Linnea Schulenburg
writes on December 18, 2017
The holidays are almost upon us, which means some of you may be searching for the perfect gift for a programmer in your life (or even inspiration for your own wishlist). To make things a little easier this busy festive season, we’ve put together a list of the top 24 geek gifts we love and recommend. Check them out below.
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Contents
For the productivity hackers
1. A Pomodoro Timer. Great for someone focused on honing their productivity skills in the new year.
2. A premium Spotify subscription. Perfect for any programmer that relies on music to keep their coding flowing. The bonus with the premium subscription is they can enjoy being in the zone without any commercial interruptions.
3. A plus or premium Evernote subscription. Everyone can benefit from the awesome features of Evernote. From note-taking to saving pages you find online, Evernote is guaranteed to help organize both personal and professional projects.
For the reference lovers
Here are some of our favorite books that would make for awesome gifts:
4. The Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set by Jon Duckett
5. Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming by Marjin Haverbeke
6. The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt
7. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin
8. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
Bonus: For more great programming books, check out our recommended reading list
For the work junkies
9. An Ergonomic mouse, keyboard, or wrist pads. Coding away at a computer all day can take a toll on busy hands. Ergonomic products are a great way to prevent causing damage or improve on existing issues caused by incorrect alignment working at a computer.
10. A pair of computer glasses. Our eyes weren’t designed to stare at digital screens all day, so doing so can cause issues like eye strain. The good news is, a pair of computer glasses that block blue light can both prevent those issues and be a pretty cool gift!
11. A laptop stand. Nearly every member of the Treehouse team uses one, and we love them (our personal preference is a Rain Design stand).
12. A back support for computer chairs. It may serve as a more practical gift, but trust us, anyone who sits at a desk for a long period of time will be thankful for this gift.
13. A plant for their office. Liven up and purify the air, with a green addition. Their presence will be enjoyed by everyone.
For late night coders & foodies
14. A coffee subscription. For the caffeine addict, a monthly subscription like Blue Bottle or Mistobox makes for the perfect gift.
15. A snack box subscription. Everyone needs a little brain and body fuel while they work, but it can be a struggle to find the time to keep those snack choices healthy. A thoughtful snack subscription from the likes of Nature Box, Graze, or Healthy Surprise delivers healthy goodness straight to your door or desk.
16. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by Kenji Alt-Lopez. This awesome and quirky test-driven cookbook is a unique and delicious gift.
17. An Audible subscription. Help the late night coder you know switch off with an audiobook. Audible has something for everyone and it’s a great way to disconnect and relax the mind after a long day.
For the makers, crafters & tinkerers
18. A raspberry pi or a raspberry pi kit. This is the perfect gift for any techie you know. It’s a fun way to learn computer programming and is appropriate for all ages.
19. The ultimate Circuit Scribe kit. Another fantastically geeky gift for anyone who enjoys building and making. With this kit, you can make dynamic paper circuits, but they also have tons of other kits available.
20. Making Things Smart: Easy Embedded JavaScript Programming for Making Everyday Objects into Intelligent Machines by Gordon F. Williams. This is
21. A creative class: Encourage hands-on (and offline) crafting for your programming friends with wonderful subscriptions and classes from the likes of Creativebug or Craftsy class.
For the creatives
22. A grid dot notebook. The perfect gift for any developer to mockup UIs or make flowcharts of their program’s logic.
23. 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D. An interesting and insightful must-read for every designer.
24. An Etsy gift card. Developers spend a lot of time at their desks, which is why they love to personalize their space. A gift card to Etsy is a great way to encourage them to add to or freshen up their office by buying art and creations directly from artists.
These are only a few of the awesome gifts out there for programmers and we’d love to hear your suggestions. Share them in the comments below!
Hi guys, great list. You forgot David Thomas as one of the authors: ‘The Pragmatic Programmer’. And because this is the holy grail, you should be ashamed :D.