June 21 is the big day for dads, the holiday devoted to the male parental unit: Father’s Day.
We all know that dads love technology — whether it’s a remote, the car stereo, a hopelessly complicated new security system or the big screen in the family room — if it has buttons, dad is all over it. At the same time, dads can be notoriously difficult to shop for.
Our Father’s Day 2015 gift guide is packed with the kind of high tech gift ideas that are guaranteed to attract dads like moths to a flame.
Running out of time and ideas for Father’s Day? Whether your budget is unlimited or considerably more modest, we’ve got you covered.
Father’s Day Gifts: GoPro Camera
For the dad who wants to live large and capture every moment — cannonballing into the pool, going through the car wash, landing the big fish or dancing at weddings — GoPro (GPRO) makes the action cameras to capture it all.
While previous generation models cost just over $100, the new HERO4 Black and Silver are being offered for a limited time with a free gift bag and 64GB microSD card.
That HERO4 Black can capture 4K video at 30fps. So, dad can relive his glory in Ultra HD resolution.
Father’s Day Gifts: House of Marley Liberate XLBT Wireless Headphones
I just reviewed these Bluetooth headphones from The House of Marley, and I think the Liberate XLBT Wireless Headphone make the perfect gift for a music-loving dad.
The powerful bass on these cans is well-suited to classic rock, while the leather, recycled metal, Rewind cloth and wood design offers a unique and old-school premium look.
Speaking of old-school, if Bluetooth wireless isn’t his thing, the Liberate XLBTs can be plugged in directly to a music source using the included braided cloth cable.
Father’s Day Gifts: Pebble Smartwatch
Dad wants a smartwatch, but you’re on a budget?
The original Pebble was the former King of the smartwatch hill, and it’s still tough to beat the seven-day battery life the Pebble offers.
With its own app store and an upcoming Timeline operating system update to look forward to, the Pebble remains popular. Better yet, with the new Pebble Time on the way, the original Pebble has often been discounted below $80 this year.
Father’s Day Gifts: LG Curved OLED 4K TV
Dads love big-screen TVs. That’s just a fact.
The bigger the better and the more high tech features, like 4K resolution and 3D (even if they never use it), the cooler the set.
If you have a big budget for Father’s Day gifts, the LG 65EC9700 is the big screen TV you should be looking at.
It has a 65-inch curved, OLED display at 4K resolution and features four-color pixels, a 40-watt amp driving four-channel Dolby audio, Magic Remote (remember the importance of those remotes), and it’s only 2.2-inches thick. And yes, it does 3D too.
Father’s Day Gifts: Tile
The least expensive item on our Father’s Day 2015 list is one of the coolest: the Tile.
Just $25 gets you one Bluetooth Tile.
Attach it to anything dad tends to lose — keys, the TV remote or even the dog — and he can track it down in seconds using a smartphone app.
Father’s Day Gifts: iPhone 6 Plus
If dad has always wanted an iPhone but found the display on Apple’s (AAPL) smartphones to be comically small, the iPhone 6 Plus is the smartphone he’s been waiting for.
With a 5.5-inch display, this beast may as well be called the “DadPhone.”
The iPhone 6 Plus has been out for the better art of year, which means you — the giver of the Father’s Day gift — will be able to take advantage of special offers if you pick one up at a wireless carrier.
Father’s Day Gifts: Kobo Aura H20
If dad hasn’t made the leap from dead-tree books to digital yet, an e-reader makes a great gift.
While Amazon (AMZN) controls much of the e-reader market with its Kindle, there’s an alternative worth considering.
The Kobo Aura H20 (read the review here) takes the greatness of the Aura HD and makes it waterproof — a very useful feature the Kindle can’t match.
Father’s Day Gifts: Monster Superstar Bluetooth Speaker
A wireless speaker is a great way for dad to enjoy his tunes whether he’s working in the yard, puttering in the basement or washing the car.
The Monster Superstar Bluetooth speaker packs a big audio punch in a compact package that’s not much larger than two smartphones stacked together.
The Superstar Bluetooth speaker is splash resistant, the battery is rated at five hours, and with its built-in microphone, it can do double-duty as a speaker phone.
Father’s Day Gifts: PowerAll Deluxe Portable USB Battery
All dads love coming to the rescue — it’s a big part of the dad gig …
This portable battery is small enough to carry in a backpack or stuff in the glove box, ready for dad to save the day by recharging a dead smartphone or tablet. The PowerAll Deluxe Portable USB Battery has a built-in LED flashlight and can display an SOS signal light for 120 hours.
But the reason the PowerAll Deluxe Portable USB Battery makes our Father’s Day 2015 list is that this 1.2-inch thick portable battery also packs enough power to jump-start a car.
Father’s Day Gifts: Apple Watch
Finally, another of those Father’s Day gifts for those whose love knows no bounds — and whose credit card knows no limits.
The Apple Watch is the “it” device of the moment, and it’s also high on the wish lists of many dads out there.
Prices range from $349 for the smallest size Sport version up to a stratospheric $17,000 for the gold Apple Watch Edition.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
