Gifts for Dad Under $50 That Get Used Every Week

The Wingman is the multi-tool to give a dad who doesn't own one, and a good upgrade for one who carries a cheap one. It has 14 tools in a 3.8-inch stainless steel body: needlenose and regular pliers, wire cutters and a stripper, a 2.6-inch combination knife, scissors, a package opener, a can and bottle opener, a wood and metal file, a small ruler and three screwdrivers.

Two details make it nicer to use than its price suggests. The pliers and scissors are spring-loaded, so they open on their own after each squeeze, which is what makes cutting zip ties or wire less tiring. And the knife, scissors and package opener sit on the outside, so the most common jobs don't mean unfolding the whole tool. Leatherman builds it at its Portland, Oregon factory, with some parts sourced abroad.

The catches: at 7 ounces it's a real weight in a pocket, and it comes with a pocket clip but no sheath, which Leatherman sells separately. It also has a knife blade, so it belongs on a belt or in the truck, not in a carry-on bag.

This is the green thermos a lot of people remember from a parent's truck or lunch box, and Stanley still makes it. The 1.1-quart size holds about four mugs of coffee. Stanley rates it to keep drinks hot for 24 hours, cold for 24 hours, and cold with ice for five days, thanks to double-wall vacuum insulation in recycled 18/8 stainless steel.

It's the gift for a dad whose day starts before anyone else's: a job site, a long commute, a duck blind, a Saturday at the kids' games. The insulated lid doubles as a cup, the twist-and-pour stopper lets him pour without taking the whole top off, and the side handle makes it easy to carry full. Stanley lists it as dishwasher safe, which not every insulated bottle is.

It's big. The bottle stands just over 14 inches tall and weighs 1.85 pounds empty, so it rides on the seat or in a bag, not in a cup holder. For a dad who only drinks one cup on the way to work, an insulated travel mug is the better fit.

A 12-inch cast iron skillet is the pan a cook reaches for most, big enough for four burgers, a whole batch of cornbread or a steak with room for the potatoes. Lodge's American Road Trip skillets are that standard pan with one change: the state is cast into the cooking surface. The Texas one shows the Alamo, Johnson Space Center, a cowboy boot and bluebonnets.

It's made in the USA and comes seasoned with vegetable oil, so it can go on the stove the day it's opened, and it works on any stovetop including induction, in the oven, on a grill or over a campfire. Lodge lists it at 7.9 pounds, 18 inches long with the handle and 2.25 inches deep, with a helper handle opposite the main one for lifting it full.

Check the list before you buy: Lodge makes the series for 18 states and Washington, D.C., not all 50, and we link the Texas skillet. If his state isn't there, Lodge's plain 12-inch skillet is the same pan without the art. Like all cast iron, it wants hand washing, drying and a thin coat of oil, and at almost 8 pounds it's a two-hand lift when full.

Meat Church is a Texas barbecue company, and The Holy Trinity is its three best-known rubs in one set: Holy Cow, Honey Hog and The Gospel. That covers most of what comes off a backyard smoker or grill, which makes it a gift that gets used every weekend from spring to football season.

Each one has a job. Holy Cow is a Texas-style beef rub, mostly salt, spice and garlic, made for brisket, tri-tip and steak. Honey Hog is sweet, with honey powder and paprika, for ribs, pulled pork, chicken, fish and vegetables. The Gospel is the all-purpose one, a Southwestern-style blend for anything. Together that's 37 ounces of seasoning in shaker bottles, and Meat Church lists all of its rubs as gluten free with no MSG.

Know two things. Sugar is the first ingredient in Honey Hog and The Gospel, so they suit low-and-slow cooking better than a very hot grill, where sugar can scorch. And this is the least lasting gift on the list: a dad who smokes every weekend will want refills by spring, which is a good problem for next year's present.

A headlamp is the flashlight a dad didn't know he wanted until he's under a sink, in an attic or changing a tire after dark with both hands busy. BioLite's Range 300 is a slim, low-profile one: 300 lumens, enough for working at arm's length or walking a trail, with a beam BioLite rates at 75 meters.

What sets it apart at this price is the charging. It charges over USB-C, the same cable as most new phones, and BioLite says eight minutes on the charger adds an hour of light on high. That matters for a light that lives in a junk drawer: when it's dead, it's back in use in minutes rather than overnight. It's rated IP67, which means it's sealed against dust and can be dropped in water.

The Range 300 is BioLite's newest line, and its page is thin on numbers: it doesn't list the weight or how long a full charge lasts on low. For a brighter, longer-throwing light, BioLite makes the Range 400 and 500 above it, at prices over this guide's budget.

The AirFly SE solves one specific, common annoyance: wireless earbuds don't work with a plane's seat-back screen, a treadmill or an old stereo, because those only have a headphone jack. The AirFly is a small transmitter that plugs into that jack and sends the sound to one pair of Bluetooth headphones, AirPods included. There's no app; you pair it once with its button.

It's the right gift for a dad who travels for work, watches a movie on every flight, or uses the cardio machines at the gym with a pair of earbuds he can't plug in. It weighs 15.3 grams, has its own volume buttons and runs for 20 hours or more on a charge, which covers a long-haul flight there and back. A USB-C to USB-A charging cable comes in the box.

Two limits. It connects one pair of headphones; to share a movie with someone in the next seat, Twelve South's AirFly Pro handles two. And some planes still use a two-pronged headphone socket, and there's no adapter for that in the box, so add one if he flies older aircraft.