The trick to shopping for a tech lover is to lean on things with general appeal. Don’t try to pick out something specific like a smartphone or a pair of fancy headphones. People who are interested in technology usually will research and buy those products for themselves. You have to think outside the box a little bit.

RELATED: 7 Tech Products You Shouldn’t Skimp On

Smart Speaker or Display

There’s a good chance the tech lover in your life has already invested in some smart speakers or smart displays. There’s also a good chance they wouldn’t mind adding a few more to the mix. However—and this is very important—make sure you know which smart home ecosystem they use!

Gift Cards for Their Favorite Services

Gift cards for specific services can be a great gift. You’re giving someone an excuse to try a new streaming service or buy that iPhone app they’ve been eyeing. Even if they already subscribe to the service, who wouldn’t want a few free months?

Touchscreen Gloves

There’s no question that the tech lover in your life has a smartphone. If they live in a cold climate, they’re probably trying to use that smartphone with gloves in the winter. You can make this experience better with a good pair of touchscreen gloves.

Mini Photo Printer

A lot of people—not just techies—have tons of photos on their phone or saved to cloud storage, but that’s where they stay. The photos never make it into the real world. An instant photo printer is a fun and useful gadget to solve that problem.

Standby Backup Power

You know what’s annoying? When the power shuts off briefly and you have to boot up your PC again, losing anything unsaved in the process. An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) can solve this by automatically detecting the power outage and switching to battery power—giving you enough time to save your work and shut down correctly.

Upgrade to a GaN Charger

A charger may not sound exciting, but GaN (gallium nitride) chargers are an exciting new technology. These chargers are much more efficient than older portable chargers, which allows them to offer the same features in smaller packages.

The key to shopping for a techy person is to look outside of the typical gadgets and electronics. Don’t buy someone a smartphone or tablet unless you know exactly which one they want. Think about things they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves.

Looking for more gift ideas? Take a look at our other gift guides:

The 25 Best Geeky Stocking Stuffers for 2022 The 25 Best Gifts for Cutting the Cord for 2022 The 25 Best Tech Gifts Under $100 for 2022 The 25 Best Smart Home Gifts for 2022 25 Gifts for the iPhone User in Your Life for 2022 25 Gifts for the Android User in Your Life for 2022 25 Awesome Board Game Stocking Stuffers for Under $25 in 2022