Tech enthusiasts can be hard to find. They tend to enjoy the process of finding the perfect product on their own. If you’re trying to buy a technical gift for a technical person, you better do it right.
The trick to shopping for a techie is to rely on things that have mainstream appeal. Don’t try to choose something specific like a smartphone or a fancy pair of headphones. People interested in technology usually research and purchase these products for themselves. You have to get off the beaten track a bit.
RELATED: 7 tech products you shouldn’t skimp on
Speaker or smart display
Chances are the tech enthusiast in your life has already invested in smart speakers or smart displays. There’s also a good chance they wouldn’t mind adding a few more to the mix. However, and this is very important, make sure you know which smart home ecosystem they use!
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation
The humble Echo Dot is an easy addition for anyone who already uses Amazon Alexa. There’s always room for one more.
Amazon Echo Show 8 2nd Gen
The Echo Show 8 has a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera and AI-powered zoom and pan functions for video calls.
Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen
The Nest Hub has a 7-inch screen, 3 microphones to hear you clearly and is Chromecast compatible to stream video and music.
Gift cards for their favorite services
Gift cards for specific services can be a great gift. You’re giving someone an excuse to try out a new streaming service or buy that iPhone app they covet. Even if they’re already subscribed to the service, who wouldn’t want a few free months?
Tactile gloves
There’s no doubt that the tech geek in your life has a smartphone. If they live in a cold climate, they probably try to use this smartphone with gloves in the winter. You can enhance this experience with a good pair of touchscreen gloves.
Moshi Digits Touchscreen Gloves
Moshi Digits are tactile gloves that don’t suck. Besides making it easier to touch your phone with gloves on, they also add grip.
mini photo printer
Many people, not just techies, have tons of photos on their phone or saved in cloud storage, but that’s where they stay. Photos never make it into the real world. An instant photo printer is a fun and useful gadget to solve this problem.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 is an instant printer that can be easily recharged and taken wherever you go. It prints approximately 2 x 3 inch photos.
Fujifilm Instax Link wide
The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide is essentially the same as the Mini model, but it prints larger 3 x 4 inch photos.
Amazon
$122.43 
$149.95 Save 18%
Canon Selphy CP1300 Printer
For even larger photos, the Canon Selphy prints up to 4 x 6 inches (bordered or borderless). It is still small enough to be easily transportable.
Amazon
$119.00 $129.99 Save 8%
Backup standby power
You know what’s boring? When the power goes out briefly and you have to restart your PC, you lose everything that isn’t saved in the process. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can solve this problem by automatically detecting the power failure and switching to battery power, giving you plenty of time to save your work and shut down properly.
Amazon Basics Standby UPS
A compact inverter with unbeatable dimensions for power. Plus, it’s got all the essentials and way more outlets than you know what to do with.
APC BE425M UPS
An inexpensive inverter with a small footprint. It provides enough power to keep small appliances running after a power outage.
CyberPower CP800AVR
450W provides enough juice to keep routers powered for a very long time. Plus, there’s low-cost surge protection and AVR.
Amazon
$117.95 $124.95 Save 6%
APC BR1500G
An excellent backup battery with AVR and surge protection. It allows for easy cell replacement and the ability to add external backups.
Amazon
$292.26 $316.24 Save 8%
CyberPower PR1500LCD
This 1500W beast is perfect for power-draining equipment like gaming systems. Plus, it features AVR and surge protection and provides pure sine wave output.
Switch to a GaN charger
A charger might not sound exciting, but GaN (gallium nitride) chargers are an exciting new technology. These chargers are much more efficient than older portable chargers, allowing them to offer the same functionality in smaller packages.
Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim 63W
This Anker charger features a 45W USB-C port, a 20W USB-C port, and two USB-A ports. Despite its small size, it is powerful enough to charge a laptop.
Nekteck 60W GaN charger
Within the footprint of a typical AC wall adapter, the Nekteck 60W GaN Charger is powerful enough to charge a 13” laptop in less than 2 hours.
Anker Nano II 45W
The 45 watt Nano II is one of the smaller GaN chargers, but it can charge laptops and tablets. Paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone, it can use Samsung’s super fast charging.
Anker Nano II 100W
The Anker Nano II 100W has 2 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port. USB-C ports are capable of 100W, while USB-A is 22.5W.
The key to shopping for a tech-savvy person is to look outside of the typical gadgets and electronics. Don’t buy someone a smartphone or tablet unless you know exactly which one they want. Think of things they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves.
#gifts #techie #friends