30 amazing gifts for your socially conscious dad
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Life
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This Father’s Day, like every day in 2020 so far, will be different. We’ll be celebrating amid a pandemic, as well as historic protests against police violence and white supremacy. Our conscious buyer’s guide to Father’s Day features gift ideas that speak to these unique circumstances. Not only will they make dad’s life easier and more fun as he shelters in place, they’ll also support Black-owned, LGBTQ-owned, and eco-conscious companies while they’re at it.

The accent piece

Hand-carved by Ghanaian artisans, this piece will beautify dad’s space, making working from home — if he needs to these days — all the more pleasant and productive. Jungalow, the Black-owned brand behind it, prioritizes sustainable materials and packaging, and donate to nonprofits.

The backpack

This backpack is heavy-duty — it’s spacious and waterproof — yet gentle on the environment, made with recycled materials and an eco-friendly, dyehouse-worker safe dye.

The candle

This candle from Black-owned brand Mateo brings calm, and is tinged with sophistication, with its sleek aesthetic and rich, musky scents, including sage, cypress, and tobacco.

The fancy bar accessory

Make dad forget how much he misses dipping into the bar for a well-made old-fashioned. This appliance infuses drinks (and food) with a distinct smokey craft cocktail flavor. He can craft intentionally too, as Breville recently established an ethical sourcing policy that any vendors must follow in order to work with them.

The statement shades

These chic, ‘70s-glam-esque sunnies from Black-owned Coco and Breezy will make dad the envy all the other dads who wished they could look half as fly.

The hypebeast piece

Deck dad out in this vibrant collab between street artist Michael Reeder and New Balance, a brand that prioritizes worker rights, sustainability, and supporting community organizations.

The grooming splurge

Upgrade dad’s scruff-grooming game with this facial cleansing brush, which exfoliates and deep-cleans pores for a smooth-to-the-touch shave. Sephora, which sells the device, says it’s dedicated to women’ empowerment, inclusivity, and sustainability.

The morning jolt

Purchases of this berry-caramel blend by LGBTQ-owned Equator Coffees go toward organizations that promote sustainability and equity. From June to July, they’ll support the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

The smart vacuum

Trade in dad’s clunky, restrictive plug-in vacuum with this lightweight, techy cordless one by LG, a company committed to solar technology.

The scotch

Class up dad’s nightcap with this citrusy, woodsy single malt scotch whisky from Macallan, a distiller that strives for sustainability.

The shoes

Help dad get his steps in with these breezy, feather-light kicks from OluKai. Part of each purchase goes toward the Ama OluKai foundation to preserve Hawaiian culture.

The fresh breath

This oral kit, whose supplies are made with sustainable materials, will allow dad to keep his teeth pearly white, sans plastic. Otherwild General is a queer-owned business that sells upcycled, as well as low- and zero-waste products, and is committed to treating its workers fairly.

The smoothie king

For the dad who’s about that protein shake life, this appliance blends smoothies in no time. The Vitamix Foundation, meanwhile, awards grants to research and other initiatives that focus on promoting whole, plant-based foods for wellness.

The skincare

Everything at this Black woman-owned skincare company apothecary is handcrafted with refreshing aromatics, and organic non-comedogenic ingredients that suit most skin types.

The herbal refreshment

If dad lives in Southern California, help him find his chill by signing him up for Nugg Club, a curated weed subscription box service. He’ll imbibe in peace knowing the company is stands with front liners; they're currently selling $1 boxes to qualifying health professionals caring for those with COVID-19.

The home café

Simplify dad’s caffeination experience — and nudge him to avoid crowding the coffee shop — with this compact Nespresso, which brews regular coffee, as well as single and double espressos. Worried about the pods harming the environment? Nespresso now has recycling drop-off locations and plants trees to offset its carbon footprint.

The espresso mug

This espresso mug is handcrafted by Ugandan artists who help create jobs, and sold by Black-owned Red Bay Coffee, whose goal is to include BIPOC, the differently abled, and others to whom the specialty coffee industry has often denied access.

The cheat day staple

This will allow dad to get the crispiness from fried food, but in a slightly healthier way. Hamilton Beach, the manufacturer, has a social accountability policy in place for its suppliers.

The ultimate spice collection

Chef dads will delight in this diverse spread of spices — and the fun, planet-friendly packaging.

The socks

Black-and-white doesn’t have to mean boring. These geometric-patterned socks from sustainability-minded Happy Socks are quirky while still matching with pretty much anything.

The more adventurous skincare

Help keep his skin moisturized and his hair styled during quarantine with a monthly subscription to a personalized set of grooming essentials from woman-owned Birchbox.

The next-level water bottle

This is truly hydration gone high-tech. These sustainable water bottles not only self-clean and kill germs with UV-C, they keep water hot for 12 hours and cold for twice as long.

The wine

This sumptuous, medium-body merlot from Black- and family-owned Brown Estate in Napa Valley is perfect for unwinding, whether from work, the news cycle, or both.

The quintessential barware

Make dad feel just like James Bond, if James Bond cared about functionality, with these gorgeous yet durable, dishwasher-safe crystal glass whisky tumblers from Riedel, which folds sustainability into everything from its factories to its glassware and packaging.

The fountain of youth scent

Dyptique champions organic fair-trade and sustainability, but another generous action of theirs has been to create a fresh, mildly spicy sandalwood-based scent that deviates from boring, aggressive aftershave-like colognes that are often marketed to men.

The pizza oven

A quarantine indulgence that’ll keep your dad off these streets until it’s safe to be in a crowded restaurant again, Camp Chef’s at-home pizza oven is the real deal.

The outdoor scent

The back-into-world statement scent for Phase 1 and beyond, Gucci Guilty’s signature cold spice and citrus notes linger on warm days and socially distant evenings by the grill.

The tequila

Your dad’s not 23 anymore — grace him with a good bottle of tequila. This blanco is crisp and even delicious on the rocks if he’s feeling bold. Your purchase will support a brand that believes in both environmental and cultural sustainability.

The wallet

If activism and an active lifestyle is something your dad champions, this chic wallet is an ideal gift — as Lululemon recently donated $100,000 to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Cheers to companies putting their money where their mouth is.

The sporty shades

These sturdy, yet lightweight sunglasses are perfect for the dad who took you hiking and camping as a kid. Kaenon, as a brand, is inspired by nature's wildest and most sacred terrain; its sustainability efforts include conservation donations to the Yellowstone National Park.

The eyewear

These frames are the absolute anti-frump of eyewear: Light, contemporary, and functional. Neubau’s nearly zero-emission manufacturing plant in Austria runs on solar and renewable energy and the brand’s packaging is made from recycled paper plastic bottles.