10 Smart Home Gifts for Dad

Cove is the perfect gift for the dad who loves projects and protection. This DIY home security system is super customizable, allowing him to add the sensors, cameras, and smart home devices he wants to watch over his home. Cove touchscreen panel guides setup every step of the way, making it nearly foolproof to install. Along with professional monitoring, Cove uses RapidSOS to cut red tape in an emergency and get first responders to his home faster when he needs them. 

Cove also works with one of our favorite brands of security cameras, Eufy. And if he doesn't need a whole security system guarding his home, the Eufy 2C Camera System is a great alternative. With its HomeBase and local storage, he can skip the monthly cloud storage fees with enough room to save all his security footage. 

A medical alert system may not be on his wishlist, but if you live far from your dad or he lives alone, it could be a lifeline in an emergency. As we age, fall risks increase and can be seriously dangerous for seniors. 

Thankfully, medical alert systems like Bay Alarm have come a long way with technology. Today, there are several wearable options that don't feel so, well, medical. Bay Alarm has a smartwatch, GPS button, pendant and wristbands available for easy wearing. Depending on his lifestyle, Dad can use his Bay Alarm system inside and outside the home. All of Bay Alarm's wearable devices come with fall detection too, allowing Dad to get help if he falls unconscious or is unable to call for help on his own. 

And with a 30-day free trial, it's a risk-free way to try something new for him! Learn more in our full review of Bay Alarm Medical. 

For the dads who love hosting backyard BBQs but hate being tethered to the grill, there's the Chef IQ Smart Meat Thermometer. With three waterproof probes included in one kit, he can monitor three items at once, customizing each. So he won't have to hover over the grill while working on steaks, hamburgers, or hot dogs at the same time. We like this pick because the sensors don't have cords. 

The Chef IQ app prompts him to start, allowing Dad to select the cooking levels for items like steak. With the built-in long-range Bluetooth, he won't be stuck in one place. The app also has dozens of video demos featuring different recipes he can try out during grilling season. 

For the dad who always has something to say about the temperature, there's the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. Not only will he be able to control the temperature in the house, but the kit's extra sensor can tip him off to issues like frozen pipes in the basement. 

The newest smart thermostat from Ecobee sports a ton of smart features too like Alexa and Spotify built-in and HomeKit compatibility. With all the money he'll save on his energy costs he may even buy one for downstairs.  

Whether Dad wants a lush green lawn, a productive vegetable garden, or both, the Rachio 3 smart sprinkler controller can help him cultivate his hot peppers while saving water. It connects an existing sprinkler system to the internet to promote smart water usage.

Your dad can customize schedules, track weather, and control the sprinklers using the Rachio mobile app. If it rains, Dad can delay or skip a watering cycle to save on his water bill. The Rachio 3 also helps prevent frozen pipes and situations where the sprinklers water the driveway more than the lawn by tracking other weather conditions like snow and wind.

Does your dad have multiple weather apps on his phone? Is he able to correctly identify wind speed and direction? Can he name types of clouds you've never heard of? Then he might be a weather nerd. 

For the guys in our life with their heads in the clouds, there's the Ambient Weather Station. This pole-mounted kit comes with everything he needs to watch hyper-local weather patterns in his own yard. Equipped with instruments to measure rain, wind, sun, and humidity, he'll have everything he needs to make an accurate forecast. 

Plus, the Ambient Weather Station works with IFTTT, Google, and Alexa, so he can program his smart home devices like thermostats, lights, and flood sensors to work with weather alerts.  

Whether he works from home, plays online games, or tinkers with tech, reliable Wi-Fi can be a challenge for the chronically connected. Amazon's eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi Router is a hockey puck-sized device that extends Wi-Fi network reach to over 1,500 square feet and supports up to 75 devices. 

The eero 6+ is extendable, and he can add more around his home to ensure reliable speeds up to 1Gb (gigabit). So even if he has dozens of connected devices like locks, lights, security systems, cameras, and tablets, he can say goodbye to frozen Zoom calls and laggy downloads.

If your dad likes to track his heart rate, sleep, and even temperature (we know a dad...) and still look snazzy, then the WITHINGS ScanWatch NOVA is the right pick. It looks like a regular watch, but it tracks blood oxygen levels and activity levels, in addition to the items already mentioned.

It also connects to Android and Apple phones and is compatible with many fitness apps. It has 1 MB of storage and a 30-day battery life.

Best of all, we like how it doesn't look like the average fitness watch. It's metal instead of plastic and would look good even with fancy outfits.

Some dads are road warriors that love to take road trips or just make their commutes a little easier. For these dads, we suggest something like Bouncie. This vehicle tracker allows Dad to track mileage, fuel efficiency, maintenance needs, and GPS location. It works with most cars made since 1996 by plugging into a standard diagnostic port.

We think Dad will appreciate getting so much information about his ride, especially when he lends it to his teen driver with the expectation of smart driving habits. Bouncie uses a mobile data connection ($8 a month) to send updates to the mobile app every 15 seconds so your dad always has the latest info.

Read our Bouncie review to learn more.

Some dads love histories, some dads love mysteries, but all dads love saving space on their bookshelves. The slim Amazon Kindle Scribe e-reader is a great gift for the avid reader who enjoys novels, magazines, newspapers, and more. Its paperwhite screen is easy on the eyes while its compact design makes it easy to bring anywhere. 

Your dad can also use Kindle Scibe as a digital notebook. It comes with a pen and it can be used just like a paper notebook. The best part is that Scribe will convert handwriting into digital text. So, if your dad hates typing, this may be the answer!

This version of the Kindle can store up to 16GB and holds a charge for weeks. 

This cordless knee massager to soothe his achey joints. 

This cool 3D pop up card that's sure to make to his fridge art collection.

These cool wireless headphones to step up his music and podcast listening game. 

This wireless car adapter for those long road trips, carpool drives, and morning commutes. 

This sandalwood scented candle will help center him when he's stressed.