Geek Gifts, from Nixie Tubes to Tesla Coils

Nixie tube clocks, Tesla coils, binary watches and twisty cubes: nerdy gifts that speak a geek's language.

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Geek gifts are objects that speak to fans of technology and science: either they show a real physical effect, like the arcs of a Tesla coil or the glowing digits of a Nixie tube, or they carry an in-joke that only insiders get. Typical nerd gifts include Stirling engines, plasma balls, Tesla coils, Nixie clocks, binary watches and puzzle cubes.

Nerdy gifts to match their world

Retro tech

A Nixie tube is a glass tube filled with gas: when one of its digit-shaped cathodes receives a voltage, the gas glows orange around it. The Steampunk Nixie Clock ($259.99) uses six real tubes set in solid wood with metal hardware, and shows the time in 12 or 24 hour format. The Nixie Tube Lamp ($204.99) borrows the look with RGB LEDs, in six colors you switch with the buttons on its wooden case, and the Atomic Watch ($29.99) marks the hours with elements from the periodic table.

Arcs and plasma

For the geek who likes to see electricity at work. The Tesla Coil Music ($84.99) receives music over Bluetooth, and its 4-inch streaks of lightning move in time with the song. The Blue Plasma Ball (from $69.99) shows the same physics more quietly: touch the glass and a thread of blue light follows your fingers. The Mini Tesla Coil ($119.99) is a compact coil that also plays music through its arcs, a good way to explain resonance and high voltage at the dinner table.

Always fiddling with something

Some geeks think better with something between their fingers. The Inception Spinning Top ($22.99), a small metal top, spins on the desk between two tasks. The Periodic Table Rubik's Cube ($29.99) carries the symbol, atomic number and mass of the elements on its faces, and the Lego Rubik's Cube ($19.99) has faces made of studded bricks, so they can add their own compatible bricks.

Puzzles and cubes

For someone who solved the classic cube long ago. The Round Rubik's Cube ($28.99) is cylindrical: each turn distorts its silhouette, and you have to restore the shape as well as the colors. The 10x10 Rubik's Cube ($95.99) has one hundred stickers on each face, and the Rubik's Cube Treasure Box ($44.99) turns like a real 3x3 while hiding a small secret compartment (a hiding place, not a security safe).

How much to spend on a geek gift?

BudgetExamplesWho it suits
Under $30Sudoku Rubik's Cube ($28.99), Atomic Watch ($29.99)A geeky friend, a coworker, or a small extra next to another gift
$30 to $60Binary Watch ($39.99), Rubik's Cube Treasure Box ($44.99)A birthday: a watch that counts in binary or a cube with a hiding place
$60 to $100Blue Plasma Ball (from $69.99), Tesla Coil Music ($84.99)Christmas or a big birthday, for the electronics fan
$100 and upDIY Tesla Coit Kit ($129.99), Steampunk Nixie Clock ($259.99)A group gift: a kit to solder or a collector's piece

What a geek expects from a gift

A geek spots a fake gadget fast. A good nerdy gift works in a way you can explain: a tube that glows because a gas receives a voltage, an engine that turns the heat of a wick into motion, a watch that counts in binary. For a puzzle, find out whether they already own the classic cube: if so, aim for a shape or a number of layers they haven't tried yet. For a kit, check that they enjoy soldering before you choose one that requires it.

If you're after the surprise effect first, see our unusual gift ideas; for a physics or chemistry fan, the selection of gifts for scientists goes further. If they're between 13 and 16, our science gifts for teenagers are a better fit.

Frequently asked questions

What are good nerdy gifts for men?

Start from what he likes to tinker with. If he loves mechanics, the Alpha Stirling Engine Generator ($78.99) shows how the heat of a wick drives pistons, a belt and discs to produce electricity. If he collects old-school hardware, the Vintage Nixie Tube Clock ($396.99) sets six IN12 tubes from the Soviet Union in a hardwood, copper and acrylic case. If he loves references, the Binary Watch ($39.99) makes him read the time in binary. These ideas work just as well for a geeky woman.

What geek gifts work on a small budget?

Puzzles and posters stay affordable. The Periodic Table Poster (from $16.99) gives each element's symbol, name and atomic number in white text on a dark background (frame not included). The Rubik's Cube Light ($28.99) lights up as you turn it and recharges over USB, cable included. The Twist Puzzle Cube ($22.99), shaped like a twisted hourglass, has no stickers: its colors are in the plastic itself.

Which geeky gifts suit a desk?

Pick something that runs on its own or that they can handle during a call. The Led Nixie Tube Clock (from $154.99) shows the time in LED-lit cubic chambers on a wooden base, with 4 or 6 tubes. The Tesla Coil Speaker ($114.99) fits a flat Tesla coil into a compact case: it lights a bulb without contact and plays music. The Sudoku Rubik's Cube ($28.99) asks you to put digits in order on every face: a sudoku in three dimensions.

What is a Nixie clock?

It's a clock that shows the time with Nixie tubes: inside each gas-filled glass tube, a digit-shaped cathode glows orange when it receives a voltage. The Nixie Tube Clock Kit DIY ($314.99) uses four IN12 tubes, and you build it yourself from diodes, transistors and wires. Other models light their tubes with RGB LEDs, like the Nixie Tube Alarm Clock ($119.99), which also shows the weather and a calendar. Check the product page to see whether a clock uses real tubes or LEDs.

What are good Christmas gifts for nerds?

At Christmas, a kit to build over the holidays keeps a nerd busy for a few evenings. The Robot Dog for Adults ($146.77) has 936 parts and, once built, moves on remote control or voice command. The DIY Stirling Engine Kit ($74.99) is screwed together part by part, then runs on the heat of its own wick. On a smaller budget, the Acoustic Levitation Kit ($24.99) floats tiny objects on ultrasonic waves once it's assembled. You'll find more in our science Christmas gifts.

Can I exchange the gift if it isn't right?

Yes. You have 30 days to change your mind, which leaves time to give the gift and see whether it earns a place on their desk. If it doesn't suit them, you can send it back within that period. There's also free shipping on orders over $59.90.