From Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to hip East Bay trendsetters and everyone in between, knowing what to buy your dad for Father's Day means knowing which one you have. We've paired five distinctive dads from around the Bay Area with the perfect gift for Father's Day. Can you spot the ones on your list?
Millennial Dad
Millennial Dad never liked to shop, but he loves to shop with his daughter, even though she's still relatively opinionless. Growing up with technology and coming of age alongside the Internet, Millennial Dad is savvy when it comes to pre-purchase research—how do you think he helped his wife settle on that fancy urban stroller just before they moved out of the city for good? The perfect Father's Day gift for Millennial Dad is Sphero SPRK because he not only wants to teach his daughter how to program robots (when she's ready), he wants to program robots. Period.
Hipster Dad
Pre fatherhood, you probably saw Hipster Dad on his fixie en route to the local dive bar. Today, you're more likely to see him pulling his stylish toddler Gus in an old-timey wagon at the farmer's market so they can try those new duck-fat donuts. Hipster Dad is a tried-and-true urbanite who'd sooner give up small-batch craft coffee than move to the suburbs. Given his propensity for city living, Hipster Dad could use a cooler way to commute—bikes are so mainstream now. Give Hipster Dad a Boosted Board so he can re-set the transportation trend with an electric skateboard that can even tackle hills.
Venture Dad
Venture Dad is a Silicon Valley stalwart. He cruises Sand Hill Road in his Tesla, putting the fun in funded. If he's not crushing business lunches at Restaurant 3000 or meeting the 19-year-old founder of a potential unicorn at Philz, then he's most likely cycling through Woodside. Venture Dad has his finger on the pulse of the latest gadgetry and an actual pulse-reading gadget on his wrist. Your best bet for Venture Dad is Ray Super Remote because a dad this dialed in deserves an intelligent universal remote that will help keep him connected to the bevy of devices studding his smart home.
Weekend Warrior Dad
Weekend Warrior Dad works hard to play hard. And by play hard, we mean you'll never see him sitting down unless the Giants are playing. He's a hiker, camper, kayaker, and fisher who knows all the secret spots from Big Sur to Muir Woods. Though Weekend Warrior Dad is a master survivalist who can follow a moss-covered tree to true north any day, he's less likely to recall which one of those trees he's parked under. ZUS car charger is perfect because no matter where Weekend Warrior Dad ends up, this blazing-fast dual phone charger also doubles as a GPS-locator, so he'll always find his way out of the woods.
1.0 Dad
1.0 Dad is the OG of Bay Area fathers. He remembers when San Francisco had an accent and when Hangar 1 stored aircraft, not vodka. 1.0 Dad hasn't just seen the shift from hippies to techies to hipsters (see dads above), he's read all about it in the Chronicle, which he still reads daily, cover to cover. If you're looking to help update this classic dad without too much "technology mumbo jumbo," give him eero. The simple, reliable WiFi router will allow him to stay old-school with his Hotmail account, but at modern-day connectivity speeds.
Father's Day Gifts for all the Dads—Even Long-Distance Ones
No matter who your dad is, if you're in the Bay Area, you can find a one-of-a-kind gift for him at b8ta in Palo Alto. Come in before Father's Day and get a free Tile Bluetooth tracking device with any purchase.* Include it for particularly forgetful fathers or keep it as a reminder of your #1 dad.
*Limit one Tile per person per purchase. Valid through Sunday, June 19, 2016.
