Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Programmers

Instead of writing another serious article about startup development and peculiarities of tech development, this time we want to get into the holiday spirit and help those who have programmer friends to choose the perfect gift for them.

Look at the calendar, it’s one week till Christmas. And if you belong to those people who wait until the last minute to buy holiday gifts, then this article will serve as an inspiration for you.

Buying a gift is easy, however, choosing the right gift for someone is really tough and overwhelming. So, make your holiday shopping a joyful one, get inspired by our suggestions and get the best gifts for your dev friends.

You won’t find expensive gadgets (ok, there will be several pricey items) on our list, but rather fun and useful presents that every programmer will find quite handy on a daily basis. Note, it’s not an affiliate article, our suggestions were based on personal experience and reviews.

Extreme sports gift e-voucher

A completely different approach towards the gift idea could be granting your friend an exciting emotional experience. You can order an e-voucher for bungee jumping, hot air balloon ride or skydiving/parachuting. Such an extreme experience will shake the daily routine of coding and will give loads of positive energy.

Coffee Mug

It’s a no-brainer that coffee-related gifts are the best one. At 2muchcoffee (the name was chosen not for a coincidence :-) ), we say that code comes from coffee. So, as an idea for a present, you may buy your friend a mug.

It was suggested by our team that a great mug for coder should be: 1) at least around 450 ml; 2) resistant material; 3) included bad geek/programmer joke. Take a look at "Get shit DONE" mug or Eat, sleep, code mug which consider to be classics around programmers. The whole collection of the other mugs with similar design, you will find visiting Redbubble.

You can have one for your boss, too. For example, Best.Boss.Ever or quite an anecdotal one which says My daily cup of: employee tears will be cheerful and at the same time useful present.

It’s a fact, that there’s nothing like fresh-ground coffee. So, as a supplement to the mug, the perfect choice for a gift could be a package of coffee beans. If you’re not a coffee enthusiast and don’t know which brand is the best one, check out “10 best coffee beans for the perfect brew (review) in 2019” with the key coffee brands and its features.

USB Cup Warmer

Let’s face it, it’s quite annoying when your tea/coffee gets cold quickly during the autumn/winter season? Especially, when you’re coding under the tracking tool or get distracted to fix some bugs, so you don’t have the chance to enjoy a hot beverage. In that case, the USB Cup Warmer will be the perfect gift.

It’s quite easy to use - just place the cup in the circle and turn it on. Artificial leather design, soft, noble and elegant, can reach the surface temperature of 85 degrees, so it’s not easy to burn hands.

Adjustable standing Desk

Sitting in front of the computer all day can have massively detrimental effects on one’s health, including bad posture that leads to all kinds of physical ailments. Standing desks are better since there are activated more muscles while you’re standing. So, for someone who is coding all day, you can check out Tranzendesk 55” crank standing desk or FENGE Standing Desk Conventer. Note, that standing all day may have its own problems, too. The best way is to mix sitting and standing working hours.

Noise-isolating headphones

There’s nothing worse than trying to work but being unable to focus because of the noise around you. I bet that happens to your programmer friend all the time! But don’t go and get noise-canceling headphones - they’re better off with noise-isolating headphones. And one of the most comfortable and most effective options is the Audiov-Technica ATH-M50x.

(Amazon/Spotify/Deezer) Music subscription

Everyone loves music. Especially programmers, who actually need music to work and increase their productivity. Amazon Prime Music has the biggest collection of music and your programmer friend will surely find something he/she loves in this big music store.

As an alternative to Amazon music, you can check out Spotify or Deezer subscription plans. All three platforms are different due to yearly or monthly subscription plans as well as other features, so it’s easy to choose the most suitable option.

Laptop backpack

You can’t go wrong with a backpack. Programmers always lack luggage that can help them bring their equipment everywhere they go. Pick the backpack with lots of pockets. You can find loads of great backpacks on Amazon, for example, take a look at this one - laptop with USB charging port, which is perfect for traveling and an everyday trip to work.

USB data blockers

Plugging into your phone into suspicious charges is not the best idea. So, consider buying PortaPow 3rd Gen USB-C to USB-A Data Blocker as a necessary gift at the times of cybersecurity issues. USB data blockers let to charge the devices from other peoples’ USB ports without the risk of their accessing your phone’s data or infecting it with malware.

You can either choose one USB data blocker or choose PortaPow 3rd Gen USB Data Blocker (Black 5 Pack) while saving some money and sharing it among all your dev friends.

T-shirts and sweatshirts

Who doesn’t want to get a holiday ugly sweater or a T-shirt with a bad geek joke on it? “Clear your cookies”, “bug feature” and many other awesome printings you can find on xonot website. Shipping internationally, so don’t need to find some local stores for such a purchase.

Portable dual-screen for laptops

Every programmer depends on the convenience of their devices. On-the-go portable dual-screen for laptops is on the wishlist of the majority of programmers, so they can take advantage of remote work and be productive whenever they are.

Keyboard

For every gamer out there (and not only), a good option for a gift will be a high-quality keyboard. You may choose The Razor Black Widow keyboard with water and dust resistance. Or more affordable ones like KLIM Chroma Wireless Gaming Keyboard or Redragon Gaming Keyboard. For Apple users, we suggest Belkin YourType Bluetooth Wireless Keypad. The compact wireless keypad provides a range of 28 numbers, functions, and document navigation keys to complement your Apple Wireless Keyboard.

Sketchbook

Quite simple, yet a necessary tool for designers to carry around in the pocket for when the inspiration strikes. Choose a sketchbook with plenty of pages and the right size. For example, Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad or Canson Artist Series Universal Sketch Pad will be perfect for the UI and UX needs.