Father’s Day is coming up soon (September 5), so it’s time for the annual tradition of stressing over what gift to get dear ol’ dad.
Thankfully, if your dad is a huge sports fanatic, buying him a Father’s Day gift isn’t too difficult. It’s really about figuring which ones he enjoys watching (or playing) the most and tailoring gifts to suit that.
To help you find a useful Father’s Day gift for your sporty dad, especially if you’re feeling a bit out of your depth, here are few ideas.
However, you’ll need to grab express shipping on a few of these gifts if you want them to arrive by Father’s Day.
SKLZ Accelerator Pro Indoor Putting Mat, $94.99 (down from $119.95)
For the dad who treats the golf course like his second home. This indoor putting mat will help your old man improve his short game, with accuracy guides at the three-, five- and seven-foot markers.
Designed to replicate the surface of an actual green, this mat even has a continuous ball return feature, so your dad can keeping putting away all day.
Grab your dad this hole-in-one gift here.
Apple Watch SE, $448 (down from $479)
If your sports dad is the type that wants a sporty watch with all the bells and whistles, you can’t look past the Apple Watch SE. It’s got a huge library of activity tracking (including hiking and yoga), heart monitoring, personalised coaching and emergency SOS calls.
Dad can also get texts and phone calls through and even pay for his post-workout breakfast with it through Apple Pay.
The Apple Watch’s analytics are next level, and perfect for dads who are serious about their health.
And it tells the time.
Other honourable mentions go to the Garmin Forerunner 45 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active.
Give your dad the time with the Apple Watch SE here.
Casio Men’s AE1000W-1BVCF Sport Watch, $46
If your dad is more of a technophobe and wants a more simple, “good old days” watch that’s even suitable for aquatic activities? We’ve got you. The Casio AE1000W-1BVCF sport watch is retro but has updated features such as being water-resistant up to 100 metres and weighs around 40 grams.
Apart from the ability to tell the time across 48 international cities, this watch doesn’t have any fancy tech features, just a simple digital face and resin strap. It’s for the sporty dad who doesn’t want his watch to call family, shame his heart rate or tell him the weather.
The Casio Men’s AE1000W-1BVCF Sport Watch is available here.
NRL Team Jumper, $34.99 (down from $49.99)
There’s a good chance your sports dad will, on occasion, go to a sporting match or pub to watch his favourite team. This is where your gift idea comes in. Don’t let him impulse buy a dumb, overpriced piece of sports merchandise, do it for him instead (hopefully, at a lower price). This old school jumper is subtle, so you’re not totally embarrassed and will keep him warm during the cooler nights.
Grab an old school NRL jumper for your dad here. Just make sure you get his team right.
CyclingDeal Bike Rack, $109.98
Cycling is really fun, but if you don’t own a car bike rake, it’s a pain to transport bikes anywhere further than a few kilometres. A bike rack, like this CyclingDeal one, will allow him to bring his bike (and anyone else’s) on camping trips or fun tracks a little further out than usual.
The CyclingDeal Bike Rack is available here.
Lifeline Power Wheel, $78.83
Maybe your sports dad hasn’t exactly played sports in a few years, and he’s looking to get a bit more in shape. It’s hard to get the ball rolling if you’ve been out of the game for a while, so help him start with a small work-out contraption like the Lifeline Power Wheel.
It’s versatile, so he can try it out in the living room when no one’s around, and if used, it’ll be a good starter.
It’s subtle without actually saying, “Get fit, dad!”
Show your dad a wheely good time with the Lifeline Power Wheel here.
Kayo Sports subscription, from $25
I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and assume that dad loves watching sports, in which case, consider signing him up to Kayo Sports. It’s got 50 sports from obvious Australian faves like AFL and cricket to the US-based ones like the NBA, ice hockey. It even has darts and esports, so its coverage is vast (sorry, mum).
As far as Father’s Day gift ideas go, this one will keep on giving.
While you’ll only be able to buy a gift voucher in stores (Australia Post, Big W, Target, Woolworths and selected Coles stores), you can always sign up for an account and pay for a month or two then if dad wants to keep using it, defer the costs to him.