Men’s Health 2022 Dad Gear Awards

Most diaper bags are just backpacks with a few extra pockets. But this rig delivers on function and comfort for baby and dad. The changing pad is plush, as are the shoulder straps and backing, the latter of which has much-needed cooling channels to prevent a case of the dreaded back sweats. Inside, you’ll find room to stash your laptop, a water-resistant wipes pocket, a key clip, and an earbuds/pacifier pocket.

Click the attachable arm to the rear wheel of your bike and you have a portable, go-anywhere pod for your kid. Plus, plenty of pockets for water bottles, books, and so many snacks. You might think it’s too pricey, but consider what you get in return: freedom.

Keep yourself cool with this dry spray, which will last during and through the many slightly sweaty activities that occur while dadding.

Yeah, man, a fanny pack. You can laugh now, but when you’re the hero of the day because you had the snacks/wipes/Chapstick/spare change/pack of cards/whatever on hand to prevent a massive meltdown, you’ll understand.

If you are intimately aware of the pleasure of having two young children, you know that extracting yourself from the house to go on a run is challenging. So take the kids with you in this sturdy-yet-nimble chariot built for two. The stroller folds up on a hinge, and unfolds with the twist of a handle—and a massive holding area beneath the seats can hold an entire diaper bag.

You don’t need pedals to roll on two wheels. This balance bike, built for kids ages 18 months to 5 years, lets kids push with their feet while they steer with their hands. It’s foundational, yeah, but also a ton of fun—and beats having them walk halfway around the park and then ask you to pick them up.

It’s a hiking pack to stash your kid, but it’s also padded enough that you won’t shred your shoulders, safe enough that your child can’t lurch out of the seat, and lightweight enough that you won’t feel like you’re carrying 100 pounds (though it does hold a kid who weighs up to 48.5 pounds).

This tent actually assembles fast, sleeps six, and won’t wash out your budget. The sun dome shields you from all kinds of gnarly weather and the vents keep things from ever becoming too stifling. It’s perfect for roughing it anywhere—even if that’s only your own backyard.

It tracks steps, and sleep, and connects to other apps and devices so the whole family can engage and compete. But the real highlight is that the Ace 2 does that all in cool colors and awesome animations that will kind of make you jealous that your own Fitbit doesn’t have the same.

It’s tall enough to fit several bottles of wine and/or tall stacks of juice boxes. It’s durable enough to survive camping trips and/or toddler birthday parties. And it’s Bimini pink, named after the islands in Bahamas, because, yes, it knows you desperately need a vacation.

The button-press pop-top makes it easy for kids to open and close, but also for when you have to give it a good scrubbing. The handle makes it easy to carry in little hands, the insulation keeps drinks cold for a long time, and the majority of color options are so bold and bright that they act as signal flares, unmissable even buried in the clutter of your car floor.

It doesn’t have to be this ball, of course. It could be any ball, of any size, for any kid, any age, and that includes you.

If your kids regularly destroy you in FIFA, it’s time to go old-school. This tabletop game requires you to take turns finger-flicking a ball past your opponents’ pins to score. Things really get interesting when players incur a yellow or red card. No batteries included, mercifully.

It’s a build-your-own-from-the-ground-up kit that results in an actually playable guitar for little rockers. You’ll design the headstock. You’ll use a bandsaw. You’ll problem-solve together. You’ll inadvertently maybe start a family band and hit the road together.

It’s the best kind of science project—the kind with smoke and flames. And it goes together super easy with no cutting, sanding, or painting required. (First aid kit sold separately)

Many tablet games (paid ones included) are mindless exercises with annoying bells and whistles. PBS keeps it real with educational exercises that aren’t overly obnoxious to the already over-stimulated ears of parents. Plus, it’s free!

This company sells hands-on projects slanted toward STEM learning. You can auto-order an age-appropriate kit every month or just buy them a la carte. The Domino Machine (pictured), Remote Controlled Snake, and Cannonball Launcher are all big hits. Naturally.

This reader comes with a year of Amazon Kids+ included, so you have unlimited access to whatever books you deem cool for them to read. No more library late fees. No more paperbacks strewn about the house. No more meltdowns because a page ripped.

One way to get your kid to stop fooling with your phone: Buy them their own camera. This fall-proof lens contains an SD card that can store, like, a bazillion photos, which you can upload to your computer. The interface is easy to learn and it fits in their pocket. Take it on hikes, car trips, or out to eat.

This starter cookbook has the old standbys—English muffin pizzas, baked chicken fingers, M&M cookies—but also a few surprises, like cheesy pupusas, smashed cucumber salad, and zucchini fritters. It’s a cook-with-them-book, but the recipes turn out so good you’ll want to eat with them too.

As a team of adventurers, your family will move through a haunted house, at the mercy of murderous spirits, until a traitor among you is revealed. It’s a board game for kids ages 12+. But it’s also group therapy by way of exorcism.

There’s no other building toy with such universal appeal. We endorse the non-branded kind. Because while building the Back to the Future DeLorean, complete with tiny Doc and Marty, is pretty awesome, you’re still missing one key piece: imagination.

This box folds out to unveil two drawers completely stuffed with pipe cleaners, puff balls, strings, baubles, sticks, glue, feathers, beads, and even a few googly eyes thrown in for good measure. There are no instructions—which is kind of the whole point.

You may think: “Uh, aren’t these overpriced couch cushions?” And you’ll probably continue to think that until the base, cushion, and pillows arrive. Then, in the weeks that follow, as your kids build forts, chairs, ships, rocket launching pads, and tumbling mats, you’ll come around. And you’ll also notice that your couch cushions are all in their right place, free of stains. Good thing the Nugget is machine washable.

A serving has six grams of filling fiber, tastes awesome, and is shelf-stable. Stash a pack wherever hanger lurks.

Don’t call them cheesy poofs. They’re made with real peanut butter, which means they have some protein and they taste awesome. Plus, they don’t look like they’re for kids, so you can enjoy them guilt-free too.

Many energy bars for kids derive their “energy” from added sugar. So don’t buy energy bars for kids, and instead opt for Unite’s line. The churro flavor is awesome, but your kids will love the Putter Butter & Jelly, for sure. Each bar has 10 grams of protein for fewer than 200 calories.

You’re going to need an energy bar for you too. This combo delivers 180 calories and enough protein (6 grams) and fiber (2 grams) to tied you over until your next meal. The cool mint doubles as a breath refresher, juuuusssst in case you forgot to brush your teeth because you were too busy telling your kids to breath their teeth.

These meat sticks come from grass-fed beef, won’t singe your kid’s taste buds, and contain no sugar whatsoever.

These 7-ounce, flip-top containers slide into a cup holder or go bag. And they’re easy enough for a four-year-old to open. Or you.