We Found the 31 Best Gifts for Dads in 2026

The Turtlebox Ranger offers a rugged, waterproof design that makes it the perfect addition to pool parties, boating days and outdoor gatherings. Its magnetic side mount also makes it easy to attach to golf carts, boats or truck beds. If your dad loves to host friends and family for barbecues or backyard get-togethers, this speaker will definitely keep the party going with its impressive 25-hour battery life. In his full review of the Turtlebox Ranger, CNET’s David Carnoy noted that the speaker “delivers surprisingly solid audio for its compact, durable design.”

One of our favorite robot mowers of 2026, the Eufy E15 will take something off of dad’s weekly to-do list. The robot mower makes cutting the grass a quick and effortless process. CNET Contributor Adam Doud says the device is “dead simple to set up” and trims the grass efficiently.

Sony’s 1000X The Collexion headphones were released this summer to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sony 1000X series, and they’ve earned a spot on our best headphones of 2026 list. The luxury headphones are reinforced with stainless steel and feature soft vegan leather for a high-end design. They also offer premium sound, upgraded drivers and spatial audio with 360 Reality Audio Upmix. In a full review of the headphones, CNET audio expert David Carnoy noted that, compared to Sony’s popular XM6 model, “The Collexion sounds a little cleaner, with more refined treble and a bit more depth and detail, and a slightly wider soundstage.” 

Dads who are into 3D printers (or would like to explore them) will love the Bambu Lab A1 Combo. “I rarely find a product that impresses me, but the A1 Combo left me genuinely amazed with its performance and value,” said CNET’s James Bricknell. He adds that it produces quality printing at a great price: Four-color printing for less than $600? Amazing. This model also made our pick for best overall 3D printer.

Read our Bambu Lab A1 Combo review.

Our pick for the best overall smart thermostat, this Ecobee device will keep dad’s home at exactly the right temperature. The smart device can detect when people are home, and will automatically adjust the temperature when everyone is away or asleep to save energy. It’ll save dad money on his energy bills and can adjust to his routine to keep the house at just the right temperature when he gets home each day.

The Birdbuddy Pro Solar isn’t your typical bird feeder. It includes a built-in smart camera that captures photos and videos of the birds that visit the feeder. It also provides real-time alerts and has an AI-powered bird identification tool so dad can keep track of the species and individual birds that stop by.

Help dad add mood lighting to the TV without spending a fortune. These smart lights from Govee add an ambient light behind your TV or gaming rig and can change to music and other sounds. And with the Govee app, you can select their color and brightness.

Govee has earned a solid reputation for offering high-quality products at budget-friendly prices, and these lights are no exception — they look and feel more expensive than they are.

What dad doesn’t appreciate a good fire pit, especially a smokeless one? Well, Solo Stove is a master at smokeless fire pits. CNET’s David Carnoy notes in his review that while he started using the smaller Mesa model, he preferred the Mesa XL. “It looks and feels a little more substantial while remaining compact,” he says. Warmth-wise, it produces a heat radius of 2 to 3 feet, versus the Mesa’s 1 to 2 feet. It’s also portable enough to move around, which you can’t say about all fire pits. If you order through Solo Stove, you can personalize the stove for just $10 with NFL logos, college logos or custom text, which is a pretty cool touch.

Looking for a record player that won’t break the bank? The Audio-Technica AT-LP60X is an affordable turntable that brings an automatic play option to the mix (but Dad can still futz with the tonearm if he’d like). It comes in four colors: red, black, white and silver. According to CNET’s Ty Pendlebury, this is a turntable that “offers excellent midrange and bass response for the price of a nice night out.”

Whether your dad enjoys camping or just likes to stay prepared at home, a power station makes a practical gift. The Bluetti Elite 200 V2 is our top overall pick for the best portable power station, thanks to its quick charging, energy efficiency and impressive performance in our lab testing. It’ll help him keep his home and devices running during power outages this winter, and he can bring it along on RV road trips or camping getaways.

The Vestaboard Note is a home display device that lets friends and family send messages from anywhere, so children and grandchildren can write dad special messages when they’re away from home. In place of a digital display screen, it’s made up of mechanical spinning flaps with letters, numbers and special characters that can write out messages up to 45 characters long. “The Vestaboard Note is something a family can treasure as the centerpiece of their home,” said CNET Managing Editor James Bricknell. “I cannot tell you how much joy I get from the clacking noises as it spins a new message from my wife telling me she loves me while she’s at work. It’s expensive, yes, but it brings so many happies, it’s worth the money if you have it to spare.”

The Ninja Crispi glass air fryer — CNET editors’ current pick for the best air fryer overall — is different from the rest. It comes with a glass cooking chamber that makes it easy to see your food while it’s cooking, so you don’t have to stop the cooking process to check on things. The glass bowl conveniently doubles as a storage container. And of all the fryers we’ve tested, this was the easiest one to keep clean. And less time spent cleaning means more time making delicious things for him (and you) to eat. Bonus!

For the dad who hasn’t yet embraced sparkling water, consider the SodaStream Terra. As SodaStream’s entry-level model, it still impresses enough to top CNET’s list of best soda makers. That’s because it makes consistently fizzy water with simple manual pumps and doesn’t take up much space on the counter. This kit bundle also includes two flavors — lime and blackberry — in case Dad wants some variety in his bubbly water.

The Fizzics DraftPour makes any beer better by converting natural carbonation into microfoam, which gives beer the aroma and flavor you usually only get from a bar tap. The beer dispenser works with most beer cans and bottles, and any type of beer: lagers, IPAs, ambers and porters. This will elevate your dad’s beer-drinking experience and impress his friends, too.

If Dad is a committed carnivore, imagine his delight when he gets a box of premium meats as a gift. This sampler from ButcherBox includes 100% grass-fed ground beef, filet mignons, boneless pork chops, apple gouda sausage, sirloin tips, bacon and free-range organic chicken. All the meat is vacuum-packed and frozen, and shipping is free. 

Introduce your dad to a new world with a VR headset. The Meta Quest 3S is the best VR headset in its price class, according to CNET’s resident VR expert Scott Stein. This model comes with updated graphics and cameras that give it the same gaming and mixed-reality powers as the pricier (and largely sold-out) Quest 3. And although it does use the same Fresnel lenses and LCD display as the older Quest 2, it’s perfectly fine for general VR and gaming, according to Stein, who calls it “a fantastic budget buy.”

If your dad has always wanted to complete a Rubik’s cube, now’s his chance. “The GoCube connects to your phone or tablet and takes you through the steps of solving a cube using algorithms,” says CNET’s James Bricknell. When using it, he says it was the first time he felt he had a handle on manipulating a puzzle cube without it being completely random. “Learning a new skill as a dad, especially one that can impress your kids, is always worthwhile — and the app even lets you play battle games with your kids to make it more family-oriented,” he adds. 

If dad has always wanted to try out D&D but has never gotten a chance, there’s never been a better time to try, and this kit is the perfect gift to get started. As CNET’s James Bricknell said, “I’m an avid tabletop gamer and I love giving these starter kits out to friends and family.” He says this box has everything someone needs to start their first adventure. Imagination is the key to a good D&D campaign, but you also need rules and dice. This set gives you both.

Want to make sure every trip he takes — whether it’s a daily commute or an annual family trip — is as fun as possible? Make sure he has the best handheld gaming device to pack along. The Nintendo Switch 2 has some welcome upgrades over its predecessor, including a larger display, better graphics and easier-to-use JoyCons that also have a cool new mouse mode. And because it can also be plugged into a TV or monitor, he’ll be able to enjoy iconic games like Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in larger formats for an even more immersive experience.

Is Dad a comic book lover but unsure of what the cool kids are reading? Amazon’s Comixology is a digital storefront that has more than 230,000 titles, from comics and manga to graphic novels. With Comixology Unlimited (its monthly subscription service), visitors can peruse more than 45,000 comics, including Comixology Originals, creator-owned works by popular scribes like Scott Snyder, for only $6 a month. It comes with a free 30-day trial, and the Comixology app is available to download from the App Store.

CNET’s James Bricknell, who’s a dad, says that King of Tokyo is a longtime favorite family board game in his house because it’s easy to learn and also strategically satisfying. “Each player takes control of a monster — think Godzilla or King Kong — and attempts to control Tokyo on the central game board,” he explains. The game is over when just one monster remains alive — unless someone reaches 20 points before then.

If your dad enjoys mobile gaming, the Backbone Pro can elevate his experience. The mobile controller can snap on to dad’s iPhone or Android smartphone, and he can use the analog joysticks, precision D-pad and tactile buttons to play his favorite mobile games. CNET’s Lori Grunin calls the Backbone Pro “the slickest, most natural-feeling way to use a controller with your phone.” Read her full Backbone Pro review.

If you’ve wanted to get your dad a Theragun massager but have been scared off by the price, consider the Theragun Mini 3.0, which costs about half as much as the top-of-the-line Theragun Elite. Released last year, it’s an updated version of one of our favorite massage guns. With the Theragun Mini, Dad can knead his sore muscles using three speeds. The ergonomic handle is easier to use than a bulkier, bigger massage gun and helps reduce wrist strain. It’s also quite quiet, making it nice and portable for travel use, too.

If your dad wants to track his health metrics without wearing a smartwatch, the Oura Ring 5 is the way to go. It can monitor his heart rate, activity and stress levels, plus sleep, and he can see them all in the Oura app. This newest version, the gen 5, is 40% smaller than its predecessor. Not only does it have a sleeker design, but it’s got a longer battery life, and it now tracks GLP-1 response.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is a rugged watch for adventurers and athletes. It has a durable titanium build with a flat-topped sapphire crystal display made for adventure seekers and fitness enthusiasts. It also has top-notch features to match, including an up to 50-hour battery life, satellite connectivity for off-the-grid emergencies, as well as a bright screen with a maximum of 3,000 nits, which makes it easy to see if you’re in the great outdoors.

The Fitbit Google Air is a fitness tracker for those that prefer a screenless experience. If dad likes to track his workouts but doesn’t want distractions in the gym, this is an excellent option. In a review of the Fitbit Air, CNET writer Vanessa Hand Orellana said that the band was so comfortable she stopped noticing it. She also appreciated that the lengthy eight-day battery life made consistent, uninterrupted tracking feel effortless.

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite delivers a slightly larger 7-inch screen and improved performance over its predecessor, with 25% faster page turns. According to CNET’s David Carnoy, “The new Paperwhite does seem like a legitimate upgrade from the Paperwhite (2021), and I suspect people who’ve used that previous-gen Paperwhite will be tempted to make the jump to this model.” 

Rent Dad his dream car with Turo, a peer-to-peer car-sharing company (like Airbnb, but for cars). Not only are there all kinds of vehicles on the app, but the prices are more reasonable than many car rental companies. This present makes a great, unique gift, and for the gift card, you can choose any amount from $25 to $2,000.

It’s fair to say that we can all use more AirTags in our lives. Whether your dad is a pro at misplacing things, these are the perfect travel must-have. He can put one in his checked bag, one in his carry-on, one in his briefcase — you get the picture. I love the fact that when you order them through Apple, you can get Dad’s initials engraved on them at no extra cost.

Read our piece on some unexpected places to plant your AirTags.

The Nomatic Travel Pack is great for every occasion. Yes, there’s enough room in the main compartment for books, lunch, clothes or other work items. Its computer pocket can hold laptops up to 16 inches in size. That’s all well and good, but this bag offers so much more.

It’s expandable, TSA-ready, water resistant and offers a collection of external and internal pockets for all sorts of storage (including an RFID pocket for your credit cards). Small details like the retractable clip-on key leash and secret AirTag/Passport pocket make this bag a cut above the rest. “What’s unique is that when you expand the bag, it reveals another zipper that opens the backpack like a clamshell for easy packing,” says CNET’s Josh Goldman. It also made our pick for the best carry-on luggage.

Watching in-flight movies is a great way to pass the time, but the one downside is that you usually can’t use wireless headphones. Enter the AirFly Pro 2, a small device that turns any 3.5mm audio port into a Bluetooth audio transmitter and receiver for wireless headphones. It also eliminates ambient sound around you, which is a big plus — versus when you use the airline-given headphones.