Have you ever gifted your dad a cashmere scarf or a nice tie, only for him to tinker around more with the wrapping paper and box it came in? Sometimes, that's just how it goes. While he'll love anything you get him (and look so dapper in cashmere), it's time to find useful gifts for dad if your father's more interested in parts than presents.
Gifting your dad something that prioritizes function over form can feel foreign at first, but plenty of modern gadgets find a balance between both. While you may be hoping for little wrapped boxes of jewelry in your stocking this year, dad may be dreaming of finding a new trash can under the Christmas tree. Yes, really.
With a lid that lifts up just by saying "open can", this stainless steel voice and motion sensor trash can from simplehuman will thrill the man who loves seeing how technology upgrades life's small stuff. The $199.99 can simplifies a lot of little problems, too — liners are kept inside the can, the lid is the lock that keeps the liner in place, and the entire can is coated with nano-silver to cut back on germs.
Okay, you still might want to give your dad something flashier than a trash can, even if it's one he'll have fun using in his kitchen everyday. Cole & Mason Hampstead's electric salt and pepper mills are just as futuristic and useful as the simplehuman can. The $44.95 mills have a button at the top that effortlessly grinds salt and pepper, and a built-in LED light at the bottom to show where the spices land. Handy for both foodie fathers and dads that can't be bothered to buy salt and pepper, invite yourself over to cook dinner using the set after the holidays are over.
Perhaps this is the year you want to give your dad something truly luxurious. While it may be harder for your dad to recognize a high-end accessory by name than it is for you, there is one name that probably has your dad's heart: Rolex. From crafting the watches used by the Sir John Hunt's Mount Everest explorers in 1953 to adorning the wrists of some of the biggest names in golf, Rolex is one of the few brands even a dad would call swoon-worthy. Though Rolex prices match its coveted status, investment pieces from the Rolex Oyster Perpetual line like the Oyster Perpetual 26 start at just $4,850.
Ahead, 13 practical gifts — from Rolex watches to stocking stuffers — to wow your dad with this Christmas.
