If you have an engineer on your shopping list, you might find yourself struggling with gift ideas. For engineers, you’re going to want to get something that isn’t just humorous, but also practical. Here are some gift ideas that you could consider for your engineer friends:

Gifts for Civil Engineers

• OWI Robotic Arm Edge
  • Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 15 x 9 inches
  • Product Weight: 1.02 pounds
  • Batteries: D batteries required
  • Price: $42
• Radian Wall Clock
  • Product Dimensions:  9.5 inches in diameter
  • Batteries: AA battery required (included in purchase)
  • Price: $25
• Instructional Book – Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements of Spitball Warfare
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Product Weight: 1 pound
  • Pages: 256
  • Price: $16.25
• Modern Marvels DVD Set
  • Number of DVDs in set: 14 DVDs
  • Total run time: 2115 minutes
  • DVD release date: May 27, 2008
  • Price: $200
• Classic Calculator Watch
  • Product Dimensions:  0.4 x 0.9 x 1.3 inches
  • Product Weight: 3.2 ounces
  • Batteries: 1 Lithium metal batteries (included in purchase)
  • Price: $19
• Pocket WorkMate Pocket Smart String
  • Product Dimensions: 5 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Product Weight: 4.2 ounces
  • Batteries: Lithium metal batteries required (included in purchase)
  • Price: $12
• Engineer’s Motto T-Shirt
  • Product Sizes Available: S, M, L, XL, XLT, 2XL, 2XLT, 3XL, 3XLT
  • Price: $34
• Math Formulas Tie
  • Product Dimensions: 57″ L x 3.25 ” W
  • Product Material: Silk
  • Price: $45
• Level Cufflinks
  • Product Dimensions: .5 inches W
  • Product Weight: 0.43 oz
  • Product Material: Sterling silver
  • Price: $150
• Engineering Disasters DVD Set
  • Total run time: 846 minutes
  • DVD release date: May 27, 2008
  • Price: $39.95
• 4M Tin Can Robot
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.2 x 5.2 inches
  • Product Weight 7 ounces
  • Batteries: 1 AA battery required
  • Price: $15
• Subscription to Popular Mechanics Magazine
  • Price: $20 for 2 years
• Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things
  • Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 0.5 x 7 inches
  • Product Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Pages: 176
  • Price: $10.48
• K’NEX Education – Real Bridge Building Set 
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 12.8 x 10.2 inches
  • Product Weight: 14.3 pounds
  • Number of pieces: 2304
  • Price: $200
• Jac Zagoory Beta Inkless “Go To Pen” Key Ring
  • Product Dimensions: 3.8 x 3.8 x 1 inches
  • Product Weight: 0.8 ounces
  • Batteries: D batteries required
  • Price: $46.15
• Subscription to Popular Science
  • Price: $10 for 1 year
• The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season
  • Number of DVDs in set: 3 DVDs
  • Total run time: 355 minutes
  • DVD release date: Sep 2, 2008
  • Price: $200
• Tube Wringer
  • Product Dimensions: 4.6 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches
  • Price: $25

OWI Robotic Arm Edge

Image Source: Amazon

The OWI Robotic Arm Edge has all the intricacies and mechanical technology to excite any engineer. The kit can be assembled with no soldering required and is typically used to educate engineers on the basics of robotics. Users are able to command the robot arm to perform multiple functions and movements. The robot arm can open and close, includes 120 degrees of radial wrist motion, 300 degrees of elbow range, 270 degrees of base rotation, and 180 degrees of base motion.

Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 15 x 9 inches

Product Weight: 1.02 pounds

Batteries: D batteries required

Price: $42

Radian Wall Clock

Image Source: CafePress

This contemporary wall hanging clock is just less than 10” in diameter and has a durable black plastic frame and case with s clear display lens. The modern quartz movement of the clock will always keep your engineer friends on time. The design of the display would be confusing to some people, but not to an engineer or anyone well-versed with trigonometry.

Product Dimensions:  9.5 inches in diameter

Batteries: AA battery required (included in purchase)

Price: $25

Instructional Book – Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements of Spitball Warfare

Image Source: Amazon

This is the perfect gift for the civil engineer with a little bit of mechanical engineer in him. This is a complete book that carefully details the instructions towards building 35 different miniature weapons that you could make out of everyday junk items. Toy designer John Austin as provided with his years or experience detailed and step by step instructions for all of the projects, including the materials needed for the build, specific ammo lists, illustrated diagrams, tips for construction, and many more. After you’ve built your stash of weapons, the book also gives you targets you can practice your weapons on as well as clever ways to hide your stash.

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches

Product Weight: 1 pound

Pages: 256

Price: $16.25

Modern Marvels DVD Set

Image Source: Amazon

This “The Best of Modern Marvels” DVD box set is a collection of episodes from the History Channel that has hours upon hours of entertainment for any engineer. It has episodes covering the world’s most amazing creations and its worst disasters. The set has 14 DVDs in total with 45 of the most watched episodes in the series.

Number of DVDs in set: 14 DVDs

Total run time: 2115 minutes

DVD release date: May 27, 2008

Price: $200

Classic Calculator Watch

Image Source: Amazon

This 8-digit calculator watch has constants for addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. As a watch, it’s pretty resistant to water as well so can be used in harsher weather conditions. It also has a stopwatch function that can measure up to the 1/1000 of a second. It can measure time up to just before 24 hours. It also has an automatic calendar that is pre-programmed until the year 2079.

Product Dimensions:  0.4 x 0.9 x 1.3 inches

Product Weight: 3.2 ounces

Batteries: 1 Lithium metal batteries (included in purchase)

Price: $19

Pocket WorkMate Pocket Smart String

Image Source: Amazon

For civil engineers constantly in the field, measuring tools and devices are things they can never have enough of. Especially if they’re measuring something irregularly shaped or something with round edges, this little gadget will be one of the more obscurely useful things in their arsenal of measurement devices. The string can go around the edges and surfaces of a whole variety of measureable objects and the digital screen is easy to read.

Product Dimensions: 5 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches

Product Weight: 4.2 ounces

Batteries: Lithium metal batteries required (included in purchase)

Price: $12

Engineer’s Motto T-Shirt

Image Source: CafePress

Ever curious and itching to understand how things work, engineers will surely get a kick out of a shirt that has their motto printed on it: “If it isn’t Broken, Take it Apart and Fix it.” This quality crew neck, short sleeved shirt is made up of 100% cotton that’s pre-shrunk and fabric heavy enough for a nice, comfortable feel. The fit is the standard unisex size, but be sure to size up when in doubt.

Product Sizes Available: S, M, L, XL, XLT, 2XL, 2XLT, 3XL, 3XLT

Price: $34

Math Formulas Tie

Image Source: Uncommon Goods

Any tie-wearing engineer would love to have this formula ridden tie as a gift. Full of equations, numbers, and postulates, the Math Formulas tie is also perfect for any dads or husbands who are also engineers. The tie was designed by artist Josh Bach. The formula on the tie is for MOSFET transistors, the core of today’s integrated circuits.

Product Dimensions: 57″ L x 3.25 ” W

Product Material: Silk

Price: $45

Level Cufflinks

Image Source: Uncommon Goods

For those rare instances your engineer friend has to check on the straightness and trueness of a surface while still looking snazzy, these level cufflinks are perfect for any engineer who likes a little practicality in their fashion. These ones were handmade by LeeAnn Herreid, an artist from Rhode Island.

Product Dimensions: .5 inches W

Product Weight: 0.43 oz

Product Material: Sterling silver

Price: $150

Engineering Disasters DVD Set

Image Source: Amazon

This DVD set, also from the History Channel, is interesting not only to engineers, but also any hobbyist engineers and armchair contractors out there. This particular set has five DVDs with 18 episodes total among them.

Total run time: 846 minutes

DVD release date: May 27, 2008

Price: $39.95

4M Tin Can Robot

Image Source: Amazon

4M released a nifty little tin can robot that would make a wonderful novelty gift to any engineer. The tin can robot does not need any special tools or previous experience to assemble; the kit itself already has clear assembly instructions as well as all the needed parts.

Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.2 x 5.2 inches

Product Weight 7 ounces

Batteries: 1 AA battery required

Price: $15

Subscription to Popular Mechanics Magazine

Image Source: Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics magazine has been one of the go to entertainment reads for any engineering and inventing hobbyist out there. It’s been in circulation since 1902 and has over a million subscribers. Nowadays, you can even opt for having the monthly magazines get sent over through email as a digital edition.

Price: $20 for 2 years

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things

Image Source: Amazon

Perfect for the mischievous engineer who’s a child-at-heart, Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is an invaluable guide book to help your engineer friend transform everyday things into extraordinary creations. There are over 80 different projects you can try out detailed in the book, all curated and meticulously explained by home inventor and author Cy Tymony.

Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 0.5 x 7 inches

Product Weight: 7.2 ounces

Pages: 176

Price: $10.48

K’NEX Education – Real Bridge Building Set 

Image Source: Amazon

This educational bridge model building kit is a great toy for engineering enthusiasts or kids of engineers. The kit has more than 2000 different pieces to put together and has detailed instruction for making 7 different bridge iterations with the pieces.

Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 12.8 x 10.2 inches

Product Weight: 14.3 pounds

Number of pieces: 2304

Price: $200

Jac Zagoory Beta Inkless “Go To Pen” Key Ring

Image Source: Amazon

For engineers who are constantly on the go, writing down revisions on blueprints and signing off on construction change orders, there will be times that they need a pen when one is not anywhere around. The inkless key ring is a perfect answer to dilemmas like those ones. This particular gift is made by Jac Zagoory.

Product Dimensions: 3.8 x 3.8 x 1 inches

Product Weight: 0.8 ounces

Batteries: D batteries required

Price: $46.15

Subscription to Popular Science

Image Source: Popsci.com

Popular Mechanics is not the only magazine subscription suitable as a gift to engineers, we also have Popular Science. Popsci had started way back in 1872 and just persisted and endured until now.  Popular Science is a regularly published magazine that provides readers with the latest and greatest of scientific updates over the course of the publication.

Price: $10 for 1 year

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season

Image Source: Amazon

A popular classic nowadays, the Big Bang Theory, in its earlier seasons, struck a chord with nerds and geeks everywhere as a sitcom that actually had scientists and engineers as the main characters. If you have a civil engineer friend that still hasn’t watched this show at least once, this would become a great girt to help introduce them to the world of the Big Bang Theory.

Number of DVDs in set: 3 DVDs

Total run time: 355 minutes

DVD release date: Sep 2, 2008

Price: $200

Tube Wringer

Image Source: Uncommon Goods

For the functionalists and utilitarian engineers, gifts such as this nifty tube wringer would be something entirely surprising and welcomed. This tube-wringer will impress engineers with its simple yet functional use – to squeeze out just that little bit of toothpaste left in the tube.

Product Dimensions: 4.6 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches

Price: $25