10 things to buy techies for Christmas

Natalie Croze

Needs some ideas for the tech minded individual in your life? Consider these 10 suggestions for the perfect gift for your techie friend this Christmas season!

1. Banana Hanger

This may seem like a strange thing to include in a list for techies, but it’s actually a handy little trick. If you know someone who spends a lot of time on their computer, chances are they have a wired headset. If they do have a headset, where do they put it when they are done with the computer? Consider the Banana Hanger, its already made to hang things up off the table with its handy hook, plus many look silver and sleek, looking great next to a computer rig.

2. JVC Headphones

Speaking of headphones, maybe your roommate or friend don’t have headphones, or maybe they would like better ones? Personally, I recommend JVC headphones they are durable, have high sound quality, and will last a long time. The ones I’ve used for the last 4 years are JVC Over-the-Ear Comfortable Stereo Headphones , I’ve stepped on these headphones, dropped them on the floor, accidentally got some pink nail polish on them, and they still work wonderfully. Plus, the extra-long cord lets me walk about my room without having to take them off. These can be expensive, but they do go on sale fairly often. However, if you are looking for some cheaper headsets, JVC does have some more reasonable priced headphones that have good ratings on Amazon.

3. Roku Streaming Stick

Now that your roommate has some headphones they can watch their favorite shows while you study, and a great way to watch movies and shows is a Roku Streaming stick. Roku has an affordable portable streaming stick for about $30-40 and it allows you to stream from your Amazon Prime account, Netflix, Hulu and Google play. What is nice about the Portable Roku Streaming Stick is that it allows you to use both Google Play and Amazon Fire, the only major streaming service it does not allow you to use is Apple TV. Plus, it has HD streaming and dual-band, which is a nice bonus.

4. Cuphead

Maybe you’re looking for a video game to buy for that special someone this year, but you’re not wanting to spend $60. Consider the indie game, Cuphead. This game is a return to the classic run-and-action games, similar to old Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog video games. This cute little game has visuals inspired by 1930’s cartoons, supports multiplayer, (so you can play with them), and its only $20. The game is available both on Steam and Xbox One.

5. Steam Cash, Xbox Gold, PlayStation cards

Another option is to buy game cards and let your gift receiver choose their own games. These cards are great, because even if you only spend $20 on these cards and your friend/family member/etc. wants to buy the new Call of Duty WWII, this will knock off a nice chunk of that $60 game. Though do take note and make sure you buy a card for the correct system, nothings worse than giving a gift the person can’t use.

6. Duo Flash Drive

Duo flash drives are real life-savers for a techie or really anyone who needs to transfer data. This handy device plugs into a computer, cellphone or tablet, meaning you can transfer music, documents, pictures and just about anything that can be moved via a Flash drive. I use the Samsung 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Duo, which plugs and plays quickly and has a ton of storage at a reasonable price, but if you feel like 32GB won’t be enough space, it does come in two more sizes.

7. Batteries and Charger

Batteries may seem like a lame gift option, but how many times have you been gaming, or using the remote or any device that still requires batteries? Nothing is worse than going to relax with your favorite devise and the remote or controller is out of batteries. The techie in your life will thank you for the gift of rechargeable batteries and a charger for them to sit in, bonus points if you grab one that charges both AA and AAA batteries!

8. Phone Finder

Losing your phone can be the cause of a seriously stressful day, especially for someone who is tech minded. A great gift for the absent minded is some kind of phone finder such as Tile Mate. What is cool about this device is that it attaches to just about anything. If your friend is constantly losing their phone, keys, wallet or anything else that gets lost easily, you can just attach the Tile Mate to it and find it no time!

9. Laptop Backpack

If your reading this you are likely a college student and so is the techie your shopping for, which means they likely have to lug around their tech in an efficient backpack. Why not grab them a backpack that allows for easy carrying both their tech and their homework, such as the C-space Business Laptop Backpack which has both a USB charging port and headphone port, in addition to a handy lock to keep everything safe. A more affordable option is the Rrtizan 15.6 inch laptop backpack, although it does not have all the bells and whistles of the C-space pack.

10. Universal Pocket Keyboard

Tablets and Phones are rather expensive gifts, but their accessories don’t have to be, such as pocket keyboards. These keyboards are available to Apple, Android and other devices. They are small, almost wallet sized, and are great for people who have many portable devices and don’t want to have several portable keyboards taking up space in their backpack.

Hopefully these 10 suggestions have helped you find the perfect gift for the techie in your life.