So you need to get a gift for your Dad/step-Dad/in-law/whoever raised you paternally-speaking? Try these options on. Literally none of them suck.
Braun CoolTec Shaver
The CoolTec is a shaver from Braun with two horizontal foils, separated by a metal bar. That metal bar is where the science comes into this nifty shaver.
Braun has been experimenting with contraptions concealed inside a razor to cool your face. The CoolTec is the result of six years of German research: underneath the razor is a cooling element, much like in a fridge, which cools the metal bar on the centre of the shaver to cool your face as you shave. The CoolTec also works to remove heat from the face created by friction and dump it into a heat sink stowed away in the middle of the shaver.
[$169]
UE Boom Speaker
The UE Boom might as well have been made for Dads. Not only is it handsome and stylish, it’s also rugged and designed for the outdoors.
It has two huge speakers under the tightly-weaved grille, and a battery that lasts up to 15 hours.
[$187]
MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printer
Want to be the absolute favourite child? Get Dad a 3D printer. If he’s a Dad who loves going into a shed and tinkering, crafting or building, he’ll go out with a 3D printer.
He’ll be able to tinker, tamper and mess with objects and fix others around the house to his heart’s content.
This one might have to be a delayed gift, however, due to a protracted shipping time.
[$2399]
Jawbone UP
The Jawbone Up is a nifty little life-tracking gadget that monitors steps, food intake, calories, and most importantly, sleep. A great-looking app tracks your sleep and the quality of said shut-eye, before gently waking you up with a vibrating silent alarm. It’s designed to be worn 24/7, and doesn’t make you look like an idiot while doing so thanks to a pretty smart-looking design
[$149.95]
See our other favourite fitness tracking gadgets…
Parrot Zik
The Parrot Zik headphones are the smartest pair of Bluetooth cans you can buy. Designed by Philipe Starck to be sexy and functional, they work with a companion app on your iOS or Android device to make sure the sound is customised perfectly for your virtual seating position. You’ll hear the difference with these.
[$499.95]
Seagate Central
Is Dad a digital horder? Lots of content like photos, videos and movies strewn around the house on various SD cards and USB thumb drive? Get him to centralise his content with the aptly named Seagate Central drive. It’s a network-attached storage (NAS) for the rest of us: no fiddling around with building it or choosing a file system, just plug and play for your home entertainment content storage.
[$198]
Sony Cybershot DSC-TF1
The DSC-TF1 is a great little gadget for Dad to have if he likes to record moments on the go. It’s shock-resistant, water-resistant as well as resistant to dust and low temperatures so it’s a great camera for the outdoorsman.
It’s packing a 16.4-megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD on the back of the camera.
[$249]
And for those of you who would rather shop last minute…
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
You wanted to get Dad an e-reader, but you don’t knock off until 5pm and most of the stores will be closed by then. Thankfully, the Kindle is sold in places like Big W which are open later than other gadget stores. For $159, you’ve got your Dad a Kindle Paperwhite. Crisis averted. (Big W, $159)
[clear]
Amazon Kindle Gift Card
What better way to compliment that Kindle you just got him than something she can use to download books with? You can get them in practically any denomination, too, and all you need to do is pick a design you like and print it off. You could even use your office printer for that if you don’t have your own. (Amazon)
[clear]
Apple iPod Touch
You know what else is open late? The Apple Store, as well as places like Big W and K-Mart that sell stuff like iPods. That means you’ve got the perfect opportunity to nip in and pick up a great music player like the iPod Touch — or a cheaper one if you’re keen on that — by expending minimum effort. (32GB iPod Touch from $329, Apple, Big W, K-Mart, JB Hi-Fi, other resellers)
[clear]
iTunes Gift Card
And of course, no music player is complete without music, much like our e-book example earlier. The thing with iTunes Gift Cards, however, is that they’re literally the easiest gift in the world to pick up. Supermarkets, newsagencies, gadget stores all sell them. Even goddamn petrol stations sell the things. They’re everywhere. No excuses. ($20-$100, everywhere)
[clear]
Spotify Premium
So your Dad is a hardcore music-lover? Why buy her one CD (what even is that?) when you can buy them a library of music? Spotify Premium subscriptions can be given a printable e-card so it’s dead easy to get at the last minute. (Spotify)
[clear]
Tap King
Dan Murphy’s and First Choice Liquor are often open late, even on Saturdays. Get there now and get a delicious brew-centric gift for Dad.
Turning the pool room into a pub is simple with the Tap King. It’s a small, keg-like attachment that you stick onto the front of a bottle of his favourite beer, and you’ve got a fridge-able mini-keg that’s good for around 6 weeks. Just push and pour!
Plus, it has a bunch of Dad’s favourite beers available for the system, including James Boag’s, James Squire and Tooheys brews.