13 tech gifts dads will actually love to get this holiday season

• The holidays are right around the corner, and there are lots of fun and helpful tech products that make excellent presents.
• Regardless of what your dad is into, we're confident we've found at least one tech gift for them.
• For instance, almost any dad could use a Bosch Go Smart Electric Screwdriver Set, or a nifty TurboGrafx-16 Mini retro game console.
• Need more gift ideas? Check out our list of the overall best holiday gifts as well as specialized gift guides for grandpas, husbands, gamers, techy dads, and more.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

Editor's note: It's likely that many families will have to spend the holidays away from each other this year. Nothing can replace time spent together, but if you want to send a gift instead, this guide should help you find exactly what you're looking for.

The 2020 holidays are almost here, and it's more likely than not that you've yet to buy the dad in your life a holiday gift. If that dad has even a passing interest in technology, we think we've found a fitting gift for them.

Even if the dad in your life isn't into technology, the right gift could convince them otherwise and get them over on the other side of the fence. 

Whether it's an incredibly useful and low-stress screwdriver or the latest and most impressive retro revival gaming machine to date, and much more in between, we think there's a tech gift below that the dad in your life will love.

SEE ALSO: 24 Father's Day gifts for another dad in your life — your grandpa

An electric screwdriver that's even easier on the hands

Bosch Go Smart Electric Screwdriver Set

Every father out there will, eventually, be asked to pick up a screwdriver and use it. But, it's always possible they might not have the right one for the task at hand. Get rid of that concern and simplify dad's screwdriving with the Bosch Go Smart Electric Screwdriver set. This smart, electric screwdriver senses applied pressure and starts spinning in the set direction using just one button, which should keep dad's wrists and arms from enduring a lot of unnecessary aches and pains.

Bosch sells the Go smart screwdriver in a useful bundle that includes a massive 33 unique bits of all shapes and sizes. While you shouldn't expect to repair a pair of glasses with this gadget, you'll definitely be able to open most anything in your home — including children's toys and electronics. When it comes to dads, it's tough to imagine a more universally useful gift than the Bosch Go Smart Screwdriver.

A smart, learning thermostat to give dad complete control

Google Nest Thermostat

We all know how dad can get about the thermostat… Nest built the original smart thermostat, and since then the Nest Learning Thermostat has only gotten better under Google. The device is currently on its fourth generation, and offers deep integration with Google Assistant, plus it works with Alexa, too.

Using a Nest Thermostat may even save you money, thanks to the fact that the thermostat intelligently manages your home's temperature depending on whether the user is actually there.

A brand-new retro game console for deeply nerdy dads

TurboGrafx-16 Mini

For any dad that self-identifies as a nerd, the newest retro revival gaming console is bound to be their "Gift of the Year." The TurboGrafx-16 was a doomed console when it first left Japan for the US in 1987, seeing little traction and no sequels. That said, the device was innovative technologically in ways that Nintendo and Sega's consoles weren't, and featured a number of cult classic and critically-lauded games in several genres.

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini contains 57 hit retro games — more than any retro revival console to date — that play natively on an HDTV. Yes, this box includes 25 TurboGrafx-16 games pre-installed, but it also crams another 32 games from the PC Engine selection (as it was known in Japan) inside. That's double the amount of games included in some competing consoles, captured in a presentation that's oozing with nostalgia for gaming and Japanese culture nerds alike.

The latest Apple Watch to keep dad solidly in the loop

Apple Watch Series 6

The Apple Watch Series 6 is the absolute newest Apple Watch model, featuring new tools for health, like a blood oxygen sensor and on-demand electrocardiogram. This latter feature can be used to determine whether you may have atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat that requires medical attention.

Sleep tracking is now more deeply supported by Apple Watch as well through a new app, though the Series 6 has the longest battery with which to support this feature. Apple's deep integration with the rest of its products is present here, of course. Finally, the always-on Retina display is now brighter than ever, for an added touch of premium quality for old pop.

The newest tiny smart speaker from Amazon

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation)

Amazon's newest smart speaker is naturally its most upgraded yet, but it's also the most original Echo design yet. The Echo Dot (4th Gen) is actually a sphere to enhance its three-dimensional audio capabilities. Smart devices can be touch-and-go in terms of interest during these "unprecedented times" with the notifications alone, but you can modify or even disable those while getting a gateway into smart home convenience.

Honestly, the Echo Dot could be an incredibly timely gift, with more folks stuck at home than ever, this could give dad's space some much-needed distraction and assistance. Even better is the new Alexa Guard feature, which allows the Echo Dot to use its microphone to detect audible threats within its space and alert dad to those via their smartphone. Bring the dad in your life into the modern era in a surprisingly affordable way.

A kit of smart light bulbs to kickstart their smart home

Philips Hue Starter Kit

Philips has been building some of the most reliable, high-quality smart light bulbs for some time now, and the Philips Hue Starter Kit offers everything the dad in your life will need to get started with smart lighting.

Philips Hue smart bulbs are compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple's HomeKit, so you'll be able to use them in conjunction with the rest of your smart home devices. And, these particular bulbs can be set to any color you want – which makes them even more versatile.

The best noise-cancelling headphones so dad can focus

Sony WH-1000XM3

The Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-cancelling headphones are considered by many to be the best noise-cancelling headphones out there, thanks to the fact that they're sleek and stylish, very comfortable, and sound great. They even offer some super smart features, like a touch surface on the ear cup for easy control.

Then there's the fact these headphones offer such great noise-cancellation, meaning they can easily cut out things like engine noise, car noise, and even the random noise of the house.

A top-of-the-line fitness tracker for the swole dads out there

Fitbit Charge 4

Maybe an Apple Watch is too much — but if the dad in your life still wants to track his fitness, then the Fitbit Charge 4 is an excellent option. The Charge 4 offers a built-in heart rate monitor, meaning that it can track a range of different activities – including walking, running, swimming, and more.

The device works with the excellent Fitbit app too, which offers a range of insights on how to manage your health, like how to keep up your workouts, how much weight you might be losing, and so on. Plus, it allows you to easily see the workouts you've already completed.

A baseline iPad that's plenty powerful

Apple iPad (10.2-inch, 2020)

The latest and greatest Apple iPad offers a big 10.2-inch display, which is ideal for watching movies, playing games, and even digital doodling. This iPad is powered by Apple's A12 Bionic chip, which is more than fast enough for anything designed for this tablet.

Of course, as you would expect from an Apple product, you'll also get a sleek and stylish design, and availability in a range of colors. Even better, the entry-level iPad is available at a pretty affordable price, coming at $329 and often on sale.

A mirrorless camera for the budding photographer dad

Sony Alpha A6000 mirrorless camera

Sony has been building some of the better mirrorless cameras for years, and the Alpha A6000 is a perfect example of why. This package comes with a camera body, as well as a 16-500mm lens, which means that there's everything you'll need to get started right out of the box.

The camera is relatively inexpensive, too. While many mirrorless cameras can range into the thousands of dollars, this camera, with the lens, is currently available for only around $500.

A Bluetooth turntable to spin up dad's vinyl collection again

Audio Technica AT-LP120X Bluetooth Turntable

Perhaps the dad in your life is more of a music fan, and in that case a vinyl player from Audio Technica is worth considering. The player has three speeds – 78, 33-1/3 and 45 rpm – along with a strong direct-drive build, meaning that it should be a great option for enthusiast music-lovers.

One feature that puts this player above others is the fact that it has a USB port built into it, which allows your dad to digitize his music collection when used with a computer.

A set of Bluetooth trackers to help dad from losing things

Tile Essentials 4-pack

Let's face it: a ton of parents have the tendency to lose things sometimes, what with the children they're so focused on. That's where the Tile Bluetooth tracker comes in. Tile trackers come in several shapes and sizes designed for a number of household objects, namely keys, phones and tablets, and gadgets like TV remotes.

Using a paired smart device, you can cause these trackers to chime, and can inversely cause your paired device to chime if you happen to lose that. This essentials package features a Tile Mate, a Tile Slim, and two Tile Stickers. The Mate and Slim both have a range of 200 feet, while the Stickers have a range of 150 feet.

The best e-reader holding thousands of books for bookworm dads

Amazon Kindle

If the dad in your life is a bookworm, then the Kindle may be the way to go when it comes to gifts. The Kindle allows users to download thousands of books straight to the device. Plus, it's ultra portable, and has a relatively natural-looking e-ink display, which has a resolution of 167 pixels per inch and now features a front light.

The Kindle is very inexpensive too, currently coming at $59.99, and it's available in two colors: black and white. And, it has a battery life of weeks on a single charge, which is perfect for the dads out there that aren't all that great at keeping their devices charged up.