15 Cool Graduation Gifts For Techies In 2022

After more than two years of pandemic life, give your graduate even more reason to celebrate with this nifty collection of gadgets.

Your graduate has been through a lot the last couple years. Whether navigating those final years of high school or college during a pandemic, they have had to deal with an unprecedented situation.

This year, we’re going all out for our grads, gifting some of the best tech ideas from all the best companies to carry them through post-pandemic life.

According to the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities, about 78 percent of U.S. college students graduate with less than $30,000 in debt.

So for now, gifting is a great idea while they get ready to enter the workforce to begin paying off that school bill.

CRN takes a look at 15 potential tech gifts for graduates:

Meta Portal Go

With the Portal Go’s 10-inch screen, rechargeable battery and smart camera, your graduate can seamlessly chat with his or her new boss, recruiters, or just about anyone. This device from Meta will automatically pan/zoom as the subject enters the frame. With Alexa enabled, this becomes the ultimate voice-controlled video conferencing device.

Retail pricing: $199

Apple TV 4K

This is a great way for your grad to get set up with some streaming quickly. The Apple TV 4K becomes an easy-to-use hi definition enabled machine when connected to a 4K TV and it gives an immersive sound experience with Dolby Atmos. Users enjoy access to Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime and many more.

Retail price: $179

Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack

Let’s face it: Any life-changing transition can be disorienting. So help your grad keep track of his/her prized positions with this four-pack of tiles. If your items are within Bluetooth range, you can ping your phone, keys or laptop. Even outside Bluetooth range, locate your goods by viewing its most recent location in the Tile app.

Retail price: $80

Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses

Who hasn’t admired wearable tech suitable for a secret agent? Surprise your grad with these audio-enabled sunglasses from Bose. They just look like stylish cat eye frames with the hidden high-octane Bose audio.

Retail price: $249

PhoneSoap Pro UV Smartphone Sanitizer & Universal Charger

We’ve probably all learned to be a little more conscious of our germ exposure, so your grad will love being able to keep that smartphone charged and sanitized with this UV smartphone sanitizer. No bleach required!

Retail price: $120

iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum

Let’s face it. Your grad is probably still learning the ins and outs of keeping living spaces clean. Give them a helping hand with the Roomba Robot Vacuum. This is about as hands-off as cleaning gets. This little nugget will even find its own charging station at the end of the task.

Retail price: $275

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Tablets have given us that portable tech we all crave to surf the web or get some work done. But sometimes, we need our technology to calm down a little and let us get some reading done. Deliciously light on features, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite will let you get some reading done without the distractions of our other app-overloaded devices. Designed with an anti-glare screen that reads like real paper, this light little unit will give battery life that lasts weeks and up to 32 gigabytes of storage.

Retail price: $140

Oculus Quest 2 128GB

The recent grad will have to face one fact: the Metaverse is going to be a big part of our lives – for better or worse. For the best available consumer VR experience, go find the latest Oculus Quest 2 with up to 128GB to begin taking in that virtual existence.

Retail price: $299

Fitbit Versa 3

Sure, there’s a lot of competition out there in the smart wearable space at the moment. But when it comes to fitness, it might be best to keep things simple. The Fitbit Versa3 lets you track your fitness routine without bogging you down with needless tech. Do some cardio, monitor your heart rate and see your blood oxygen levels with this nifty little device.

Retail price: $172

Inkbird Bluetooth Wireless Grill BBQ Thermometer

Grilling is a rite of passage. But your grad won’t be serving undercooked chicken or ruining that expensive steak if armed with this neat wireless grill thermometer. This is one of those valuable tools we all wish we had that first time we fired up the grill.

Retail price: $42

Cosori Air Fryer

We’re staying in the cooking category for one more item. Because you can’t expect every student to be a graduate of culinary school, it might be a good idea to keep things simple at first. The air fryer lets your newbie cook try out some fun recipes without burning down the house (hopefully).

Retail price: $120

Apple iPad Mini

Tried and true, the toned-down Apple iPad Mini gives your grad power and portability. They can get those important tasks done and still have plenty of room on their desks for figuring out those first bills.

Retail price: $499

Q Portable Charger

We’re not all perfect… Occasionally, we all forget to charge up our devices and need some juice on the go. The Q Portable Charger will charge iPhones, MacBooks, PCs, Android phones all at once with several connectors available.

Retail price: $40

Tineco A11 Hero Cordless Vacuum

Not all heroes wear capes. But all heroes keep their abodes clean. This cordless vacuum makes quick work of your household chores without keeping you restricted by a chord.

Retail price: $260

Ring 1080p Security Camera

It’s tough to think of your recent grad being out on his/her own. So give them and yourself a little piece of mind without the need for an expensive security system. This Ring unit will keep an eye on things around the house and can be expanded to include more devices.

Retail price: $100