25 Gifts for Dads Who Don’t Want Anything
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When the dad in your life insists he doesn’t want a gift, the first step is to take him at his word. Ask a few follow-up questions to figure out why he’s present-averse — does he have too much stuff already?Does he hate being in the spotlight while opening a gift? Does he think holidays are a psyop engineered by Hallmark to sell cards? — and choose your strategy from there. If your giftee really, really wants nothing, consider an experiential gift, like a trip to the movies or help on a project around the house, that’s an excuse to spend quality time together.
If he’s open to a physical gift, a few rules to follow: nothing large or difficult to store, nothing jokey or esoteric, and nothing you have trouble imagining him actually using. (This is the BRAT diet of gifting.) To find the best gifts for no-nonsense dads, I went through the Strategist’s deep archive of eminently practical gifts. And to browse even more ideas for the hard-to-shop-for folks in your life, we have guides for everyone here.
Updated on November 30, 2025
We made sure all of the gifts below are still in stock and priced as shown.
Under $25
For the dad who’s the designated box breaker-downer
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A sleek and safe utility knife to help him flatten cardboard in no time.
For the dad who never takes a rain check on a hike
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Rite in The Rain On-The-Go Notebooks
If he tells you that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, he’ll love John Wilson’s favorite waterproof notebooks.
For the dad who gets you to the airport four hours early
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If his goal in life is to avoid bag fees, he’ll love this convenient hanging luggage scale.
For the dad who’s too busy to water the plants
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Pair these little terra-cotta cone stakes with an upside-down wine bottle and his plants will become self-watering.
For the dad who’s too busy to tie his shoes
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According to Adam Scott, these elastic shoelaces save him seconds a day. So, technically, this is a gift of time.
For the dad who gets teary looking at old photos
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Corsillo also recommends this customizable coffee mug, which she gave her husband for his very first Father’s Day. “I was astonished not only by the print quality but the quality of the mug itself — and now we both consider it the best mug in the house,” she says.
For the dad who reads in bed
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A small yet powerful book light with a soothing amber glowthat’ll let his bedmate sleep.
For the picky dad
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Buck Mason Gift Card
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Bookshop Gift Card
A gift card is the best gift for a dad who doesn’t want anything. Two options that show him you didn’t pick it up in the grocery store checkout aisle: Buck Mason’s T-shirts, chinos, and oxford shirts consistently top our lists of menswear basics, and Bookshop allows him to pick out his own gift while supporting independent booksellers.
For the dad who just wants a six-pack
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Pair his favorite beer with this gadget, which trims off the tops of cans to turn them into wide-mouth cups.
For the superfan dad
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For a non-physical gift, buy a Cameo personalized video from his favorite celebrity. Pick from sports stars, reality-TV characters (there are so many Survivor players), actors, musicians, and more.
Under $100
For the dad with a sore neck
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Zyllion Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager
A heated neck and back massager to get out any aches and pains.
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Travel writer Rick Steves, who is as close as you get to an influencer in the world of dads who don’t want anything, says these slipper socks “feel like a Norwegian handwoven sweater with a leather bottom.”
For the dad who loses his charger
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If he has a phone, he’ll find a use for this portable Anker charger that doubles as a stand.
For the dad who struggles to unplug
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Brick
Along with its app, this 3-D-printed gadget allows you to temporarily block access to specific apps and notifications on your phone. Simply tap the physical cube to activate or deactivate your personal screen-time ban.
For the dad with a baseball cap collection
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There’s always room for one more, whether he’s a Bed-Stuy creative or a jazz fan. Hunt down a baseball cap from a place you’ve gone together or one of his favorite spots in your area to make the gift extra special.
For the dad who runs
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These windproof, convertible running gloves are a favorite of Boston Marathon champion Des Linden.
For the dad who misses paper photo albums
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Start a tradition of printing family photo books so he can look forward to a new one every year.
Under $200
For the dad who texts you about the backyard birds
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He’ll love this Wi-Fi-enabled bird feeder, which became a hit in Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa’s family group chat.
For the dad who goes on and on about the Maillard reaction
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A griddle he can use indoors and out.
For the dad who’s up all night
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Purple Harmony Pillow - Standard
A supremely comfortable, high-quality pillow is the ultimate upgrade gift. Our sleep writer has tried dozens of pillows and this is her absolute favorite.
$200 and up
For the dad who always reads the Sunday comics
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Kobo Libra Colour
Kobo’s latest e-reader has a color display that’s awesome for comics, graphic novels, or just highlighting books and articles.
For the dad who has a favorite radio DJ
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Tivoli PAL BT Portable Bluetooth Radio
This portable AM/FM radio and Bluetooth speaker is water-resistant and portable, so his favorite radio station can follow him anywhere.
For the dad who takes a million pictures but never looks at them
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Aura is the maker of our favorite digital picture frames that are beloved by many a Strategist parent and grandparent. This model is large-format and wall-mountable for an extra-nice-looking display.
More Christmas Gift Ideas
- The Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds
- Heads-up: Lots of Great Advent Calendars Are Currently on Sale
- The Best Gifts for Teenage Girls, According to Teenage Girls
- 37 Last-Minute Gifts for Achy People
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