Life

20 Tech Gifts For Dad That Will Keep Him Busy Well Into 2015

Stuck on what gifts to get your dad this year? You're not alone. The Big Guys of the family are impressively impossible to shop for, and year after year it only gets harder to pick them up goodies they'll actually like and use.

For techie dads, the struggle is even worse. What do you get the guy who probably already has everything he wants? How do you even know what to get the guy who already knows everything that's available on the market? Easy — just one-up him at his own game. He may have GPS on his iPhone, but does he have a hands-free mount? Probably not. He may have a Read Aloud feature, but does he have a dashboard digital display? Nope!

These 20 gifts will have the techie king of the house bursting from ear-to-ear with happiness... or at the very least, it'll have him distracted enough to thwart all political conversation at the dinner table.

by Kylie McConville

Snap-n-Go Car Mount

No matter what he’s using his phone for, he can see everything without ever looking down (so you can stop worrying).

Mountek nGroove Snap 3, $23, amazon.com

Easy-to-Use Camera

All Dad has to do is turn it on, and voila! He’s ready to start shooting images. Just a fair warning: He’ll want to show you every photo he takes.

PowerShort A3400 IS Black, $199, amazon.com

Hands-free Grill Cleaner

Now he can grill and chill all year round. Once the burgers are done, just pop this baby on the top. By the time your meal is finished, clean up will be too.

Automatic BBQ Grill Cleaning Robot, $100, amazon.com

Headphones That Last

Give Dad the gift of quality headphones this year. They may cost more than those cheapies he’s been buying every four months, but he’ll appreciate not having to run to the store every time his latest pair craps out.

Beats by Dre urBeats Earbuds, $33, amazon.com

Portable Phone Charger

If your dad isn’t the type to carry around extra charging cords, cables, and accessories, pick him up a Mophie instead. It doubles as a case, and as soon as his battery is low, he can recharge with just a swipe.

Mophie Space Pack, $53, amazon.com

Stylish Fitness Gear

2015 will finally be the year where we can all rest easy knowing, once and for all, just how many steps he’s taking on a daily basis.

Fitbit Flex, $90, amazon.com

Virtual Keyboard

It was hard enough getting Dad used to the miniature buttons when we all had BlackBerries. But since the touchscreen, his texts have gotten more and more incomprehensible This should fix that.

Virtual Keyboard, $47, amazon.com

Digital Meat Thermometer

He’ll never overcook another dish and blame it on the coals again.

Grill Alert Talking Remote Meat Thermometer, $61, amazon.com

On-the-Go Printing

You know, so he can print all those unintentional selfies and show them to you every time you come home.

Smartphone Photo Cube Printer, $101, amazon.com

Tablet Pens

Got a dad who curses to high hell when his larger-than-life fingers can’t hit the correct button? Tablet pens are the answer he’s been waiting for. You’re welcome.

Aluminum Tablet Pens, $17, amazon.com

eReader

Larger font sizes and more lightweight options make eReaders a must for any book-loving dad. It may take some getting used to, but when he doesn’t have to lug three books back and forth on his next golfing trip, he’ll thank you.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK 7.0, $145, amazon.com

Portable Hard Drive

Parents tend to treat computers like movable filing cabinets. So an extra hard drive isn’t just handy — it’s a lifesaver.

WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive with Auto Backup, $68, amazon.com

Pocket-Sized Batteries

If your Pops isn’t the Mophie-using type, try these pocket-sized battery rechargers. You’ll need a cord to plug your phone into these, but he’ll love that he can stash a few at the office and a few at home.

Anker Second Generation Astro Mini, $20, amazon.com

An On Time Watch

For a techie dad who loves gadgets, this one is a huge hit — and it comes at a price you’ll love, too. To make this extra cool, the On Time Watch only lights up when you press a button.

On Time Watch, $8, amazon.com

Portable Speakers

He can catch the game, listen to the news, or play the latest hits inside or outside with these portable speakers.

JBL Charge Portable Indoor/Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers, $103, amazon.com

Built-in Headphones

Working out during the fall, winter, and early spring just got much easier. All Dad has to do is pop this headphone/earmuff combo on, and he can listen to music without worrying about readjusting every three minutes.

RunPhones Microphone, $60, amazon.com

Blu-ray Player

Do you remember last year’s movie night fiasco? Dad was still trying to use the VHS and Mom gave up half-way through because she couldn’t take it anymore. Make life easier —for everyone — and pick him up a state-of-the-art Blu-ray player with an impeccable picture.

Sony Smart WiFi Built-In Blu-ray Player, $70, amazon.com

Dashboard Display GPS

He’ll never miss an exit again!

Garmin Heads Up Display, $168, amazon.com

GoPro

GoPros retail for pretty expensive, but the Hero does most of the same fancy tricks for a fraction of the price. It’s small, easy to use, and totally worth it.

Hero, $130, amazon.com

Alarm Clock

It may look like an average, boring alarm clock, but this iPhone-inspired alarm clock is so much more than basic. Slide your iPhone into the birchwood, download an alarm clock app you like, and you’re in business.

iPhone Alarm Dock, $29, amazon.com

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