Father’s day gifts: tech and gadgets

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and many of us are scratching our heads, looking for that perfect gift. But that’s not always easy, especially if you really want to find something that suits your dad’s lifestyle and interests.

If you’re still struggling to make a selection, exploring tech-related gifts is a great idea. Modern dads tend to be up to speed where technology is concerned, and there’s always a gadget that can enhance their lives. In fact, there’s so much to choose from that it’s easy for gift buyers to become confused.

That’s why we’ve put together our guide to buying tech-related Father’s Day gifts. Read on to discover the finest tech ideas, and forget about settling for a pair of socks or a bottle of wine. There are much better options around.

Set your dad up with a cutting edge streaming device

Is your dad getting the most out of his Smart TV and wifi connection? Possibly not. If he relies on standard digital boxes or even paid for cable connections, he could well be missing out. That’s where streaming sticks from brands like Amazon and Roku come in very handy.

These compact devices aren’t that expensive, but they open up a whole new world of digital entertainment.

Take the most recent Roku Streaming Stick, for example. Harnessing standard wifi connectivity, the stick offers a wide range of channels and services, from the BBC iPlayer and Netflix to Amazon Prime Video. ITV, and UKTV Play.

Even better, streaming sticks can be enhanced via tools like Kodi, which open up vast archives of old TV and movies, along with live sports and current TV imports from abroad. By mixing an Amazon Fire TV shield, a good VPN, and the Kodi App, you can give your dad more entertainment options than ever before.

Smarten up your dad’s household equipment

Smart tech has come a long way in the past few years, and it now includes a number of exciting accessories to enhance your dad’s home setup.

For starters, there are smart doorbells from brands like Nest. The popular Halo doorbell, for example, allows users to see video feeds of the people at their door, which is a handy security feature. It can also record footage, allowing users to know who called when they were unavailable. So your dad will know exactly when deliveries arrived (or didn’t).

Or why not buy your dad some Philips Hue lighting products? Hue is probably the world’s best-known smart lighting range, and it’s very easy to get up and running. Give your dad the ability to turn on lights remotely (handy if he forgets before leaving the house), or to experiment with different colors and tones.

From doorbells and light bulbs to smart toasters and plug sockets, there’s a wealth of smart tech to choose from. Most accessories aren’t too expensive these days, and all that’s required is a basic knowledge of how to use smartphones. So they are great Father’s Day gifts.

Make reading easier with an advanced e-reader

Is your dad a compulsive reader? And is his vision not exactly what it used to be? In that case, don’t worry. Modern e-readers cater to those with less than 20:20 vision while providing ready access to almost unlimited libraries.

Take the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. The screen on this reader is crystal clear and sharp – and the text can be expanded to make it easier to read. That’s something you’ll never get with real books. Moreover, the screen is designed to minimize glare. So if your dad enjoys lazing outside on summer afternoons with a good book, it could make following the narrative much easier.

If your dad has acquired a taste for audiobooks, pick a reader with audio and visual capabilities. And think about adding an Amazon Prime subscription to the gift. With a Prime subscription, your dad will have the freedom to browse Amazon’s Audible collection – the world’s biggest archive of audiobook content.

Protect his cards with an RFID wallet

Both a great budget gift idea and a security game-changer, RFID wallets are going to be a huge seller this Father’s Day, and with good reason.

These products are designed to shield their contents against credit card scanners, which are becoming a major security concern. While conventional fabrics allow scanners to penetrate with ease (in a matter of milliseconds in most cases), these wallets deflect their beams – so your dad’s essentials should remain secure at all times.

You’ll find great designs for relatively little money from brands like Ted Baker and Samsonite, as well as less well-known tech names like  and Trask.

Expand your dad’s entertainment options and enhance his security with a VPN subscription

These days, cyber-crime is a daily worry for everyone, but especially for older people who are not as tech-savvy as the new generation. According to campaign group Age UK, over half of the over-65s have been targeted by online fraudsters.

Whether your dad is 45 or 70, he’s more likely to benefit from some additional protection. And that’s one of the areas where a solid VPN subscription can help.

By anonymizing IP addresses and providing uncrackable encryption, VPNs make it much harder for criminals to target online shoppers, email users, and other internet users. They’re particularly useful when using unprotected public wifi networks.

But they go way beyond that, too – which is what makes them such a great Father’s Day gift idea. VPNs can allow your dad to access blocked streaming content from platforms like Netflix, unlock sports content on YouTube, or watch any geo-restricted content at all.

With 1-3 year subscriptions for elite VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN regularly retailing for approximately $80-$110, these apps are well within the reach of most people. And they could be the best Father’s Day gift your dad ever receives.