Our Shopping Lead hand-selects the top gifts dads will actually want to unwrap this year, with prices from £22
Father’s Day is sneaking up on us fast (June 21), and if you haven’t yet worked out what you want to get the father figure in your life, don’t worry, I have just the advice you need here.
Whether he likes to spend his time in the garden, out in the great outdoors, on a golf course, or just indoors with a book, I guarantee I can guess at least one thing in this 10-present line-up that he’ll want. And with pricing from £22, you can give him a good gift this year without breaking the bank.
My credentials? Other than being the self-proclaimed favourite daughter who prides herself on nailing gifts for both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I’ve also been writing gift guides for over a decade – so I’d like to think I know a thing or two about what dads really want. Here are the items I’ve bought in previous years, or have on my list to get for upcoming gifts, that I think are also worth adding to your cart…
1. A Dryrobe
Shop the Dryrobe Black Grey Advance Changing Robe for £175
READ MORE: Father’s Day gifts from £1 for every type of dad, from sports lovers to garden enthusiasts
I really can’t recommend this one enough. If your dad does any kind of water sport, sea swimming or a general activity that could take place in wet weather, like dog walking or camping, I guarantee he’ll love a Dryrobe. There are ‘dupes’ on the internet, sure, but you really can’t rival the original when it comes to warmth, weather-proof fabric or quality. It’s a bit of a spend, but he’ll use this for so many years to come.
I gifted my dad one recently and every time he wears it, he messages me to say how much he loves it. If it doesn’t buy you brownie points, I don’t know what will.
2. Good quality shirts
If you know your dad’s shirt size, you’ve got everything you need to get him a great, useful gift. My dad loves a good quality, comfortable work shirt, but he rarely buys himself any new ones. So, on birthdays or Christmases when I’ve thought to gift him some, he’s always delighted. Here are the best ones to try:
Splurge: Charles Tyrwhitt Non-Iron Cotton Linen Shirt, £69.95
With six shades to choose from, this is available in classic, slim, or extra slim fits, and it even offers a monogram option.
Save: M&S Regular Fit Pure Linen Shirt, £45
If he prefers a more casual shirt, or you’re gifting him something he can wear on holidays or weekends, my dad really loves the Pure Linen Shirts from M&S, available in 10 sizes, two fits and two lengths.
3. Aftershave
It’s a classic Father’s Day gift for a reason, but it can be a little tricky to work out exactly what scent to pick for him if he doesn’t already have a signature one that he buys on repeat. If he doesn’t, my top tip is to go for a shower-fresh smell rather than anything too punchy. Here are my two favourites for different budgets:
Splurge: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme Eau de Toilette, now £80
It has a woody, citrusy smell that most men will love.
Save: Zara Sole di Bergamotto EDP, £25.99
Musks, pepper and bergamot make this a fresh scent to suit many personalities.
4. Does-it-all backpack
Shop Antler’s Discovery 45L Backpack for £160
Let’s be honest, what dad doesn’t love a backpack? I’ve witnessed mine whacking people in the faces on the London underground with his oversized bag many a time, prompting me to upgrade him to something sleeker under the disguise of it being a gift (really, I’m doing the public a service). This is the backpack I chose, and he loved it so much that I got one for my partner, too. It’s got compression technology, so it isn’t too bulky, and it stores so much that it can even be used as a carry-on bag.
5. A weather-proof jacket
Unlike a Dryrobe, this is a jacket that’s small enough to pack into his work backpack or to wear out and about on errands. If he’s a hiker, camper or gardener, he’ll also really make use of a good waterproof layer like this. These are the two brands that the men in my life wear on repeat:
Splurge: Rab Men’s Downpour Trail Light Waterproof Jacket, £130
In three shades and with sizes ranging from S to XXL, it’s robust yet lightweight.
Save: Regatta Men’s Oklarna Waterproof Jacket, now £72
Waterproof, breathable and durable, it comes in four colour choices.
6. A year-long membership
If you leave it too late to pick up or send a gift, a membership or subscription sign-up is always an easy win for a last-minute present he’ll actually use. Here are three year-long ones my own dad would use plenty of times:
National Trust membership, from £100.80: It gives you free entry to over 500 historic sites and estates across the UK, plus free parking at most countryside and coastal car parks.
Foyles A Year of Books Subscription, from £150: Sign them up to get 12 books (a new one each month) for a year. You can choose from fiction or non-fiction to suit their reading taste.
RHS Individual Membership, from £67.99: This comes with access to more than 200 partner gardens for the main member across the UK and beyond.
7. Socks
Shop London Sock Company Simply Staples 6-Pair Box for £88
Yes, socks. Many gift guides will tell you everything you can buy so that you don’t have to get him socks. But the thing is, my dad, along with so many others, genuinely likes socks. If you can make them a little bit fancy, that’s even better. The London Sock Company does some really lovely gift boxes of top-quality socks. I would opt for the navy or black pairs, personally, as they tend to be more sports- and work-appropriate, but if you know he likes a novelty buy, there are options there for you too.
8. A good drink
It sounds like another simple idea, but sometimes simple really is the best. If your dad loves a cocktail, a good G&T on a weekend or looks forward to cracking open a good bottle of wine on a Friday night, they’ll love getting a bottle of their drink-of-choice from you. Here are the best sips I’d recommend:
Glenfiddich 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, £53: My partner is a whisky drinker and he says this is the best bottle I’ve ever bought for him (and I buy him one every year). So if your dad loves whisky, give this a try.
Seedlip Non-Alcoholic Spirit – Garden, £22: If he prefers something non-alcoholic, Seedlip is the one I always buy for my teetotal friends when I come over for dinner, and they’re always delighted.
Papa Salt Coastal Gin, £40.99: A very trendy Australian gin with a clean taste and an impressive-looking bottle.
