When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works

Home / Features / Father’s Day 2019: 15 gadget gift ideas for under £100

Father’s Day 2019: 15 gadget gift ideas for under £100

Want to thank the dad in your life? These treats ought to do it

Nowadays, it feels like every day is some kind of day. Not like Monday or Tuesday. But, you know, International Axe Throwing Day. Or World Naked Gardening Day.

As days go, though, Father’s Day is a pretty good one to celebrate. Because, sure, your dad might like the odd streak around the garden, but he does a whole lot of useful stuff, too.

So forget the time he ruined your haircut and put that embarrassing birthday speech in the past: June 16 is the day to celebrate the man that made you – however weird he is.

How? Go to the pub. Make him a card. Tell him you love him. Or buy him something from this list. Whatever you do, keep him away from those axes.

Urbanista Stockholm (£89)

Urbanista Stockholm (£89)

Remember introducing dad to Marie Kondo’s decluttering wisdom? Well now he’s decided wires don’t bring him joy and thrown his earphones in the bin.

Replace those in-ears with something freer this Father’s Day: these Swedish buds go right after Apple’s AirPods, offering a subtle, stylish and totally wireless way to play.

Good for 3.5 hours on a single charge – and 10.5 more with boosts from the charging case – the Stockholm ‘phones pack mics for hands-free chatter, a featherweight build for easy listening and voice control for, well, voice control. Arigato, Urbanista.

Doogee S40 (£99)

Doogee S40 (£99)

If your dad wants to drop some sweet hip-hop shapes on Father’s Day, he needs to Dougie.

If, on the other hand, he wants to drop his phone on Father’s Day, he needs this Doogee.

See, thanks to a metal frame, reinforced corners and a 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass front, the rock-solid S40 is waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof, freeze-proof, heat-proof and, yes, dad-proof. Oh, and the quad-core blower runs Android, so he’ll have Google on tap for dance move tuition.

Fitbit Inspire HR (£90)

Fitbit Inspire HR (£90)

Remember how dad used to ‘motivate’ you for school cross-country with a water pistol and hilarious heckling? Show him you’ve moved on from the torment with this affordable tracker from Fitbit – sure to bring his fitness goals closer than third-rate wisecracks ever could.

Equipped with a heart-rate tracker, five-day battery life and a raft of exercise modes, sync the touchscreen ticker with his smartphone and your papa – sorry, ‘Coach Papa’ – can get GPS tracking, food logging and a Cardio Fitness Score. Just like he used to give you, only without the tubby jibes.

Filson x Mossy Oak Travel Pack (£60)

Filson x Mossy Oak Travel Pack (£60)

Your father might fancy himself as a bit of an action man, but his high-pitched reaction to the chaffinch in the kitchen suggests he’s more chair chills than Bear Grylls.

Still, let a man dream: this ballistic nylon travel pack from the outdoorsy sorts at Filson is ideal for storing all the miscellany a Ray Mears wannabe could need on his next adventure.

Better still, its camouflage get-up will surely be a win in his secret garden cabin. Especially if he paints his face to match, like that time with the ghillie suit and the sparrow. Which, incidentally, is rumoured to be the title of John le Carré’s next book.

Hydroflask 64oz Growler (£63)

Hydroflask 64oz Growler (£63)

Planning a big day out for Father’s Day? Whether its the beach, the brae or the bench down the lane, this sturdy stainless steel flask will surely make June 16 a foamy dream.

Fill its belly with 1.9 litres of beer and, thanks to double-wall insulation, your old man’s lager of choice will remain cool and crisp for up to 24 hours.

Fill your dad’s belly with 1.9 litres of beer, mind, and you’ll be lucky if he lasts 24 minutes.

Finisterre Mysa Hammock (£75)

Finisterre Mysa Hammock (£75)

If there’s ever a day for dad to put his feet up, catch some rays and let it all go, it’s surely the one named in his honour. And so he can, once he’s rigged up this ripstop travel hammock.

Unpacked from its pouch and slung between a pair of pines, the suspended berth – crafted by Finisterre from leftover polyester and bookended by sturdy carabiners – makes for a stellar sustainable nest, ideal for appreciating its lightweight yet rugged, weather-resistant built.

Unless, that is, some sneaky sprog gets in there first.

Harber Super Slim Card Holder (£59)

Harber Super Slim Card Holder (£59)

Proper menswear aficionados will tell you weathered is the best look for a wallet. You know, a little bit battered with a nice patina?

Problem is, ageing takes, well, ages. So expedite the process and nab your dad’s age-old billfold. How? By gifting him a natty new one – like this slim and stylish number from the fine folks at Harber, maker of wallets, organisers and all manner of lovely leather goods.

A deft blend of compact and capacious, the full-grain holder can harbour 15 of your old man’s cards in the main compartment – revealed via a handy tab – while his preferred plastic gets stashed in the quick-draw pocket. It’s RFID protected, too, so no-one can do an Artful Dodger on his identity.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (£80)

Amazon Fire HD 8 (£80)

Gift your dad this tab and you’ll surely be his favourite on Father’s Day. After all, it’s hard to believe such a capable 8-inch slate could cost just £80 – so why set him straight?

Sure, the OS has an Amazon bent, the cameras could be better and browsing isn’t the slickest, but for an everyday tablet that can nail all the basics, this one’s a bona fide bargain.

What’s more, pair it with the Show Mode Charging Dock and your dad will have an Echo Show at half the price. If he finds out what you actually paid? He’ll doubtless commend your eye for a deal.

Soundcore Motion Q (£55)

Soundcore Motion Q (£55)


Papa might love mambo, but that doesn’t mean his Cuban moves should ever see the lights of a ballroom.

Let him live out his Latin dreams in the living room with this surprisingly powerful speaker from Soundcore: a pair of outward-facing drivers mean he can salsa with sound all around, while a 10-hour battery life should outlast even the longest of his rhumba remixes.

Better yet, IPX7 water protection means the Motion Q can do its thing even if submerged – which is more than you can say for su padré.

Fossil Commuter (£89)

Fossil Commuter (£89)

Your pop might insist that time is a construct, but philosophy’s no comfort when you’re stranded at the station because he doesn’t own a clock.

Keep his eyes on the time with this attractive ticker from Fossil: three hands make light work of telling on the emerald face, while a quartz crystal means the only slow movements will belong to the wearer – and a date dial should at least keep him loosely rooted in reality.

The Commuter’s only flaw? Its swappable straps could have him browsing for hours.

Victorinox Skipper (£75)

Victorinox Skipper (£75)

No matter how nicely he asks, you should never call your dad the Skipper. One captain’s hat and a copy of Cruising for Dummies later and he’ll have the whole family on a sailing trip to Saint-Tropez. Which, given your mum’s expulsive experience on the cross-channel ferry, is probably not the best idea.

Fulfil his dreams but skip the queasy scenes with this ship-shape Swiss blade from Victorinox: equipped with a raft of nautical implements – from a marlin spike for knotty moments to a shackle opener for opening shackles – it’s all a budding seamen could ask for, navy paint job and everything.

Whether he’ll make it past the corkscrew, mind, is another matter entirely.

JBL Bar Studio (£99)

JBL Bar Studio (£99)

4K it might be, but not since he dropped a beer can on the record player has something sounded as tinny as dad’s flat-screen TV.

Give him fuller sound for fewer pounds with this punchy soundbar from JBL. While it can’t beat rivals at twice the price, the tech on-board – three drivers, Bluetooth support, HDMI input, dedicated scene settings – makes the 24-inch studio a steal at 99 smackers.

Sure, it’s not what he meant by ‘bar in the living room’, but who needs draft beer when you’ve got happy ears?

Ryze Tello (£84)

Ryze Tello (£84)

This small but mighty flyer made our Father’s Day list last year because it’s pretty much the most fun a dad can have for less than £100. Unless he’s up for a lock-in at the Red Lion.

Packed with tech from aerial experts DJI, the Tello drone can fly for 13 minutes, hit speeds of 18mph and catch all the action in 720p. And now it’s even more affordable.

So check the regs, hit the park and make a pilot of your papa. Unless you gave him one last year – in which case, get a Tello for yourself and show him how it’s done.

Bodum Mocca Vacuum Coffee Maker (£89)

Bodum Mocca Vacuum Coffee Maker (£89)

What better way to start Father’s Day for your coffee-mad dad than with a steaming cup of the good stuff? Why, with a litre of that same good stuff, only siphoned like its 1956.

Based on Bodum’s mid-century Mocca maker, this throwback caffeine machine brews joe the slow way: set above a gas burner, water rises up from the jug to meet the brown grounds above, before flowing back down, freshly full of flavour.

As distinctive as ever and sure to cut a dash beside dad’s faded filter pot, half the fun is understanding how to use it. The other half? Playing hipster in the kitchen.

Erbauer EXT Cordless Drill Driver (£90)

Erbauer EXT Cordless Drill Driver (£90)

What daddy cool doesn’t love a cordless tool? And if your papa fancies himself a handyman about the house, this drill and driver combo is surely the way to go.

Equipped with a speedy brushless motor that’ll make light work of holes and screws alike, it packs an LED for DIY in the dark and a built-in belt clip for hassle-free holstering.

Best of all, though, is the swappable power block: charged to full in just 50 minutes, the EXT cell plays nice with a whole host of Erbauer equipment – from angle grinders to orbit sanders – so your old man can give his entire toolbox an extreme makeover without needing a battery of, well, batteries.

Profile image of Chris Rowlands Chris Rowlands Freelance contributor

About

Formerly News Editor at this fine institution, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on coffee kit, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

Areas of expertise

Cameras, gear and travel tech

Enable referrer and click cookie to search for eefc48a8bf715c1b 20231024b972d108 [] 2.7.22