Best Christmas tech gifts for Dads 2020

(Pocket-lint) – As Chritmas gets closer, a familiar challenge arises – buying your dad a gift. They can be the toughest people to shop for, or the easiest – it’s just about knowing what dads like. But if your parents are anything like ours, gadgets are usually a good bet.

Whether it’s phone accessories, phone gadgets, chargers or more, they’re all near-guaranteed to keep the old man happy be. We’ve rounded up the best picks to make holiday shopping for dads easy, so check out the list below.

Our pick of the best Christmas gifts for Dads 2020

Fitbit Versa 3

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We can’t be the only ones fighting to make sure that our parents stay active and fit, no matter how old or young they are. Healthy habits are pretty much priceless, and Fitbit’s been in the business of encouraging and tracking them for some time.

The Versa 3 is one of its latest smartwatches, and combines a range of fitness tracking features with smartwatch functions and even packs in Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. That’s a compelling package, and makes for a great gift. Plus, with a range of colors available, you can choose a model that best suits your dad’s style.

Hubsan X4 H107D FPV

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Anything that can fly is going to go down well as a dad present. And yes, those words were chosen carefully as most flying gifts do indeed end up crashing and going down soon after they are started up. That’s why self-balancing drones are worth spending a little extra on.

The Husban X4 H107D FPV might have a silly name but it’s a whole lot of kit for a very reasonable price tag. It comes with a built-in camera for a live video feed meaning it can go off to the edge of its 100 metre range even when out of sight.

The battery lasts about 7 minutes, claims Hubsan, and recharges to full via USB in 30 minutes. For those that want a cheaper option there’s the Hubsan X4 V2 H107L which doesn’t have a camera but manages 9 minutes on a half hour charge.

Philips OneBlade shaver

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We’re big fans of any tech product that makes your life better, and easier. The Philips OneBlade is one of those – it takes shaving and beard trimming and makes it a doddle. Gone are the days of clogged razor heads and expensive boxes of replacements, with just one blade to worry about and different combs to choose the length of your hair.

It’s easy, and it’s not too expensive at all, especially compared to some deluxe models on the market. If your dad can’t quite be bothered with a complex body hair routine, the OneBlade could be a great shout.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

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Reading is one of life’s great pleasures, and there’s nothing some dads love more than to remind their progeny that they’ve read everything under the sun. Or, at least, more than their children have.

The Kindle changed the game when it launched years back, becoming one of the leading lights in the ebook revolution. It’s been continually refined and reissued since then, and while it’s not the most premium model, the current Paperwhite is the version we’d go for. It’s got a great backlight to be suitable for all lighting, and is waterproof to give your dad a bit of peace of mind. No more suitcases weighed down by hardbacks for him.

Google Nest Hub Max

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It’s a sad fact that once you move out from your family or parental home it can be come harder to keep in regular contact with loved ones, including dads. Smart displays, which are just starting to become more and more popular, provide a really useful way to combat this.

With video calling arguably their speciality, devices like the Google Nest Hub Max can be a window between your homes, making it easy and natural to catch up while actually seeing each other, instead of a mundane phone call. Of course, if you’re all in on Amazon’s Alexa you might prefer one of its Echo Show displays.

The Wallet Ninja 2.0 20-in-1 Multi-tool

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This wallet friendly tool should leave your old man feeling ready to save the day in any man-skills testing situation.

The latest Wallet Ninja features a whopping 20 different functions including, deep breath: bottle opener, hex wrench, ruler, screw driver, can opener/fruit peeler, letter opener, box opener and phone stand.

All that and it’s made from four time heat-treated steel so it should last him as long as it takes him to lose his wallet. You never know when it could come in handy, though.

Nintendo Switch Lite

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If a laptop is business, a games console is pleasure, and the Switch Lite might just be the best portable games console ever made. It shrinks the Switch down slightly and loses the docking features, but is a beautiful little machine that feels solidly built and reliable.

Your dad will be able to play the latest Switch releases as well as a range of digital games wherever he might be, making the Switch Lite a real treat of a gift.

Amazon Fire HD 8

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If they’re not that deeply into gaming, though, a quality, affordable tablet could be a great shout. Amazon’s Fire HD range has a bunch of great options to pick from, but the Fire HD 8 is our pick. 

It’s the best mixture of dinky, portable size and good internals that will let them browse the web and watch any videos they want to without feeling like you went over-budget on them.

Belkin Portable USB Rechargeable Battery

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If your dad doesn’t own a charger for his mobile yet he’ll appreciate something discreet enough to carry without noticing which will give him a bit more battery when needed.

One of the smallest portable chargers going is this little number from Belkin, which should fit in any bag or even a pocket. With over 2,000mAh in its reserve, you’ll be giving your dada a useful burst of juice should her ever need it, at a very reasonable price.

Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus

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Smart lighting is a great way to liven up any home, or room, but if your dad’s got a den or room of his own Philips’ Hue Lightstrip options could be the best way to get some statement lighting.

These strips have adhesive backs, making them super adaptable and suitable for all sorts of locations and situations, whether under a shelf, below a sofa, or behind a TV.

Krups The Sub

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A bit of a treat for our European dads, here. Heineken has come up with the ultimate home draught beer solution: The Sub. This bit of kit allows its owner to buy five-pint “Torps” of beer which load into The Sub like a cartridge which it cools and pumps out. The result is a perfectly cooled and ideally carbonated beer.

This is arguably the ultimate part flex for a dad – your own beer tap, refillable whenever you need. 

AppKettle

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At the other end of the beverage spectrum, AppKettle is perfect if your dad is a fan of a quick brew, a nice cuppa or anything in between. This is essentially a good quality kettle with one key addition – it’s compatible with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. 

That means he’ll be able to set the kettle boiling from wherever Alexa can hear him through a connected smart speaker, which could be a life-saver on cold wintery mornings, or if he’s just feeling particularly lazy. 

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.