Father’s Day gift ideas: Best bets under $30

This story is part of Father’s Day Gift Guide 2020, featuring our top picks for dads who love tech.

Father’s Day is approaching rapidly: June 21, to be exact. That means time is running out to figure out what you’re getting dear old Dad — and get it in time. Don’t worry if you’re low on Father’s Day funds, though; there are lots of great gifts priced at just $30 or less. I’ve rounded up some of my favorites below.

I have a lot of great gift ideas on this list, just don’t wait too long to order something. Also, some of the items here may take two to three weeks to arrive, so plan accordingly. In the meantime, if you’ve got another idea for an affordable dad gift (or a good dad joke), shout it out in the comments! And if you’re not working with quite as limited a budget, be sure to check out CNET’s full Father’s Day gift guide, which has even more great ideas across all price ranges. Now all you need to worry about is a Father’s Day card.

Amazing Clubs

If you want a unique gift idea and to get Dad something that won’t be forgotten, consider a club. Amazing Clubs offers dozens of gift-of-the-month options, many of which start below $30 a month. And you can choose between three-, six- and 12-month subscriptions. Here are a few options from the below-$30, er, club. All are better than a gift card.

And if any family members happen to reading: There’s a chocolate club, too, cough-cough.

Daily Steals

Daily Steals has an assortment of T-shirts for both dad and grandpa (or, if a shirt isn’t dad’s thing and he prefers a coffee mug, they can handle that too), and you can get any of them for $13.99 with promo code CNETFTHR. Dad will be glad you’re his kid.

Penguin Books

Why does the author’s name ring a bell? Oh, he’s just the co-creator of a little TV show called Game of Thrones. This novel came first, and it’s got “Dad” written all over it: In war-torn Russia, two young men are sentenced to death. Their only hope is to complete an impossible mission for a lunatic colonel. City of Thieves is riveting from the first page, but it’s also funny. Dad will love it.

Atlas Coffee Club

Delicious caffeine to fill Dad’s mug? What a great Father’s Day gift. You’re so good at this gift-giving thing. Atlas Coffee Club delivers single-origin beans from all over the globe: Brazil, Costa Rica, Myanmar, Vietnam and so on. The company pays “well above market prices” for micro coffee lots, the idea being to “ensure ethically sustainable farming practices.”

With this offer, you can get Dad his first 12-ounce bag free (not including shipping) with any subscription. Just apply promo code 1stFreeFathersDay at checkout. 

BruMate

Does Dad like a cold brewski? The BruMate promises to keep cans of his favorite beer 20 times colder than a neoprene sleeve. It works with both 12- and 16-ounce cans, and it can also double as an insulated pint glass. The BruMate comes in a variety of colors, but pay close attention to availability. Many of them won’t ship for at least a week.

I just got the chance to try one of these; it works really well. My last sip from the can was nearly as cold as the first. And I nursed that sucker for probably half an hour.

Chatbooks

Got time to assemble some of your favorite family photos? Chatbooks will turn them into keepsake books, complete with a Father’s Day cover. Prices start at just $10 for a 30-page, 6×6-inch book. You can get larger versions with more pages for not much more. 

Clckr

Everyone knows dads love “clickers” (meaning TV remotes). But this is a Clckr of a different sort. It attaches to the back of a phone to provide a secure grip and a stand that supports both portrait (read: Zoom) and landscape (read: Netflix) viewing. When snapped closed, it still allows for wireless charging, which I found surprising and impressive.

The $15 universal version can work with just about any phone, but Clckr also makes cases ($30 to $35) that have the grip-stand thing built right in.

Colonel Popper

A product with a dad-joke of a name (Colonel Popper… see what it did there?), this awesome kitchen tool makes a perfect bowl of popcorn every time. Plus, it’s healthier and cheaper than microwave popcorn, because all you do is pour in some kernels and add a little oil (optional). One nice added perk: It collapses down to store flat when not in use.

The bowl is currently on sale for $16-$17 depending on color, but the price has fluctuated in recent weeks, occasionally jumping as high as $25.

Hunt A Killer

For the dad who loves solving crimes, puzzles, mysteries or all of the above, there’s Hunt A Killer. Each month he’ll receive a box containing tools, evidence, clues and more, all with the goal of eliminating suspects and identifying the murderer. Your gift can be just the first box or a “season pass” (basically the entire mystery, start to finish) of six months.

Whatever you choose, use promo code CNETHAK25 to get 25% off the first box.

Life is Good

I’ll unabashedly admit to loving the Life is Good brand. Love the shirts, love the humor, love the message. (And, hey, now more than ever? We need reminders that life can be good.) You’ll find nearly two dozen dad-friendly shirts to choose from, all priced at $28 — but for a limited time, you can use promo code CNETDAD to get 15% off your order.

Rocketbook

Does your dad like to take notes? Sketch ideas? Draw doodles? Consider gifting him the last notebook he’ll ever need. The Rocketbook is a smart, reusable spiral-bound pad that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. But it also pairs with the Rocketbook app to preserve all Dad’s notes in the cloud.

There are different sizes available; the Core Executive dot-grid version is currently priced at $32. Use promo code 5RBCNET to get $5 off.

Spiceology

Variety is the spice of life, but spices add variety! (I just made that up. Can’t decide if it’s genius or…) Spiceology is a chef-owned source for hundreds of interesting and unusual blends, herbs, salts, powders and the like — plenty of stuff to help Dad elevate his cooking game.

You could start him with something like the Derek Wolf South American Variety Pack, which includes the three rubs pictured above. Use promo code WELOVEDAD to get 10% off that or anything else in the Spiceology store.


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source: cnet.com