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I didn’t really want to make a keyboard enthusiast gift guide since there were already so many of them.. but that was before I received my 4th Keyboard Shaped Waffle Iron.
Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate the sentiment but with such a niche hobby, there are only so many options out there and you may end up just checking the boxes (“Keyboard? Yup. Do they like waffles? Who doesn’t..”).
Truth is, if you are like most people gift shopping is not an easy task – and it’s even more difficult when you are shopping for a keyboard enthusiast. Because we are picky AF… Every keyboard enthusiast gets into the hobby because they want to improve something about their typing or gaming experience. The hobby is expensive and keyboard enthusiasts aim to nitpick and customize the smallest details of their build so finding the perfect gift can be a daunting task. This guide will help you find the best gift for your nerdy friend whether you plan to surprise them or let them tell you their preferences for the ultimate gift.
With this guide, shopping for the keyboard enthusiast in your life won’t be so difficult and you can rest assured that all of these gifts are real-life-keyboard-enthusiast approved ?️. I won’t just show you the best catch-all gifts that any keyboard enthusiast will enjoy though – I will teach you what to ask your dorky keyboard friend to pick out the perfect gift that they will enjoy for years to come.
Desk Things Any Keyboard Enthusiast or PC Gamer Would Love
This list will include various desk accessories, organizers, and generally awesome things that any keyboard enthusiast or pc gamer would love. These are functional, stylish, and there’s a good chance that your keyboard enthusiast friends don’t have them already.
I’ll include details like what questions to ask and whom the gift would be great for. So here is a list of the most practical, thoughtful, and generally awesome gifts that your keebnerd friends and loved ones will love!
1. Rechargeable, Cordless Air Duster for Keyboard Cleaning
Who is it for?
Any PC Gamer or Mechanical Keyboard Enthusiast who likes a dust-free keyboard and workstation. Perfect for pet owners who have to deal with a lot of dust and pet hair.
Questions to Ask:
This is a pretty good catch-all gift and could even work as a surprise gift if you don’t have the opportunity to pry a little. It would help if you knew whether the person you are shopping for has pets or is generally likes to keep their desk clean and tidy.
Why we love it:
This is number one because it’s an easy gift to get, it’s something that can last forever, and something that can be used every day.
I have not seen this on any gift guide and yet, it is the one recommendation I have made in many circles that gets the best feedback. Especially for people who like to keep their desk clear and tidy, this is a super handy tool. Say goodbye to ugly and unreliable canned compressed air. This air duster is something that I don’t mind keeping close by and use it almost every day (if you’ve seen Mona lurking in my other posts, you can understand why!). The device looks great – a huge improvement over canned compressed air – and has GREAT battery life at 6000mAh. The fans are as, if not more, powerful than the traditional solution and I’ve only charged it once since I purchased mine in January 2022.
- Deeply Cleaning Dust: The air duster has a powerful brushless motor with an aerodynamically designed housing that produces a powerful thrust of air at almost 10 level strong gale (28m/s) for deep...
- Rechargeable Battery for Reusing & Easy Charging: Built-in large 6000mAh batteries make the duster reusable and work nearly 30 minutes after a full charge; Its compatibility of getting charged via the...
- Fast Charging: This air duster is specially designed to get charged faster with a 2A adapter (not included). shortening the charging time to 3 hours. The usability can be highly increased.
2. BenQ ScreenBar
Who is it for?
Any late-night gamer or keyboard enthusiast that works/plays in a dim room. Any mechanical keyboard enthusiast that could use a spotlight on their beautiful customized keyboard 🙂
Questions to Ask:
This one is a little less common in the usual desk setup but it wouldn’t hurt to ask if the person you are shopping for has one already. It is good to know if they work late or if they are usually glued to their desk and could use some light. It’s a plus if you know that they read or study at the same desk as well!
Why we love it:
I am a huge advocate for proper lighting for every desk setup (can’t see how cool my keeb is if I go blind!). The BenQ Screenbar is, in my opinion, the best value. The dial option allows the user to seamlessly change the color tone (warmth) and the brightness of the light – great for adjusting as the day goes by.
- DESKTOP DIAL: Built-in ambient light sensor in the Desktop Dial enables you with simply one touch for the best brightness level; Let the auto-dimming function do the job. You can also manually adjust...
- SPACE SAVING: Breakthrough design mounts on top of the monitor, saving valuable space on your desk
- USB POWERED: ScreenBar Plus e-Reading Lamp can be powered by USB port with power supply 5V/1A, ScreenBar Plus resumes your last used brightness and color temperature settings to welcome you back.
3. Elgato Stream Deck
Who is it for?
Your multiplayer-game-obsessed, streamer, creative keyboard nerd friend!
Questions to Ask:
Do they stream their gaming?
Do they have a need for a quick way to toggle various settings?
Why we love it:
Having a dedicated deck is a must-have for any streamer or keyboard enthusiast looking for a streamlined way to access customizable hotkeys, shortcuts, and device toggles. We love the Elgato stream decks because they are highly customizable, come in different sizes, and give a great dedicated visual deck for quick access.
Here’s a quick table of different options including a premium alternative to Elgato:
4. Orbitkey Nest
Who is it for?
Anyone who uses wireless charging, travels, and likes to keep their desk and desk things nice and organized. Fans of great design!
Questions to Ask:
Do they use wireless charging?
Do they travel a lot for work?
Why we love it:
A recent obsession of ours are Orbitkey products, hands down. These are the perfect gift, albeit expensive, for any gamer or keyboard fan who can appreciate great product design that leaves nothing off the table when it comes to functionality. This makes it super easy to quickly store and organize cables, chargers, wireless earbuds, wallets, and keys when moving from place to place with the added functionality of wireless charging. It looks great, does a LOT, and is essential for the hybrid worker.
- HOME FOR ALL YOUR ESSENTIALS: Comfortably store all your daily necessities inside Nest. Separate the top tray from the internal storage to easily retrieve items while you work at your desk.
- ALWAYS CHARGED: The wireless charger embedded in the lid will keep your devices charged while you work – so they’re always ready to go
- STORAGE FOR CARDS & LOOSE ITEMS: Store cards you don’t use often in the lid to free up space in your wallet. Also included is an elastic pouch for smaller items that tend to go astray.
5. Orbitkey Desk Mat
Who is it for?
Anyone in need of a good desk mat and loves great design without sacrificing functionality.
Questions to Ask:
Do they like to keep their desk neat and tidy? (Should they? They should.)
Do they appreciate good design?
Why we love it:
As with the Orbitkey Nest, the Orbitkey Desk Mat is very well designed with great functionality. Anyone who deals with loose paper or could use some tidying up with cables other desk junk would benefit from this piece of art on their desk. The product is made from premium vegan leather and feels great to the touch. It also includes a nifty magnetic cable holder, document hideaway, and section to keep pens/pencils. Large and Medium sizes available. Overall a great buy!
- CREATE A CLUTTER FREE ZONE: The Desk Mat creates visual structure in your work area.
- PREVENT PAPER PILE-UP: Underneath the top layer is a convenient document hideaway for you to store loose papers and notes so they don't pile up around you
- YOUR WORK ESSENTIALS ORGANISED: With a dedicated space for stationary and small accessories in the toolbar, you'll always have quick access to your work essentials, whenever you need them.
6. DSA Keycap Sets from PMK
Who is it for?
The very particular mechanical keyboard fan that is looking for a fresh set of high quality keycaps. Keyboard fans that love to customize their colorway every once in a while. Keycap set collectors.
Questions to Ask:
What size/type keyboard layout do they have? (60%, TKL, 65%, etc.)
Do they prefer text modifiers or icon modifiers? (“Shift”, “Enter”, “Tab”, as opposed to icons used for those keys)
Why we love it:
Pimp My Keyboard is the storefront for Signature Plastics which is a very well established keycap manufacturer based in the USA. They are behind some of the most famous and well-received keycap colorways in the hobby and produce some seriously impressive keycap sets. They consistently keep a good stock of DSA keycaps that are always great quality, durable, and beautiful to look at. They are also the original creators of the DSA keycap profile and, while you may find dirt-cheap DSA knockoffs, they own the original machines and molds so you can know you are getting the best.
7. Custom Mechanical Keyboard Cables by MechCables
Who is it for?
Any keebnerd that loves to have a matching cable to complete their setup. Anyone who can appreciate the added functionality and durability of custom cables. Learn more about why custom cables are awesome.
Questions to Ask:
What type of connection does their keyboard use? USB Type-C, Micro, Mini, etc.
What length of cable would they need?
Why we love it:
We have been using exclusively Mechcables for all of our keyboard builds and setups for the past five years and no other brand has been as consistent or worked as great as Mechcables. We only buy Mechcables. Need a custom cables? Mechcables.
They offer tons of options and even have ready-made combinations for those of you that prefer not to go into the rabbit hole of picking out each detail. A custom keyboard cable makes for great eye candy, can help set up a modular work station, and is generally a great pleasure to have on your desk.
Last update on 2024-02-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API