Finding a perfect gift for a new dad can be tricky. You want to find something fun or thoughtful but still practical and useful. Whether it’s his first Father’s Day, holiday or a gift to say “congratulations on fatherhood”, here are some of the most unique and thoughtful gifts for a guy becoming a dad.
Best New Dad or Dad to Be Gifts:
It’s like a diaper bag you wear. This super soft hoodie comes equipped with six mesh, stretchy pockets for his wallet and phone, sippy cups, bottle, diapers, wipes and more. I feel like you could also easily tuck a beer and a sandwich in there if you were so inclined. 😉 They’ve come out with a vest version too! You can shop the Dad Hoodie here.
Upload your favorite pictures and customize the text with large, easy-to-read type. You can find them on Pinhole Press. These make amazing personalized first time dad gifts. (Use the code PREGNANTCHICKEN for 10% off.)
I will take 10 of these, please. They have the car playmat t-shirt as well. You can find them on Etsy.
I am ashamed to admit a few of these jokes made me chuckle. It would make a great small gift, stocking stuffer, or even a fantastic pregnancy announcement. You can find it on Amazon.
I see tons of posts on social media that say, “Dad, take the picture,” but what if he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be taking shots of?
This brilliant course has 52 easy weekly prompts that will have him shooting and editing like a pro from a mobile phone (he also gets full access to go through the course at any pace he wants). It’s a great way to capture those special moments so everyone wins – and get fewer shots of mom with her eyes closed and spit up on her left boob. The whole course is only $49 and you can find it on the Famtography site.
These father baby matching sets will never get old for me. Never! I like the ones that still work when they aren’t side-by-side. You can buy them on Etsy.
This babywearing shirt is designed exclusively for dads and has no complicated wrapping or buckling – just tuck the baby into the front pouch for incredible, hands-free support. The pouch safely holds a newborn up to 15 lbs (the first 3 to 5 months) and the shirt sizes run from S-2XL. You can find them on the Lalabu site and on Amazon.
Note: these popular shirts have a lot of knock offs that might not have safe stitching to hold a baby. The Lalabu brand is the original so stick with them if you want one.
I think we all know a few phone scrolling bathroom hibernators who could use this. A subtle way to say, “sh*t or get off the pot, sir.” You can shop them here.
Keeping comfort in mind, an Omni Breeze is a great product that tends to work well for both mom and dad. Some guys tend to run hot (insert dad joke here) so I’ve picked the most breathable carrier on the market. You can find them here.
It’s no fun to be caught out with no spare diaper when your baby decides to poop up their back. This canvas pouch can hold a diaper, disposable change pad, baggies, hand sanitizer, pacifiers, sunscreen, onesie, socks, mitts, or anything else you might want to have in you glovebox or trunk when an emergency hits. You can find the ‘baby crap’ bag in the store. We also have ‘oh sh!t’ and ‘I used to be cool’ as well, which would also make a fantastic new dad gift.
Wonderbly makes personalized hardcover keepsake books that can be customized with both the child’s name and dad’s (or grandpa’s) handle. These 34 page books are gorgeous and do a great job of incorporating the names into the story. The picture here doesn’t do them justice. Wonderbly.
This is a fun and relatively easy way to capture your kids and share a beautiful sentiment.
You can create a custom piece – right down to size and color theme – to make the perfect art for home or office. (It would also be perfect for the photos above.) You can check them out on Minted here.
If you’re looking for a REALLY nice diaper bag, I highly recommend Paperclip. Their bags do not skimp on quality or features – it even has an integrated change station. You can buy them here on Amazon.
If you like the idea and want to see more options, you can also check out my post on the Best Gender Neutral Diaper Bags.
These made-to-order prints feature the night sky on the date your children were born. I’ve shown the version that has three dates, but you can choose from a variety of setups. You have to print this yourself (they just send the .jpeg) but you can pop over to an office supply store to run off the bigger version and you don’t have to worry about it getting squished in the mail. You can shop for all the options here.
Funny but subtle so it will go over the heads of most prude relatives. You can find them here.
This little jar contains tokens like “read our favorite storybook”, “bubble blowing”, etc. to spark some ideas for daddy and baby. (The image they have shows ‘Mummy’ but you can personalize it for ‘dad’, ‘papi’, ‘my old man’, etc.) Might be fun to pair it with some of the props needed for the activities too. Here’s where to find them on Etsy.
I can’t even handle how adorable these t-shirts are. The little dipper comes in sizes as small as 3-6 months and goes up to whatever fits a 12 year old, making it the perfect gift for new dads and old dads alike. You can find them here.
Just to be clear, this isn’t a dads-are-so-dumb-ha-ha suggestion. If you are formula feeding, scooping and measuring is a giant pain-in-the-butt and if you aren’t the one that is usually scooping and measuring, you have to ask the usual scooper and measurer. This person may be asleep (and should hopefully stay that way) but with this Brezza, any rockstar getting up in the middle of the night just has to hit a button to make the bottle. You can find the formula dispenser here.
For those itty bitty hipsters in training. You can find them on Etsy.
This fun (and inexpensive) can cooler is a fun gift for any expecting or new dad. I found it on Etsy.
The Cruiser is cool because you can push it like a high-end stroller or pull it like a wagon – it can even be used with an Infant Car Seat Adaptor. It is rugged yet lightweight, crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, and can accommodate up to 150 pounds while weighing less than most double strollers. They are NICE and you could trick it out with great accessories. You can shop the cruiser here or you can read more about it in our review.
I also love the Little House on the Prairie reference that some people may or may not get. Either way, this set is a great gift for a new dad. You can find them on Etsy.
This guided journal is designed to help dads write down memories they want to preserve and share with their children. It provides prompts to record memories from their childhood, school years, early adulthood, and more, like: What was your house like growing up? What was your first job? What’s something you wish you had done differently? What’s the best advice you ever received? It’s pretty cool, especially as a first time dad gift. I found it on Amazon.
These boxes are hand-packed with 5-8 of the coolest tech, home goods, fitness and lifestyle products. I like it for new dads because they are typically filled with items that are used for a little adventure at home instead of needing a 7 hour day trip to try out his new spelunking gear. You can buy a subscription or a single box, but beware – they sell out quickly. Check out Breo Boxes here.
“My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hun!” All kidding aside, charities are a wonderful gift for the guy who has everything. WWF.
Let me know your great new dad gift!
Leave them in the comments below!
Also check out: A Dad’s Guide to Raising Baby Girls