Gifts for Programmers

Programmers spend most of the day at the same desk, typing, thinking and drinking coffee. The gifts they appreciate make those hours more comfortable, or feed the curiosity that got them into it in the first place. Skip the jokey mug with the semicolon on it; a good keyboard or a book they keep on the desk will get used for years.

Under $25 5 ideas

  1. A Philosophy of Software Design

    A short, clear book about keeping code simple, by a Stanford professor. Readable in a weekend, and useful whether they write Python or Rust.

    John OusterhoutBook

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  2. The Phoenix Project

    A novel about an IT manager trying to rescue a failing project. Anyone who has lived through an outage or a doomed launch will recognize every character.

    Gene KimBook

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  3. Death Wish Coffee Whole Bean Dark Roast

    A very strong dark roast with a name programmers find funny for some reason. Good for the long debugging session.

    Death Wish CoffeeGets used upStocking stuffer

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  4. Rhodia DotPad No. 16 (A5)

    A dot-grid pad with smooth paper for sketching architecture diagrams and to-do lists. Tear off a page and pin it next to the monitor.

    RhodiaStocking stuffer

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  5. Logitech Desk Mat Studio Series

    A large, spill-resistant felt-like mat for under the keyboard and mouse. Makes a desk look intentional and stops the keyboard sliding around.

    Logitech

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Under $50 6 ideas

  1. The Pragmatic Programmer, 20th Anniversary Edition

    Practical advice about the craft of programming that holds up decade after decade. A good gift for a junior developer and a good reread for a senior one.

    David Thomas and Andrew HuntBook

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  2. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software (2nd Edition)

    Builds a computer from switches and light bulbs up, one idea per chapter. Self-taught developers in particular find it fills in everything underneath their code.

    Charles PetzoldBook

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  3. Logitech ERGO M575 Wireless Trackball

    A thumb-operated trackball, so the hand stays still all day. Worth trying for anyone who complains about a sore wrist.

    Logitech

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  4. ELEGOO UNO R3 Super Starter Kit

    An Arduino-compatible board with sensors, LEDs, motors and a tutorial. A weekend project for a programmer who has never made code move something in the real world.

    ELEGOOAn experience

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  5. AeroPress Original Coffee Press

    Makes a clean, strong cup in about a minute, and is nearly unbreakable. Programmers love tweaking the recipe the way they tweak config files.

    AeroPress

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  6. Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)

    Adds HDMI, USB-A, SD card slots and pass-through charging to a laptop that has only USB-C ports. Stops the hunt for the right dongle before every meeting.

    Anker

    See it on Amazon

Under $100 7 ideas

  1. Designing Data-Intensive Applications

    The book backend engineers keep recommending to each other. It explains databases, replication and distributed systems clearly. Many readers say it changed how they design software.

    Martin KleppmannBook

    See it on Amazon

  2. Keychron V1 QMK Custom Mechanical Keyboard

    A solid 75 percent mechanical keyboard that can be fully reprogrammed and has hot-swappable switches. For the programmer who wants to remap Caps Lock to Escape and never look back.

    Keychron

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  3. Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse

    A quiet, comfortable mouse with a metal scroll wheel that spins freely through thousand-line files. Switches between three computers with a button.

    Logitech

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  4. Rain Design mStand Laptop Stand

    A solid aluminum stand that raises the laptop screen to eye level. Paired with an external keyboard, it fixes the hunched laptop posture for good.

    Rain Design

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  5. Ergodriven Topo Comfort Mat

    A standing-desk mat with ridges and a central mound that make you shift your feet without thinking. For the person who bought a standing desk and now mostly sits at it.

    Ergodriven

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  6. Yubico YubiKey 5C NFC

    A hardware security key for two-factor login to GitHub, Google, password managers and more. Developers know they should use one; few have bought it.

    Yubico

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  7. Turing Tumble

    A marble-powered mechanical computer you program by placing logic pieces. A puzzle toy that programmers enjoy and that can get their kids interested too.

    Turing TumbleAges 8+An experienceFor display

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$100 and up 3 ideas

  1. Keychron Q1 Max QMK/VIA Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard

    A heavy, all-aluminum keyboard with a gasket-mounted plate for a soft, quiet typing feel. The keyboard programmers buy once they get serious about it.

    Keychron

    See it on Amazon

  2. BenQ ScreenBar Halo Monitor Light

    A monitor-mounted light with a wireless dial and backlight, so the desk is lit without glare on the screen. Late-night coders stop working in the dark.

    BenQ

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  3. CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit

    A Raspberry Pi 5 with case, power supply, cooling and storage, ready to go. Becomes a home server, ad blocker or retro console, whichever project they have been talking about.

    CanaKitAn experience

    See it on Amazon