The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift Guide for the CrossFit or HYROX Dad
There are plenty of Father’s Day gift guides kicking around online, but not ones that understand what fitness dads are into.
That’s why we took the time to compile some of the best gym accessories, recovery tools, shoes, apparel, and cooking-related products we love for the CrossFit or HYROX dad. As much as Dad wants to spend time with the kids on Father’s Day, a thoughtful gift is always appreciated, too.
Here are some of our top gift ideas:
Gym Gear
When it comes to gym accessories, three of our best recommendations include:
- Frog Grips: Long known as the best gymnastics grips on the market — so grippy you don’t even need chalk — we finally had a chance to try them and can confirm: Yes, they are the best grips on the market and well worth the price point. Both the Frog Grips Elite HD and the Frog Grips Hybrid are great options, and you can get 15 percent off by using the discount code: MCUDAD.
- Self-Locking Weightlifting Belt: There’s nothing worse than being at the bottom of a squat when your lifting belt comes undone because the Velcro has failed. That’s where Element 26’s self-locking weightlifting belt comes in. It features a slide lock that “self-locks” on the strap to ensure it never comes undone when you don’t want it to.
- Jump Rope: Jump ropes are anything but a dime a dozen. And as someone who has long struggled to become efficient at double-unders, I have tried all kinds of ropes hoping to find one that maybe can do the double-unders for me. And while I haven’t quite found that just yet, the best rope I have come across is the Velites Jump rope Fire 2.0.
Gym Bags
A great gym bag is one of those pieces of gear used every single day, which is why it’s worth choosing carefully. The reality is that not all gym bags are created equal. To help cut through the noise, here are three that stand out.
- Velites’ Storm Backpack and WOD bag: This very large backpack-gym bag is so well thought out and meets all the necessary gym-going requirements, like a separate compartment for shoes and even a small detachable WOD bag at the front, where you can keep your grips, jump rope, etc. This bag also makes a great carry-on bag on an airplane.
- KNKG’s CONQUER backpack is another great gym bag option if you’re into backpacks. It’s slightly smaller than Velites’ Storm Backpack and features dividers that let you separate your clothes, shoes, and snacks. And if you’re more into traditional duffel bag gym bags, KNKG’s CORE duffel is our recommendation.
Anything Yeti
Why not spoil your Yeti-loving Dad this Father’s Day? Four products we recommend are:
- 1 L Rambler Bottle: Whether it’s water at the gym or a mixed drink at the beach, summer is coming, and larger water bottles are appreciated by all. I put ice and water in this bottle, and there were still ice cubes 24 hours later.
- Cast iron skillet: I have always liked cast-iron pans, but never for eggs because they always stick. That is, until I tried this Yeti cast-iron skillet and made the perfect sunny-side-up egg.
- Hard cooler or Soft cooler: You can never go wrong with a Yeti cooler. They, of course, come in various sizes.
Anything 5.11
Known for its performance apparel and gear, 5.11 offers everything from training and tactical equipment to leisure and more formal apparel. Here are just a few things we like:
- The iconic Taconic Weight Vest and plates – recognized in CrossFit gyms around the world and used in the CrossFit Games, this is the OG weight vest.
- For the Dad who is always hot but needs a dress shirt, we love 5.11’s Ellis Short Sleeve Shirt and their Freedom Flex Short Sleeve Shirt. (Also, you can’t go wrong with their PT-R™ Forged Hoodie.)
BBQ Stuff
For the home cook and BBQ or smoker-loving dad, here are our suggestions:
- The MANN Kitchen’s Pepper Cannon was a bit of a “You don’t know what you don’t know” epiphany for me. I didn’t realize how much of a difference a pepper grinder could make in my life until I tried this one. Their marketing slogan isn’t lying when it says this pepper cannon lets you pepper your steaks in 7 cranks rather than 70 (or 25 instead of 250 if you’re smoking a whole brisket). This pepper cannon will be a serious game-changer for the Dad who loves to cook. He may not drop money on it himself, but it will be his favorite gift of the year by far.
Speaking of BBQ-ing, nothing beats a good rub on your meat and even vegetables. Two companies we like that use high-quality ingredients in their small-batch rubs are:
- Grill Your Ass Off: We particularly love their Gunpowder Steak & Brisket Seasoning, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Also, for the beef jerky lovers, their beef jerky is next level. And we especially like that this company was founded by CrossFit enthusiast Jason Murff.
- Cuso’s: Cuso’s is another great option for rubs and spices, and they also make a killer beef tallow that is a must-try.
But if your Dad is more of a tea drinker than a BBQ-er or home cook, Elevation Tea Company isn’t your average tea company. Their teas are sourced from unexpected regions of the world and are full of flavor. As a tea drinker, I can confidently say this tea takes tea to a new place.
Shoes
The shoe market is saturated and competitive, but three shoes released in recent months that we love (for different reasons) include:
- Adidas Dropset 4 Trainer: These shoes are exceptionally versatile. They offer a lot of flexibility and cushioning, are definitely suitable for running, and are also stable enough for heavy lifting. Essentially, they’re the perfect functional fitness shoe, and just so comfortable, too.
- Reebok Floatzip Tread Running Shoe: Though these shoes are called a running shoe, we find they’re more of a hybrid training shoe. Some degree of running can certainly be done in these shoes, but they’re a bit more rigid and have less cushion than the Adidas Dropset 4 trainer. They’re also very stable for lifting.
- Puma Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX: These are designed for a HYROX race, and they 100 percent deliver on that promise.
Recovery Products
If you’re willing to splurge on Dad this Father’s Day, you’ll be in his good books forever if you go with Hyperice.
- Hypervolt Pro 3: I find many massage guns feel awkward and almost tickle. But Hyperice’s new Hypervolt Pro 3 massage gun really hits all the right spots and gives me a proper massage.
- Hyperice Normatech Elite Legs: The only downside to these compression pants is that if you buy them for him, Dad might never peel himself off the couch at night to help with the kids. (To avoid the couch-bound Dad, there’s always the Hyperice Hyperboot compression boots. They offer the same compression as the Elite Legs, but you can walk around in them, so you might be able to convince Dad to do something useful, like the dishes, while he’s getting the most therapeutic compression on his feet.)
- Therabody Massage Gun: If Hyperice isn’t in the budget, another great option for a massage gun is the Therabody massage gun.
Tees, Etc.
Last but not least, there’s something about a soft, well-fitting, flattering, high-quality t-shirt, whether worn with jeans or with gym shorts.
- The NOBULL Tee hits all of the above. (We also like NOBULL’s Dealmaker 5 Pocket Pants. Not for the gym, but for everyday wear. Again, they’re comfortable and flattering, and the quality is high.)
- Magnis Heavyweight T-Shirt: If the Dad you’re shopping for likes a heavier, thicker t-shirt, REP’s flattering Men’s Magnis Heavyweight T-Shirt is for him. (And for a workout tank top, we like REP Fitness’ Men’s Sigmatech Tank Top.)
Happy Father’s Day to all our Dad readers. We hope yours is a great one this year.
