Christmas gift ideas for dad, from whisky glasses to wallets

The best Christmas gifts for dad are useful things with a bit of personality, chosen to fit what he already enjoys. Browse every one in our Christmas gifts for dad range, or start with these five:

• For the whisky drinker: the Viking Compass whisky glass with coaster (£9.99), a 300 ml lowball glass boxed with a matching cork coaster.
• For the bearded dad: the personalised beard care kit (£26.99), with shampoo, conditioner and oil in a padded canvas bag printed with his name.
• For the coffee dad: the Dad Fuel mug and coffee scoop clip (£12.99), a 500 ml mug with a steel scoop that also reseals the coffee bag.
• For a keepsake: the personalised message leather wallet (£19.99), with four lines of your words printed inside.
• For the gardener: the wooden honey bee insect house (£17.99), a beehive-shaped shelter for solitary bees, 20.5 cm tall.

Not sure which one fits him? The sections below go group by group, with who each gift suits and why.

The best drinks gift for dad is a good glass or tankard he will reach for every evening. The Celtic knot whisky glass with coaster (£7.99) is a 210 ml lowball with a shield knot design, and it works just as well for a soft drink. If he prefers a pint, the glass beer tankard with cork coaster (£14.99) holds about 500 ml and comes gift boxed in a Viking compass or Celtic knot design.

For a dad who likes his whisky neat, personalised whisky stones (£14.99) chill the drink without watering it down. The box carries a name of up to 12 characters. They take 7 to 10 working days to make, so order them by noon on Friday 4 December for Christmas.

Want his title on the glass? The personalised Dad glass tankard (£14.99) reads No.1 Dad, No.1 Grandad or Greatest Dad, plus two lines of your message. The personalised pint glass and bottle opener (£14.99) adds a matching metal keyring opener, so his beer never has to wait.

Funny gifts for dad work best when the joke is also something he uses. The personalised Super Dad mug and socks set (£19.99) carries his name of up to 15 characters, for the man who fixes everything in the house. For a beer drinker, the sardine bottle opener in a tin (£6.99) is a metal fish that lives inside a mini sardine tin, and it fits neatly in a stocking.

Grooming makes a sensible small gift too. Beard oil (£7.99) comes in a 50 ml bottle, made in small batches, in four scents from orange and sandalwood to black pepper and bergamot. Pair it with the bamboo beard brush (£7.99), which has natural boar bristles and is small enough for the car or a wash bag.

If his wallet is falling apart, the Viking Compass faux leather wallet (£12.99) has an embossed Vegvisir design and measures 14 cm by 9.5 cm. It suits a dad who loves myths and maps. For more small ideas, see our stocking fillers for him guide.

He is most likely to keep a personalised wallet or dog tag, because it carries words only you could write. Besides the message wallet in our top picks, two more leather wallets give a different feel. The personalised My Dad is My Hero wallet (£19.99) is tan leather printed with that line and a name of up to 12 characters, a sweet choice from the children. For a quieter look, the personalised initials leather wallet (£19.99) shows up to three initials, in black or tan, with six card slots, a coin pocket and a note section.

A dog tag stays close to him every day. The personalised Dad dog tag necklace (£17.99) is stainless steel with the word Dad and two lines of your own words, on a 20.5 inch chain. The personalised dog tag necklace (£17.99) gives you more room: a To the moon and back or No.1 design, a role such as Dad and three lines of message.

Keep the words short and personal: a nickname, a date, or a line he always says.

The best gifts for a gardening dad bring wildlife to his plot or add a smile to his time outdoors. Alongside the bee insect house from our top picks, the tree trunk face bird house (from £35.99) gives birds a home. It is hand-carved in Indonesia from a natural tree trunk, with a grumpy old man or wise owl face.

A smaller ornament for a border or shed shelf is the tree trunk carving (from £7.99), made in Bali from chinaberry and hibiscus offcuts. Choose an owl, an owl family, an old man tree or a green man face.

The vegetable grower will enjoy the carrot patch mug (£9.99), an oversized 500 ml rustic mug for a tea break between the rows.

Does he run the barbecue? The Himalayan salt cooking plate (from £27.99) is 5 cm of solid salt that he can heat for searing or chill for serving, and it comes in a BBQ style among other shapes. Add a teak chopping board (from £17.99), hand-carved in 30, 40 or 50 cm sizes, for chopping and serving.

Spend whatever feels right, because a gift that matches his habits matters more than the price.

Start with what he does every day. Does he make coffee first thing, pour a whisky on a Friday, or head for the garden at the weekend? Choose for that habit, not for the dad in an advert.

Next, look at what he already owns. A worn wallet or a chipped mug is a clear hint. If he seems to have everything, a personalised piece still adds something new, because nobody else can give him your words.

A few small gifts can also beat one big one. Pair beard oil with a brush, or a whisky glass with whisky stones. Orders of in-stock gifts that come to £45 or more travel free to the UK mainland.

Living apart this year? Send the gift straight to his UK address. The packing slip shows no prices, and our free e-card emails your message to him at 8am on the first day the gift could arrive.

Order personalised gifts first, as each one is made to order. These are the last order dates for Christmas:

Type of gift	Last order for Christmas
Same-day dispatch gifts	noon on Thursday 17 December
Standard dispatch gifts	noon on Wednesday 9 December
Personalised whisky stones (made in 7 to 10 working days)	noon on Friday 4 December
Other personalised gifts	noon on Tuesday 8 December
Personalised gifts marked "Next day available", with paid next day delivery at checkout	noon on Tuesday 22 December

Same-day dispatch gifts ordered by noon, Monday to Friday, leave our partner's warehouse that day. Tracked delivery costs £3.95, and in-stock gifts travel free to the UK mainland when the order comes to £45 or more. Personalised gifts have their own delivery charge of £4.95. Every product page shows the expected delivery dates before you pay. The personalised whisky stones take 7 to 10 working days to make, so order those by noon on Friday 4 December. Gifts that aren't personalised can be returned within 14 days.