Kids

11 Christmas Gifts Your Techie Will Love

by Kevyn Gohu
December 16, 2021

Struggling to buy Christmas gifts for our resident techie? Here are some items we can buy for them.

It’s hard to buy gifts for our kids or teens especially if they’re techies. Being techies means they’ll know a lot more about gadgets and can probably get better deals than us. They’re also the kind of kids to look beyond the brand and to be quite nitpicky all the way to specifications. And with Christmas coming up, getting them a new phone isn’t always the answer. Here are some gadgets and items we know your resident techies will appreciate for Christmas.

1. Self-Filtering Water Bottle

Even techies get thirsty after hours of streaming or doing work. Getting them NOERDEN’s LIZ, the Self-Filtering Water Bottle, can help them keep hydrated during long hours of work. Techies may not be walking around but their brains are constantly working and moving to make sure things are okay digitally. Besides, some of their engagements as techies might need them to go out and they’ll never know where they can get clean water. They’re available on ZALORA, Rustan’s, or Trunc.

2. Money

Save yourself the stress and just give your techie money for Christmas. It’s perfect especially if we consider ourselves “low-tech” compared to our kids and teens. We might even buy the wrong gadget if we don’t know what they’re talking about. Techies are quite meticulous with their setup especially if they built a desktop all by themselves. If you know they’re planning to upgrade some of their parts, just give them money. It’ll help fund their goal of buying the latest parts for their desktop.

3. USB Hubs

If your techie’s the one handling all the digital outputs for homeschool, they’ll need a USB Hub for their desktop. They’ll need the multiple slots for video cameras, microphones, printers, and if they’re into graphic design — tablets. Most USB Hubs come out in 2.0 or 3.0 which you can tell by looking into the slot. The 3.0 usually has a bit of blue inside and processes information a lot faster than the 2.0 ones. Usually, those cost around PHP 200 – 800 depending on how many slots and the brand.

4. Earphones

Considering your techie’s always wired, they’ll appreciate having an extra pair of earphones as a Christmas gift. Since they’ll be going around with their ears always plugged, they’ll always need replacements. More durable earphones can last for years if your techies don’t handle them roughly. But there are also cheap ones in Lazada and Shoppee that range from 100 to 200 pesos. Wireless would be fine but your techie would most likely prefer wired ones because it has better sound.

5. Wi-Fi Dongle

Wi-Fi Dongles enhance the range of their laptop or desktop to pick up internet. Especially if they’re in a room that has a bad internet connection, a Wi-Fi Dongle can make up for the Wi-Fi card. Wi-Fi dongles are good for techies who are constantly on the move or your young adult entrepreneurs who are trying to build their business in the midst of the pandemic. Your techie will appreciate a wi-fi dongle as a Christmas gift if it’ll help them get more wi-fi when they sit in Starbucks.

6. CAT6 Internet Cables

More on hardware and if your techie’s a gamer, they will be jumping for joy if you give them a long CAT6 Internet Cable. Doing so means they’ll never get disconnected and will always have quality internet. It’ll also lessen the rage moments your gamers have at home and make sure that all their online classes proceed smoothly. Majority of the stress of online work is because the internet gets cut and it’s usually because of something important.

7. USBs

They can never run out of storage. Techies thrive by exchanging files and information, like currency. Giving them a USB might be better than a hard drive since it doesn’t have a wire that’s bound to break. These can also range from hundreds to thousands depending on the storage size. And since they’ll be the ones converting a lot of our hard copies into soft ones, giving a techie a USB as a Christmas gift also helps them organize their files better.

8. Software

Software can range from Microsoft Office, Quicken, Adobe Studios, or even video games. Your techie’s bound to want some of them especially if they need it for their school work or business. If your kids are planning to get into Graphics Design as a career, then, Adobe Studios is the most recommended. It has Illustrator, LightRoom, and other programs that can further their skills in Art. Your kids would most likely appreciate Unity or Maya if they’re planning to go into Game Design. But if they just like video games, for now, check out Steam. Your techies might even have a wishlist there so it’s easier for you to find a Christmas gift for them.

9. Drawing Tablet

Some people use drawing tablets so it’s easier to navigate. But your techie, especially if they’re an artist, would love to have the latest tablets. Tablets nowadays come with screens that they can directly write or draw on, making it easier to apply their changes and swap layers if needed. And if your techies are well-known artists on the internet, giving them a drawing tablet as a Christmas gift them ecstatic. Wacom Intuos is usually the preferred brand.

10. Mechanical Keyboards

A techie’s ASMR of choice is the sound of keys clicking on their mechanical keyboard. They enjoy the rapid clicking as their fingers glide across the keyboard. It’s also safer for them especially if they have laptops. If they’re using a laptop, the keyboards are the number one culprit why dirt, dust, and liquids slip in. Giving them a mechanical keyboard as a Christmas gift preserves their laptop but also makes the experience better. Usually, they sell those kinds of keyboards in PC Gilmore, Dynaquest, and even Data Blitz. Fantech and Dragonwar are pretty decent and within the 500-2000 peso budget.

11. Massage Chairs

Techies would always like a massage though, it’s hard to find one during the pandemic. So, why not just get them a chair that can do the massaging for them? We, moms, know the effects of a massage and what kind of good it can do especially if it’s from OGAWA. Some techies might probably want to upgrade their chairs or just want to build their own salon or spa in their room with the Smart Vogue Plus or Smart Jazz.

Show your techie appreciation with these Christmas gifts

Techies are pragmatic people who look more at the quality of an item than a brand and how well they can use it. In terms of looks, not too much. They do appreciate though others trying to get into it especially if it means lessening their work just a little bit. But if it’s taking too long for you to learn the tech know-how, better to buy your techie some gadgets or just give them money to buy their needed gadget as a Christmas gift instead.