gift-guides

Gift Ideas For Your Father Figures

From Bio Dads to Chosen Dads and the Dads Who Stepped Up, our Father Figures come in all shapes and sizes, and we're here to show some love to all the many types of Dad.

Aug 04, 2023 / Ginger Valentine

Tech Dad

Does your Dad always show off a new TV or fancy bit of gear every time you visit? Sounds like a Tech Dad. Tech Dads love a gadget, but that also means there are always cables and cords to be organised. The Orbitkey Nest is both a fancy new toy and a handy way to keep techy bits and pieces organised, making it a killer way to delight a Tech Dad. The Nest is nominally a desk organiser, so it's also a great option for Work Dads (more on those later), but it's just as helpful as a gadget organiser. Plus, it has an in-built wireless charger, making it a handy way for the Tech Dad to top up the battery on a phone or AirPods when the wall charger is too far away AND another gadget for Dad to show off.

Orbitkey Nest

SHOP NOW

Orbitkey Nest

SHOP NOW

The Nest is a practical tool with a neat twist, but if you want something to really blow the Tech Dad's hair back, Moleskine's Smart Writing Set is as close as you can get to futuristic movie technology in real life. Watching your handwritten words and sketches magically transfer from the notebook page to your phone screen is a jaw-dropping experience, which is exactly the reaction the Tech Dad is always looking for with a new gadget. The ncode technology seamlessly translates every pen stroke to the companion app on your phone, bridging the gap between the irreplaceable feel of handwriting and the possibilities that the digital world has to offer.

Moleskine Smart Writing Notebook + Pen Set

SHOP NOW

Moleskine Smart Writing Notebook + Pen Set

SHOP NOW

Day Out Dad

If your Dad gets restless on the weekends and just needs to get out of the house, you might have a Day Out Dad on your hands. The good news is, it's easy to enable a Day Out Dad with plenty of gift options that'll help those little adventures to go smoothly.

The first thing to grab on a Day Out is the right bag. Depending on how big of a Day Out your Dad is into, options start from the compact, hands-free convenience of Bellroy's cross-body Sling Mini to the spacious, breezy design of the collapsible Lite Daypack, which has the room and weather-resistance a Day Out Dad will love for a bigger expedition. If Dad loves a day in the sun, there's also the Cooler Caddy and Cooler Tote, which feature a 3M Thinsulate lining to help keep snacks and drinks cool on a hot day.

Speaking of drinks, the last thing we want is for a Day Out Dad to become a Dehydrated Dad, so an adventure-ready water bottle is a great way to take care of Dad on a day trip. Kinto's Water Bottle is a beautiful, lightweight way to keep Dad hydrated on an outing, while the more rugged Trail Tumbler is a robust solution that also helps to keep Dad's water cool and refreshing – perfect for an outdoor type who loves getting out of the city.

If Dad's carry space is at a premium, memobottle water bottles have a distinctive flat design that slots more efficiently into a crowded bag or backpack, sliding in alongside books and the like more easily than cylindrical water bottles. Plus, the memobottle designs are just gorgeous in their own right – watching the water slosh around inside the clear bottles can be a hypnotic, almost meditative experience.

Whether it's a big trip or a day-trip to the city, no Dad wants to be jingling with loose keys. That's tough, because Dads are often burdened with carrying roughly a kilo of keys, so they sound like someone's walking around in a full suit of armour. Bringing a savvy design eye to the issue, Orbitkey re-wrote the rules for carrying keys, and replaced the classic keyring with a slim, silent key organiser.

More than just a practical choice, Orbitkey's range includes a range of styles and finishes to suit any Dad, from the mature understatement of the Leather Key Organiser to the retro colour and playfulness of the Millennium Falcon Key Organiser to the innovative material of the Cactus Leather Key Organiser and beyond.

Work Dad

If your Dad who lives and breathes Excel spreadsheets, or has a work-life balance inspired by Glengarry Glen Ross, we've got plenty of ways to make the Work Dad's day.

Like a lot of us in 2023, plenty of Work Dads are splitting the week between home and the office. That means lugging around a lot more stuff than we used to, so anything that helps to streamline Dad's daily carry can be a gift that keeps on giving. Bellroy are masters of this space, from the Australian brand's range of stylish, considered backpacks that are designed with commuting in mind to the thoughtful Tech Carry Kit, which helps keep tangle-prone cables and cords in order when you're on the move.

Bellroy backpacks

SHOP NOW

Bellroy Tech Carry Kit

SHOP NOW

If your Work Dad is a more sedentary type, Orbitkey's Desk Mat offers an elegant way to revamp a weary workspace. Blending an old-world sophistication with a modern approach to organisation, the Desk Mat helps give your workspace a welcome sense of structure and order while also keeping everything in its right place. The handy cable holder keeps your much-needed charger cable from slipping behind the desk, while the stationery slot holds your favourite pen in place, and the lift-up document hideaway keeps papers from piling up. Add the Desk Mat's stately charm, and the Work Dad will appreciate your thoughtful gift every Monday morning.

Orbitkey Desk Mat

SHOP NOW

Orbitkey Desk Mat

SHOP NOW

Suave Dad

Put down the Lynx Africa gift set, I beg you – the Suave Dad doesn't need to smell like a teenager on a school bus from 1998 when there are better options to work with.

Melbourne brand L'Ascari is here to help, offering mature, complex fragrances suspended in solid beeswax, from the warm, mysterious Blend 458 (with notes of blood orange, nutmeg and leather) to the forest terroir of Blend 625's sandalwood and oakmoss notes. Presented in a snappy metal tin, L'Ascari fragrances are easy to keep on hand for a quick, easy scent topup.

L'Ascari

SHOP NOW

L'Ascari

SHOP NOW

For a more European Suave Dad, French parfumier Bon Parfumuer use the most premium ingredients to create a captivating, vibrant series of eaux de parfum. Ranging from the fresh, deep notes of the Woody selection to the sensual details of Amber & Spices, there's a dizzying array of fragrances, so you're bound to find the perfect one for your Suave Dad.

Plus, if Dad likes the 903 and wants to try more, Bon Parfumeur fragrances are specially crafted to mix and match with one another – you can pair it with 101 to bring out 903's floral details, or with the 302 to accentuate its musky quality. That works for the whole Bon Parfumeur range, so you can experiment with different combos and help your Dad to find a signature scent. 

Green Thumb Dad

Eternally out in the garden, covered in dirt, manicuring the lawn – the Green Thumb Dad comes in many forms, but always has an abiding love for nature.

Help Dad keep nature close to hand by popping a fresh cutting in Studio Milligram's beautiful Propagation Vase. An elegant addition to any space in its own right, the transparent design of the Propagation Vase lets Dad witness the miracle of life, with an up-close view of the plant cutting as it develops roots. Usually that stage of growth is buried under laters of earth, but the Propagation Vase gives you an unique insight into a wondrous natural cycle.

For a more versatile plant-bearing option, the Flip Planter (in your choice of Wide or Tall) can switch gears to suit the Green Thumb Dad's wishes. Flip it so that the clear part is on top, and you've got yourself an elegant vase to display fresh-cut flowers, because let's be real: Dads can have flowers too. Or reverse it so that the coloured component sits on top, and you've got an equally-elegant planter, complete with drainage hole and water catchment to keep Dad's plants healthy and happy.

Studio Milligram Propagation Vase

SHOP NOW

Studio Milligram Flip Planter

SHOP NOW

And you can complete the gift with some handy tools to keep those precious plants thriving. Amabro's Folding Trowel is a compact option for repotting growing plants, while the Little Sprayer is a charming way to gently mist all your indoor greenery so it's always lush and thriving.

Amabro Folding Trowel

SHOP NOW

Amabro Little Sprayer

SHOP NOW

For reasons of space and time, we can't give proper credit to every type of Dad out there, but no matter what type of Dad is in your life, we trust you'll find a wonderful way to make your Dad feel the love this Father's Day (Sept 3rd 2023, in case you need a reminder).

CATEGORIES

Orbitkey
Bellroy
Kinto
Bon Parfumeur
Studio Milligram
Gift Guide
Moleskine
SHARE

Related Articles

More articles

How To Clean Your Fountain Pen
If your pen isn't writing like it used to, check out our guide on cleaning and refilling your fountain pen to make sure that precious ink keeps flowing like it should.