Published on June 7th, 2008 | by Stephanie Evans

Eco Gadget Gift Ideas for Father’s Day

With Father’s Day just around the bend, it’s time to start thinking about great gifts for your dear old Dad. Whether your father is a tech-obsessed gadget hound, a simple and practical nature-lover, or somewhere in between, look no further for great eco- and Dad-friendly gift suggestions.

These sustainable gifts range from the recyclable to the recycled, from power-saving to solar-powered. This Father’s Day, you can show appreciation for your father while you favor the planet with thoughtful purchases…

Eco TV

Outdoor Endeavors
Tech Tools
Conveniences that Conserve

Outdoor Endeavors

If your Dad spends a lot of time in the garden or out on the backyard deck, he might like a set of Solar Powered Patio Lights. There are many different styles to suit his particular garden—all energy-saving, solar powered designs.

Give Dad a little more time to sit around on the porch and drink a glass of ice cold lemonade this summer with an Automower, a fully robotic, hands-free, solar-hybrid mower that is quiet, emission free, and 90% recyclable.

For a nice backyard barbeque, get (or make) your Dad a Solar Oven. There are many variations that all use heat from the sun and consume no gas or electricity.

Tech Tools

For the father who enjoys lounging in front of the television, how about an eco-friendly flat screen TV? The Phillips Eco-TV has a 42 inch flat panel LCD and offers the following power-saving features:

the ability to dim the backlight during darker scenes
a “power saving” mode that caps light output
a light sensor that automatically dims the screen in dark rooms

This model also boasts lead-free materials and only trace amounts of mercury, which means less heavy metals contaminating the environment should it end up in a landfill.

The Trevor Baylis Eco-Media Player will let your Dad listen to music, watch videos, view photos, store data, record memos, charge your cell phone, and and illuminate dark spaces with a bright LED torch. It requires no external power or batteries that will harm the environment because it is hand powered! One minute of winding provides 40 minutes of play time.

If your Dad is in the market for a new laptop, consider an Asus Bamboo EcoBook. It boasts paneling made from bamboo, which (depending on how it is harvested and certified) is an abundant and renewable resource that is much more eco-friendly and biodegradable than plastic. In terms of its insides, all plastic parts are labeled and recyclable, and the components contain no paints, sprays, or even electroplating. This model is scheduled to be released during the summer of 2008.

If he’s into tech tools, your Dad may also enjoy a Recycled Mini Wireless Mouse, made entirely from recycled plastic.

Conveniences that Conserve

An ever-handy items is the all-purpose portable Solar Power Charger, which uses the sun’s rays to power a cell phone, media player, digital camera, or other gadget. And it folds right up and fits in a pocket!

The Dad who has everything may just love a Solar Powered Electric Shaver.

For the practical father who is ever conscious of energy costs, there is the Cost Monitoring Power Strip. This power strip has an LCD readout that counts consumption and cost by the kilowatt hour, so you can see how much power your appliances are really using.

And last, but not least, a couple of oldies but goodies…

Your Dad may be in need of a solid, reliable, low-tech, good old fashioned bicycle. Instead of consuming fossil fuels driving to work everyday, he can bike to work and spare the air.

If we’re sticking with auto transport, a tire pressure gauge is a very useful tool that can help with keeping tires properly inflated to decrease gas mileage.