Father’s Day lands on June 21 this year, which also happens to be the longest day of the year. That gives you maximum daylight and minimum calendar left before it arrives. If our initial 2026 Father’s Day gift guide came and went while you procrastinated, this list is the safety net. You can still get the vast majority of these items before Sunday, whether that means instant digital delivery (the $80 America the Beautiful parks pass), an in-store pickup (an $8.78 King of the Hill WD-40 can at The Home Depot), or fast shipping on gear like the Wolfbox G900 Pro dash cam. If you can’t get it sorted with help from this list, it’ll be Slim Jims and oatmeal cream pies from the gas station.

Best instant gift: America the Beautiful annual pass

America the Beautiful Annual Pass $80

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The America the Beautiful annual pass is an $80 ticket into every national park and federal recreation site in the country, and as of this year, it’s a fully digital purchase through Recreation.gov. Buy it Sunday morning, save it to Dad’s phone, and it works at the gate that afternoon. As of 2026, one pass also covers two motorcycles, which matters for dads who ride. No shipping, no wrapping, no apology note about the gift being “on the way.”

Best for backyard astronomers: Dwarflab Dwarf 3 smart telescope

Dwarflab Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope $549

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A 3.3-pound robotic observatory sounds like science fiction, but the Dwarflab Dwarf 3 is a $549 smart telescope that fits in a daypack. It finds and tracks galaxies, nebulae, and the moon automatically, stacking exposures into shareable images while Dad watches the progress on his phone. Telescopes used to mean an hour of squinting at setting circles before seeing anything. This one means setting it on the patio table and pressing go. Amazon stocks it with fast shipping.

Best for overlanding dads: Wolfbox G900 Pro mirror dash cam

Wolfbox G900 Pro Mirror Dash Cam $360

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Rear visibility disappears the moment a truck camper, gear rack, or storage system goes on a vehicle. The Wolfbox G900 Pro is a $360 mirror-style dash cam that fixes that with a waterproof wide-angle rear camera feeding a 12-inch touchscreen mirror, recording 4K up front and 2.5K behind. Wolfbox recently added a 3-meter detachable waterproof extension cable, so truck-camper owners can unscrew one connector and drop the camper without rewiring anything. Amazon discounts it regularly, so the real price often lands closer to $250.

Best new training shoe: NOBULL Outwork Flex

NOBULL Outwork Flex $150

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NOBULL released the Outwork Flex on June 11, so this $150 strength trainer is about as new as a gift can get. The original Outwork built its reputation on a flat, stable platform for lifting. The Flex keeps that stability and durability while loosening up the forefoot for lunges, sled pushes, and anything else that bends a foot. NOBULL is also running a Father’s Day sale with up to 40 percent off other gear, which makes the cart easy to pad.

Best for readers (it’s a pre-order): Boox Go 6 (Gen II)

Boox Go 6 (Gen II) ePaper Reader $199.99

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Full disclosure up front: the Boox Go 6 (Gen II) is a pre-order, with shipments starting around June 17, so it may arrive a few days after Father’s Day. We included it anyway because it’s the most interesting pocket reader of the year. The $199.99 Go 6 (Gen II) packs a 6-inch, 300-pixel-per-inch ePaper screen, 3GB of RAM, and new stylus support into a 160-gram body that runs full Android. Print the product page, tuck it in a card, and let Dad track the delivery himself.

Best front-door upgrade: eufy FamiLock E40

eufy FamiLock E40 Smart Lock $299.99

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If your dad still hides a key under the mat, the eufy FamiLock E40 is a $299.99 intervention. The deadbolt recognizes faces on-device, stores up to 50 of them plus 50 fingerprints, and folds a 2K video doorbell into the same housing, all without a subscription. It launched this month as a Home Depot exclusive, online and in 30 stores, which makes it one of the few new smart locks you can physically grab on Saturday.

Best gift under $10: WD-40 x King of the Hill can

WD-40 King of the Hill Limited-Edition Can $8.78

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An $8.78 can of WD-40 wearing King of the Hill artwork is the most dad-coded object released this year. The limited-edition 12-ounce can shows the Hill family’s fence and the show’s animation style on the back, and it’s a fully functional Smart Straw can, so it’ll actually get used. The Home Depot carries it exclusively through August 31, in-store and online, and collectors are already flipping them. Strickland Propane is, regrettably, sold separately.

Best for DIY weekends: CRAFTSMAN V20 Advanced battery deal

CRAFTSMAN V20 6Ah ADVANCED Battery (save $100)

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Father’s Day doubles as the summer solstice this year, and CRAFTSMAN built a whole campaign around the extra daylight. The brand’s new Longest Day Build Hub collects family-friendly outdoor project plans with build guides and materials lists, and it links to $100 in savings on the V20 6Ah ADVANCED battery through Lowe’s, Amazon, and Ace Hardware. A battery sounds boring until you remember it’s the thing that dies mid-project. Pair it with a printed project plan from the hub and you’ve gifted an actual afternoon together.

Best car upgrade: Ottocast OttoAibox P3 Pro

Ottocast OttoAibox P3 Pro $249

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Plenty of dads drive cars with infotainment systems frozen somewhere around 2018. The Ottocast OttoAibox P3 Pro is a $249 box that plugs into the existing wired CarPlay port and converts it into wireless CarPlay and Android Auto running on Android 13, with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and an AI voice assistant on board. It even adds split-screen and HDMI output for backseat screens, and installation amounts to plugging it into the port his charging cable already uses.

Best for golfers: Arccos Gen 4 Smart Sensors

Arccos Gen 4 Smart Sensors $249.99

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Arccos screws a featherweight sensor into the grip of every club and turns each round into data: real shot distances, strokes-gained analysis, and AI caddie advice based on how Dad actually plays rather than how he remembers playing. The $249.99 Gen 4 kit includes 16 sensors and a year of the app membership. We covered the clubs in our main gift guide. This is the layer that tells him which ones to actually pull.

Best cheap sunglasses: Goodr BFG

Goodr BFG Sunglasses $40

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Goodr designed the BFG for big heads, wide faces, and dads who sit firmly in both categories. The $40 frames are built noticeably wider than the brand’s standard OGs, with polarized lenses and a grippy no-slip coating that stays put through a run or a round of mowing. Our main guide has a $330 pair of Vuarnets for the style investor. The BFG is for the guy who will eventually sit on his sunglasses, and we both know which one your dad is.

Best summer shirt: Icebreaker Merino 150 Tech Lite III

Icebreaker Merino 150 Tech Lite III T-Shirt $90

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Merino wool regulates temperature and shrugs off odor in a way cotton can’t, which is why hikers wear it for a week straight without apologizing to anyone. The Icebreaker Merino 150 Tech Lite III is the $90 standard-bearer of the category: a 150-gram-per-square-meter jersey tee that works on a trail, at a barbecue, and on the flight between them. REI stocks it for pickup or fast shipping, and Dad will retire three drawer-filler shirts within a week of wearing it.

Best campsite multitool: EMS Multi-Tool Shovel

EMS Multi-Tool Shovel $38.49

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The EMS Multi-Tool Shovel crams a serrated cutting edge, a flathead screwdriver, a tent peg remover, a hex wrench, a bottle opener, and somehow a peeler into one folding spade with a rope-wrapped handle. It’s the kind of object a certain type of dad will narrate to guests at the campsite. Mountain Warehouse has it for $38.49 right now, down 30 percent from $54.99, which puts it squarely in impulse-add territory.

Best grill knife: Benchmade Meatcrafter

Benchmade Meatcrafter (15505) $179.99

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Trimming a brisket with a kitchen santoku is a compromise nobody talks about. The Benchmade Meatcrafter is a $179.99 fixed-blade trimming knife with a thin 4-inch trailing-point blade made in Benchmade’s Oregon facility, built to follow the seam between meat and fat instead of plowing through it. The grippy Santoprene handle survives wet hands and barbecue grease. It ships fast through Amazon, and it earns a permanent spot in the grill caddy.

Best concert companion: EarPeace Music Pro earplugs

EarPeace Music Pro Earplugs $39.95

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Concerts regularly run loud enough to do permanent damage over a long show, and foam plugs solve that by making the band sound like it’s playing inside a mattress. The EarPeace Music Pro takes a different approach: $39.95 buys swappable high-fidelity filters in 16, 20, and 24-decibel strengths that lower the volume while keeping vocals and instruments intact. The low-profile silicone tips disappear into the ear, so nobody at the show will even notice he’s wearing them.

Best fun analog gift: Tiny Vinyl at Target

Tiny Vinyl 4-Inch Records $14.99

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Tiny Vinyl presses real, playable records onto 4-inch discs that spin on any standard 33rpm turntable, with one song per side in a miniature gatefold jacket. At $14.99 each at Target, they’re the rare music gift that works as a stocking-stuffer-sized object with actual function. Vinyl dads already have the album. They don’t have the album in a format the size of a drink coaster, and that’s exactly the point.

Best conversation starter: AncestryDNA kit

AncestryDNA Kit $39

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AncestryDNA’s Father’s Day sale cuts the kit to $39 through June 22, a 65 percent drop from the list price. The kit itself is a saliva sample and a few weeks of waiting, which sounds like a terrible last-minute gift until you realize the reveal works on a printed card. Dads who claim they want nothing will still spend a full evening explaining the results to everyone within earshot.

Best for the family fixer: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit $74.99

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You know the dad who repairs everyone’s phones, laptops, and game controllers whether they ask or not. The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit is his $74.99 service award: a 64-bit driver kit with precision bits for every fastener the electronics industry has invented to keep people out, plus opening picks, spudgers, tweezers, and a suction handle, all in a roll-up case. iFixit built its reputation on free repair guides, so the toolkit comes with a library attached.

Best garden shortcut: Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand

Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand $574

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Hydroponics skips the part of gardening where things die. The Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand is a self-watering, self-fertilizing tower that grows 18 to 36 plants in four square feet of patio, starting from live seedlings instead of seeds, with first harvests in about three weeks. The 18-plant version runs $574, and code DAD20 takes 20 percent off growing systems through Father’s Day. It ships free, and the seedlings arrive after the stand does, which conveniently makes the timing problem disappear.

Best home bar flex: Euhomy Rock Pro Sphere Ice Maker

Euhomy Rock Pro Sphere Ice Maker $349

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The Euhomy Rock Pro turns out 2.5-inch crystal-clear ice spheres, three at a time, and keeps up to nine of them frozen in a sub-zero bin so they’re ready whenever someone reaches for the bourbon. A sphere melts more slowly than any other shape, which means less watered-down whiskey, per the math behind our ice maker guide picks. The $499.99 machine shipped in late May, and Euhomy flags stock as limited, so this is the entry to grab first. Stainless steel, aluminum, and leather casework mean it lives on the bar, not in a cabinet.

Best bag for going from the office to off-the-grid: Peak Design Travel Weekender 25L

Peak Design Travel Weekender 25L $199.95

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If your dad is the type to travel, but his favorite duffel is giving sports bag more than jet-set, give him an upgrade from the faint smell of gym socks and security-line sweat. After a successful Kickstarter, Peak Design has brought its Travel Weekender 25L to retail, a perfect clamshell carry-on for a quick trip. A structured, stand-up shape, with origami-inspired organization, it offers plenty of space for clothes and chargers, toiletries and a tablet, emergency snacks and an extra layer. And the smooth UltraZips plus internal stretch structure helps keep everything findable. With its luggage passthrough, it can ride shotgun on a roller, and its weatherproof Versa Shell fabric protects it on its perch. Whether it’s a work trip or a relaxing getaway, Dad will appreciate a bag you can throw anything in and anything at.

Best bag accessory with personality: Par Bleu Golf Towel

Par Bleu Golf Towel $29

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Dad’s golf bag deserves better than a rag that looks like it belongs in the garage, not on the green. Par Bleu Golf’s premium microfiber towels let him keep his clubs clean and his personality clear. These 16″ x 24″ towels come in designs ranging from argyle and plaid to vintage club art, patriotic patterns, fish, motivational mantras, the gold balls shown above, and more. They have three grommets and a silver carabiner for easy hanging, and the towels are machine-washable, so all that bunker dust doesn’t stick around.

Best big screen for the big games: Sony BRAVIA 9 II

Sony BRAVIA True RGB TV Starting at $3,598

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If Dad talks about glare till your eyes glaze over, or is the type to talk BT.2020 color coverage until your brain fades to black, you owe it to him and yourself to upgrade his display with the best contrast and color. And Sony’s BRAVIA 9 II (currently available in 65″, 75″, 85″) does just that by bringing True RGB to the table (or is that to the credenza or wall mount). With its independently controlled red, green, and blue LEDs, Triluminos Max + Luminance Booster Pro for smoother gradation and measured hues, and Sony’s best anti-glare tech to date, the BRAVIA 9 II delivers OLED-like color volume and inky blacks with bloom control and Mini LED-level brightness. Combining that RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro with the XR Processor/AI scene recognition and X-Wide Angle Pro means real-time cleanup (without the soap opera effect) and more consistency across more seats, which is great for when Dad wants to invite friends over for the big game or to watch golf, etc. … even with the blinds open. Plus, trickle-down technology from Sony’s professional color-grading monitors lets Dad boast that his movie nights preserve creators’ intent with maximum accuracy.

Want the sonic equivalent of widescreen? You can always get him a pair of Sony’s luxury flagship 1000X The ColleXion headphones.

Best commute concert hall: Devialet Gemini II TWS Audiophile Earbuds

Devialet Gemini II Earbuds $499

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True wireless earbuds from audacious Parisian audio designers known for high-output, huge-impression wireless speakers, the Gemini II packs audiophile sound and polished hi-fi appeal into Dad’s pocket. The 10mm titanium-coated drivers bring low-distortion detail and precise speed to musical passages, no matter how busy. Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX/AAC/SBC codec support and the Adaptive Noise Cancellation ensures fewer artifacts and environmental intrusions come between Dad and jams. If Dad values soundstage and dynamics whether he’s commuting or decompressing, the Gemini II transforms streaming into a proper listening session.

Best sophisticated sipper: Chopin Family Reserve Vodka

Chopin Vodka Family Reserve $129.99

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The best quality of most vodka is that it’s neutral to a fault. But “you can barely taste it” is not your dad’s personality, so Chopin Vodka Family Reserve is more his speed. This super-premium spirit has the kind of backstory and flavor profile that will keep it on the bar cart, not in the freezer door (it doesn’t hurt that it comes in a stately gift-boxed bottle). It’s made from a rare young potato that imparts a sweeter, earthier character, and then it’s rested for two years in 50-year-old Polish oak barrels. That gives it a texture and talking points, letting Dad pontificate over a neat pour or martini when he needs a break from the Manhattans.

Best kung-fu crunch: WA-CHAA! Spicy Sichuan Peanuts

WA-CHAA! The Kung-Fu Cult Classic $49.99 (24 Pouches)

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Dad loves the Shaw Brothers and Shaolin Soccer. Dad loves the Wu-Tang Clan’s kung-fu samples. Dad has excellent taste, and he wants a snack that tastes excellent. Dad is gonna love these peanuts seasoned with Szechuan peppercorns. Not a pepper in the traditional sense, they impart a citrusy sensation more than Capsaicin’s Scoville intensity. Think less Hole-Puckering Hellscape Hot Sauce and more licking a 9V battery, but in a good way. You can pick from four varieties, including ones with chili flakes if Dad likes to break a sweat. No matter what you pick, he gets crunchy, protein-rich peanuts roasted in avocado oil … the perfect snack for a Bruce Lee marathon.

Best way to lock in without getting tweaked out: magic mind Mental Performance Shots

magic mind Mental Performance Shots Starting at $45

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Dad’s been running on long lists and lukewarm coffee for years. Maybe give his brain something with a little more intention. Magic Mind is a 2-ounce mental performance shot designed for sharper focus, steadier energy, and long-term cognitive support, built around clinically backed ingredients, third-party testing, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, and cognitive support compounds. The useful part is the caffeine choice: FREE has 0mg, Original has 55mg, and MAXX has 165mg, so you can match the gift to his actual tolerance instead of handing a caffeine-sensitive dad a tiny bottle of regret. It’s easy to stash in a bag, desk drawer, gym tote, or morning routine, which helps if his day tends to start fast and get weirder. Or, if he has the opposite problem after a long day, there is magic mind Sleep with no sugar and quickly delivered microdose melatonin to improve falling, and staying, asleep. For the dad with 47 tabs open in his head, this herbal supplement is a small-but-mighty reset. Brain fog, meet “already handled it” calm.

Best coffee beans for a man on a mission: Black Rifle Coffee Company

Black Rifle Coffee Company Whole Bean Starting at $16.99

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Some dads make coffee. Yours initiates morning operations. And this military-themed roaster (founded by veteran and musician Mat Best) is the right fuel for a man who would see weak coffee as a failure of leadership and give you a lecture on readiness. Inside the patriotic packaging, you’ll find beans that are bright and crisp with wheels-up acidity or dark and briefing-room bold. Whether Dad’s mission is a workday, setting up the kettle for low-and-slow smoking, or an early tee time, Black Rifle has beans to give him some proper reveille energy—whole bean or ground, single bag or subscription.

Best towable tailgate: RovR RollR Wheeled Hard Cooler

RovR RollR Wheeled Hard Cooler $224.99 – $299.99

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Whether Dad is in the parking lot, at the beach, or on the sidelines, he can turn anywhere into party central with the right provisions. And a RovR RollR lets him establish base camp with less hassle. The 9-inch inflatable all-terrain tires ensure drinks, grill ingredients, and anything safe from meltwater in the DryBin Mini gets across asphalt or sand and over grass or gravel, with assistance from the telescoping Dual MotoGrip handle. And the durable hard-sided build holds up, whether it’s 30 qt or 45 qt of hospitality that Dad’s hauling.

Best portable perch: YETI Trailhead Field Chair

YETI Trailhead Field Chair $225

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Every dad has a chair that he claims. Not officially, not out loud, but everyone knows not to sit in it. This is that chair, just portable. The Trailhead Field Chair takes YETI’s usual formula, overbuilt, deeply comfortable, but indulgently practical. It’s the newest model and now the lightest they make at under 9.5 pounds, so it can move from backyard to campsite to fishing spot without feeling like you’re hauling patio furniture into the wild.

It opens the way a chair should: no instructions, no levers, no minor engineering project. Just unfold it and sit down. The seat has enough structure to feel supportive, but enough give to stay comfortable long after the burgers are gone and someone’s telling a story that should’ve ended 10 minutes ago. The materials are doing some quiet work here. Instead of the usual tight mesh, YETI uses its Twilite fabric, which feels softer and more forgiving, less “gear,” more “actual place you want to sit.” It still has that solid, planted feel YETI is known for, the kind that doesn’t shift or sink every time you lean. It’s not a casual purchase. But it’s the kind of gift that slowly becomes part of the routine, dragged outside for “just a minute,” then still there hours later, occupied, of course, by dad.

Best retro aviator sunglasses: Smith Optics Truss

Smith Truss sunglasses Starting at $197

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If Dad has strong opinions about gear (or just sweats through most of summer), these hit a nice middle ground between sporty and actually wearable off the trail. The Truss is lightweight to the point where you forget you’re wearing it, with soft, grippy nose pads and arms that keep them in place whether he’s biking, hiking, or just standing in direct sun pretending he’s fine.

Smith’s ChromaPop lenses are the main draw here—they boost contrast and color so everything looks a little sharper, with polarized options to cut glare. The retro aviator shape is very right now, and there are multiple colorways to choose from, depending on how bold you want to go. (Worth noting: the non-polarized versions have small vent cutouts for airflow, while polarized lenses skip that detail. They also come with a surprisingly useful roll-top case that can clip onto a bag, plus a built-in microfiber cloth, which is one of those small things that ends up mattering more than expected.

The post The best last-minute Father’s Day gifts for any dad appeared first on Popular Science.

Outdoor gear is awesome, but it’s also typically expensive. The REI Anniversary Sale cuts 25% or more off brands like KEEN, Oboz, Smartwool, NEMO, Big Agnes, Mountain Hardwear, Outdoor Research, and Black Diamond, and The North Face. The window runs May 15 through May 25, which is shorter than most retailer sales and a lot easier to plan around than something like Memorial Day weekend.

The deepest discounts in the whole event are a members-only 40% off the REI Co-op Magma 30 sleeping bag and the Half Dome 2 tent, both of which close after Sunday May 17, so move fast if either is on your list. REI Co-op members can also stack the code ANNIV26 for an extra 20% off one full-price item and 20% off one outlet item through the end of the sale. If you’ve been putting off a new tent, boot, or down jacket since last summer, this is the window. Our picks across the whole sale are below, with the strongest deals featured up top and the rest organized by what you’re shopping for.

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Down Hoody (Men's) $363.69 (was $485.00)

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The Ghost Whisperer UL is the lightest down hoody Mountain Hardwear makes, and it’s the most direct competitor to the Patagonia Down Sweater in this entire sale. 1000-fill responsibly sourced down, a shell that weighs next to nothing, and the kind of warmth-to-weight ratio that makes it the obvious answer for ultralight backpacking and alpine fast-packing. $121 off lands it at $363.69, which is the lowest this jacket gets all year.

Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots (Men's) $138.69 (was $185.00)

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The Moab is the best-selling hiking boot in the United States, and the Speed 2 is the lighter, more athletic version that runs closer to a trail-running shoe than the classic Moab. GORE-TEX waterproof, Vibram outsole, and a midsole that lets you actually move at hike pace. Every Moab 2 and Speed 2 is at 25% off in this sale, so women’s and low-cut versions hit the same percentage if either fits your foot better.

REI Co-op Magma 30 Sleeping Bag $215.39 (was $359.00)

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The Magma 30 is the lightest down sleeping bag REI makes under its own label, and it tends to land near the top of best-of lists for three-season backpacking because it splits the difference between weight and warmth without pushing into the premium price tier. The 40% members-only cut is the deepest discount in this entire sale, but it expires after Sunday May 17. If you’re not a member yet, the $30 membership pays for itself on this single item.

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Tent $449.89 (was $600.00)

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This is the standard in its class. It pitches with two trekking poles or its own pole set, weighs just over three pounds for the two-person version, and has the kind of headroom that makes a small backpacking tent actually feel livable on a wet afternoon.

The North Face Stormbreak 2 Tent $164.99 (was $220.00)

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Cheap tents typically don’t last. The Stormbreak is one of the few car-camping tents at this price that doesn’t feel like a single-season disposable. Two doors, two vestibules, an aluminum pole structure that pitches in under five minutes, and weatherproofing that actually holds up in a real downpour. At $164.99 it’s the easiest entry into name-brand backpacking gear in the entire sale.

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Sapphire $849.99 (was $1,100.00)

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The fēnix 8 sits at the top of Garmin’s multisport watch lineup, and outside of Black Friday window pricing this is the steepest cut we’ve seen on the AMOLED Sapphire variant. You get the brighter display, the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, built-in flashlight, and the full set of training metrics that make a $1,100 watch feel justifiable for serious trail running and bikepacking.

KEEN Targhee Apex Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots $142.49 (was $190.00)

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The Targhee line is KEEN’s most-recommended day-hiking boot, and the new Apex update makes it stiffer in the midsole, lighter overall, and faster to break in than the long-running Targhee III it replaces. Waterproof membrane, all-leather upper, and the wide toebox KEEN is known for. The full KEEN catalog is 25% off in this sale, but this is the standout in my opinion.

Yakima OnRamp LX E-Bike Hitch Rack $799.19 (was $999.00)
Electric bikes are heavy, which makes lugging them tricky. The OnRamp LX is built specifically for hauling heavy e-bikes, with a 70-pound-per-bike weight capacity and an integrated ramp so you don’t have to deadlift a 60-pound battery-and-motor bike up to chest height. The 20% off all Yakima racks is the deepest cut they see all year. Same percentage applies across Yakima’s OutPost HD truck-bed rack, SkyBox cargo boxes, and roof boxes.

Tents and shelter deals at the REI Anniversary Sale

NEMO, Big Agnes, and REI Co-op all get the full 25% off across their tent lineups, which makes this the deepest tent sale on the calendar. Two extras worth flagging: REI Co-op members get the Half Dome 2 Tent with footprint for 40% off through May 17, and Mountain Hardwear tents are also included at 25%.

• NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P Tent $449.89 (was $600)
• Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 Tent $487.39 (was $650)
• NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 2P Tent $524.89 (was $700)
• Big Agnes Tiger Wall Platinum 2 Tent $524.89 (was $700)
• NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 2P Tent $359.89 (was $480)
• NEMO Aurora Highrise 4P Tent $299.89 (was $400)
• Big Agnes Crag Lake 3 Tent $299.89 (was $400)
• REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus Tent with Footprint $276.69 (was $369)
• REI Co-op Westward 4 Tent $336.69 (was $449)
• Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent with Footprint $299.99 (was $400)

Sleeping bag and pad deals at REI

The REI Co-op Magma 30 bag in the featured section above is the standout, but there’s real value across NEMO and Mountain Hardwear as well. Note that the Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt and Magma 15 are different products from the member-only Magma 30 bag, and they’re available at 25% off to everyone.

• REI Co-op Magma 15 Sleeping Bag $299.19 (was $399)
• REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt $246.69 (was $329)
• NEMO Sonic 0 Sleeping Bag $434.89 (was $580)
• NEMO Disco 15 Sleeping Bag $224.89 (was $300)
• NEMO Disco 30 Sleeping Bag $209.89 (was $280)
• Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15 Sleeping Bag $251.19 (was $335)
• Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 Sleeping Bag $303.69 (was $405)
• NEMO Tensor Extreme Sleeping Pad $194.89 (was $260)

Hiking boot and footwear deals at REI

The footwear side of this sale is the most aggressive, with 25% off every pair of KEEN, every pair of Oboz, every Merrell Moab 2 or Speed 2, and selected Altra trail runners and gaiters. Danner, La Sportiva, and selected The North Face boots are also at 25%.

• KEEN Durand II Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots – Men’s $164.99 (was $220)
• KEEN Targhee Apex Waterproof Hiking Shoes $134.99 (was $180)
• Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots – Women’s $138.69 (was $185)
• Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots – Men’s $179.99 (was $240)
• Oboz Sawtooth X Low Waterproof Hiking Shoes – Women’s $138.69 (was $185)
• Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX Hiking Boots – Men’s $187.39 (was $250)
• Danner Trail 2650 GTX Hiking Shoes – Men’s $157.39 (was $210)
• Altra Olympus 6 Hike Low GTX Shoes – Men’s $157.49 (was $210)
• La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX Mountaineering Boots – Women’s $284.19 (was $379)
• The North Face Offtrail Hike LT Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots – Men’s $164.99 (was $220)

Outerwear and apparel deals at REI

All Outdoor Research clothing and outerwear, all Mountain Hardwear clothing (except Kor Airshell), all Smartwool, all REI Co-op apparel, and selected The North Face are 25% off. The down jacket category is where the real upgrades sit, but the prAna Stretch Zion line and selected KUHL pants are also worth a look if you’re replacing daily-driver hiking pants.

• The North Face Hikesteller Parka – Women’s $172.49 (was $230)
• Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Down Hoody – Men’s $363.69 (was $485)
• Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie – Men’s $224.19 (was $299)
• Cotopaxi Pacaya 2.0 Insulated Hooded Jacket – Men’s $183.69 (was $245)
• The North Face Alta Vista Rain Jacket – Men’s $119.99 (was $160)
• Outdoor Research Foray 3L Rain Jacket – Men’s $194.99 (was $260)
• Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Rain Jacket – Men’s $194.99 (was $260)
• Smartwool Intraknit Thermal Merino Crew Base Layer – Women’s $112.49 (was $150)
• prAna Stretch Zion Cargo Pants – Men’s $77.99 (was $104)
• KUHL Renegade Recon Pants – Men’s $74.19 (was $99)

Backpack and travel bag deals at REI

Osprey’s entire pack lineup is at 25%, including the Atmos AG and Aura AG suspension packs that show up on more best-backpacking-pack lists than any other model. Gregory, Black Diamond, and Mountain Hardwear packs are also included.

• Osprey Atmos AG 65 Pack – Men’s $277.49 (was $370)
• Osprey Aura AG 65 Pack – Women’s $277.49 (was $370)
• Osprey Exos 58 Pack – Men’s $213.69 (was $285)
• Osprey Eja 58 Pack – Women’s $213.69 (was $285)
• Mountain Hardwear Scrambler 35 Pack $161.19 (was $215)
• Black Diamond Speed Ultra 35L Pack $374.89 (was $500)
• Cotopaxi Viaje 35L Travel Duffel $97.49 (was $130)

Bike rack and car rack deals at REI

Yakima and Thule racks are both 20% off across the board. That includes hitch-mount bike racks, rooftop cargo boxes, and roof racks. If you’re thinking about a summer road trip setup, this is the moment.

• Yakima OnRamp LX E-Bike Hitch Rack $799.19 (was $999)
• Yakima SkyBox NX XL Cargo Box $679.19 (was $849)
• Yakima OutPost HD Truck Bed Rack $639.19 (was $799)
• Thule Epos 2 Bike Rack $1039.89 (was $1300)
• Thule Motion 3 XL Cargo Box $919.89 (was $1150)
• Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack $719.89 (was $900)

Outdoor electronics and watch deals at REI

Garmin discounts run across the entire smartwatch and GPS lineup. The fēnix 8 in the featured section is the highest-dollar cut, but the Instinct 3 AMOLED and Forerunner 165 are the easier-to-justify picks if you don’t need every triathlon metric. The inReach Mini 3 satellite communicator is also discounted, which is unusual.

• Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED $749.99 (was $1000)
• Garmin fēnix 8 Solar Sapphire $849.99 (was $1100)
• Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED $299.99 (was $400)
• Garmin Forerunner 165 $199.99 (was $250)
• Garmin Vivoactive 6 $249.99 (was $300)
• Garmin inReach Mini 3 Satellite Communicator $399.99 (was $450)

REI Outlet adds 50% off May 19 to 21

From May 19 through May 21, REI Outlet stacks an additional discount on select online-only items, with markdowns reaching 50% off. Members can also apply the ANNIV26 coupon for an extra 20% on one Outlet item. Outlet stock is limited and isn’t restocked, so sizes go fast.

The post REI just dropped its biggest sale of the year and it’s blowing out apparel, camping gear, and more for clearance prices appeared first on Popular Science.

Every dad is different. Some of them are weird (like me) and some of them are weirdly normal. Either way, finding the best Father’s Day gift can be a challenge. That’s why we’re here. We spend all day reviewing and recommending products, so we have fantastic alternatives to the typical ties and beef jerky fare. So, regardless of what your pops is into, there’s something on this list for them. And hey, chuck a crayon drawing in there instead of a card. A little sappy nostalgia never hurts on Father’s Day.

Best tabletop campsite lantern: GigaPower Tabletop Lantern

GigaPower Tabletop Lantern $100

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The Snow Peak Tabletop LED Lantern is a $100 dimmable camp light that produces a warm even glow rather than the white blast of most camp lanterns. Snow Peak is the Japanese outdoor brand that designs camp gear like high-end furniture: matte aluminum body, frosted diffuser, tactile aluminum knobs. It runs on Snow Peak’s proprietary battery or USB. It looks at home on a campsite picnic table or on a nightstand in your bedroom, which is the design language Snow Peak has made its signature.

Best illustrated reference book: Hungry Minds The Book

Hungry Minds The Book $119

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The Hungry Minds Book is a hand-illustrated encyclopedia of mechanisms, biology, optics, and social systems, 400 pages from a small Florida-based studio. Every illustration starts as a pencil sketch and finishes in lithographic ink. The cover is silver-embossed and the binding is sewn. Chapters cover anatomy, bicycles, animation, festivals, and sushi, which sounds scattered until you spend twenty minutes inside one. A five-pound coffee-table object that rewards being opened. Popular Science readers can get the premium gift box for free by clicking ‘see it’ above. The first 20 customers can get 20% off with LEARNLIKEDAD20.

Best heritage sunglasses: Vuarnet Racing 05

Vuarnet Racing 05 sunglasses $330

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The Vuarnet Racing 05 sunglasses come equipped with mineral glass lenses instead of polycarbonate, which makes them slightly heavier but offers a visibly sharper image with optical clarity polycarbonate doesn’t match. The acetate frame is hand-finished in Italy. The Racing 05 is the investment pair that replaces three rounds of $100 sunglasses and tends to outlast the cars it rides along in.

Best alpine shell jacket: Norrøna Falketind dri1

Norrøna Falketind dri1 Jacket $399

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The Norrøna Falketind dri1 is a $399 lightweight rain shell built around dri1, Norrøna’s own waterproof-breathable membrane. The cut is alpine, seams are minimized to reduce failure points, and the jacket packs into its own hood pocket. Skimp on a jacket in this category and it will start to flake and disintegrate a year or two in. You won’t have that problem here. With proper care, this will last for years, even under heavy use.

Best limited-edition notebook: Moleskine NASA-Inspired Edition

Moleskine NASA-Inspired Limited Edition Notebook $37

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The Moleskine NASA-Inspired Notebook is a $37 limited edition with Apollo-era graphic design on the cover and a sealed envelope at the back containing a small commemorative print. Inside, it’s the classic Moleskine ruled paper that has barely changed in decades because users love it so much. The whole package feels like a nice gift and it’ll actually come in handy for everyday use.

Best digital writing tablet: reMarkable Paper Pure

reMarkable Paper Pure $399

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The reMarkable Paper Pure is a $399 e-ink writing tablet that drops the front light and color display of the Paper Pro to bring the price down by $180, per our full review. The textured screen and 21-millisecond pen-to-ink latency match the Pro’s, so the writing feel doesn’t compromise. The chassis is built with screws and snaps for repairability, weighs 0.79 pounds, and the battery runs three weeks on an hour of daily note-taking.

Best leash: Ruffwear Ridgeline

Ruffwear Ridgeline Lead $69.99

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If your pop loves his pooch, get him a leash worthy of his best friend. The reflective mesh leash is super durable, so even large dogs can pull on it without worry. The wrist loop closes with a simple magnetic Fidlock clip, so it’s easy to get on and off, but only when you want to. The auto-locking Talon Clip provides a super-sturdy point of contact with a leash or a harness, so the whole package is secure (and handsome) from end to end.

Best chore coat: Carhartt Crafted Series Drill Painter Chore Coat

Carhartt Crafted Series Drill Painter Chore Coat $150

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Carhartt jackets look better once they’re broken in and that’s especially true here. Made from 9-ounce 100% cotton drill, this jacket is designed to break in and patina the way Carhartt’s original painter coats did a century ago. The rest of the feature sheet includes Two-piece sleeves for mobility, metal button front, snap cuffs, an interior chest pocket, and exterior pockets sized for brushes and carpenter pencils. The Crafted Series is Carhartt’s elevated line with cleaner cuts over the same construction. You’ll want to steal it once your dad has worked in it for a while.

Best EDC flashlight: Olight ArkPro Ultra

Olight ArkPro Ultra $129.99

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This is four light sources in one body: a 1,700-lumen flood, an 800-lumen spot, a 365-nanometer UV mode for inspection work, and a green laser pointer. It charges magnetically or over USB-C, and the flat aluminum body is comfortable in a pocket in a way most cylindrical flashlights are not. This is a gift he’ll carry around with him every single day.

Best garage storage bins: DECKED Payloader

DECKED Payloader 32L 3-Pack from $125

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DECKED is best known for engineered truck-bed drawer systems, but the Payloader is a stackable garage storage bin engineered to bring tough storage into the house. Sizes run 32 to 133 liters, lids hold up to 200 pounds static, and the bins lock into a Stable Stack formation so a tower of three doesn’t slide off itself. Lifetime warranty. I’ve been testing these in my house for a few weeks and I’ve already dropped them several times with no breakage.

Best cutting board: STEELPORT SteelCore Cutting Board

STEELPORT SteelCore Cutting Board (Oregon Maple, 18×12) $240

<img class="attachment-post-thumb-medium size-full" src="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?quality=85&w=768" srcset="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=370&h=208 370w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=384&h=216 384w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=580&h=326 580w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=660&h=371 660w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=704&h=396 704w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/steelport-cutting-board.jpg?w=768&h=432 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" alt="Steelport SteelCore 2-in-1 Walnut Cutting Board" width="768" height="432" loading="lazy" />

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This edge-grain Oregon big-leaf maple board has a steel matrix embedded inside it, which keeps the board flat against the dimensional movement that warps and splits ordinary wooden boards over time. STEELPORT hand-finishes them in Portland. The Oregon Maple variant has a recycled paper-composite reverse with a juice groove for raw proteins. At 0.75 inches thick, STEELPORT claims it’s the thinnest end-grain board on the market. Plus, it looks nice enough to keep on the counter all the time without having to stash it away in a cabinet.

Best adventure smartwatch: Suunto Vertical 2

Suunto Vertical 2 (Stainless Steel) $599

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A 1.5-inch AMOLED screen peaks at 2,000 nits of brightness, so this adventure-ready watch is visible in just about any conditions. Dual-frequency GNSS provides accurate location data even if you’re battling a canyon or tree-cover. Free downloadable offline maps and a 65-hour run time per charge (with GPS turned on) make this a wearable that you can rely on during off-grid adventures.

Best high-resolution camera: Sony Alpha 7R VI

Alpha 7R VI: Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera $4,499.99

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Yes, this is an expensive camera, but consider this a passive aggressive attempt on my part to get my kids to buy me one. The A7R VI is built around a 66.8-megapixel fully-stacked Exmor RS sensor and shoots blackout-free continuous bursts at 30 frames per second. That means photographers don’t have to choose between high-res images and high-speed shooting. Dynamic range hits 16 stops. In-body stabilization claims up to 8.5 stops under ideal circumstances. Real-time Recognition AF+ uses skeletal pose estimation to predict where a moving subject’s face will be next. This is a beast of a camera that’s worthy of pro work.

Best propane fire pit: Solo Stove Infinity Flame

Solo Stove Infinity Flame $599.99

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Not every dad is great at building a fire with wood, and that’s OK. The Infinity relies on a propane tank you swap when it runs dry. Twin burners put out up to 72,000 BTUs combined, the unit runs five and a half hours on a 20-pound tank at maximum output, and the dual-burner geometry recreates the swirl pattern of a real wood fire. You get all the ambiance and warmth without the kindling, false starts, and ash cleanup.

Best portable jump starter: NOCO Boost GB40

NOCO Boost GB40 $99.95

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Despite its small size, this box delivers 1,000 amps of starting power, enough for any gas engine up to six liters or any diesel up to three. It weighs 2.4 pounds and works as a portable USB power bank. The built-in 100-lumen LED offers seven modes of illumination depending on your needs. All those featured are wrapped in an IP65-rated case to protect against dust and water. It may really get your dad (or you) out of a jam down the line.

Best work boot: KEEN Utility Targhee Blur

KEEN Utility Targhee Blur Waterproof (Carbon Toe) $210

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The KEEN Utility Targhee Blur is a $210 lightweight work boot, the work-boot version of KEEN’s long-running Targhee hiker. KEEN’s ReGEN+ midsole returns 60 percent of energy per step, the carbon-fiber composite safety toe is 15 percent lighter than steel and meets ASTM F3445 and F2413. Inside, the KEEN.DRY membrane keeps water out without trapping moisture in. The Targhee Blur is available in mid or low collar heights, both with reflective webbing for low-light visibility. Plus, they look a lot cooler than your dad’s old boots.

Best cooling underwear: Duluth Trading Armachillo Cooling Boxer Briefs 3-Pack

Duluth Trading Armachillo Cooling Boxer Briefs 3-Pack $74.50

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Many dads aren’t willing to splurge on underwear, so you have to do it for them. Jade-infused cooling fabric make these boxer briefs some of the most comfortable we’ve ever worn at work or the gym. Microscopic jade particles embedded in the nylon-spandex knit are dense enough to draw heat away from the skin, which makes the fabric measurably cool to the touch and not just moisture-wicking. The Armachillo briefs solve an actual hot-summer problem in a way most $25-a-pair boxer briefs cannot.

Best electric shaver: Philips Norelco i9000

Philips Norelco i9000 Wet & Dry Shaver with SenseIQ $229.96

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Disposable razors are over. This rechargeable shaver has a SenseIQ sensor inside that reads beard density 500 times per second and modulates cutting power on the fly. The Triple Lift & Cut head pulls flat-lying hairs upright before cutting them, which is the difference between a clean shave and a close-but-not-quite one. The motor and battery carry a five-year warranty. Self-sharpening blades last two years between replacements.

Best gaming headset: Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II Wireless Gaming Headset $349.99

<img class="attachment-post-thumb-medium size-full" src="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?quality=85&w=768" srcset="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=370&h=208 370w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=384&h=216 384w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=580&h=326 580w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=660&h=371 660w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=704&h=396 704w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/turtle-Beach-Stealth-Pro-II-Headset-.jpg?w=768&h=432 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" alt="Stealth Pro II Headset" width="768" height="432" loading="lazy" />

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The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II runs 60-millimeter Eclipse dual drivers, Japan Audio Society-certified 24-bit/96kHz hi-res wireless over a 2.4GHz USB transmitter, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and adjustable active noise cancellation. Does that sound nerdy? Yes, but it’s also awesome and if your dad is a true gamer, he’ll appreciate all of it. Dual swappable 40-hour batteries mean zero downtime between charges. CrossPlay 2.0 handles up to four USB transmitters, so the Stealth Pro II moves between PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Bluetooth without rewiring.

Best washable wool rug: Revival Rugs Mori

Revival Rugs Mori Washable Wool Rug (6' x 9', Guava) $799

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Dad needs a rug to tie the room together. The Revival Rugs Mori is a $799 hand-knotted wool rug (in the 6′ × 9′ size) built around a washable construction most wool rugs can’t claim. Revival works with artisan partners on washable yarns and weave geometry that survive a wash cycle without the dry-cleaning intervention traditional wool rugs require. Three colorways: Guava, Matcha, Sakura. The Mori is the rug pick for someone who appreciates the look of a hand-knotted wool rug without the maintenance overhead.

Best mechanical keyboard: CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless

CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless $249.99

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You don’t have to know how magnets work to appreciate this high-end keyboard. Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) switches replace the typical sensors most premium gaming keyboards rely on. CHERRY claims 0.01-millimeter precision and lower power draw than Hall-effect equivalents. The 8,000Hz polling rate works in 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or wired modes. Hot-swappable sockets accept the brand’s magnetic switches or traditional mechanical switches, which is rare in the category. TKL layout, PBT keycaps, 300 hours of gaming on the 8,000mAh battery. Plus, it sounds awesome.

Best flat-top grill: Traeger Irontop 2-Burner

Traeger Irontop 2-Burner Griddle $499

<img class="attachment-post-thumb-medium size-full" src="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?quality=85&w=768" srcset="https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=370&h=208 370w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=384&h=216 384w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=580&h=326 580w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=660&h=371 660w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=704&h=396 704w, https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/traeger-Irontop-2-Burner.jpg?w=768&h=432 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" alt="Traeger Irontop 2-Burner" width="768" height="432" loading="lazy" />

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The Traeger Irontop 2-Burner is a $499 flat-top grill provides edge-to-edge heat across the cooktop as default rather than luxury. That means the burgers at the center of the surface cook at the same speed as those around the edge. The two-burner has 504 square inches of cooking surface. The four-burner steps up to 648 square inches at $599. Both ship with integrated wind guards, a P.A.L. accessory rail, side shelves, and a three-year warranty.

Best pocket knife: Opinel No. 12 Explore

Opinel No. 12 Explore $60

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Ticks are the worst, but they’re a way of life when you spend a lot of time outside. The Opinel No. 12 Explore is a $60 folding knife with a built-in tick remover, a notched slot on the handle that slides under an embedded tick and lifts the head out cleanly. If you don’t get the whole bug out, it could regenerate over time and increase your risk of disease. A Virobloc safety ring locks the blade and the handle is glass-filled polyamide.

Best commuter backpack: Chrome Industries Barrage 18L

Chrome Industries Barrage 18L Pack $155

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Roll top bags can save your gadgets and everyday carry during bad weather. The welded main compartment is exceptionally resistant to the elements, which makes this a great pack for commuting or spending time outdoors. The Barrage has an exterior webbing cargo net for awkward loads and an internal 15-inch laptop sleeve. The floating tarp liner is made from recycled auto-glass and the main fabric is 1050D recycled nylon. PFAS-free. Best of all: it looks really cool.

Best personal cooler: Yeti Roadie 8

Yeti Roadie 8 Hard Cooler $165

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The smallest cooler in Yeti’s lineup is sized for one person going out for the day rather than a family tailgate. It holds 12 cans or nine pounds of ice with the same Permafrost pressure-injected polyurethane insulation and ColdLock gasket as the big Tundra. The AnchorPoint tie-down slots are built to strap the cooler to a paddleboard, motorcycle saddle, ATV, or golf cart. To make it an even better gift, fill it up with cans of Arnold Palmer (or any other beverage he may like).

Best submersible dry bag: Watershed Ocoee

Watershed Ocoee Drybag from $167

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The Watershed Ocoee is a submersible dry bag from $167 in standard colors, sized to fit under a kayak deck or a boat seat. The ZipDry zipper is the same closure Watershed sells into the military waterproof-gear category, rated IP68 for full submersion rather than splash resistance. 10.5 liters of capacity, 1.5 pounds, plus rugged carry handles and hard lash points for tie-downs.

Best driver for forgiveness: Cobra OPTM X

Cobra OPTM X Driver $599+

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If your dad is the type whose tee shots occasionally need a search party, the Cobra OPTM X driver is 2026’s rescue club. Bringing “stay in play” energy, this glossy black fairway finder has a carbon crown that looks sharp at address, plus a subtle “C” that works as a clean, non-distracting alignment cue. It feels well-balanced, especially in 44.5” Tour Length for increased accuracy, and brings real forgiveness through the MOI (Moment of Inertia) and POI (Products of Inertia) design that helps reduce twisting and side spin when contact gets spicy. Plus, FutureFit33 fine-tuning allows Dad to dial it in and stop donating balls to the woods. The adjustability makes it especially great if you don’t know how the recipient plays. (And if you’re feeling really generous and Dad’s into 3-D printing, you can help with his putting, too.)

Best high-end low-profile turntable speaker: Andover-One SB

Andover-One SB Audiophile Powered Speaker Base $1,999

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Vinyl dads can easily take over any space while building a shrine of glowing components. But they don’t have to redecorate an entire room with cascading chords to prove they care about sound. They just need an Andover-One SB and a well-maintained turntable. This powered speaker base proves component hi-fi can be high-end. It’s clean in look and sound, packing a built-in phono preamp, 200 watts powering six speakers for a fleshy, full-range response, a Class A headphone amplifier, and multiple inputs into furniture-grade wood with a tempered-glass top. For the digital-friendly dad, add a reference streamer like the Bluesound Node ICON or use Bluetooth aptX HD. The multi-driver array, featuring four 3.5-inch ultralinear aluminum-diaphragm woofers and two Air Motion Transformer folded-ribbon tweeters, works with panoramic S/M/L audio modes to tune presentation no matter the placement. And Isogroove feedback elimination keeps the platter vibration-free, no matter how freely the volume knob turns.

Best coffee grinder: Mazzer Philos

Mazzer Philos Premium Single-Dose Grinder $1,495

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Coffee nerds have so much in common with audiophiles. Both are obsessed with micro-calibrated gear and swapping components in and out in the pursuit of clarity. So if you know a dad as obsessed with puck preparation as he is running a carbon-fiber anti-static brush over every album, you know a dad who needs the Mazzer Philos premium light commercial single-dose grinder. Like a summit-fi digital audio converter, this $1,495 hand-assembled, heirloom-quality Italian appliance (available in black and silver) takes whatever beans it’s fed and extracts previously masked tasting notes with minimal morning commotion. A wide dial covers espresso to pour-over to batch brew coarseness, and the near-zero-retention vertical burr + chute knocker + Dose Finisher system lets you move between origins and brewing methods without yesterday’s beans staging a comeback. Swappable 64mm flat burrs give him a chance to tune for vibrant light and full-bodied dark roasts, and the option to switch from stepped to stepless mode gives grind settings the same obsessive precision as establishing the perfect listening position. 

Best drinkware: BrüMate Tumblers and Mugs

BrüMate Insulated Travel Drinkware $37.99.- $50.00

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Dad undoubtedly has a vibe. But what if he could have an aura?!? That’s what this collection from BrüMate brings. That and all-day hydration. The Dark Aura collection’s brushed metallic blue-purple gradient looks good on thirst-quenchers of every size, from the Strova 18oz with its flavor-preserving ceramic liner and leakproof BevLock lid to the Era Flip 40oz, a cup holder-friendly tumbler with its SoftSip straw and leakproof SlideSeal lid. Whether it’s hot coffee (ground with the Mazzer above, obviously) or a reservoir of some cold refreshing beverage, dad will feel stylish hydro-hauling in one of these twilight chrome containers.

Best compact connected speakers: Bose LifeStyle Ultra

Bose LifeStyle Ultra Speakers $299 – $1,099

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If your dad won’t admit his hearing isn’t what it used to be, but the TV volume when he watches something might be threatening to give everyone else in the room tinnitus, the Bose LifeStyle Ultra soundbar is the upgrade he needs. AI-powered Speech Clarity separates dialogue from explosions, scores, and general streaming-service murk, so he gets bigger, clearer sound without turning the living room into an endurance challenge. Add the glass-topped Subwoofer for serious low-end response, then bring in the compact Ultra Speakers as wireless rears when you want a more immersive experience. After that, dad can build a whole-home system room by room, placing speakers as compact height-enhanced endpoints or even more expressive stereo pairs fed by AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth. More detail, less subtitles and shouting matches.

Best kitchen upgrade: Boardsmith butcher block

The Boardsmith Premium End Grain Butcher Block $230+

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When it comes to cooks, you already think Dad is a cut above. Even before you taste anything, you know based on his taste in knives and his actual knife skills. He turns mise-en-place into theater. And the Dad that is the kind of chef who gets weirdly specific about his blade’s edge needs an appropriate prep surface. Knife-friendly Boardsmith premium end grain butcher blocks … or cutting boards, or charcuterie boards, or utensil sets … are made in a family-owned shop in Frisco, Texas. And they bring a substantial stage for slicing, dicing, carving, etc. You can pick from four sizes of maple, walnut, cherry, or some handsome combination, customized with or without finger grooves and juice grooves and feet. Dad will never get bored with this board.

Best balanced and aligned putter: L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i

L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i Putter $499+

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Cresswell, Oregon, iconoclasts L.A.B. Golf have a vision for getting zero-torque putters in more golfers’ bags, and part of that is getting their VZN.1i in more golfers’ hands. If Dad is looking for stability and repeatability, but he’s not looking to answer any “What is that?!?” questions on the course, this more familiar, still ultra-forgiving shape could quiet his aesthetic concerns and also any worries that he won’t lock the target line. Still center-shafted and hand-balanced, the VZN.1i goes beyond the D-shaped mallet head of the OZ.1i and brings a fang-style putter to the lineup. A 303 stainless-steel insert with deeper milling gives a crisp, deeply satisfying zing and hotter launch off the face. As for that cutout and the crown lines, their geometry helps with optical alignment. Plus, it’s also a “gimmie getter”/ball scoop, so it takes more pressure off the back while it keeps more putts on track. Get hexagonal, stay squared.

Best analog upgrade: LAMY AL-star

LAMY AL-star Fountain Pen $47

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Our digital lives often drive fandoms in the very analog: record players, cassettes, and yes, fountain pens. For some people, they’ve always been the thing, but plenty of newcomers are arriving via social media—and that’s exactly what makes this such a good gift. Your dad likely doesn’t already have one, but if he is always talking about writing that novel, he’s probably at least a little curious and not sure where to start.

LAMY, a German writing instrument brand, is known for reliability, and the AL-star is an easy entry point that feels more premium than its price tag suggests, thanks to its lightweight aluminum body. It refills with cartridges and comes in a range of nib sizes; we recommend starting with medium. LAMY does make a left-handed nib, but pro tip: We have yet to find any left-handers who want to deal with ink that can easily smear before it has time to dry. Add a pack of refill cartridges in a few fun colors to make it feel a little more special right out of the box.

Best compact folding bike lock: Hiplok Switch 105

Hiplok Switch 105 Folding Lock $130

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Cycling dads will happily upgrade everything on their bike—except the lock, which somehow stays “good enough” until it’s very much not. The Hiplok Switch 105 fixes that. It’s a 105 cm (about 41 inches) folding lock made from hardened steel bars and solid rivets, offering real security (Sold Secure Bronze) without the usual bulk. It folds down compactly and clicks into a boss-mounted bracket, so whether it’s on the frame or the fork, it’s always along for the ride instead of rattling around in a bag. At just over a pound, it’s manageable, and long enough to loop through larger frames, including many e-bikes.

Still prefer a heavy-duty chain for some urban adventures where you’re not obsessing over every ounce or wanting to drag a bag? The Hiplok GOLD Wearable Chain Lock is a burly belt that’s not as awkward as it appears and gives you confidence that your bike is secure outside of the coffee shop.

The post 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide: 40+ presents for dads of all kinds appeared first on Popular Science.

Portland, Oregon’s Campfire Audio launched in 2015 as the logical continuation of founder and lead engineer Ken Ball’s ALOaudio. ALO, or Audio Line Out, was a company obsessed with the signal chain. And Campfire Audio emerged to produce hand-assembled in-ear monitors capable of transforming what the bespoke cables and boutique portable amps were transporting. With the 2016 introduction of the Andromeda [an IEM whose 10th anniversary edition we’ll have more to say about in the future], Campfire Audio’s distinctive industrial enclosures were established alongside a layered and lucid house sound, the result of acoustic chamber experimentation focused more on overall organic timbre than eking out every millimeter of transients. That changes, however, with the introduction of the Chimera—a summit-fi statement that sets out to add all possible technicalities and physicality to the spaciousness-first foundation.

The Chimera is a $7,500, nine-driver platform for quad technologies, including Campfire firsts. Its architecture combines an all-new 10mm True-Glass dynamic driver for lows and low-mids, a dual-diaphragm balanced-armature driver for midrange detail, two high-frequency BAs, four Sonion EST (electrostatic) super-tweeters, and a shell-embedded 10mm bone-conduction driver for low-frequency resonance (the first time Campfire has integrated such a component). A targeted pressure value, acoustic routing, vintage ceramic-film capacitor, and a “Master Track” final-stage tuning damper in the nozzle contribute to dynamic control and coherence. Early impressions from CanJam Singapore suggest this complexity doesn’t stand in the way of articulate texture in a gently U-shaped, sometimes W-shaped, very protean monitor that, with the right eartips, is fast while weighty, precise but more about rich presence, and never preoccupied with injecting itself into the audio. And, at 5.5Ω @ 1kHz with a rated sensitivity of 94dB SPL @ 1kHz/14.6 mVrms, the Chimera isn’t difficult to drive from a range of DAC/amp/DAPs to achieve full expression of its 5Hz – 20kHz frequency response.

Further helping justify the cost are the materials, including CNC-machined billet magnesium finished with a durable PVD coating, a carbon fiber-brass Damascus faceplate, machined brass nozzle, custom fasteners and vents, 2-pin connectors, plus an ALOaudio Valence-6 cable featuring copper + silver-plated copper conductors and 4.4mm balanced termination developed for maximum synergy. There’s also a black leather zipper case, two-pocket mesh Breezy Bag, ear tip selection, and various cleaning tools.

Available in Black and Gold variants, the Campfire Audio Chimera is now in presale and will ship in early June 2026. Initial quantities are limited.

The post Campfire Audio has built its most ambitious IEMs yet, packing them full of features and feeling appeared first on Popular Science.

Looking to upgrade your macro photography kit? These great deals on dedicated macro lenses, ring flashes, tripods, focusing rails, and essential support gear will help you capture better close-up photos.

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In a townhouse on New York’s Upper West Side, Bose revealed its new Lifestyle speaker collection through a multi-story demo involving quite a few stairs and equally ascending audio. From a company so well-known for actively canceling noise, this was about generating buzz.

Part of a small group of tech writers navigating the narrow stack of immaculately accessorized rooms, I was escorted to the first floor and to my first glimpse of a WiFi-connected sound system that our hosts said represented over four years of research and development. [Disclosure: Bose provided travel accommodations during the creation of this story.]

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Solo, part of a stereo pair, one endpoint in a whole-home system, or acting as the rears in a surround-sound system, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299-$349, based on Black/White Smoke or limited-edition Driftwood Sand colorway) was presented as high-immersion and low-friction. Easily set up, room-filling sound from a compactly sculpted, furnishings-friendly speaker made to blend into any real estate. High-class to humble.

And with its front-firing three-inch woofer and accompanying tweeter, but most of all its upfiring driver, the Lifestyle Ultra made the ceiling work as hard as our legs did going from landing to landing. A combination of the physical Direct/Reflecting array and proprietary TrueSpatial digital signal processing [not native Dolby Atmos support] lifted the center image and expanded the sweet spot. How high and wide that reaches compared to competitors will be revealed when we get a pair to compare.

As for the bass, it delves lower than the Ultra Speaker’s fabric-fronted capsule belies, thanks to CleanBass technology with a proprietary rear QuietPort treatment that uses resistive materials to detune disruptive resonances. This allows long ports in small enclosures without obvious turbulence.

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Up a level, up the driver count to nine. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099, in Black/White Smoke) shares the contours and capacitive touch controls and CleanBass of the Ultra Speaker, stretched into a calmly modern 5.0.2 configuration [which does support Dolby Atmos via HDMI eARC]. Featuring what the team describes as the most radical acoustic redesign of Bose soundbars in a decade, the Ultra Soundbar has four full-range drivers under the front textured knit, two facing upwards, plus a center tweeter flanked by proprietary PhaseGuide radiators, derived from classic ribbon-tweeter thinking. “Leaky,” these waveguides use tiny radiating points that add up coherently in the direction of sonic travel, allowing sound to be placed off to the sides and present more width without additional drivers. Paired with an 85″ TV, motion felt like it was stretched beyond the constraints of the credenza.

Taking advantage of that focused frequency is Speech Clarity, an evolution of AI Dialog features on previous soundbars. Instead of simply boosting center-channel levels, it uses AI to distinguish, isolate, and amplify dialogue above muddying effects. As someone who watches with subtitles, I immediately noticed when this mode was toggled on and was pleased by the bump in clarity, cutting through but not carving up the natural-feeling midrange.

A few more flights … of fancy and stairs. While the Ultra Soundbar can operate standalone, you might want a more immersive experience. Take a pair of Ultra Speakers and add them as wireless rears in the Bose app. And if you want to augment the low end, the new Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899, in Black/White Smoke) is glass-topped and makes the bottom drop with its 10.5-inch woofer. Now it’s a 7.1.4 system (or you can pair just the Ultra Soundbar + Ultra Subwoofer for 5.1.2). Custom Tune, an updated version of ADAPTiQ, does room calibration tailored to your specific setup and unique space (no brownstone required) using your smartphone microphone. So long, dedicated headset.

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The Ultra Speakers and Soundbar share support for AirPlay 2/Google Cast, allowing for a multi-room audio setup that includes both Ultra and non-Bose products. The company made a conscious choice to let users operate outside a walled garden, using Spotify Connect, for instance (TIDAL Connect coming later via firmware), instead of forcing the Bose app to control music and set up what speakers play. The app can build a home theater system progressively and offers controls, but so do the on-product touch points. There’s also Bluetooth 5.3 baked in. And the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker supports both an analog 3.5mm input (think a turntable with built-in preamp) and next-gen Alexa+, allowing for natural-language interaction. You can also physically mute the speaker for complete privacy. One thing the Lifestyle Ultra collection doesn’t support is pairing with previous Bose home-theater products.

The Bose Lifestyle Collection is available to ship now.

The post The new Bose Lifestyle Collection is whole-home audio that won’t take up your whole room, and it’s ready to ship today appeared first on Popular Science.

Google put AI on people’s faces more than a decade ago with its Google Glass wearable. It was designed to put a computer directly on your face, but the world (and to some extent, the hardware) wasn’t quite ready for that yet. At Google I/O 2026 on Tuesday, Google announced new intelligent eyewear built with Samsung and Qualcomm, in frames from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, shipping this fall. It’s a far cry from the original Google Glass project, and in many ways, it simplifies and streamlines the overall interaction.

The pitch is that the glasses skip the standalone hardware category entirely. They put a Gemini agent in eyewear people would already wear, and let it do multi-step work on the phone in your pocket. The keynote demo was a single voice command walking past a cafe. The agent queued a Doordash coffee order on the phone, the user kept walking, and the only step left was a confirmation tap.

The hardware enters through a mine field of agentic AI projects that, so far, haven’t achieved their lofty ambitions to replace our phones. Humane’s ill-fated AI Pin sold to HP in February 2025, and its agent servers went dark within weeks of the deal closing. The Rabbit R1 shipped to reviewers who called it half-finished. The lone survivor at any scale is Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which work in part because they don’t try to be an agent. They are an audio assistant with a camera.

Where Gemini Intelligence comes in

Meta’s Ray-Bans can take a photo, summarize a notification, identify the building you’re walking past, and route a call to your phone. They cannot order you a coffee (at least not yet). The new Google and Samsung glasses can, and that agentic functionality is what the company hopes will make this hardware an integral part of people’s lives. Google calls this layer Gemini Intelligence, and it handles multi-step tasks in the background while the glasses act as the voice and camera frontend. The Doordash demo is the most concrete example Google offered, and the company says the same pattern extends to any other phone app you can drive by voice. Ride-hailing through Uber and language tutoring through Mondly also got namechecked.

You wake Gemini either by saying “Hey Google” or tapping the side of the frame. The same trigger can be used to ask about anything in your line of sight. Look at a parking sign you can’t decode, a restaurant whose menu you can’t read, a cloud formation you can’t name. Google is keeping precise behavior private outside controlled scenarios, but reporters who tried them on at I/O have started filing first impressions. The features Google showed at the keynote suggest a different kind of interaction than the voice assistants with cameras already on the market.

Real-time translation that matches the speaker’s voice

The translation feature is the other piece of the announcement that does not have an obvious off-the-shelf equivalent. Google says the translated audio piped to your ear matches the original speaker’s tone and pitch, rather than the flat synthesized voice most translation apps default to. The glasses also do visual translation. Look at a menu, a sign, or a piece of writing, and Gemini reads the translation back through the onboard speakers. Without a built-in display, you won’t get a visual representation of the translation, but it’s a fully audio interaction.

Tone-matched translation has been an ambition for services like this before, but it hasn’t been perfect. The Pixel Buds had a version of it at launch, but it leaned heavily on processing done back on the phone and a stable connection between the two. Whether Google’s new pass is meaningfully better in a crowded restaurant or on a noisy street is the test that matters, and it is the kind of thing that only holds up under real-world hands-on time.

The audio-only first generation

Two brands are launching frames at the same time. The first Gentle Monster design is a black frame leaning toward the chunkier, more fashion-forward end of the brand’s catalog. Warby Parker’s is a darker green frame closer to its everyday lineup. Both brands have said the smart-glasses styles will be part of full collections, not one-off co-branded SKUs, so the eventual lineup will be larger than the two designs shown on stage at I/O.

The first generation is audio-only. There is no built-in display in the lens, so all output runs through onboard speakers, and the camera handles visual input for the agent. Going audio-only is what makes the frames look like regular glasses rather than the visibly chunky early Google Glass form factor, and it is probably the only way the pitch with two fashion brands holds together at all. Google said display-equipped versions are coming as a separate track. The glasses pair with both Android and iOS, which matters because no new wearable can succeed locked to a single phone platform.

What Google and Samsung haven’t shared yet: prices, exact ship dates, or which specific styles in each brand’s collection get the Gemini features beyond the two preview designs. Meta’s Ray-Ban Display, the closest comparison on the market right now, starts at $799. Google said more details are coming “in the coming months.”

Android XR is the platform underneath

The glasses run on Android XR. So does Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset that launched last year, and so will the wired XREAL Project Aura that Google teased separately at I/O for a launch by the end of 2026. Android XR is the OS layer Google built with Samsung and Qualcomm to span the full range of extended-reality hardware, from cheap audio frames all the way up to mixed-reality headsets. This strategy involves one platform, multiple hardware partners, a ladder of price points, with Gemini baked in at every tier and it has already shown that it works.

That makes the Gentle Monster and Warby Parker frames more than a single product launch. They are the consumer entry point into a lineup that already has Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset at the high end and XREAL’s wired Project Aura filling in the middle. Apps and Gemini features that ship for the headset should travel down the stack. For instance, a tutorial that runs as a 3D overlay on Galaxy XR can drop into spoken steps on the audio glasses. For developers, it is one SDK and one app surface to target instead of three. I/O is, after all, an event for developers.

The rest of Google I/O 2026, briefly

The glasses were not the only thing Google launched on Tuesday. The list of everything else announced at I/O 2026 runs much longer, but here are the hits.

Gemini 3.5 Flash. The first variant of Google’s new model series, tuned for agentic workflows and chained tool use. It is the model under the hood of most of the announcements at the show, available in the Gemini app and through Google’s API today.

Gemini Omni Flash. A unified model that takes any input (text, image, video, or audio) and produces any output. The launch version starts with video generation and editing. Omni Flash powers the new Google Flow and Google Flow Music creative tools, and Google says more output types are following.

A new AI Search. Google is calling this the biggest update to Search in over 25 years. The Search box now expands dynamically to fit a longer question and accepts text, photos, files, video, or a dropped-in Chrome tab as input. A new agent layer can also take on planning tasks. Ask Search to find a private karaoke room for six on a Friday night with late-night food and it will cross-reference live availability across the web, surface booking links, and offer to call the venue by AI voice to lock in the details.

A redesigned Gemini app, with Daily Brief. Google overhauled the Gemini app’s interface (the new design language is called Neural Expressive, with fluid animations, new fonts, and haptic feedback) and added Daily Brief, a feature that surfaces the day’s most urgent items across your connected services. Unread emails, upcoming meetings, and overdue tasks come prioritized by your personal goals. Gemini Spark, the agent layer that handles recurring chores like flagging subscription price increases or watching for flight-price drops that trigger travel credits, is rolling out next.

Gmail Live and Docs Live. Voice-driven versions of two Workspace staples. Open Gmail Live and ask “what’s my flight’s gate number?” or “what’s happening at school this week?” and Gemini reads through your threads to answer. Docs Live works as a conversational drafting partner. You can talk through an outline by voice, ask it to rewrite a paragraph’s tone, or have it pull supporting details from your Drive into a first draft.

AI Ultra at $100 per month. Google’s new top consumer subscription tier sits above the existing AI Plus and AI Pro plans. It bundles expanded Gemini Spark access, the latest Omni capabilities, and higher usage limits. It continues the frustrating trend of high-end AI plans that jump straight to $100 without offering a reasonable mid-tier.

Universal Cart. Google’s shopping play for the agent era. An intelligent cart that consolidates items across retailers, paired with technology for AI agents that can purchase on your behalf. Read it alongside the Doordash demo above and the company’s direction comes into focus.

The post Google’s Android XR smart glasses hope to succeed where AI-first wearables have failed appeared first on Popular Science.

Denon has updated two of the more consumer-friendly home-cinema centerpieces in its X Series audio/video receivers, their first refresh since 2022. While the new AVR-X2900H ($1,349 USD) and AVR-3900H ($1,849 USD) retain a familiar chassis with a few cosmetic changes, more extensive internal changes reinforce amplification for more emotionally physical audio while staying faithful to the source material. And the design goal was not just about what you hear, but also what you don’t. We were given the opportunity to preview these products at Denon headquarters in Kawasaki, Japan (a broader experience we’ll share more about in the future), and we heard the sound of the sound, never undue pressure put on the hardware. [Disclosure: HARMAN International, the parent company of Denon, provided travel accommodations during the creation of this story.]

Demoed on a 7.2.2-channel system featuring Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series speakers, these Dolby Atmos AVRs delivered soundstage, dynamics, and detail throughout film scenes and orchestral scores, combining subtle dialog with heavy effects and full-range impact with low-frequency speed. Throughout both models, purposeful mechanical design introduces new digital features while managing EMC/noise conflicts. System architecture, including a new 32-bit eight-channel DAC, focuses on heightened stability and spaciousness. Balancing measurements with careful listening is Denon’s Sound Master, Shinichi Yamauchi, who ensures any changes to circuit geometry and/or components maintain suppleness, resonance, and spatial realism.

Denon AVR-X2900H 7.2 Ch. 95W 4K/8K Dolby Atmos AV Receiver Powered by HEOS

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While Denon offers reinforced-rack/custom-install closet-grade receivers, the AVR-X2900H is for folks who want control without needing as big an investment in space and cash. A power tier above the recently refreshed AVR-S980H, it’s a 7-channel AVR rated at 95W per channel into 8 ohms, with dual subwoofer outputs. That makes it capable of running a 5.2.2 system, with support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Audyssey Silver MultEQ XT calibration software out of the box, plus Dirac Live with a license purchased separately, allows for quick to comprehensive room correction. HDMI/gaming features include six inputs supporting VRR, ALLM, 8K/60 Hz or 4K/120 Hz, 8K/HDCP 2.3 with Dolby Vision/HDR 10+, high-resolution audio support, 1440p passthrough, and AMD FreeSync. There are also two HDMI outputs (one eARC). There are four analog audio inputs, including a moving-magnet preamp for a turntable, plus Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect/Qobuz Connect/Roon Ready, and Denon’s own HEOS wireless platform for other services. This means streaming music gets as much attention as other content, and that it’s easy to integrate the AVR-2900H into a whole-home audio system alongside Denon Home speakers, which can be used as wireless rear surround channels after a future firmware update.

Denon AVR-X3900H 9.4 Ch. 105W 4K/8K Dolby Atmos AV Receiver Powered by HEOS

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The step-up AVR-X3900H, meanwhile, moves to 9.4 channels of amplification, 11.4 channels of processing, and 105W per channel, backed by higher-grade components and flagship-derived DSP. With four independent subwoofer outputs and the ability to add an outboard 2-channel amp, this allows for even more immersive 5.4.4 or 7.4.2-channel setups. And if speaker upgrades demand it, use the 11 preamp outputs to keep the 3900H as a hub while accessing even more power. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are still supported, as is Sony 360 Reality Audio, AURO-3D, and IMAX Enhanced. Audyssey is upgraded to Platinum MultEQ XT32, and Dirac Live ART (Active Room Treatment) and Dirac Bass Control can be added. The HDMI inputs are the same, now joined by an additional output (one eARC). Five analog inputs are available, including the turntable, as are the streaming/HEOS ecosystem/connected speaker capabilities. Plus, there is a deep suite of IP-based Web UI setup tools, HDMI diagnostics, and additional control interfaces for CI and running dedicated rooms.

The new Denon X Series audio/video receivers are ready to ship now.

The post Denon introduces two full-range midrange A/V receivers, and we got a first listen appeared first on Popular Science.

Amazon’s early Prime Day deals are already live, and a good number of them sit at or below the lowest prices we’ve tracked all year. The early deals span tech, kitchen gear, power tools, camera lenses, and lawn equipment, and the real savings show up as all-time lows rather than the inflated percentages Amazon likes to print next to its list prices. Almost everything here is Prime-exclusive, so you’ll need a membership to see the member price. If you’re not signed up, a free 30-day Prime trial covers you through the main event, which runs June 23 to 26. Prices and lightning deals rotate fast, so some of these will be gone before the event even opens.

Ring Outdoor Cam (Stick Up Cam) $39.99 (was $79.99)

Battery-powered 1080p security camera at its lowest price ever, 50% off

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The Ring Outdoor Cam (Stick Up Cam) at $39.99 is the easiest deal to recommend in the whole sale, and at 50% off it matches the lowest price Amazon has ever listed. It’s a battery-powered 1080p camera you can mount almost anywhere, including a fence, a porch rail, or a flat shelf by the back door, without running wires. You get Live View, color night vision, two-way talk, and motion alerts through the Ring app, and it works with Alexa if you have an Echo. A Ring Protect subscription (sold separately) unlocks saved video history, though real-time alerts and live view are free. For $40, it’s the cheapest way to put a real camera on the part of your house you keep meaning to watch.

Wüsthof Gourmet 4-Piece Chef's Knife Set $99.00 (was $185.00)

German-forged-quality starter set back to its lowest price, 46% off

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The Wüsthof Gourmet 4-Piece Chef’s Knife Set at $99 is the pick for anyone still cooking on a hand-me-down knife block, and at 46% off it’s back to the lowest price it has hit. The set covers the three knives you actually reach for, an 8-inch chef’s, a 4.5-inch utility, and a 2.75-inch paring, plus a honing steel to keep them sharp. These are stamped rather than forged, which is why the set lands at $99 instead of $300, but they use the same high-carbon German steel and carry the same lifetime warranty as the pricier Wüsthof lines. It’s a real upgrade that doesn’t require committing to a $600 block. This is the Prime-exclusive price, so a membership is required.

Amazon eero Pro 6E Mesh Wi-Fi System (2-Pack) $239.99 (was $329.99)

Wi-Fi 6E mesh for up to 4,000 sq. ft., 27% off and an all-time low

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The Amazon eero Pro 6E two-pack at $239.99 is the networking deal worth jumping on, covering up to 4,000 square feet with Wi-Fi 6E at the lowest price Amazon has listed. It supports internet plans up to 2.5 Gbps and handles 100-plus devices, so it keeps up whether you’re on multi-gig fiber or just tired of the dead spot in the back bedroom. The 6 GHz band gives newer phones and laptops a clear lane, and setup runs through the eero app in a few minutes with automatic updates after that. At 27% off, it’s $90 under list. If your house is bigger, the three-pack covers 6,000 square feet, and for an apartment the single Pro 6E router is enough.

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire, 47mm $614.60 (was $999.99)

The premium training watch in the sale, 39% off its $999.99 list

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The Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition at $614.60 is the splurge of the bunch, down 39% from its $999.99 list price. The 47mm version pairs a bright AMOLED display and a scratch-resistant sapphire lens with the deepest training data Garmin makes, including hill score, endurance score, training readiness, and HRV status, plus a built-in LED flashlight that earns its keep on early-morning runs. Battery life runs one to two weeks depending on how hard you lean on GPS, which is the real argument for it over an Apple Watch. It’s overkill for casual step-counting and priced like it. But if you’re training for something and want full maps on your wrist, this is the Garmin to get, and it rarely drops below $700.

Tech and accessory deals

Beyond the camera and watch up top, the tech deals skew toward small upgrades sitting at their lowest tracked prices. The Logitech MX Master 3S, the mouse a lot of people consider the best for desk work, is 25% off, and both Lenovo silent mice are down to roughly ten bucks. If the Pro 6E two-pack is more coverage than you need, the single eero Pro 6E router is here too.

• Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse $89.99 (was $119.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E Mesh Wi-Fi Router, 1-Pack (2,000 sq. ft.) $149.99 (was $199.99)
• Ring Indoor Cam, 2-Pack (1080p HD) $49.98 (was $79.99)
• Thermaltake SWAFAN EX 12 RGB Cooling Fan, 3-Pack $39.99 (was $109.99)
• Lenovo 600 Bluetooth Silent Mouse $12.49 (was $24.99)
• Lenovo Bluetooth Silent Mouse (WL300) $9.99 (was $19.99)

Camera and lens deals

The camera deals are lens-heavy and aimed at Micro Four Thirds and Sony shooters. Both OM System M.Zuiko primes and both Zeiss Batis lenses for Sony E-mount are at or near their lowest tracked prices, with the OM System 60mm macro the standout for close-up work at $200 off.

• OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro $449.99 (was $649.99)
• OM System M.Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R $169.99 (was $239.99)
• Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 (Sony E Mount) $928.99 (was $1,249.00)
• Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0 (Sony E Mount) $928.99 (was $1,349.00)

Kitchen knife deals

Wüsthof and Shun are running the deepest knife discounts of the early sale, most at all-time lows. If the Gourmet set up top is more or less than you need, the rest of the lineup runs from a $49 paring trio to a pro-grade Shun steak set, all at 43 to 47% off.

• Wüsthof Classic 6-Piece In-Drawer Knife Set $329.00 (was $625.00)
• Shun Premier 4-Piece Steak Knife Set $399.95 (was $700.00)
• Shun Shima 4-Piece Steak Knife Set $254.95 (was $464.00)
• Wüsthof Classic 3-Piece BBQ Carving Knife Set $249.00 (was $435.00)
• Wüsthof Gourmet 3-Piece Paring Knife Set $49.00 (was $90.00)

Power tool and accessory deals

The tool deals run heavy on Bosch blades and bits, most at 55 to 60% off and all at their lowest tracked prices. The CRAFTSMAN 9-piece impact socket set at $29.98 and the brand’s 20V MAX impact driver kit at $59 are the picks if you’re building out a kit rather than restocking blades.

• Bosch HC8501 SDS-Max Core Cutter (1-3/4 in.) $99.99 (was $246.43)
• Bosch HS2171 Spike/Pin Driver Hammer Steel $62.49 (was $137.48)
• CRAFTSMAN 20V MAX Impact Driver Kit (CMCF800C1) $59.00 (was $69.00)
• CRAFTSMAN 3/8 in. 9-Piece Impact Socket Set (Metric) $29.98 (was $67.20)
• Bosch OSL134CC Starlock Carbide Oscillating Blade $16.79 (was $41.63)
• Bosch HDG12 1/2 in. Diamond Hole Saw $15.59 (was $38.33)
• DEWALT 6-1/2 in. 40T Circular Saw Blade $14.98 (was $30.10)
• Bosch RDN6V 6 in. Reciprocating Saw Blades, 5-Pack $11.89 (was $28.74)

Lawn and garden deals

Makita and Greenworks cordless yard tools anchor the outdoor deals, all four at the lowest prices we’ve tracked. The Makita 18V LXT string trimmer and blower kits both ship with a 4.0Ah battery and charger, which is most of why they land at roughly half off.

• Makita XBU03SM1 18V LXT Brushless Blower Kit (4.0Ah) $188.00 (was $388.00)
• Greenworks 80V Brushless Cordless String Trimmer (2.0Ah) $189.99 (was $319.99)
• Makita XRU23SM1 18V LXT Brushless String Trimmer Kit (4.0Ah) $179.00 (was $386.00)
• Greenworks 60V Brushless Cordless Edger (2.0Ah) $179.99 (was $319.99)

Automotive deals

The automotive picks are small but useful, both from Nilight and both at all-time lows. The recovery traction boards are the standout if you ever get stuck in mud, sand, or snow, at $34 for a pair.

• Nilight Recovery Traction Boards, 2-Pack $33.98 (was $89.99)
• Nilight USCAR-to-RV 7-Way Trailer Plug Adapter $8.08 (was $13.99)

Toy and gift deals

The toy deals are the steepest in the sale, all four at 70% off or more and all at their lowest tracked prices. The 20-inch Squishmallows and the Green Toys sets make easy gifts at under $13 each.

• Squishmallows 20-Inch Medina the Lemonade Slushie $12.99 (was $49.99)
• Squishmallows 20-Inch Marill Pokémon Plush $12.99 (was $49.99)
• Green Toys Toy Maker Dough Set $11.99 (was $39.99)
• Green Toys Car Carrier $11.49 (was $43.99)

Prices move daily during Prime Day and lightning deals rotate out without much warning, so check the current price before you commit. If you only grab one thing from the early wave, make it the $39.99 Ring Outdoor Cam or the $99 Wüsthof Gourmet knife set. Both are back to their lowest prices ever and both stay useful long after the sale ends.

The post These early Prime Day deals are already live on Amazon: Kitchen gadgets, fitness gear, power tools, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

A summer heat wave and a stressed grid have a way of moving backup power up everyone’s shopping list. Jackery’s early Prime Day sale runs through June 22, with the full lineup live on its Amazon store and a few larger bundles exclusive to Jackery.com. Portable power stations start at $129 for the Explorer 240D, the standalone stations climb into whole-home territory, and the deepest cut in the sale takes a loaded Explorer 2000 Plus kit past 60% off. If you have been thinking about getting a solar generator, now is a great time to jump in.

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $499.00 (was $799.00)

The mainstream pick, $300 off its list price

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The Explorer 1000 v2 is the size most people should start with, and at $499 it’s down 38% from $799. You get 1,070Wh of capacity and a 1,500W output (3,000W surge) in a 23.8-pound box, enough to run a refrigerator for a few hours or keep phones, a router, and a couple of laptops going through an outage. Jackery rates it for a full wall recharge in about 1.7 hours, or roughly an hour in the app’s emergency mode. It’s the model we’d point most people to first, and it sits in the same class as the units in our guide to the best portable power stations.

Jackery Explorer 300D + 40W Air Solar Panel Bundle $199.00 (was $359.00)

Solar-ready backup for phones and laptops, under $200

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The Explorer 300D bundle pairs a 288Wh LFP power station with a 40W solar panel for $199, the lowest price it’s hit in the past 30 days and 45% off the $359 list. This is a DC unit, with 300W spread across three USB-C ports and one USB-A and no wall outlet, so it’s built for phones, laptops, cameras, drones, and a Starlink Mini rather than a fridge. It weighs 5.5 pounds, its strap doubles as a 140W charging cable, and it refills from zero to 80% in about an hour. I have been using this for an upcoming review and I really like the form factor and performance so far.

Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 $799.00 (was $1,499.00)

Day-long fridge backup at nearly half off

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The Explorer 2000 v2 is the one to get if you want real home backup, and 47% off brings it to $799 from $1,499. Its 2,042Wh capacity and 2,200W output can run a full-size refrigerator for most of a day, and the 20-millisecond UPS switching is quick enough to keep a desktop or router from dropping out when the power cuts. A folding handle means you can move it from the office to the kitchen when you need to, and Jackery quotes a 1.7-hour wall recharge, so you’re not waiting on it all afternoon.

More Jackery Deals at Amazon

The rest of the Amazon discounts cover the middle of the lineup. The Explorer 1000 v2 with a 200W solar panel is $699 (46% off) if you want panels in the box, and the HomePower 3600 Plus, a modular system that expands to 21kWh, drops to $1,799 from $2,799.

• Jackery Explorer 240D $129.00 (was $209.00, 38% off)
• Jackery Explorer 300 + 40W Air Solar Panel $299.00
• Jackery Explorer 300 $199.00 (was $259.00, 23% off)
• Jackery Explorer 500 v2 $319.00 (was $449.00, 29% off)
• Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 + 200W Solar Panel $699.00 (was $1,299.00, 46% off)
• Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus $899.00
• Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus $1,799.00 (was $2,799.00, 36% off)
• Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus $2,879.00 (was $3,199.00, 10% off)

Jackery.com Exclusive Bundles

Jackery’s steepest discounts live on its own site, where the price covers a power station plus stacked battery packs and panels. The Explorer 2000 Plus 6kWh kit with two 200W panels is the standout at $2,599, down from $6,599, and the rest of these solar generator kits are worth a look if whole-home runtime is the goal. For how the big units stack up, see our guide to the best solar generators.

• Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus (6kWh) + 2x 200W Solar Panels $2,599.00 (was $6,599.00, 61% off)
• Jackery Solar Generator 3000 + 2x 200W Solar Panels $1,699.00 (was $2,999.00, 43% off)
• Jackery Solar Generator 3600 Plus (7.2kWh) + 500 X Solar Panel $3,299.00 (was $5,899.00, 44% off)
• Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus + 2x 500 X Solar Panels $4,299.00 (was $5,699.00, 24% off)

The post Jackery already dropped its Prime Day deals on our favorite solar generators and portable power stations appeared first on Popular Science.

My AP English teacher in 12th grade said I had writing that “looked like something you’d find in a serial killer’s notebook.” She wasn’t wrong, but I’ve always liked writing things by hand. I’ve used reMarkable’s paper-emulating tablets in the past, but I was never so committed to my chicken scratch that I could justify the price. Now, the company has introduced its most affordable model. The Paper Pure is the cheaper sibling to reMarkable’s flagship Paper Pro, and it gets there by stripping out the features that paper, the actual material, also doesn’t have. You won’t find color e-ink and there’s no built-in illumination. You will, however, get a paper-like writing experience with the included Marker, and the device has nestled easily into my everyday workflow.

reMarkable Paper Pure $399

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What is it?

The reMarkable Paper Pure is technically a tablet due to its form factor, but don’t expect anything in the neighborhood of an iPad replacement. This is a digital notebook that’s designed to act like a connected version of a real paper notebook. The high-contrast e-ink screen is responsive and covered with a texture that makes writing feel like a pen skating across paper. It doesn’t browse the web or play back streaming content, and there are no messages here to get lost in. It’s meant for writing, note taking, and even doodling.

Rather than using Android or some other third-party operating system, the reMarkable device relies on a proprietary system and syncs notes and other documents to its own cloud. It’s meant to act as a piece of a workflow rather than replacing a big chunk of it.

The Paper Pure ships in early June at a starting price of $399. The bundle costs $449 and adds a Sleeve Folio case along with the Marker Plus, which has a textured grip and a built-in eraser. Both ship with a 50-day free trial of reMarkable’s Connect subscription, which runs $3.99 a month or $39 a year after that and unlocks handwriting search, AI handwriting-to-text conversion, unlimited cloud storage, calendar-linked meeting notes, and integrations like Send to Slack and Send to Miro.

Out of the box

The Paper Pure measures 6 mm thick and weighs 0.79 pounds, which makes it both smaller and lighter than the typical paper notebook I like to carry. The chassis has grooved sides that reMarkable says are inspired by a stack of paper. The device has the proportions of a thin steno pad, but it’s rigid and feels sturdy when you’re holding it. reMarkable builds it with screws and snaps instead of glue, which is the kind of decision that translates to a five-year lifespan instead of a two-year one. It uses 38% recycled materials, including all of the lithium and cobalt in the battery and most of the magnesium in the central frame, and the company says its 28.7 kg CO2e carbon footprint is 45% lower than the reMarkable 2’s. It doesn’t feel fragile, but I’m glad to have the Sleeve Folio to protect it while it’s in my bag.

The actual writing experience is fantastic. It uses the same advanced textured surface reMarkable puts on the Paper Pro, sitting on top of a third-generation black-and-white Canvas display that the company says is its crispest and whitest yet. There is a slight resistance that feels more satisfying than a stylus on a typical glass screen. I showed it to a handful of people who have never heard of the device and most of them were blown away by the feel and responsiveness.

There won’t be light

While the hardware is slick, it doesn’t have any light built in. The company is clear that it wants to provide an authentic notebook writing experience, which means no light emission. On one hand, it’s successful in emulating a paper notebook. On the other hand, there were a few times when I would have used a front light like the one found on the Pro model. The Paper Pure’s screen is beautiful and fights glare with aplomb. The texture on the screen renders specular highlights (bright points of light on glossy screens created by light bouncing directly back at the viewer’s eye) into a gentle glow. A simple book light works if you want to occasionally write in the dark, but if you’re planning to spend a ton of time in dimly lit areas, it’s worth spending the extra cash to go upmarket in the line.

Writing on it

Despite the lack of illumination, reMarkable provides the best overall digital notebook experience and that’s still true with the Paper Pure. The digital ink appears under the pen tip in 21 milliseconds (according to the product specs, I don’t have an ink-appearing-timer-measuring-device). That’s faster than the blink of an eye, and the result mimics real writing. The line weight tracks pressure cleanly across the Marker’s range, so a quick checkbox feels different from an underline. I have been using this testing process as an opportunity to give bullet journaling another shot and it’s even better than a physical journal.

While e-ink is notorious for its slow refreshes, the new Paper Pure transitions quickly. You still get the familiar e-ink flash across the screen, but just about every function and navigation element is snappier than it was in the previous model. You likely won’t notice an upgrade if you’re already on a reMarkable 2, but you’re getting up-market performance in the most budget-friendly model.

The OS gets out of the way. Notebooks, folders, tags, and a search function for handwritten notes (one of the features reMarkable gates behind the Connect subscription) handle most of the interactions. The toolbar collapses to a thin strip while you write so the page stays clean. Sync to the reMarkable mobile and desktop apps happens in the background and was reliable during my time with the device. Imports come in from Microsoft Word, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive, and a Connect feature called Convert to Notebook turns those documents into native notes you can mark up.

It took me a few days to figure out what templates and processes I like best. Notebooks are a weirdly personal thing and your preferences may be totally different than mine. Once you get in the habit, it’s easy to get reliant on it.

Performance

The Paper Pure feels faster than a writing tablet has any right to feel. Page turns in a PDF land quickly. Opening a notebook from the home screen is close to instant, and waking from sleep doesn’t have the e-ink lag I associate with cheaper Kindles or older Boox units. I spent some time working through a tedious (in a good way) vintage camera manual that I was able to import as a PDF.

Unlike the Paper Pro, you won’t find connectors to attach this device to a keyboard. You do some on-screen typing when you set up the device, but this is meant for handwriting. You have to be committed to treating it like a notebook for it to fit your specific style.

Battery life over my testing window is still unclear as I haven’t depleted it all the way yet. I have been using it heavier than typical as I was putting it through its paces and it seems like even a week of strenuous use isn’t enough to drain the battery. reMarkable claims up to three weeks on an hour of daily note-taking, which I can see happening in the real world. The device charges over USB-C from a standard brick. The USB-C port is all the way to the left on the bottom of the device.

Who it’s for

The market for devices that eschew distractions has been swelling in recent years. This is a natural progression for people who have to exist in the digital world (and appreciate some of the conveniences), but want to avoid the constant barrage of notifications and the lure of bright, noisy apps. The Paper Pure is a notebook replacement through and through.

There is no browser, no third-party app store, and the most useful software features sit behind a Connect subscription. If you want to read books in bed without an external lamp, get a dedicated e-reader. A full-fledged tablet is the answer if you want apps. And if you want the same hardware with a front light and color, look at the Paper Pro instead. The Paper Pure is what is left after you remove all of those options on purpose for a purist experience. It’s an enjoyable experience for the right person.

The verdict

Buy it if you already know who you are. The Paper Pure is the cleanest writing experience I have had on an e-ink tablet. The hardware is well-built and the software stays out of the way. The missing front light is the one thing I felt most days, and it is the reason the more expensive Paper Pro still has an argument. But the Paper Pure is cheaper, lighter to think about, and aimed at the buyer who wants the focus a paper notebook gives them with a search function attached.

The post reMarkable Paper Pure writing tablet review: A true digital notebook replacement appeared first on Popular Science.

Apple spent two years promising a smarter Siri. We’ve been patiently waiting. At WWDC 2026 on Monday, the company finally showed the rebuild instead of a roadmap slide: Siri AI, an assistant that Apple says can hold a back-and-forth conversation, read what’s on your screen, and dig through your own messages, emails, and photos to answer a question. That headline arrived wrapped in a software preview that also reaches AirPods, Safari, your kids’ screen time, and, awkwardly, what European iPhone owners won’t get at all.

If you’ve followed Apple’s AI fits and starts, you know the company often announce features a year before they’re ready for wide distribution. Most of this lands this fall in iOS 27 and its sibling updates, though Siri AI itself slips to a beta “later this year.” We haven’t tested any of it yet, but I’m looking forward to trying the developer beta soon. Here are the 10 changes from the keynote most likely to matter once they actually ship.

1. Siri AI is a ground-up rebuild, not another patch

Siri AI is the biggest thing Apple announced today. Apple says it rebuilt the assistant from the ground up on a new architecture, rather than bolting more features onto the old one. It leans on what Apple calls personal context, so you can ask it to surface a hotel confirmation number buried in an old email or pull up the photos from a recent trip, and it remembers the thread of a conversation so you can keep asking follow-ups. This will be a real relief if it works.

It also reads your screen and takes action across apps. Get a text about a potluck and you can brainstorm what to bring with Siri, then drop a recipe into Notes without leaving the conversation. On iPhone you start it by saying “Hey Siri,” pressing the side button, or swiping down from the Dynamic Island, and there’s now a standalone Siri app that syncs your conversation history across devices through iCloud. That makes it look a lot more like ChatGPT or Gemini than the Siri you’ve been yelling directions at since 2011.

2. Apple’s new AI leans on Google’s Gemini

The next generation of Apple Intelligence runs on Apple Foundation Models that the company says were “custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models.” For a company that sells its in-house silicon and on-device processing as a core advantage, leaning on a rival’s models is a real philosophical shift. Bloomberg reported before WWDC that the arrangement was expected to cost Apple roughly $1 billion a year. Apple has not confirmed a figure.

The outside-models thread runs through the developer side too. In its developer-tools announcement, Apple said Xcode 27 brings coding agents from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI into the workflow, and that developers can build on models like Claude and Gemini alongside Apple’s own. Even the hidden watermark Apple applies to AI images in iOS 27 is Google’s SynthID. Apple’s AI is now stitched together with outside models in a way the company would not have admitted to a few years ago.

3. Check whether your iPhone actually makes the cut

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI require an iPhone 16 model or later, or an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max. That leaves out the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the entire iPhone 14 line, and anything older. iOS 27 itself installs on phones going back to the iPhone 11, so plenty of people will get the update this fall without the AI features that headlined the keynote.

The split goes deeper than that. Siri’s most-promoted extras, the expressive customizable voices and a big jump in dictation accuracy, require Apple’s most advanced on-device model, which Apple lists as iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, plus iPads with an M4 chip or later and Macs with M3 or later that have at least 12GB of unified memory, and the M5 Apple Vision Pro. If you bought a midrange iPhone in the last couple of years, read the fine print before you get attached to the demos.

4. EU iPhone and iPad owners are locked out

Siri AI will not ship on iPhone or iPad in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, and Apple says it does not currently have a timeline to change that. The company blames the Digital Markets Act directly, arguing that under the EU’s reading of the law it would have to give any third-party assistant the same deep access to your data and apps that Siri gets, which Apple says it can’t do without putting users at risk.

Apple proposed a workaround it calls Trusted System Agent, plus an 18-month phased rollout, and says the European Commission rejected all of it. EU users will still get Siri AI on Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, just not on the two devices most people use most. It was the most openly combative Apple got all day, and it’s worth tracking if you live in or travel through the EU’s 27 member states. Siri AI and the other new Apple Intelligence features also won’t launch in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements there.

5. AirPods finally get a real custom EQ

After about a decade of people asking, AirPods owners are getting a true custom equalizer in iOS 27, not the hands-off Adaptive EQ Apple has shipped for years. Apple’s release keeps the details thin, but keynote coverage described a graph-style interface with separate low, mid, and high bands and a live waveform that moves as you adjust it, so you can see and hear the change you’re dialing in.

Cheaper earbuds have offered this for years while AirPods made you live with Apple’s house tuning, so it’s overdue. If you’ve wanted more bass for the gym or a brighter top end for podcasts, you’ll finally be able to set it yourself. Separately, the AirPods Pro 3 can now sync your heart rate to iPhone through GymKit during a workout.

I typically like the EQ decisions Apple hardware makes natively, but I know some enthusiasts who can’t wait for this to materialize.

6. Image Playground goes photorealistic and tags everything it makes

Image Playground, Apple’s image generator, can now make photorealistic pictures instead of just cartoon-style art, using a new model that runs on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. You can edit by describing a change in plain language, or by tapping, circling, or brushing an object to move or resize it.

The part that matters beyond the novelty: Apple says images generated in Image Playground and photos edited with Apple Intelligence both carry a hidden SynthID watermark, Google’s provenance tag, so a file can be identified as AI-touched down the line. As convincing fakes get easier to produce, baking provenance into the file at the moment of creation is a bigger deal than the picture quality.

7. The Passwords app can fix weak logins for you

Apple’s Passwords app already flags weak and breached passwords. In iOS 27 it can fix them, navigating to the site, signing in, and swapping in a strong password with a single tap. Apple is using Siri AI and Safari to carry out that action on your behalf, which is one of the clearest examples of the assistant doing a task for you rather than just answering a question.

If you have ever ignored a “this password appeared in a data breach” warning, then this is for you (and me). It only works on supported sites at launch, so it won’t sweep your entire login list in one pass, but it turns a recurring to-do into a button.

8. Safari learns to wrangle tabs and watch pages for you

Safari picks up three Apple Intelligence tricks in iOS 27 worth knowing about. The most useful is Notify Me: tell Safari to keep an eye on a page and it pings you when something changes, like a restock or a price drop, so you can stop manually refreshing a sold-out product page.

It also auto-groups your open tabs into topics, so a pile of weekend-trip research collapses into one cluster, and a feature called Describe an Extension lets you spin up a simple custom Safari extension by typing what you want it to do. None of these are flashy, but the tab organizer and the restock alerts are the kind of thing you’ll reach for most weeks. You might finally get that NeeDoh without paying inflated after market prices.

9. Old hardware gets a speed increase

Not all of this is AI. Apple says apps launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster right after you take them, and AirDrop transfers move up to 80 percent faster in this year’s releases. On iPad, copying files to and from an external drive runs up to 5x faster, which Apple says finally matches Finder on a Mac.

Apple ran its app-launch test on an iPhone 11 Pro Max, a phone from 2019, which suggests the speed gains reach aging hardware and not only the newest models. These are Apple’s own numbers and the usual marketing caveats apply, but a free performance bump on an old phone is the rare WWDC item that everyone with a supported device gets, no Pro model required.

10. Parents get real new screen-time controls

Apple overhauled its parental controls in iOS 27, and the standout addition is Ask to Browse, which makes a kid request permission before opening a new website in Safari, the same way Ask to Buy already gates app downloads. There’s also a redesigned Screen Time dashboard and Time Allowances that cap usage by category, including Games, Entertainment, and Social Media.

Communication Safety, already on by default for users under 18, now blurs and blocks gore and violent content, not only nudity. And a new Declared Age Range API lets apps tailor themselves to a kid’s age bracket without the parent handing over an exact birthday. Apple says the time recommendations are based on expert research, and that it’s working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to adapt the group’s Family Media Plan into a guide for parents.

The post Everything you need to know about Apple’s 2026 WWDC keynote announcements: A new Siri, iOS EQ controls, and more appeared first on Popular Science.