Geek gifts 2025: nostalgia and a human touch

Geek gifts with a human touch

Sometimes simpler is better, according to another geek advisor.

"I’m going to guess a lot of your readers are already neck deep in AI. So, let’s veer away from that, but because of all the AI, I think homemade and handmade gifts will be more welcome than ever," he said. "I’ll take some homemade cookies over a trinket destined for a landfill or donation every day of the week. Similarly, experiences are still tops. Tickets for you and the recipient to a local sporting event, museum, or show are all a great time for the right recipient."

Another suggestion for an experiential geek gift that can't be wrapped is a massage for the geek who spends lots of time hunched over a keyboard.

Even if gadgets and tinkering are involved, another geek expert told us a gift is often best if it contrasts with a geek's daily work. There are numerous kits available, including mushroom-growing kits, wood-carving sets, gardening sets, electronics project kits and more, which can support these efforts.

"Geeks often have geeky hobbies that use gadgets and often require a certain attention to technical detail -- photography, electronics, gardening (soil chemistry is *VERY* geeky), model building, tabletop gaming, etc.," he said. "So, understand what geeky endeavor pulls your recipient away from the screen for a bit so they can turn that overactive brain toward something productive for themselves. 

"And maybe offer to do it with them and be a bit humble as they try and teach you," he added. "Geeks also enjoy being able to share their knowledge and experiences with the people they love."

Geek gifts for 'biohacking'

A significant number of our geek advisors' suggestions this year linked technology back to the human experience in a different way -- specifically the human body, such as a Function Health membership "for folks who want to biohack their health," according to one of our geek buddies.

Other similar suggestions included an Oura Ring.

"I’m obsessed with data and analytics, and wear an Apple Watch religiously, which has completely transformed my health," said one geek expert. "The Oura Ring is a compliment to that Apple Watch which gives me further validation that my metrics are accurate from my Apple Watch. I like the AI advisor too, that scans my trending metrics and gives me automated insights."

For the geek who has already gone bionic, there's always the external environment to consider.

"One gift I'm doing this year for family is Aranet devices, mostly the Aranet4 Home, which measures temperature, humidity and CO2," said another geek friend. "CO2 is a good proxy measure for ventilation, and the Aranet4 Home makes it easy to know when it's time to crack a window -- especially important at winter gatherings."

Aranet also offers radon detectors, "a good gift to friends/family with basements," he added. "I'm also throwing in the sticker packs they sell so the recipients can customize the style."

Another suggestion: improved lighting and communication devices for a geek's home workspace. Suggestions include the Elgato Key Light Neo, and high-quality webcams with built-in microphones such as Opal or the Razer Kiyo Pro.

Speaking of lighting, our friend the Oura Ring fan also recommended Flic buttons -- Bluetooth-connected physical buttons that integrate into a Home Assistant home automation platform, or similar. Be sure to check which system your geek has and whether it's compatible before making any purchases.

"I prefer physical buttons when opening my blinds throughout the day to block the sun," he said. "The Flic button is on the underside of my desk, and I can press it to open the blinds without scrambling to look for a remote. It’s super convenient."

The practical, non-technical geek gift

Many of our geek gifts suggestions this year were completely non-technical as well.

"OK, this one is a weird answer - it's a canvas tote bag," said one geek contributor. "I go to a lot of shows, and the stuff I am carrying lately is not always backpack-friendly. Nowadays, I have a tripod, a big water bottle, multiple computing devices or tablets, food, etc. If you are grinding out long hours doing a lot of diverse activities, you need less structure in what you bring to work."

Another geek we know rated useful gifts his all-time favorites -- with the all-time No. 1 gift a North Face jacket.

"This year, I received a complete beach picnic set, including a towel, a plastic ball, an insulated bag and a blanket for sitting on the ground," he added.

Similarly, a geek can upgrade their home environment with home calisthenics equipment, according to one of our advisors.

"Make up for all that time stuck at your desk with some strength training, even if you don't have a lot of space," he said. "Start with a doorway pull-up bar and some gymnastics rings."

The nostalgic geek gift

This year, retro gifts also seem to be in style.

"New game consoles designed to play old games are nothing new, but something that makes ModRetro unique is that they're actively developing new games for the Gameboy-compatible system they sell!" raved one of our suggestion sources. "They also nail the style, with multiple colors and matching retro headphones to go along with their systems."

Elsewhere, "The 'lo-fi' trend has collided with retro in the photography space," he added. "Cheap film cameras, like the Show camera, and old point-and-shoot digitals are in vogue, as young adults reject the hyper-polished, super high quality, mondo mega-pixel, AI-touched-up photos coming out of modern smartphones and DSLRs."

Finally, "For every budget and type of geek in your life, you can't go wrong with Lego," he said. "Whether it's Nintendo nostalgia, the latest insane Star Wars kit, or something simple and satisfying like a bonsai tree, everyone loves building and showing off a Lego set."

Beth Pariseau, a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget, is an award-winning veteran of IT journalism covering DevOps. Have a tip? Email her or reach out @PariseauTT.