Dad isn't always the easiest family member to choose a gift for, but as Father's Day approaches, new research suggests he could be giving himself a stick by choosing the wrong gift.
Fishing gear has been found to be dads' least favorite gift in the UK, according to new research from MyVoucherCodes.
The website surveyed more than 2,000 people about what to buy their dad for Father's Day and what gifts he would most like to receive on June 16 and which gifts he would least like to receive.
Many dads aren't that picky, with more than a quarter (26%) saying they would be happy to receive just about anything.
Among the items fathers did not want to receive, fishing gear ranked first, golf gear ranked second, and Hawaiian shirts ranked third.
They may be clothes fit for James Bond, but bow ties, neckties and cufflinks were the fourth and fifth most unwanted items, while gym clothes came in sixth.
Even the ‘Best Dad’ merchandise didn’t make it into the top seven most unwanted gifts among some dads.
Socks, barbecue equipment and jewelry rounded out the top 10.
When it comes to favorite gifts, food seems to be the best way to win the hearts of some men. A trip to a restaurant was the most desired Father's Day gift among dads, according to a survey conducted by Censuswide in May.
Holidays were the most popular Father's Day gifts, followed by beer.
Gifts don't always have to have monetary value. The fourth most popular Father's Day gift for dads was simply spending time with their children.
Hotel accommodations and wine tied for 5th place, chocolate ranked 7th, and sports tickets and books tied for 8th place. In life, simple things are often best. Home-cooked meals ranked 10th.
Across the survey, the average spend on Father's Day gifts was just over £30.
The research also suggests that women and girls are slightly more generous in splurging cash on their dads, with the average woman spending £32.15 on Father's Day, compared to men and boys spending £28.97.
Studies have shown that men and women have different views on what gifts are acceptable on Father's Day. One in ten women surveyed (10%) thought their father would like home-cooked food, but only 8% of men actually agreed.
And while 10% of the women surveyed thought their fathers or partners would want an experience day, only 7% of the men quizzed actually welcomed it as a gift.
Sarah-Jane Outten, shopping expert at MyVoucherCodes, says: “It’s really interesting to see the difference between what men actually want on Father’s Day and what they think women want.
“What’s really clear from the research is that dads aren’t buying fishing gear, so it might be best to choose a different gift to get them over the edge.”