8 Best Gift Ideas for New Dads
If you have any first-time fathers in your life, you know that he’s probably in need of a little self-care. Our co-founder, Alex, has been down the new dad road not once, but twice! Here are his 7 best gift ideas for new dads, to help the first-time fathers in your life skip the learning curve and learn how to survive new dad life in style.
“As a father of a toddler and a newborn, balancing running a company and being run around by the kids is no easy task! Ever heard of the terrible twos? Yeah, it's real. But the REAL challenge is how to stay looking and feeling good, like my pre-dad self, on top of it all. As the founder of Jaxon Lane, a skincare brand with the mission to create super high quality, accessible Korean skincare, my mission is to do it all and not look like I haven't worked out or slept in days. Looking and feeling your best gives you confidence, and you need confidence to survive dad life! Here are 7 best gift ideas for new dads, from a dad who survived it twice!”
— Alex Penfold
GIVE HIM A LITTLE PEACE AND QUIET
Did you know that babies can snore? No, I didn't either. Until I had one. Sometimes earplugs are just not enough, and that's when I bring out the big guns: my wireless noise-canceling headphones. Who would have thought that wireless headphones are perfect because you can sleep with them on, and not get tangled in the wire? Give a new dad the gift of silence, and he will be forever grateful.
SHOP: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
GIVE HIM THE GIFT OF SLEEP
It seems like all of my new dad gift ideas are about sleep... Truthfully, you don't realize how much you love to sleep until you have kids and can never sleep in again. When you're sleep-deprived, even an extra 10 minutes can make or break your day. My headphones help me stay asleep at night, and my eye mask helps me block out the morning light. I've tried every eye mask there is, and a silk sleep mask is my favorite one. It's super soft and comfortable, and doesn't feel like you're wearing a mask at all. Give a first-time father the gift a few extra winks, and let him do it in style.
SHOP: Silk Sleep Mask
GIVE HIM A 20 MINUTE AT-HOME SPA SESSION
I can't remember the last time I slept more than six hours. If it's not a 2am diaper change, it's a 2am visit from my 2-year-old who's just had a nightmare and creepily appears next to my bed in the dark. Yeah. To get rid of the bags under my eyes and the general look of tiredness, I put a Bro Mask in the fridge and pop it on for 20 minutes in the morning. The coolness helps depuff, and the hydrogel mask gives my face an intense hydration session so it looks healthy.
SHOP: Bro Mask
LET HIM BE HIS OWN BARISTA
Like most new dads, I love a good coffee in the morning. Plus, I need the caffeine! I buy good quality beans and grind them fresh every morning, and learned from a Blue Bottle barista how you make a great pour-over at home, using a ceramic coffee filter. The secret is to pour hot water slowly in circles at the center of the ceramic filter, until the coffee bubbles, wait until it’s almost finished dripping through, and repeat the process. You get a perfect cup of fresh, strong, flavorful coffee shop coffee, another luxurious moment for a first-time father.
SHOP: Hario V60 Coffee Pour-Over Coffee Maker Kit
HELP HIM STAVE OFF DAD BOD
With two young kids, it's basically impossible to sneak off to the gym for a couple of hours. I try to maintain my fitness by squeezing in a few minutes here and there throughout the day. To maximize my mini-workouts, I have things you can easily use at home, like a stationary bike, jump rope, some dumbbells, and a pull-up bar. Help your new dad stave off that dad bod, with the gift of at home exercise.
SHOP: Doorway Pull Up Bar
HELP HIM MAINTAIN HIS YOUNG DAD LOOKS
You ever been inside a house with a toddler for more than three hours? No one has, because they go a little nutty when they're stuck in one place for too long. I spend a lot of time outside, particularly on walks, and I definitely want to prevent wrinkles or an unsightly tan.
Sun is the single biggest cause of skin cancer — not to mention wrinkles. Most people don't know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and men are twice as likely to get skin cancer than women, from not wearing sunscreen! My dad goes to the doctor to get skin cancers removed from his face and body several times a year, and comes out of each session with 14 stitches or a black eye. This story is way too common, yet most still haven't embraced daily sunscreen. This is why we created a high-SPF sunscreen that is non-greasy and doesn't leave a white film, so it's easy to use every day, no excuses—rain or shine. It does double duty as a light moisturizer with great ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.
Don't let a new dad become a wrinkly dad down the road, and give him the gift of daily sunscreen that he will actually enjoy using.
HIRE A ROBOT TO HELP HIM VACUUM
It sounds futuristic, but it can be yours too! With little kids crawling around the floor sticking god knows what in their mouths, you want to keep your floor spic and span. Unfortunately, being a new dad also means that you don't have the time or energy to be cleaning all the time. Cue the Roomba! It sounds so 90's slash Jetsons, but it sure gets the job done. Bonus: this new dad gift also entertains the kids. I don't know what it is, but turning on the robot vacuum, affectionately named "Robie" in our house, buys me 15 minutes of quiet time.
SHOP: iRobot - Roomba
GET HIM A COOL WORKOUT SHOE
For new dads, it's basically impossible to find time to really work out like he used to. Inspire him to squeeze in a quick jog (maybe even while strolling the baby around for the 50th time this week), with the internet's trendiest shoe. Allbirds lightweight, super comfortable, and stylish running shoe fits the bill. Do away with the dad sneaker (you know what I'm talking about), and give a new dad the gift of workout style.