Father's Day is right around the corner and we've put together our top gifts for the technology loving, runner fathers in your life! From tech, to sports gear, to safety equipment, here are our top five products of 2018!
Apple Watch Series 3
Overall this is the best smartwatch available today, with one caveat - it is only compatible with iPhones. However, if your father is one of the 700 million iPhone users in the world you can't go wrong gifting him one! The latest version, the Apple Watch 3 is available in two versions - with and without 4G connectivity, and two sizes though most men would fit the 42mm better. The less expensive version starting at $359 provides good value for money without standalone 4G connectivity, while the more expensive model from $429 includes 4G connectivity which allows you to use it on a cellular network without the paired phone is in range (though it requires a separate service plan). The Apple Watch Series 3 provides good battery life, a great screen, and excellent fitness features. On the downside, the high price may be a detractor to some, as mentioned before it is only compatible with iPhones, and Siri voice recognition can be iffy.
Suunto 3 Fitness Watch
If you want to gift a smartwatch that is more fitness oriented, the
Suunto 3 Fitness watch may be more to your liking. This is certainly aimed more at those who are starting out their fitness endeavors, however at a starting price of
$199 it presents an excellent value! Provides for great battery life, adaptive training if you miss a workout, and a traditional design to let it blend into different settings. The downside is that there is no built-in GPS and app syncing can be problematic at times. Overall a great value for the price considering all that you get.
Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%
Is your father ultra competitive? Competes in multiple marathons a year? Always looking to shave seconds off his PR? Well then the
Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% is the gift for him! Using a lightweight foam found in airplane insulation, these shoes provide weight savings without giving up on performance. As the name states, Nike claims the shoes make you 4% more efficient - and they have bragging rights that may prove it. Shalane Flanagan was wearing a pair when she won last year's
New York City Marathon! If the
$250 asking price is too steep to consider, Nike does offer the
Zoom Fly for $150, though it lacks a carbon-fiber plate that allows the
Zoom Vaporfly 4% to propel you forward (in theory).
Jaybird X3 Headphones
Does your father like to listen to music while exercising? Are pesky cables between his phone and headphones constantly getting in the way? Bluetooth headphones are the answer, and the combination of price to performance available with the
Jaybird X3 Bluetooth headphones make them our top choice! They are perfect for exercise and also for everyday use. They offer a great semi-customizable fit, app control to fine tune frequency response and an excellent rugged build quality. The biggest downside of these headphones is that they require a proprietary charging dock, but with 8-hour battery life, you rarely will have the carry the dock around. The pros certainly outweigh the one con for these headphones! Currently available for
$100, which is $30 cheaper than the list price of
$130!
Noxgear Tracer360
If your father is one to head out for a run at any time of day, visibility is very important. Reflective vests do a good job at keeping runners visible, but adding active light is the next step and greatly improves visibility. To that point,
Noxgear has developed the
Tracer 360 - a backpack like a device that is worn over your running gear on either shoulder and provides 360 degrees of illumination. It is extremely lightweight, has an amazing battery life of 40 hours, and allows you to configure either a solid or flashing light in the color of your choice. At a list price of
$70 this is one safety device you should not go without, and right now it is on sale for
$60!
Keywords:
Top 5, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Running, Apple Watch, Gifts
