Gifts for a dad who has everything in the US

Go one step further in a hobby he already has

The dad who has everything has usually bought the first layer of every hobby himself. He has a bike, a coffee maker, a camera and a desk. Your job is to find the piece he has not justified yet.

For a cyclist, that is the Garmin Varia radar light, not another jersey. For a coffee drinker with a drip machine, the Flair 49 lever espresso kit is the next step, though he will need a grinder fine enough for espresso. For a gamer who grew up in the 1990s, the ModRetro M64 plays his old N64 cartridges on a modern TV.

Desk dads count too. A dad who works from a home office often types on whatever keyboard came with the computer. The Logitech MX Keys S fixes that without changing how he works, and the Ugmonk annual kit suits a dad who already plans on paper.

Ask a sibling or his partner what he spends weekends on. One answer narrows this list to two or three picks.

Spend on one good thing

Specific beats expensive. Storyworth costs less than most of this list and gives the family a book they keep. A Goldbelly card for the barbecue or bagels from the city he grew up in beats a generic gadget at the same price.

The middle band holds most of the hobby upgrades here: the radar light, the keyboard, the Rumpl, the RecoveryTherm Cube, the Pendleton throw.

At the top, the Flair kit and the inReach are the big gifts. If several siblings are chipping in, pooling for one of these makes sense.

Common mistakes

Buying a gadget with a subscription he will not want. The inReach needs a paid satellite plan, so only buy it if he really goes beyond cell coverage.

Assuming upkeep is fine. The Pendleton throw is dry clean only, and the Flair is a manual routine. Some dads enjoy that. Others will leave it in a cupboard.

Doubling up. If he has no Garmin head unit or watch, the Varia is less convenient. The ModRetro comes with no games, so add a cartridge he loved as a kid.

Questions people ask

What can I give a dad who has everything at the last minute?

In the US, the Goldbelly e-gift card and Storyworth both arrive by email, so you can give them the same day. Print the email and put it in a card with a note about the food or the stories you hope he will share. Both add nothing to a full house, which suits this dad.