What Dads Really Want for Father’s Day

Every June you may find yourself wondering what dads really want for Father’s Day. I know that I do and so do my children. They’re always thinking about what dads want–especially what their dad wants–as well as possible fun, Father’s Day surprise ideas.

Turns out men can be a lot simpler than that. Because when it comes to what men really want for Father’s Day, well, feed me.

Yes, dads want the gift of food, along with a couple of other categories that are super easy to shop for, especially from your phone, tablet or laptop. I’ve laid out all the best gift ideas for Father’s Day below.

What dads really want for Father’s Day

How different are Canadian dads from American dads? I’m guessing not that much.

So that’s why when RetailMeNot in Canada provided information on what dads really want for Father’s Day–in Canada–I figured it was worth sharing for American children looking for father’s day gift ideas from daughters and sons.

We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So this is certainly in line with why the gift of food is such a popular gift for Father’s Day. A recent survey found that six in 10 people were looking to share a meal with their Dad or buy them their favorite food or beverage.

Bringing in some additional research from the National Retail Federation (NRF), and it turns out that over one-third of those planning to celebrate Father’s Day this year are interested in gifting dad with a product subscription box. And if you’ve been reading this blog for some time now, then you know that I’m a big fan of subscription boxes and online services.

Subscription box gift ideas for Father’s Day

So what are some subscription boxes or online services that I might recommend for Father’s Day this year? Some of these subscription boxes are the gift of food, which we’ve already established is one of those things that dads really want for Father’s Day.

Others are subscription boxes my own husband has tried out and loved. These are primarily online styling subscription boxes that send you clothing and accessories. I wrote an article during the holidays about the best clothing subscription boxes for men.

Here are four ideas of what men really want for Father’s Day–in the subscription box category–that are a combination of clothing and cooking.

1. Blue Apron

One of the first meal kit services available, you can sign dad up for Blue Apron. Through the month Blue Apron is having flash sales. Right now, new customers get up to 13 free meals + free shipping on their first box!

I have no idea if the deals will be this good come June, so don’t delay in signing your dad (or yourself!) up before it’s too late.

2. HelloFresh

For regular meal kit services, our go to has been Hello Fresh. The recipes are easy, the ingredients not so esoteric and the menus delicious.

Hello Fresh is also one of the more affordable meal kit services. Right now, you can get $90 off your first orders. We’ve loved cooking with HelloFresh.

3. Sun Basket

For the vegetarian dad who has maybe said that when in comes to what he really wants for Father’s Day, he wants the gift of food, I would recommend checking out Sun Basket.

4. Stitch Fix

My husband’s favorite online styling service for men’s clothes is Stitch Fix. Now that Stitch Fix is offering extended sizes for men–and women–petite, shorter men as well as big and tall men can all find clothing and accessories they’d like.

I think a Stitch Fix shipment of clothing would be a great Father’s Day gift for the dad to be or new dad. You can request an athleisure wardrobe, which is what I’m sure new dads would want to be wearing.

5. Wantable Men’s Edit

Like with Stitch Fix, I tried out Wantable first and loved it. And then I got my husband hooked.

Wantable calls its subscription boxes “edits”–as in you’re going to be editing your wardrobe with the clothing you get from them. While Wantable is primarily for women, it does have a men’s edit that is all about comfortable, casual clothing. It’s called the Men’s Active Edit.

By the way, here are the top clothing boxes for men.

Subscription boxes make a great last minute gift

What’s great about buying a subscription box for Father’s Day is it can be your last-minute Father’s Day gift option. You can order it online, print something out to slip in dad’s card, and soon enough his first subscription box will be on his doorstep.

If none of these whet your whistle or seem like something your dad would want for Father’s Day, please check out my blog post on the most popular subscription boxes by state. Based on where your dad lives, you might find some Father’s Day surprise ideas.

If you like to do your shopping online in one place and are not interested in subscription boxes, I’ve actually put together a Father’s Day shopping list on Amazon. I’m calling this shopping list “Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Hip Dad.”

This shopping list could also work if you’re reading this post long after Father’s Day and are looking for what to buy dad for his birthday or what to buy your dad for Christmas or Chanukah. I guess at some point I need to rename this shopping list simply “Awesome Gifts for the Hip Dad.”

Peloton dads are a thing

Is the dad in your life–father, son, husband, grandfather–a Peloton devotee? Then you’ll definitely want to check out my blog post about gifts for Peloton lovers. I’ve got some great present ideas in there for the Pelo-obsessed.

More ideas on what dads really want for Father’s Day

Again let’s assume that dads in Canada have similar likes and dislikes as dads in America. So when Rakuten in Canada polled men on what dads really want for Father’s Day, almost half (42%) of dads say they’d like a gift card/certificate.

One of the reasons that gift cards are so popular is the freedom they give. When you give someone a gift card, you give them the ability to choose the perfect item. This ensures that what men really get what men really want for Father’s Day.

I hope that whenever you’re shopping online–whether for a gift card or another kind of gift–that you start your shopping on Rakuten. It’s one of the best ways to get cash back on purchases you were going to make anyway.

I’ve actually got the Rakuten browser extension on my laptop. So that whenever I land on a store that participates in Rakuten, it begins to pulse and reminds me of my cash back opportunities.

If you sign up for Rakuten using my link, you’ll get your choice of a $10 gift card that you can use for your shopping. Who doesn’t love getting a free gift card?

Still not convinced? Since signing up for Rakuten, I’ve received more than $2,500 in cash back. I get that cash back direct deposited into my PayPal account. Yeah–free money!

Still stumped on Father’s Day gifts? How about some of these best BBQ grilling tools.

Final thoughts on what dads really want for Father’s Day

You won’t be alone in wanting to buy your dad a Father’s Day gift he really wants. The biggest drivers of Father’s Day spending are growth in spending by those ages 35-44.

They’re the ones spending on clothing (hello, clothing subscription boxes or online styling companies for men), special outings and gift cards.

The NRF adds that subscription box services have become a popular unique gift option, particularly among younger consumers. So I know what I’m talking about when recommending you consider getting dad a meal kit subscription or a meat subscription or even signing him up for an online styling option for men.

If you do, then you can feel confident that you really did get your dad something he really wanted for Father’s Day. So Happy Fathers Day to you, all of the dads and dads to be out there in the world.