Whether you want to celebrate dad or just use Father’s Day as an excuse to add a new gadget to your life, we’ve got you covered. From a high-tech outdoor speaker to a new way to make a Caffè Americano at home, here are some of our favorite products that have appeared in Fast Company’s Recommender section.
For more than a decade, Theragun’s super-powerful massagers have been touted by celebrities and professional athletes for their incomparable strength and effectiveness at relieving sore muscles. But until this year, they were only available at a celebrity price. Now, you can buy the Theragun Mini Massager, a portable, powerful massager that can fit in the palm of your hand. The $199 device delivers 20 lbs of force and has a battery life of 150 minutes—meaning dad can take it to the gym, on the porch, or anywhere he wants to relax.
These sleek running sneakers aren’t just incredibly comfortable; they’re made out of a combination of sustainable eucalyptus fiber and merino wool, which makes them super breathable, antimicrobial (so no more stinky sneakers!), and so much better for the planet than traditional, plastic-based sneakers. The cushioning midsole swaps carbon-heavy rubber with Sweetfoam, made of sugarcane. A Fast Company editor who tested them raved: “It honestly felt like my whole foot was getting a massage when I wore them.”
It’s a campfire. It’s a grill. It’s portable. And it’s gorgeous. The Biolite Firepit was designed by the camping equipment geniuses that brought us the world’s best camp stove. Though it’s great for the great outdoors, it’s expertly engineered to release virtually no smoke—meaning you could just as easily put it in even the tiniest backyard. When it’s not in use, fold up the legs and store it in the garage or basement. Trust us on this one—dad will be thrilled.
Yeti’s newest model, dubbed the V Series, will make you rethink what a cooler is. It’s a shiny affair, made from stainless steel and equipped with vacuum insulation for 50% better thermal retention than the brand’s other coolers, which are already known for how long they stay cold. This new model has the same capacity as the $350 Yeti colorful Tundra 65 hard cooler (which is also great) but has a smaller physical footprint. And it’s a gorgeous piece of equipment, with its glossy stainless steel exterior.
Back in the 1990s, a particularly well-designed lampshade called the Sophie Lamp started popping up in chic restaurants in New York and San Francisco, thanks to designer Pablo Pardo. Pardo has since paired with his friend Carmine Deganello (also a renowned designer) to bring one of his elegant creations to your backyard in the form of the Uma Sound Lantern, a high-quality outdoor speaker that doubles as a chic outdoor light. The Uma Sound Lantern features 360-degree sound, touch-sensitive volume control, full-range dim control, a leather carrying strap, and can play for up to eight hours on a single charge.
Jot’s new formula of coffee concentrate—housed in a glass bottle with a sleek measuring spoon—promises a delicious, fast, mess-free coffee (any way you like it) right at home. All you need to do is stir in one tablespoon of Ultra Coffee into any hot or cold liquid of your choice. FC editors put the coffee concentrate to the test—and loved it. One FC editor now uses it for her morning cold brew. Another has made Jot a part of his daily coffee routine, stirring it into hot water for an afternoon Americano. Jot’s unique brewing process gives it an extra-caffeinated punch and an unprocessed flavor: It’s the only bottled-coffee concentrate that is totally unpasteurized and unprocessed. The result is a form and flavor that approximates espresso, without the need for wasteful pods or significant appliance investments. A single bottle of Jot goes for $24 and makes 14 coffee beverages. You can bring down the cost by purchasing two or three bottles at once or signing up for a subscription.
With the Pro 575, Traeger has made a tech-forward grill that’s easy to use, but with enough bells and whistles to appeal to pros. Starting the grill means simply turning the dial to your desired temp (just like your oven) and pressing the “Ignite” button. The grill’s Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to monitor and control it via an app on your smartphone, so you prepare side dishes while knowing that your grill is under control and cooking at the right temperature. The best part is its versatility. You can use the Traeger to grill, smoke, roast, braise, BBQ, and even bake (yes, bake). The Traeger Pro 575 is a pellet grill, meaning that it doesn’t use charcoal or wood logs. Instead, it burns pressed wood pellets that are made from hardwoods and sawdust (and are also sold by Traeger). Pellet grills are more fuel-efficient than traditional charcoal ones. Plus, Traeger’s heats more quickly and evenly thanks to an internal convection fan—and produces less smoke because of its highly efficient fueling and combustion process.
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