The Best Gifts for Dads Who Want Nothing


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It’s that time of year again: You’re Christmas shopping, and inevitably, Dad wants nothing. It’s the same song, the 500th verse. Dad wants nothing for his birthday, and nothing for Father’s Day. Dad is completely unhelpful when it comes to suggesting something he may want or need, no matter the occasion. This is especially stressful this time of year, when Dad isn’t the only one on your list — he’s just the most difficult.

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“I find most of the men in my life incredibly hard to shop for because they give no hints at what they want, so I opt for upgrading a thing they are interested in,” says interior designer Ashley Hosmer. “For my dad, that means a waterproof, wireless speaker he can take on fishing boats to blast classic rock. For my husband, that means custom T-shirts.”

And that’s the key. Develop a hypothesis about the man’s desires. Test the hypothesis. When confronted by the vastness of the unknown, turn to the scientific method. Looking to someone’s natural interests is a great way to find gifts for anyone, not just the ones who tell you they don’t want anything. But even if Dad likes to fish, don’t buy a rod. The key is to get the extra thing — the bonus thing — not the necessity. He’ll handle that part.

two glasses of margaritas with watermelon, hot peppers, and juice on a wood board
two glasses of margaritas with watermelon, hot peppers, and juice on a wood board

Alice's Table Tequila Cocktail Workshop

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Price: $65.00 / ticket

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If dad really says he doesn’t want anything, he probably still wants to spend time with you. And that’s fun for you both. “My dad is one of those people who, if they want something, will go ahead and buy it on Amazon, so he’s really hard to shop for,” says writer Drew Millard. “He started taking cooking lessons, though, and his culinary journey unlocked a whole new category of stuff that he wanted, thereby creating the conditions for him not having everything and needing some things. The lesson, here, is that if someone in your life seems to have everything, then give them the gift of developing a new interest.”

Alice’s Table is one way to give that kind of gift. The site offers cocktail and charcuterie courses (and also flower arranging if that’s his bag), and since you take the classes via Zoom, you and your dad don’t even have to be in the same location to say, learn how to make tequila cocktails together like you will in this course. You only have minimal prep to do, too. Alice’s Table will ship you all the mixers, bitters, and syrups required. You just have to provide the tequila.


signal relief patch
signal relief patch

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Signal Relief 4.5" Pain Relief Patch

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Price: $165.00 $129.85

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Dads have pain, mostly physical, and while gifting them a relief patch might seem clinical it’s a gift that both solves a problem and brings comfort with old(er) age. This isn’t drugstore Icy Hot, it’s a reusable, drug-free pain relief patch from Signal Relief that works with microscopic particles to relieve pain in seconds. It works on musculoskeletal pain, calming the sensation in the nervous system so the body can focus on healing. It can be used for hours or days at a time and has a 1-year warranty.


black bose wireless bluetooth speaker against white background
black bose wireless bluetooth speaker against white background

Wireless Speaker

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Price: $149.99

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As Hosmer mentioned, a wireless speaker is a good option for your hard-to-shop-for dad. It’s something he can use while he’s doing any activity he enjoys, and he can travel with it. So no matter if he is a sports guy, or he likes listening to podcasts or talk radio, or if he’s the kind of dad who just rinses his classic rock records, he’ll enjoy having something like this Bose speaker. This particular speaker is waterproof, compact, and capable of delivering high-quality sound that defies its small size.


four multi-colored e-gift cards by gold belly against blush pink background
four multi-colored e-gift cards by gold belly against blush pink background

Goldbelly Gift Card

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Price: $25.00 - $500.00

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Who doesn’t love a food-based gift? But if you are shopping for the kind of guy who’s difficult to nail, you might not want to gamble on a specific food item in case they don’t like it. Goldbelly is an online marketplace where you can buy food from retailers and restaurants across the country, and giving a gift card puts the choice in the hands of the recipient. So if the dad in your life loves seafood, he can order gumbo straight from Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. If he has an itch only pierogies can scratch, he can get some from New York City institution Veselka. If he wants a key lime pie straight from Key West, he can snag one from Kermitt’s, too. You get the idea. With Goldbelly, the food world is the difficult dad’s oyster.


dinner box on top of wooden countertop with sandwiches, sliced pickles, meat, and sauce
dinner box on top of wooden countertop with sandwiches, sliced pickles, meat, and sauce

Katz's 3-Course Dinner

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Price: $135.00

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While a gift card gives the recipient more flexibility, you may feel reasonably confident that dear ol’ dad would do some serious damage to some pastrami and corned beef from New York’s most iconic deli. If he were visiting New York, he might like to pay a visit to this classic spot. But he can still have a taste of the downtown institution thanks to you. This kit feeds four and includes pastrami, corned beef, rye bread, matzo ball soup, pickles, and more.


fathers day card with words "your dad jokes are funny"
fathers day card with words "your dad jokes are funny"

A Really Good Card

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Price: $5.50

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Sometimes expressing your love with your words is the only gift you need to give, or it  can be the thing that separates a mediocre gift from a great one. “A great card absolutely elevates an average gift,” says Dan Oshinsky, the email consultant behind Inbox Collective who’s a soon-to-be dad himself. “The card is the first thing they open—it’s your first impression.”

But don’t just wait until the last minute to grab something at the drugstore. Etsy is a great place to find clever, thoughtful cards with unique designs. Worthwhile Paper has plenty of options that will be perfect for the dad in your life.


image of the baseball 100 book cover
image of the baseball 100 book cover

The Baseball 100

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Price: $20.75

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Legendary sports journalist Joe Posnanski’s The Baseball 100 tells the tale of America’s pastime through its 100 greatest players in an epic, engrossing text that’s twice as long as Moby Dick. The baseball-loving dad will lose himself in this deep dive on the sport, and what dad doesn’t go gaga over a big ol’ reference book. So if baseball isn’t his bag, try a WWII book or a giant wildlife reference book. You get the idea. Figure out what his niche is and find a book to match.


dark blue new york times birthday edition book laying on top of new york times newspaper
dark blue new york times birthday edition book laying on top of new york times newspaper

New York Times Birthday Book

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Price: $99.95

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The dad you’re shopping for may not want to be reminded of how old he is, but, again, many dads love them a big-ass reference book. This one showcases front pages from every year of their birthday, so they can go deep on their own personal history via the paper of record.


10 x 12 picture frame of a couple and their daughter hanging on a beige wall
10 x 12 picture frame of a couple and their daughter hanging on a beige wall

Framebridge

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Price: $75.00

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Going the commemorative route for dad can be a winning choice. “For people I know well, I really like hitting on sentimental,” says Hosmer. “I like framing something that has meaning to them or to us like matches from places we’ve been together or a photobooth strip.” So spring for a picture of the two of you—maybe you can find an old photo from your childhood or a more recent one from a trip you took together—and put it in a nice frame. With Framebridge’s service, you can do this all from your phone or computer and have the gift shipped directly to the recipient. It’s a nice way to show your love, and it may tug on dad’s heartstrings a little bit.


man wearing dark blue and green quilted coat against white background
man wearing dark blue and green quilted coat against white background

Peter Millar Quilted Jacket

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Price: $250.00 $150.00

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Is the dad in question the kind of guy who wears his clothes until they’re falling apart? As Hosmer suggested, upgrading existing items can be a great way to give gifts. So consider buying a nice piece of clothing that dad probably wouldn’t go out and buy himself, like this Peter Millar jacket, which is lightweight and great for shoulder seasons or more temperate climates.


flaviar whiskey bottles on wooden table
flaviar whiskey bottles on wooden table

Flavair Whiskey Annual Membership

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Price: $120.00 - $500.00

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If dad has an affinity for liquor, specifically the brown stuff, he might enjoy a subscription to Flavair Whiskey Club. For $120, he’ll get 12 monthly deliveries of two whiskeys of his choice, or for $315, he’ll get eight whiskeys every month for the next year. The whiskeys Flavair offers range from old staples to niche collectibles. And if you don’t want to give a full membership, they also sell individual tasting boxes, including one that is a curated selection of Japanese whiskeys and another that’s all about Ireland.


light blue cover print of NY Times crossword puzzle book against white background
light blue cover print of NY Times crossword puzzle book against white background

New York Times Crossword Book

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Price: $13.19

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Dads love puzzles, even if they tell you they don’t want anything. This big book of New York Times crosswords will keep him busy for ages.


white USB charging port against white background
white USB charging port against white background

USB Charger

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Price: $16.99 $15.99

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“A great gift is something that enriches the life of a person you care for, but which that person would not have personally bought for themselves,” says Millard. Dad might not even know what a USB charger is or that he needs one, so this will delight him.


yellow thermal mug against white background
yellow thermal mug against white background

Yeti Thermal Mug

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Price: $25.00

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The Stanley Quencher might be having a moment with the suburban mom set, but a travel mug like this is something truly useful. One of the markers of a great gift is utility, and let’s face it, dads who want nothing aren’t exactly the type who would buy this themselves.


OXO Mandoline Slicer
OXO Mandoline Slicer

OXO Mandoline Slicer

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Price: $49.95

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Holiday meals usually prominently feature potatoes and the humble chef’s knife can only do so much. Dads love a good tool or gadget to add into their arsenal, which makes a mandoline — a tool that can thinly and safely slice things like root vegetables, onions, garlic, etc. — a must-have. And you can trust that anything OXO makes is going to be good quality.


Bombas Merino Wool Socks
Bombas Merino Wool Socks

Bombas Men’s Merino Wool Socks

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Price: $80 $76

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Dad needs socks. Dad doesn’t ask for socks. Dad would never buy himself socks that are anything above the basic kind you can buy at Target. All the more reason to get him a pair of nice wool socks from Bombas. Sure, his eyes will water at the idea of spending more than $20 on a pack of socks, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and besides Bombas are some of the best. They’ll keep his feet warm all winter long.


Wordle Book
Wordle Book

Wordle Book

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Price: $9.99

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Perhaps one Wordle puzzle a day just doesn’t do it for Dad. In that case, he needs a Wordle book! This one has four-, five-, and six-letter challenges so he can get his fix outside of the New York Times app.


Theragun Prime
Theragun Prime

Theragun Prime

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Price: $299 $189

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(Thera)gun to head, Dad may not even know what this thing is. But the older he gets, the harder rec league basketball is on his body. Theragun Prime can help with that. He can sit on the couch, watch the game, and soothe aches and pains with this heavy-duty at-home massager.


Huckberry Seawool Fisherman Crewneck Sweater
Huckberry Seawool Fisherman Crewneck Sweater

Huckberry Seawool Fisherman Crewneck Sweater

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Price: $148

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Is a sweater a somewhat predictable holiday gift? Yes. Does it matter? Hell no! And Huckberry is the real deal, making warm, thick, durable sweaters that Dad will inevitably hold onto until the end of time. He doesn’t know any other way!


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