Dads are notoriously difficult to buy for so it’s easy to run out of ideas. We’re here to help with a range of gifts for Dad under $100 so you’re bound to find something your Dad will love. For the handy dad, you can also check out gifts for woodworkers.
The DeWalt Technician’s Tool Bag is a good pick for any technician, handyman, or woodworker who travels to worksites or anyone who wants to easily transport their tools.
It has great organization with loads of pockets, slots, and zippered pouches making it easy to grab exactly what you need.
But the exciting bit is the LED light. According to the American Optometric Association, after age 41 it’s common to suddenly need more light to be able to see the way we used to, so having a light conveniently right on your toolbox can become even more important as our parents’ age.
The light is positionable so it can face your workspace or shine down into the bag to better see its contents.
If he loves his beer, he’ll get a kick out of brewing his own beer to share with friends. (If the dad you’re buying for is a little crunchier, consider getting them a kombucha kit instead for something even more original.)
This kit by Northern Brewer comes with everything you need to brew a gallon of beer. I’ve brewed my own hard cider and it’s really satisfying to be able to offer a drink you created yourself and these kits make it easy with simple instructions.
It comes with everything you need except the glass bottles which you can get by saving your empties while you wait for your beer to be ready. The kit includes the one-gallon glass fermenting jug with cap, air lock, auto siphon, bottle filler, bottle caps, bottle capper, sanitizer, and the specific ingredients for your type of beer including hops, malt, and wheat.
If your Dad is the king of dad jokes, he’ll love this “Dad Joke Loading” shirt. We all know that dad who always jumps on those pun opportunities to the point that when you notice the possibility come up in conversation you’re almost cringing waiting from them to dole out the dad humor.
Warn others around him that he’s always going to chime in with a groan-worthy pun with this funny shirt. It’s screen-printed in Michigan so you’re supporting American artisans.
For dads who love their car, help them spoil their car with some of the best car wax out there.
The Pinnacle Natural Brillance Souverän Paste Wax is a luxury wax that gives your rice that car show quality look with brilliant depth of color, blinding shine, and intense water protection.
It’s one of the easiest paste waxes to apply and remove making it a pleasure to wax your car. It’s completely clear and won’t leave streaks or chalky residue. If he has a dark or red car, this is said to be the best to bring out the richness in these colors.
Sure, it’s a splurge for car wax, but it’s probably something he’s looked at and decided not to get for himself to save money. Your dads deserves to be spoiled sometimes.
If you like the idea of a car wax gift but this one’s a little too high ticket, check out this post for more ideas.
Does your dad love beef jerky? With the JerkyXpress Kit, he can create his own custom jerky right at home. He’ll save money in the long run and be able to better control the ingredients that go into his jerky.
Let’s be real, processed meats like jerky aren’t great for you, but they are a convenient source of protein and tasty. Still, Harvard runs down the risks of commercially processed meat including an increased risk of cancer and that’s nothing to ignore. Making his own jerky can help remove some of these risky chemicals.
The kit includes a four-tray food dehydrator, jerky seasonings, curing samples, and a jerky gun.
Did you know that a thing called a jerky gun exists? Neither did I. It’s basically a cross between a caulk gun and a Play-Doh extruder. You put your ground meats into the gun and use one of the three included tips to make strips or two sizes of sticks, like a Slim Jim.
He’ll have a blast coming up with different flavors and combinations to share with his friends.
He’s more a sushi guy? There are home kits to choose from on our best sushi gifts list.
For the dad who’s always hauling stuff around or storing emergency supplies in their vehicle, a car and truck organizer can make their life easier.
It seems simple, but having adjustable organizing bins in our trunks is exactly what we need and they’ll be so appreciative everything they use it to store their things.
The storage set is expandable to stretch up to two feet long and collapses when you don’t need it. The compartment sliders are removable and adjustable and there are plenty of external pockets along the sides for more storage.
It comes with a free windshield screen as well as coming in red,blue, and black.
If your Dad is a red-blooded American type, he’ll get a kick out of this handmade pint glass with a real bullet in it. It’s perfect for veterans, police officers, hunters, or gun lovers.
It’s a full-size pint glass which the exception of the small amount of space the bullet takes up because there really is an actual 0.50 caliber bullet fixed into the glass. It’s a great image of the bulletproof America flag that you can drink from.
The copper bullet is lead-free and gunpowder-free so it’s safe to keep around.
BenShot has tons of neat glasses with different bullet sizes including rocks glasses and shot glasses–get it? Shot glasses? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the dad humor.)
If you’re looking for a cute gag gift, this Toilet Timer is hilarious.
Originally funded on Kickstarter, the Toilet Timer is both a joke and a possible solution to a very real issue in a lot of single-bathroom homes. We all know dads take forever in the bathroom and this little timer is a subtle reminder not to spend an eternity on the John while the rest of the family crosses their legs.
The timer runs for five minutes, slowly draining out from the silhouetted man into the toilet. The neatest thing about it is that once it’s all in the bottom of the timer, with one flip the sand transfers back to the top so the timer is ready to reuse immediately instead of having to wait the full five minutes for it to reset.
Reducing your toilet time has health benefits too. According to Men’s Magazine, one of the top ways to prevent hemorrhoids is limiting toilet time to 15 minutes maximum. So see? It’s not that you really need to get in there yourself–you just care about his health.
For dads that love to fish, which includes my own Dad, get him these Fishoholic Polarized Fishing Sunglasses which help him spot fish he wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.
These sunglasses are basically the x-ray vision goggles from comic books–but for fish. The finish allows fishermen to better filter through the glare on the water to see exactly where there are fish. Knowing where the fish are is half the battle when you’re out on the lake.
The lightweight glasses have 100 percent UV protection for his eyes without being so dim he’d be missing the details you need to catch the big ones. Plus they’re comfortable and don’t look much different from other sunglasses so he could keep his new fish-viewing superpower a secret if he wanted to wow his buddies.
If your dad loves to tailgate or go camping, this folding tailgate table holds all the essentials but still collapses when you’re done so it can easily fit in your car without taking up a ton of space.
On the bottom is an insulated cooler bag with a zippered top. It’s the same material as fabric insulated lunch bags so it will keep drinks and snacks cold but don’t expect anything high tech. On the top are four cup holders and a netted basket for holding a big bowl of snacks.
It comes with a travel and storage bag and the fabric design keeps the whole thing light to carry at under five pounds.
If he does any kind of construction, the Rak band will be one of the most used gifts he ever gets.
Now, maybe I’m biased on this because I have a friend who accidentally swallowed a nail while working on a project and holding them in his mouth, but I still think everyone should have one of these. Magnetic wristband holds screws, nails, and bits for while you work so you don’t have to.
The Rak band has 10 magnets all around the wrist so practically ever surface can hold their metal hardware. It’s easily adjustable and can save them lots of trips up and down ladders at the very least.
The handy dad will get loads of use out of this multi-tool pen.
The working pen is also a four-inch ruler, level, touchscreen stylus, flat head screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver. It comes with two ink refills and also comes in several different colors.
The ToiLight is the kind of gift that seems like a gag right up until they find out how useful it actually and then suddenly it’s that thing you don’t know how you lived without.
Chances are dear ol’ Dad is getting up in the middle of the night these days for bathroom runs and the only thing worse than turning on the bathroom light and getting blinded (making it harder to go back to sleep) is the consequences of missing the bowl if you’re trying to go in the dark.
The ToiLight fits right over the rim of the bowl with the battery pack and motion sensor on the outside of the toilet and the small arm containing the LED light hooks on to hang over just into the bowl. It only turns on when it’s dark and when the sensor detects motion it turns on the light to automatically illuminate where you’re headed.
You can choose from eight different colors or let them rotate for a colorful show. It runs on three AAA batteries (not included) which I actually prefer to rechargeable models as you can just keep it in the bathroom and pop new batteries, but it’s an energy-saving LED so the batteries should last a long while.
For dads who love to grill but despite having to clean the grill, get them the Grillaholics Grill Mat and make their summer easier.
Grill Mats take away the frustration of stuck on food, flare-ups, and food falling through the grates. Cooking veggies and fish on the grill is always a gamble as they can fall right through the grates and be lost to the grill gods. Foil is a decent stopgap for this but is prone to sticking.
These mats prevent all of that while being so thin that his meat and veggies will still get those gorgeous grill marks.
The best part? They’re dishwasher safe, making grill cleanup faster than ever. This set comes with three reversible mats which can be cut to any size you need and double as baking sheets in the oven.
Let him know how you feel and give him a good laugh with this mug from Tee Stars.
It’s a nice ceramic mug that is dishwasher and microwave safe. The mugs are printed in America and come in the standard 11-ounce size as well as the tall 15-ounce size.
For the gardening dad, this Gardtech Stand Up Weed Puller Tool will save him hours of back strain from bending over pulling weeds. The tool is designed to pull up even stubborn dandelions in just two simple steps without having to get on your hands and knees to yank with all your might and just hope the root comes out clean.
It works by sticking the fork-like end into the weed (you can step on the foot for more weight if needed) and then rocking the tool to the side. The foot works a fulcrum and the rest of the handle the lever and, as NASA teaches, the closer something is to the fulcrum, the less force it takes to move it. And the weed is right next to that fulcrum so this means you need to pull less. And if they have a big yard, all that exertion can really add up to a sweaty, exhausting time, so save them that trouble with this handy tool.
For the dads who either love organization or could really use a gift to help them organize their things easier, check out this Beside Phone Docking Station.
It’s made of solid ash wood and has built-in slots for your phone, wallet, watch, glasses, and all the little bits that end up in their pocket like coins and keys. It saves space and makes their bedside table look classier too.
For the dad who doesn’t have a smoker but wishes he did, there’s this Wood Chip Smoking Grill Gift Set that can turn his grill into a makeshift smoker.
It comes with a stainless steel smoking box that works with gas, charcoal, and even patio electric grills along with a barbecue thermometer. There are three types of woodchips included: hickory wood, applewood, and cherry wood, each with their own distinct flavors.
He’ll love being able to enhance his grilling powers without dropping money on a big smoking rig.
Starting your flower and vegetable gardens from seed is more cost-effective and satisfying than buying plants at a nursery but it does take time. A germination mat like this can help your seeds germinate faster and with healthier root growth.
I have one of these mats that I bought for myself and the digital thermostat is awesome. You can choose your desired temperature and stick the probe near your mat and the mat will maintain that steady temperature.
Dad jokes are corny, punny, and often painfully groan-worthy. So why do dads love them so much? It’s just part of being a dad I guess.
Whether you’re looking to give them more material or just a good laugh, they’ll love flipping through this Dad joke book and reading all the terrible yet funny dad jokes crammed inside.
At first, I was thinking that there can’t be that many dad jokes but this book is a whopping 160 pages packed with gems like “‘Dad, will you hand me my sunglasses?’ ‘As soon as you hand me my dadglasses, Son.'” I can almost hear my Dad chuckling as I read that.
If your dad does any kind of construction work or has a thing for miniatures, he’ll be all about these mini concrete blocks made with real cement.
They’re perfectly 1/12 scale and come with their own miniature real wood pallet. They look great on a desk and are fun to fiddle with when working through a problem. The cinder blocks are made in America and you can also get them in a pack of 50 or as 1/6 scale red bricks.
This is a great gift for dads who love to grill but don’t have a smoker.
Smoked seasonings give that elusive smokey flavor that you can normally only get with a smoking rig. It comes with five different spice blends: Campfire (smoked sea salt, roasted peppers), Smokey Southwest (smoked sea salt, range of organic southwestern spices with some heat), Mesquite Lime (sea salt, mesquite, lime peel, chipotle peppers), Smoked Cherrywood Sea Salt (sea salt smoked with cherry wood), and Grill Master Burger Seasoning (well-rounded blend of grilling spices).
This box set of five spices is organic and made in America for a fresh flavor that hasn’t been sitting in a shipping container forever. It comes in a gift-ready box with a bow.
For the dad who loves his bourbon cocktails, consider these Woodford Reserve bitters that have been aged in bourbon barrels for a unique taste.
The four different flavors are Spiced Cherry Bitters, Orange Bitters, Chocolate Bitters, and the tried and true Aromatic Bitters. These are great for experimenting with cocktails and enhancing the taste of your dark liquors in new and unexpected ways.
If you’re buying for a brand new dad or a dad-to-be, consider the Baby Owner’s Manual written by Joe Borgenicht, a writer and dad, teaming up with Dr. Louis Borgenicht a board-certified Pediatrician.
The book takes a humorous approach to parenting by viewing the new baby as a complicated new piece of tech one has to learn. While it’s a bit of gimmick, the book actually covers loads and loads of information first-time parents will need in a way that’s easy to understand.
Instead of unending paragraphs, the book has schematics and diagrams of the baby and the best ways to feed, change, swaddle, and hold them. It offers a wealth of wisdom in a way that’s fun to read. Plus, I love that it’s practically pocket-sized so it’s easy to carry around and store.
Most books on parenting focus on care, behavior, and troubleshooting, but Geek Dad is a book of activity ideas for having fun with your kids.
According to the journal for the American Academy of Pediatrics, “play is important to healthy brain development.” It allows the child to explore their imagination, creativity, and flex their negotiation and cognitive skills. But after a while, your own ideas can run dry–let’s face it, parents are exhausted.
If you’re buying for a dad with little kids, he’ll appreciate the help with this book of fun, geeky activities. There are over 30 activities, all split up into categories in the table of contents so they’re easy to scan. At the beginning of each one are symbols that show how long the project takes, the difficulty love, cost of supplies, and how reusable the end result is.
It’s a great way to take the pressure off dad for coming up with something neat to do when the kids are bored.
If your Dad works at a desk, there’s a good chance he needs a neck massager to work out that shoulder tension.
We’re used to seeing those pillows with shiatsu massage but this scarf-style is a huge improvement over the old designs. Instead of trying to pin a massaging pillow against the back of a chair to keep it in the right spot, this massager is designed to wrap around your body and stay in place.
There are loops on the ends where you rest your arms, allowing you to keep the massage where you need it on your shoulders and neck while controlling the amount of pressure by how much you pull down on the straps. This design is great for the lower back as well.
Inside the shoulder massager are two rotating massage disks, each with two large nodes and two small nodes. The alternating size simulations the movement of real hands during a shiatsu massage and is extremely relaxing. You can control the direction of the massage and its three speeds with the simple button panel on the front.
If that’s not soothing enough, the massager also has a heat option.
Everyone deals with the stress of our day to day lives differently and for some, a game like Pandemic might help some feel a bit more in control. For dads who enjoy board gaming, and you know he’s into the Pandemic base game, Pandemic Legacy is a must.
I bought Season One and Season Two when they first came out (at a much higher price) and I’ll do the same for Season Three. In Legacy games, you play a year of time in the Pandemic word in 12 games–one for each month. As you move through the games you uncover clues to what’s going on and discover new dangers and allies.
The huge box includes the larger Legacy board, normal components, and secret items you unlock as you play like new characters, new game pieces, and sealed dossiers with stickers to permanently alter the Legacy board and even new rules to stick into the rulebook which change how the game is played.
It’s like playing through your own disaster movie. The stakes are so much higher in each game as what happens in one game will affect the games to come. And you get so much more attached to your characters. It’s a fantastic experience that every board gamer should try.
