10 Father’s Day gifts for gadget-loving dads

What do you usually get your dad for Father’s Day? A tie he’ll say he loves but will never wear? An embarrassing apron he’ll have to don every time he plays grillmaster at the family cookout? A card with the same tired old bumbling dad jokes? How about this year you get him something he’ll really love – or at least something he can spend hours trying to decipher while continuing to ignore his undoubtedly adoring family.

Help dad modernize the living room with the Harmony Home Hub from Logitech. Essentially a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled IR blaster, the gadget lets you download the free Harmony app on iOS or Android to transform a smartphone or tablet into a personal home remote. And because Wi-Fi or Bluetooth wireless do not require line of sight, it’s also an excellent way to control those hard-to-reach AV devices that are housed inside a non-glass fronted console, or even in another room.

Price: $100

The Griffin Twenty is a digital audio amplifier that lets dad hook up those unpowered speakers he refuses to discard, and bestow on them Bluetooth playback capabilities. The Griffin Twenty delivers up to 20 watts per channel to drive those speakers, and has a 30-foot Bluetooth wireless range. And if that’s not enough, the Twenty has a sub-out for an existing powered subwoofer for additional low-end oomph. Finally, an included optical TOSLINK cable makes it easy to physically connect an AirPort Express or Apple TV, game console or TV for optical audio.

Price: $150

The number of smart gadgets and PCs making their way into the living room means that dad won’t mind having a wireless keyboard handy. The Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 Plus is a keyboard with integrated trackpad is designed to eliminate the clutter of having a separate keyboard and mouse. And aside from its 33 feet (10m) range, the K400 also comes with an 18-month battery life from two (included) AA batteries.

Price: $40

If your dad enjoys reading in his spare time, then perhaps the Kindle Voyage would be a perfect gift. While it’s been out for a while now, the Voyage is still considered the definitive ebook reader currently on the market, with its higher resolution display, lighter weight and slightly improved physical dimensions and thickness over the Paperwhite. He’ll probably agree that reading on an e-ink screen is a definite improvement over the eyestrain inducing displays on a smartphone or tablet.

Price: $200

The Parrot Rolling Spider is an inexpensive drone that should bring some fun to the household. The Rolling Spider connects to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth wireless, and is piloted through the free FreeFlight 3 app. A variety of sensors including an accelerometer, gyroscope, vertical camera and pressure sensor helps cement its reputation as one of the most stable quadricopters of its size, with speeds of up to 11 mph (18 km/h). Attachable wheels serve to protect its propellers and add some functionality, while its rechargeable battery can also be removed – and replaced with a fresh one.

Price: $80

Why not get a GoPro Hero video camera for dad this year? A basic Hero model with full HD recording and waterproof capabilities costs just $130, or splurge and drop $300 for a higher end model with better recording and wireless viewing and sharing capabilities. If only GoPro existed when you were born, you could be watching hours of shaky “toddler cam” footage every Father’s Day. On second thought…

Price: $130+

The Basis Peak is a sports watch with some serious technology under the hood for dads looking to getting fitter. For one, its built-in optical heart reader offers heart rate monitoring that’s been touted as one of the most accurate for effective zone training. Aside from heart rate, the Basis Peak constantly tracks steps and calories, as well as sweat and skin temperature, too. Finally, the advanced sports watch offers up to a week’s battery life even with its continuous reading of heart rate.

Price: $200

The Jabra Sport Pulse is an innovative wireless earphone that comes with an in-ear heart rate monitor. This means that dad can listen to music piped from his smartphone while he’s on a run – and keep an eye on his heart rate at the same time. The Sport Pulse incorporates sweat and dust resistance, and the provided earbuds come in multiple sizes to ensure an exceptional fit. Recharged via a micro-USB port, the Sport Pulse offers up to five hours of music playback.

Price: $200

Looking to help dad keep his gadgets and gizmos in place? Check out the Cocoon GRID-IT organizer, which is best described as an elastic object retention system designed just for device organization. GRID-IT comes in various sizes, and allows you to secure flash drives, USB cables, chargers and adapters in place before slipping them into a bag. You can either buy them individually or as a bundle with multiple GRID-IT of varying sizes included in the package.

Price: $50

If you’re looking for a trendy laptop bag dad can use on his daily commute to work, take a look at the Moshi Venturo. The slim laptop backpack offers a comfortable crossbody design and quick-release shoulder strap for ease of use. The Venturo accommodates a laptop of up to 15-inch on top of an iPad or tablet, while a range of interior pockets help organize miscellaneous stuff like cables and accessories in place.

Price: $150