Dad deserves something nice for Father’s Day this year as in every year. Long gone are the days of ties and Oxford shirts. He needs something techy, edgy, and functional. And sometimes they need new versions of things they’ve had for years.
Buy your dad: A paper shredder
We’re not saying your father is a white collar criminal. Actually, odds are that dear old dad already has a paper shredder. He just needs a new one. If your dad’s paper shredder is a dinky clip-on-the-trash-bin model from 10 years ago, buy him the Swingline Stack and Shred. It shreds credit cards, staples, paper-clipped documents and up to 100 pages at a time. Your dad will never have to worry about having his identity stolen. Blast tested the Stack and Shred, and it is the best shredder we’ve ever used. It sucks up anything you throw at it and then asks for more. It’s especially great for dads that are accountants, lawyers, or insurance salesmen. ($215)
Buy your dad: A power drill
Cordless power drills are a staple in every dad’s arsenal. They build walls, assemble furniture, mount televisions to the wall, and fix nearly everything. Trouble is, the same drill your dad bought in 1998 isn’t cutting it anymore. Ask your dad how long the battery stays charged in his drill… The Milwaukee 2601-22 M18 Red Lithium 1/2 in. 18-volt Compact Hammer Drill is the solution. It’s up in the typical tool lovers price range, but it has a reliable battery with good life. Two key words phrases: hammer drill and 18 volts. Don’t buy a 12-volt drill. The M18 can deliver 550 pounds of torque with a variable speed trigger, making projects much easier. We tested. We approve. ($199)
Buy your dad: A Root Beer Brewing Kit
For some reason, dads just seem to love root beer, and this is kind of a cute gift that’s great for younger kids/dads. ThinkGeek is offering the Root Beer Brewing Kit that will let you and your dad do just that. The kit is cheap, includes everything except the sugar, and lets you make about two gallons of root beer in a few days. ($26.99)
Buy your dad: A gas grill
Oh God, does your dad need this… A lot of dads — a LOT of dads — have stood by their old faithful grill since, oh, before you were born. Remember one word: Weber. The Weber Summit is the best gas grill on the market, but for $2,000, your father can buy his own damn grill. The Weber Genesis series is an excellent higher-end choice for a dad who needs a new grill. We’ve tested the Genesis E-310 three-burner grill, and we approve. It cooks food perfectly and evenly. Pool your funds with mom and the siblings. It will benefit you as much as him, only he’ll enjoy it more. ($699)
Buy your dad: A flash drive
You’d be amazed by how many fathers need more USB flash drives. Dads benefit from their storage capacity, small size, and utter ease of use. Do you remember the old days? Did anyone out there try to teach their dad to burn data to a CD-R? We like the Verbatim: TUFF-‘N’-TINY drives for their small size and keychain cache. The 4GB version will hold all his photos, important documents, and the family’s Quicken backups. ($23.99)
Last but not least, buy your dad: An iPad
Your dad will never ask for it. Trust us, he wants one. Blast’s editor teamed up with his brother and mother to buy dad an original iPad for Christmas. He hasn’t put it down since. The iPad can do everything that a computer can — and it’s newer. If you have the extra dollars, go for the 3G iPad, but if you don’t think dad wants or needs another Verizon or AT&T contract, you can stay with WiFi. Another bit of advice: Most dads don’t have massive music collections, and they don’t download nearly as much video content as you do. The 16GB iPad 2 should be sufficient. ($499)