Father’s Day 2022 falls on Sunday, June 19, and while the price of gas, food and everything else keeps rising, you can still find unique gifts to give no matter what budget or what type of dad you’re shopping for.
For the geek dad
If dad likes to show off how tech-savvy he is, getting him some new smart home products is a great idea. Toronto-based Nanoleaf offers reasonably priced smart lighting solutions. Bulbs and lightstrips sold under their Essentials line are sure to wow him.
The Nanoleaf Essentials three-pack of A19 60W bulbs ($69.99) work over Bluetooth and are Alexa, Google and HomeKit compatible. They are dimmable and are capable of producing different temperatures of white light as well as up to 12 million colours.
Pair the bulbs with a Nanoleaf Essentials 80’ Lightstrip ($49.99) for behind the TV and help dad create an amazing visual look in his man cave.
If dad has Google devices, like Nest Cameras or Google Home speakers, along with Apple Homekit products, like the Apple TV or HomePod Mini, help him bridge the two with the Starling Smart Hub ($99).
The Starling Smart Hub connects to your home network via Ethernet and allows you to use Nest cameras, doorbells and thermostats in your Apple Home app while also allowing you to Airplay from Apple devices to Google Home speakers. It’s the best option to bridge the gap until these two companies decide to work better together.
If dad likes to use tech in the kitchen, the MEATER ($119.95) is a must-get. The MEATER is a wireless smart meat thermometer that uses Bluetooth to send info to your smartphone letting you know if your chicken, roast or other delicious meat is ready to come out of the oven or off the BBQ. For extended Bluetooth range, opt for the MEATER Plus ($149.95), which boosts the wireless range up to 50 m.
For the homebody dad
If dad has been working from home during the pandemic (or just not interested in going out places anymore because of the pandemic), encouraging him to take care of his health is probably a wise idea.
The Bowflex C6 stationary bike (on sale for $1199 for Father’s Day) is an excellent machine with a small footprint. The magnetic wheel is quiet and smooth and offers 100 resistance levels. It comes with a one-year JRNY membership (regularly $199), which gives you guided workouts and allows you to connect with people to stay motivated (a tablet or smartphone is required). The bike also integrates with the Peloton and Zwift apps, among others. Extras include two 3 lb dumbbells, a Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitor, an LCD metric console, a media/device holder, dual-sided pedals and a water bottle holder.
To keep dad on track with his health, Withings offers a variety of health-related products, including their Body Cardio Scale and BPM Connect blood pressure monitor.
The Body Cardio Scale ($189.99 at Best Buy) not only measures your weight, but can also detect your muscle, fat and bone mass, as well as how much of your weight is made up of water. It’s the only scale that can also run a cardio check, detecting your heart rate and giving you a vascular age — a biomarker used to assess cardiovascular health. The scale connects to WiFi and works with the Withings Health Mate app as well as with Apple Health on iOS devices.
With the amount of additional stress on people the last couple of years, keeping an eye on your blood pressure is very important. The BPM Connect (US$99.95) is a wireless, rechargeable blood pressure monitor that is comfortable and easy to use. The unit itself has an LCD display so you can see your blood pressure reading right on your arm. Synching it with the Withings Health Mate app gives you even more detailed information and allows you to monitor and keep track of your readings.
Staying healthy while being stuck at home also means keeping your place clean. Whether dad is a neat freak or a slob, the Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum ($399) will surely impress him and get him up and cleaning.
The Shark Vertex DuoClean is a cordless, rechargeable vacuum with a 50-minute runtime on a full charge. The wand folds for easy storage and to help get under even the hardest-to-reach spots, and the dual roller head unit cleans both carpet and hardwood with ease. It also has an easy-to-empty removable dust bin and comes with a dusting brush and crevice tool.
For the dad on the go
If dad is an Apple user who spends a lot of time in his car, both the Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe ($49.99 at Best Buy) and HaloLock Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Mount for iPhone ($42.99 at Amazon) are excellent options to keep his phone secure on the road.
While the Belkin mount will only securely hold an iPhone with MagSafe capabilities, the HaloLock will hold it and wirelessly charge the phone at the same time.
Another great option for the dad on the go is the Apple Magic Keyboard. This is available for the 3rd generation 11-inch iPad Pro/5th generation iPad Air ($399) and for the 5th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro ($449). The Magic Keyboard not only protects the device, but also opens up its abilities to be a full workhorse with a trackpad, keyboard and external USB-C port.
For the dad who needs to relax
If you’re trying to help dad relax, surprising him with a new smart TV or bottle of his favourite drink would definitely be appreciated.
The Amazon Fire Omni Series TV (starting at $519.99 for the 43-inch and maxing out at $959.99 for the 75-inch) is a quality, budget-friendly 4K TV that comes loaded with the top streaming apps like Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+ and offers a huge range of other apps available to download, such as Apple TV+, Sportsnet and Global TV. The TV also has Alexa built-in and can be controlled via voice.
If dad enjoys a drink now and then, getting him a top-shelf bottle of his favourite spirit would make him very happy.
Don Julio Blanco Tequila ($87.20), Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Scotch Whisky ($89.99) and Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale Distilled Gin ($33.45) are all excellent choices. If dad prefers beer or wine over spirits, a selection of Ontario craft beer or a bottle of wine from an Ontario winery, like Sandbanks or Jackson Triggs, will also be enjoyed.
For the curious dad
If dad wants to know more about his family history or potential health risks, getting him a DNA kit is an excellent idea.
23andme’s basic Ancestry + Traits kit costs $99 and will give dad a general ancestry breakdown along with over 30 trait reports. Opting for the more pricey Health + Ancestry kit (regularly $199, on sale for $149) offers everything in the basic kit plus over 65 health reports, including health predisposition, wellness and carrier status, along with a family health history.
Ancestry’s basic AncestryDNA kit ($129) will help dad discover his origins and ethnicity, historical and geographic insights about his ancestors and allow him to connect with people who match his DNA. The AncestryDNA + Traits ($154) offers everything in the basic kit along with an additional 35-plus personal traits, including physical and sensory traits like male hair loss or lactose intolerance.
Both 23andme and Ancestry have online memberships available that open up other reports and features. Visit 23andme.com or Ancestry.ca for more info.
For the video game-loving dad
If dad enjoys playing video games there are a lot of options for every platform. Kirby and the Forgotten Land ($79.99) and Nintendo Switch Sports ($49.99) for the Nintendo Switch are both fun, casual games that can be enjoyed together with dad and the kids.
Sony also recently released their new PlayStation Plus plans in an effort to compete with Microsoft’s excellent Game Pass service. The basic Essential plan is $11.99 and gives free monthly games, online multiplayer capabilities and exclusive discounts. Step up to the Extra plan for $17.99 and dad will get everything in the Essential plan plus access to a game catalogue with hundreds of games. Finally, the Premium Plan ($21.99 per month) adds to the Essential and Extra plans with a classic game catalogue, game trials and cloud streaming.
Thrustmaster makes excellent peripherals for Windows PCs and the Xbox, including the TCA Captain Pack Airbus Edition ($379.99), which will make dad feel like pilot. The TCA Captain Pack Airbus Edition works with Microsoft Flight Simulator on the PC to give you the full experience of flying a plane.
If a pro controller is more up dad’s alley, the Thrustmaster eSwap X Pro Wired Controller ($169.99) is a fully modular and customizable controller that works with the Xbox and PC. Along with the ability to remap buttons, you can also hot swap modules and physically lock the triggers.
If you want to go all out for dad this year, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 ($2,499) is a portable beast of a gaming machine that also converts into a tablet thanks to its 13.4″ 4K detachable touchscreen display.
Along with the killer display, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a 12th Generation Intel i9-12900H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB M.2 SSD, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card with 4GB of dedicated GDDR6 video memory and integrated Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
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