Whether it’s Christmas or an upcoming birthday, gifts are a fantastic way to show another person you care.

If you’re lucky enough to have an engineer as your nearest and dearest, or perhaps work with one, then you’ll want to make sure you find a gift that someone with such a curious and logical mind will really appreciate. Any ideas? Fear not. Even though not all engineers specialize in the same field or have the same hobbies, these 10 cool gifts will make (almost) every engineer as happy as a kid on Christmas morning. And remember, kindness if normally reciprocated...

1. Space Patent Prints

Why not consider a patent print for a pressie. From a 1909 planetarium, to the 1977 application for a patent for the space shuttle, these prints will look great on any (budding) engineer's wall. Starting at just $19.99 and coming in a variety of colors and dimensions, these top-quality, stylish prints will make for an amazing decorative piece in any engineer's office/study.

2. Tesla T-Shirt

High-up on most people's list of favourite historical engineers (come on, admit it, you have one too!), is surely Nikola Tesla. Pick up a cool design T-Shirt 

3. Multi-tool hammer

The fact that engineers like to take things apart and build stuff from scratch is  their worst-kept secret. So what better gift for one of these restless minds than a super convenient 10-in-1 tool? No more fumbling around looking for the screwdriver or wire cutters ‘they swear they just had a second ago’. It even has a bottle opener for refreshing breaks!

4. Laser distance measurer

If you’re an engineer yourself, you were probably sold at ‘laser’. But even though it sounds very cool, it serves an incredibly practical purpose by removing the need of a second person helping with an annoying measuring tape. It’s also an incredible upgrade for the measuring of vertical distances. This is specially recommended if the engineer is in a line of work where measuring is a recurring part of their job. Although there’s a wide variety of options for this product, most devices with a range of 100 feet, and have basic features like addition, subtraction, calculation of area and volume.

5. A graphic calculator

Graphic calculators are a must for most engineers, so chances are if they could use one. There is a chance, however, that they’ve already got one, so be mindful of that before making any purchase! If they don’t already own one, it’ll make for an excellent gift, since there are so many things an engineer can do with one of these. It will keep them occupied for hours. Texas Instruments is one of the favoured manufacturers for these devices.

6. Thames & Kosmos Coding and Robotics Kit

This is the choice if the engineer you're looking to buy for is a parent, as this product helps develop problem-solving skills and creativity in children. It will also provide a common space for engineer and child to bond over a shared love of making things! This amazing kit allows for the creation of up to 30 models and coding projects. It comes with an instruction booklet to help you/any child from the age of 4, get started – after that, your creativity is the limit!

7. Canakit Raspberry Pl 3 Complete Starter Kit

This is the best-suited option for electronic and programming engineers who like to engage in DIY projects. A select breed, we know. This powerful credit-card sized computer offers an almost endless range of possibilities, all you need is a bit of ingenuity and creativity. Of course, the internet can help a lot as well. They aren't cheap, but offer hours and hours of fun.

8. Drone

Whether you think of it as a tool or a really cool toy, a drone is a great gift option not only for engineers, but basically any kind of tech enthusiast. With features such as live-streaming and one key return, it is guaranteed that the user will be able to fly, everybody can, and get an amazing view of the skies without being worried about the device getting lost. Make sure you are aware of the laws surrounding drones, which change all the time. We wouldn't want you getting in any trouble.

9. Kodak Flik HD9 Smart Projector

These projectors mark a return to form by the traditional camera and cinematography giant, Kodak. This compact projector is a powerful portable projection unit that's as impressive as it's convenient. The projector offers 200 lumen of brightness, offering a clear picture even with ambient light. Connectivity includes Bluetooth, wifi, hdmi and built in android tv. For good measure it also has a speaker!

10. 3D printer

A lot of an engineer’s work involves designing machines or their elements with all kinds of CAD modelling software. Thanks to a 3D printer, they’ll be able to go crazy bringing their creations to life. Engineers are also known to lose or break things, which can now be replaced/repaired with the help of the printer. The creative possibilities are literally endless - but they are expensive.

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