The Best Father’s Day Gifts for Grandfathers, According to Grandfathers

If he forgot about the beauty of a shoehorn decades ago, this nice-looking one will jog his memory. It’s well priced and works with most shoe heights, from his snug Merrells to long-beloved Blundstones.

You can never go wrong with a giant bucket of Maldon, but this white-truffle salt will be a nice alternative if he’s still working through the tub you got him last year. In the words of our kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman, “A little goes a long way.”

If he’s always forgetting to take his pills, he might just need a better pill case. This one has seven labeled compartments for each day of the week. He’ll be able to switch the order of the lids as he pleases, meaning he can set it to the first day of his retirement vacations.

BonBon’s sour gummies may be popular with the youth, but they’d make a nice gift for the grandfather with a sweet tooth, too. Best of all, if you order online, he won’t have to wait on line to get his candy fix.

Sure, he probably has the grilling essentials, like a meat thermometer and a personalized apron, but a dedicated cheese-melting dome is less likely. It can also be used to cook vegetables and keep food warm when it comes off the grill.

If he treats every grandchild’s masterpiece as he would art from a gallery, consider this picture frame that’s easy to open and close as the art pours in. Plus it doubles as art storage since it can hold up to 50 pieces.

This fill in the blank-style journal contains simple but creative prompts that grandfathers and their grandchildren can complete together over time. Older grandkids could also complete the exercises solo, then gift an already completed book of love notes for their grandfather to read and enjoy.

For the grandfather who starts every sentence with “When I was your age,” this book includes 12 prompted letters for him to record all his best memories for his grandchildren to cherish and even includes envelopes and stickers.

Here’s a book to add to the story-time queue. It includes tips for “babysitting” a grandpa, like what to eat for snacks and what to do on a walk.

DeeDee Moore, the founder of the grandparenting blog More Than Grand, likes gifting Richard Eyre’s book to new grandfathers. “It’s an excellent gift for those grandfathers who want ideas to help shape their role as grandpa or who need a little help getting outside their comfort zone,” Moore says.

For the Jewish grandpa who embraces his wise age, I recommend this guide that promises to teach readers how to “how to eat, dress, get around town, and schmooze like a seasoned OJM” — meaning Old Jewish Man. If your grandpa already considers himself an expert in those categories, it’ll at least give him a good laugh. (That was the case when I gave the book to my boyfriend’s grandpa, anyway.)

My parents recently gave this book to my grandfather, who is in the middle of writing a book. He loved it so much that he keeps recommending it to me so we can chat about it.

Here’s a gift for car granddads, gadget granddads, and perhaps most important, clumsy granddads. The Shark Tank product goes in between the seat and the center console to prevent important things like iPhones and wallets from falling in the crack.

Juicers usually offer little in terms of innovation, but this one is so unique I actually show it off during dinner parties. Instead of squeezing citrus from the rind to the center, it folds the fruit in half and catches all the seeds in the process. Even if Grandpa’s juicer isn’t chipped and scratched, this one is an upgrade. (It also folds flat, making it easy to store.)

Chef Thomas Keller has been using this shaving cream since he moved to New York in 1984. Decades later, he says, “It’s still the richest, smoothest shave cream that I’ve tried.”

Board games came up with multiple grandparents who said they’re a fun gift that encourages family time. Go with Mouse trap, a ’90s classic that’s suitable for playing with grandkids ages 4 and up.

Whether he’s a fan of Seinfeld or likes a good party trick, this traveler pen is a reliable writing utensil for filling out travel forms, journaling, or completing crosswords. It can be used on any surface, in all weather conditions, and at any cabin pressure.

Small but mighty, this massage ball is ideal for the grandpa who’s serious about his afternoon walks and can’t resist a morning bike ride but needs a little something extra to knead out aches and pains.

And if it’s his back that’s achy, gift him this hook-shaped massager designed for kneading out hard-to-reach spots.

Even grandpa deserves a “lippie” moment — as Gen Z says. Here’s an olive-oil-based lip balm that comes recommended by Bobby Flay (and his on-set groomer).

Here are some nice-looking compression socks, which help prevent heavy legs and swollen feet during long flights to see the grandkids.

For the grandpa counting down the days until Paul Simon’s summer tour, some concert earplugs will protect his ears when the day actually arrives. When our writer tested them during multiple concerts, she didn’t feel like she was missing out by wearing earplugs — “and I definitely needed hearing protection,” she says.

A tattered Dopp kit (complete with old toothpaste stains and loose Q-tips) is no way to vacation during retirement. This one from Tooletries, which is our favorite waterproof Dopp kit, is leakproof and essentially stain-resistant.

A set of pit gloves will keep him from scalding his fingers. These are coated with neoprene rubber and “designed for true-blue barbecuers who have to handle hot meat on the smoker — that means they’re waterproof, stainproof, and, most important, greaseproof.”

My grandfather was looking for a sleep mask that wasn’t too tight and would help him snooze deeply. I gave him this one, which is adjustable and the most effective blackout sleep mask that I’ve tested since writing our guide to sleep masks.

For the longtime Little League coach, a Sports History by Mail subscription will send detailed replicas of original patents for classic sports equipment right to his door. (If he’s particularly into regular history or sports, you might consider Recipes by Mail or History by Mail instead.)

If he’s partial to a specific team, go for this ceramic ice-cream-bowl set that is a sturdier version of the baseball cap cups you can get in stadiums today.

When we surveyed 1,000 seniors about the things they buy, they shared that books are some of the most useful gifts to receive. For the grandpa who’s a pickle enthusiast, consider gifting him this comprehensive guide to at-home fermentation.

Pair it with the kit that includes everything you need to master the art of fermentation.

Or if he prefers his briny delights fried, this kit includes everything he needs to make fried pickles, including dill pickles, tempura mix, and Panko breadcrumbs.

GrandparentsBarbara and Fred Zucker have multiple grandkids in college and suggest gifting a crewneck from a grandkid’s alma mater. It’s a cozy way to keep the grandkids with you at all times.

Whether or not your grandpa has a green thumb, this indoor garden makes it easy to grow everything from basil to mint thanks to its LED lights and hydroponic growing system.

After sustaining a coffee addiction for many decades, he’s probably tried more than a few brews — even if he still prefers his coffee black. But if he’s open to something new, this flash-frozen coffee concentrate is a good bet. “They’re made from good beans, too — as soon as you dissolve a little puck in water, it tastes like you’re drinking a cup straight from your local shop,” reports our kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman.

For the sober-curious Pop, I recommend Ghia’s nonalcoholic spritzes, which are made with complex ingredients like yuzu, elderflower, and allspice extract.

While the results of our senior survey revealed that most seniors don’t find DNA tests particularly appealing, a couple grandparents still expressed interest in documenting and passing down their family history. This virtual class from the National Genealogy Society teaches students how to document family history at their own pace within a six-month time frame.

Grandfathers deserve nothing less than our favorite memory-foam travel neck pillow, which has slightly raised sides to stop your head from slumping. It’s so good that our travel writer will use it to cheat on our top pick, the Trtl.

Make his morning strolls that much more relaxing with Merrell’s notoriously comfortable slip-ons.

No one needs a high-tech personal fan, but this one from Shark will make all the other grandpas at his golf course (or country club or gym) jealous. It comes with different interchangeable heads that can be clicked into the body: a ten-speed fan, a mister, and a cooling plate.

If he’s a golfer, he probably already has all the gear he could need. This handsome pouch has enough room to keep everything organized (as in, five balls, eight tees, a range finder, and more).

Hokas were a favorite among seniors who contributed to our senior survey because the sneakers are extra cushioned and comfortable. In fact, they’re the Strategist’s favorite ultracushioned walking shoe.

If his current robe is tattered, gift him our favorite 100-percent cotton bathrobe from Parachute. It’s lightweight yet warm and looks very classic.

The Aura digital picture frame came up again and again when I chatted with grandparents about the gifts they actually want. You can set this one up beforehand to avoid hours of tech help in the future.

Whether he’s a regular at the gym or knows all the neighbors because of his daily walks, our favorite fitness tracker will allow him to track his workouts, count steps, and keep an eye on his heart rate. Plus it has built-in GPS to help track long walks and bike rides.

This isn’t any old corkscrew. It’s best for the wine enthusiast with an extensive collection of older bottles because it combines a classic corkscrewwith a forked Ah-So-style wine-opener to better remove those old corks that might fall into the bottle.

It wouldn’t be a gift guide for grandfathers without this trendy pickleball set that includes everything Grandpa needs to enter a match with his buddy: two paddles, two balls, and a storage backpack.

This solar-powered smart bird feeder livestreams avian friends straight to Grandpa’s phone. Grandmother Mary Eckenrode says the only thing her husband has on his wish list is a camera to watch the animals in his backyard.

If he’s always recommending a new classic for your to-read list, surprise him with this clock that tells time with quotes from books spanning the past six centuries. The creators add new quotes every day, so he won’t get tired of seeing the same ones over and over again.

Grandfather Manny Oliverez told us his grill was one of the best gifts he’s received, because “what is better than being together grilling and eating with friends, family, and the grandkids?” We like this truly smokeless grill that still gives grill marks.

Ronnie Green’s husband, Frank, is a train enthusiast and loves sharing that passion with his grandchildren through overnight train trips. This new suitcase from Away opens from the top rather than in a clamshell, making it easy to access everything inside.

An exercise bike was a popular wish-list item in our senior survey, and it will keep Grandpa active. This Schwinn bike has multiple adjustable settings and workout programs for a customized ride, and it displays your ride history.

If he already has the bike (or just a dedicated walking routine), he can use these high-tech compression boots to improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness.

These waterproof binoculars will signal to the other bird-watchers that Grandpa is not a beginner. Our resident birder, Katherine Gillespie, says, “They have a slightly larger lens diameter and ESP dielectric coating, which delivers excellent contrast and color fidelity, helping you see the patterns and hues on a bird’s feathers.”