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What to get Dad? It's a perennial problem every June. But fear not children, spouses, and friends of fathers everywhere, for ZDNet has rounded up a bunch of great gifts Dad is sure to love.
Our goal was to present you with items that were both very cool and very affordable. Many of the gift ideas I'm going to show you are well under a hundred bucks. We got a whole bunch of products to cover, so let's begin.
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Features: 11 pounds | 1500 watts | Non-stick 14 x 8-inch ceramic grill
Dads of all kinds will enjoy grilling year-round with this smokeless indoor grill. This gadget is portable and can be used to cook everything from meat to vegetables. An LED touch control panel lets you select the temperature of the grill anywhere from 220 to 450 Fahrenheit for perfect grilling results.
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Features: Up to 10 days of battery | Water resistant up to 164 feet | Touchscreen
An affordable gift this year for dads who are either fitness enthusiasts or would like to start leading a healthier lifestyle is the Fitbit Inspire 2. This fitness tracker, available in three colors, connects to a user's smartphone and is able to track activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate, and more.
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Features: Remote cover and USB power cable | 4K Ultra HD experience | 8GB of storage
If you gift this to Dad, you'll be able to give him a complete streaming solution that has Alexa built right into the voice remote. That gets you access to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video (of course), Paramount+, Disney+, and more. And if Dad's TV and network connection supports 4K, he can watch those streams in glorious 4K Ultra HD.
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Features: 1080p camera | 90-degree field of view | 4-layer anti-glare lens
Here's another great, affordable gift for Dad. In these days of Zoom meetings, we all need to use webcams. While many laptops come with built-in webcams, their image quality is sometimes lacking, as are their microphones, but this little webcam by Emeet is a nice step up. With a 90-degree field of view, a 1080p camera, and two microphones, Dad will look better than he ever has online. What makes it great for you, though, is its price at under $30.
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Features: 30-liter capacity | TPW-coated waterproof fabric | 3 plastic trays
The dad who loves to go out fishing will appreciate this handy tackle backpack so it's easier to carry fishing gear to and from the lake. It includes three plastic tackle trays, two adjustable rod holders, and a large side pocket so that your dad will have everything needed for a solid morning or evening of fishing.
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Features: Battery powered | Free app | 2 sensors, 1 probe
This gift is for the techie and the foodie: it's a smart meat thermometer that can monitor internal meat temperatures remotely through Bluetooth. Through a free app available for iOS and Android, it walks you through every step of the cooking process depending on what meat you are making. You can also set up custom alerts or notifications based on temperature and/or time.
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Features: IP66 rated | Compatible with many smart home assistants | 120V
The Lutron PD-15OUT-BL Outdoor Smart Plug is a very simple product packed inside of a weatherproof shell. This is a smart plug, just like every other smart plug. Plug stuff into it and you can control it via your phone or voice command assistants. The difference is that it is part of Lutron's home control ecosystem, which improved on basic Wi-Fi for home management.
The other difference is that it is weatherproof, so you can plug in lights and other items outside and control them without worrying about the weather.
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Features: 1080p HD | Night vision | Built-in rechargeable battery
For the dad that just moved into a new home or just likes having extra security, the original Ring Doorbell is a great smart home gift that's just under $100. This model is Ring's original video doorbell, and it's packed with features like night vision, motion detection with customizable motion zones, two-way audio with noise cancellation, and more.
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Features: 12 hours of playtime | Supportive neckband | 3-button remote control
If you want to get Dad a great pair of workout earbuds, these Adidas RPD-01s may well be the way to go. First, they're water-resistant, which means they're essentially sweatproof and splashproof. That means, if Dad works up a sweat while working out, he can still listen to his toons without worry.
As much as I like little tiny earbuds, I much prefer the wraparound style because there's far less of a chance they'll get lost, especially if Dad needs to headbang while doing cardio.
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Features: 0.2 magnification | 2.1 ounces | Smudge and anti-glare coating on lenses
Gunnar is famous for offering glasses that are supposed to reduce eye strain, specifically for folks staring at screens. The Amber version takes that one step up, adding an amber coloring to block blue light and make it easier to sleep These glasses have positive reviews that report reduced headaches and even better sleeping. They could really help Dad if he's the type to be staring at screens all day.
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Features: 450-pound weight capacity | Cooler and cup holder | Padded back
This camping chair is extra durable and sturdy since its weight capacity is up to 450lbs, and it has extra back padding for added comfort.
There is also a cup holder, a mesh pocket to hold your phone or other items, and a cooler to keep beverages chilled while you hang out by the fire. When you're done sitting, it collapses into an included carrying case and weighs 13.2lbs.
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Features: 3-year battery life | Up to 250-foot Bluetooth range | Water-resistant
We all know someone who tends to lose everything from their keys to their wallet. If your dad is one of these people, this Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack is the perfect Father's Day gift. It comes with four different Tiles to put in various places. Whenever dad loses something, simply use the free Tile app to find what it is you're looking for.
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The best cheap Father's Day tech gift is the VonShef Electric Grill since it's a grill dad can use any time of year, rain or shine. It's also super portable to bring to parties or tailgates, and has an LED touchscreen for easy cooking.
We chose these gifts to include different types of products and price points depending on your dad's likes and needs.
Father's Day is always on the third Sunday in June. This year, it falls on Sunday, June 19.
Here are a few other options to look into: