11 Top Gifts to Get the Tech Nerd in Your Life
There is no shortage of smart gifts for your resident fan of electronics. Everything has received a tech upgrade, from stationery to kitchen appliances. For the greatest utility and likelihood of impressing the tech nerd in your life, here are some of the most well-received gifts to improve your loved one’s quality of life.
1. Qubii Pro Photo Storage Drive
For the friend who always has to delete photos from their phone like it’s their job, the Qubii Pro will solve their storage debacle. It’s as large as a charging brick and plugs into one while charging your phone to automatically upload and store photos from photo storage and social channels. Using microSD cards, users can expand the storage to up to 2TB. It is only available for iOS devices.
They retail for varying prices depending on how much storage you want to start with — no microSD for $54.99, 128GB for $84.99 and 256GB for $ $104.99.
2. Equa Smart Water Bottle
Hydration is not only vital for every facet of human health, but it’s also hard to keep up with in a hustle culture-driven society. How about a smart water bottle with a pulsating light at its base to remind you to take a drink?
It’s connected to an app that tracks water consumption and recommends the ideal amount for your body. With double-wall stainless steel and insulating walls to keep liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 12, it’s an agreeable gift to upgrade any daily routine.
They retail for €74.
3. Oura Smart Ring Gen3
As much as our phones claim they can track the quality of our sleep, no technology does this as well as the lightweight, titanium Oura Smart Ring. With its state-of-the-art sensors, it also monitors tons of metrics for the health-conscious and biologically curious, including:
- Blood oxygen sensing
- Stress and tiredness detection
- Heart rate
- Period prediction
- Audio sessions for meditation, focus and more
They have two designs — the flat-topped Heritage model retails for $299 and the sleek Horizon model retails for $349.
4. Pela Earth Lomi Composter
In an eco-conscious world, everyone is seeking convenient ways to reduce their waste and carbon footprint. With Lomi, it takes traditional garden composting with worms to the countertop — no smell, no tending, just technology.
Put approved food waste into Lomi’s bucket and watch pounds and pounds of food waste become high-tech dirt in as little as four hours. You can throw it outside in your yard or put it in your garden beds guilt-free.
They retail for $499.99.
5. Otterbox Folding Wireless Power Bank
With 10,000 mAh of power, this rendition of the power bank from Otterbox will provide convenience and peace of mind for on-the-go tech users. Charge it while catching up on YouTube subscriptions by placing it upright and fold back down when you’re finished. Never go in the red again with your battery life by having this compact and lightweight charger in your tech arsenal.
They retail for $59.95.
6. Airthings View Plus
A post-pandemic mentality has everyone reeling about air quality — the Airthings View Plus reminds us there’s more to clean air than avoiding sickness. On a minimalist, easy-to-read display, it measures:
- Radon exposure
- Pollution
- Carbon dioxide and humidity for reducing virus spread and asthma symptoms
- Smoke exposure in wildfire-prone areas
Understand every bit of particulate matter (PM) in your home. They retail for $299.99.
7. GB70 Boost HD 2000A UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter
Perhaps the tech enthusiast you’re getting a gift for leans to cars. Replacing their antiquated jumper cables with a portable version will make any jump less stressful because it doesn’t rely on another car’s help. With 2,000 amps, the battery can support up to 40 jumps on a charge. The built-in lights ensure easy jumping no matter the time of day or environment. Plus, safety is always a priority with its extra SOS strobes.
They retail for $249.95.
8. Apple Pencil 2nd Gen
Everyone has an Apple fanatic in their circle, but more likely than not, they have most of the peripherals. If they already have the watch and iPad, try getting them the next series Apple Pencil. It significantly improves the original model for seamless notetaking or drawing. It has enhanced magnetic charging and iOS connectivity for continual updates.
If you’re on a budget, you can purchase them refurbished — most businesses that take second hand electronics have to undergo an intensive evaluation process to ensure they’re adequate for resale.
They retail for $129.99.
9. Ray-Ban Wayfarer Smart Glasses
Glasses aren’t just used for sun protection anymore. With phone integration, they can enrich your vision with the future. Not only do they have a hands-free camera, but they have voice and touch control to make a call or pause your audiobook automatically.
The case automatically charges the glasses so they can capture as much of the world as you please every time you put them on.
They come in matte and shiny finishes, ranging from $299 to $379.
10. DJI Mavic Air 2 Quadcopter Drone
One of DJI’s newest drones provides some of the most high-fidelity imaging and increased air time — 34 minutes.
The Mavic Air 2’s camera shoots 48MP photos at 4K and 60 frames per second with increased tracking technology to ensure crisp focusing on the objects and moments you want to capture. For the explorer and videographer in your life, nothing compares.
They retail for $559.
11. Raspberry Pi 4
A Raspberry Pi is the ultimate, customizable technological playground. Originating from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, they created simple computers to promote computer science education. Now, they are a tech nerd’s dream to experiment with building a retro gaming PC or making a chatbot.
They start at $35 and increase with the amount of RAM you choose.
Top Tech Gifts for the 2022 Holiday Season
The tech sector has so much diversity nowadays. It’s easy to find a gift for anyone, even if they aren’t neck-deep in the industry. However, the tech nerd in your circle will deeply appreciate some of the more niche and practical gifts to boost their productivity or provide analytics for insight into their daily activities.
Eleanor Hecks is the founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine. She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and user interface. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dogs, Bear and Lucy. Connect with her about marketing, design and/or tea on LinkedIn.