go. The Power Tower Home Gym from Brookstone and Home Gyms from Bowflex are appealing options (also check out our article “Design a Home Gym”).