What to Buy a Raspberry Pi Fan in 2026 (Top 13 Picks)

I’ve lost count of how many times readers have asked me what to get for a Raspberry Pi fan. If you’re not into it yourself, it’s tricky to know what’s actually useful. So I put together this list to make your life easier and help you pick something they’ll really enjoy.

Whether it’s for your partner, your kid, or a friend who’s always tinkering with tech, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through a bunch of gift ideas that aren’t just random gadgets, but things they’ll actually want to use.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next Raspberry Pi project, I’ve put together a list of 75+ ideas with full descriptions, difficulty ratings, and links to tutorials. Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, there’s something here for you. Grab the list for free here!

A Retro Gaming Console Case

This is the perfect gift for someone who loves to play classic games on their Raspberry Pi, which is a popular use of the tiny computer.

A gamer will likely appreciate a custom case for its retro gaming machine, especially if there is a particular attention by offering the favorite console from the 90s 🙂

They are cases looking like the old console systems, that you can use and put the Raspberry Pi inside. It’s perfect to push a little further the gaming experience.

Here are some examples:

• NesPi case, inspired by the first Nintendo.
• The Game Boy alternative (I did a review of this case here).
• Dream Case, inspired by the Sega Dreamcast.
• 64Pi, inspired by the Nintendo64.

A Smart Mirror Toolkit

A smart mirror is a common project on Raspberry Pi. The idea is to mix a screen, a mirror in a Raspberry Pi.
A short video will be easier to explain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJghZO9lIp8

If they never talked about it, they probably don’t have one 🙂

Building this requires many components, here is a short list of what you could offer them:

• A Raspberry Pi : will stay inside, so it may be required even if he or she already has one. A cheap one is OK.
• A two-way glass mirror : that’s where the magic comes from, the screen is behind it, but it still works as a mirror.
• An old monitor of the same size, or any slim design like this one should work. The idea is to find a model that is thin, almost borderless, and where the stand can be easily removed.
• A frame to put everything inside (DIY)

It is a pretty expensive gift, but it will delight the person, yourself and impress their friends, so why not 🙂

If it’s too expensive, just buy the glass mirror, a Raspberry Pi fan will understand the message, and most of them already have all the other components at home.

A Smart T-Shirt

This is a classic but it would be a nice nod to his or her passion.
Depending on the person’s preferences, you can look for funny ones, inspirational ones or just the ones with the Raspberry Pi logo.

Doing a simple search like this in the Redbubble search engine will give you many ideas.
I like this site, it’s affordable and the products are good quality overall.

A Book about Raspberry Pi

I’m a buyist here, but offering a book is also an appreciated gift.
It might be a bit more complicated if you have no idea about the person’s level or interests, but you can probably guess it before the deadline 🙂

I wrote several books that are a perfect fit for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts, that would be an appreciated gift, especially if you are late to find a gift for them, as it’s digital and can be downloaded a few seconds after the order.

I can suggest these three e-books:

• Master Raspberry Pi in 30 days: Ideal for any Raspberry Pi fan, from complete beginners (they don’t even need to have a Raspberry Pi to get started), to more experienced users, who will get inspiration from many projects and tips mentioned in the book.
• Master Python on Raspberry Pi: For more advanced users, who are comfortable with a Raspberry Pi, but not yet with programming it (generally required for more advanced projects).
• Master Linux Commands: Not directly related to the Raspberry Pi, but focuses on the operating system used on Raspberry Pi (Linux). It will help them to become more comfortable with command lines and scripts, which is often a big hurdle for Linux users.

Some of them are available in paperback, via an upper tiers package, or directly from Amazon. But you can also find other great books on Amazon or whatever, I have an entire article with book ideas for Raspberry Pi if you are looking for other specific topics.

A Robot Kit

How can someone not love this present if it’s really a Raspberry Pi fan?
It’s an original robot dog kit from Freenove (click to read my full review about it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmIZ8_R9d4

Yes, it’s awesome and fun. An excellent project for any Raspberry Pi user, whatever their level.

For a beginner, it’s a great goal that will motivate them to learn some of the prerequisites needed to get the most out of it (electronics, programming, …). And advanced users love this kind of gadget, even if they have already built one.

You can find this particular kit on Amazon, the price is affordable for that kind of quality kit.
Excepting the funny movements, you can program it for face recognition, following a ball and many other interesting projects.

And if you need more ideas, I have an entire guide with the best robot kits available on Raspberry Pi, if you want to check other ideas or cheaper ones. But no one is as fun as this one 🙂

A Low-Tech Gift

Let’s look at something else that has absolutely nothing to do with technology, but is still a cool idea.

Why not make a joke out of his or her passion and offer something that has absolutely nothing to do with technology?
That way you can’t make a mistake if you know the person a little bit but have no idea about their Raspberry Pi level or hardware they already have.

Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

• A raspberry shaped mold for use in the kitchen
• A cookbook all about raspberry?
• A plant?

You can probably find other ideas depending on his or her passions, but you get my point.

A Raspberry Pi 500+

Ok, this one’s back to technology, but since it’s pretty new, it might be a good idea.

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is a recent model, with an original design: it’s built into a keyboard, so all you need to do is plug it into a monitor or TV.
Wi-Fi is built in and it’s USB powered, so you don’t need anything else (except a mouse, of course).

I think it can be the perfect gift for a kid who wants a computer, or even for a fan who doesn’t have one yet.

This year, the Raspberry Pi 500+ was released. If you can get your hands on one, it will be a much appreciated gift (especially for kids), but it’s probably going to be very hard to get your hands on one because they’re sold out.

For a more accessible model, you can find the Raspberry Pi 500 for a good price on Amazon.

A Magazine Subscription

How about a gift that not only works for Christmas or their birthday, but also reminds them of you every month? Yes, I suggest a magazine subscription.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has an official magazine: “MagPi”, which is available here.
It’s a monthly magazine that will remind you of your gift to that person throughout the year. You can even order the last one to have a physical thing to offer.

As far as I know, it’s the only magazine dedicated to Raspberry Pi, but there are many others, more general about Linux (like Linux Mag, Linux Format, …) or electronics (Make or HackSpace for example).

A Sense HAT

No, not that kind of hat…

A HAT is an additional board that can be attached to the Raspberry Pi to add new features (it stands for “Hardware Attached on Top”).

The “Sense HAT” is one of them, and is easy to recognize, as there are 64 colored LEDs on it:

It’s a must-have for any Raspberry Pi user, and it’s pretty cheap. You can find it at the best price on Amazon.

Besides the LED part, it allows many experiences and projects with the integrated sensors: gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, temperature, pressure, humidity. It has even been used in the International Space Station for various projects!

You can find more details here, if you would like to know more about this idea.

An Inspiring Mug

Like the t-shirt idea I mentioned earlier, here is another no-risk gift that can be given for any occasion. While making a cool reference to their passion, you can give them a mug without knowing anything about Raspberry Pi.

Geeks love showing their interests with mugs, or have jokes on them.

Depending on the person you want to offer this, there is a lot of choice on RedBubble for you. They have the three models displayed on the picture (classic, tall or travel mugs).

There are also many other websites with that kind of products, including Amazon with more mug models but maybe fewer designs.

Smart Lights for a Smart Guy

I really like this one because it works whether you offer it to someone who is interested in Raspberry Pi, programming, or just the lights themselves.

Philips Hue are smart lights that you can control from any device, including your phone and obviously a Raspberry Pi.

I have a tutorial about Philips Hue if you want to better understand the idea. I have had some for years, and have done some fun projects with them. And even in my case, I have a lot of stuff for Raspberry Pi and some Philips Hue lights too, but I would love to get a gift like this to experiment even more, they have many models available, but I recommend this starter kit on Amazon.

Even for kids (or maybe teenagers), I think it’s a good idea.
They like to experiment with visual things. If you can teach them to code while they see the result on the colored light, they will (hopefully) stay motivated 🙂

A Sensor Kit

This one is the perfect fit for someone who you often see building electronic circuits with different components, but you have no idea what he or she already has.
The idea I have is a kit with so many sensors in it that nobody has them all 🙂

You can check this link on Amazon to see all the details. But basically, it includes everything required to start almost any project. A few examples: temperature sensor, buzzers, remote control, and many wires, buttons and tools to get started.

I have a quick tutorial for beginners on how to use the GPIO pins, if you want to understand what I’m talking about.

A Raspberry Pi Screen

He or she always uses the TV when you want to watch something? Only one monitor for your computer and Raspberry Pi? You can solve this problem by offering a screen designed specifically for Raspberry Pi use.

The one in the picture is from SunFounder, a popular brand on Raspberry Pi, and you can find it on their website for about half the price of any classic monitor.
It’s a touchscreen, so it’s easy to use, even without a mouse if the application is optimized for small screens.

By the way, that’s a picture of my desk, I use it everyday now and I have a review available here if you want to learn more about this product.

That’s it, I’m done with my list of gift ideas in case you have one to offer to a Raspberry Pi fan, or even if you are someone who follows this website and want to include some of them in your letter to Santa 🙂

To make this post really useful and complete, can you answer these questions in the community?

• Do you have any other original ideas for gifts for a Raspberry Pi (aspiring user or existing fan)?
• If you have ever received a Raspberry Pi gift, which one was the best for you?

I will add the best ones in a future update.
Thanks!

Whenever you’re ready, here are other ways I can help you:

Test Your Raspberry Pi Level (Free): Not sure why everything takes so long on your Raspberry Pi? Take this free 3-minute assessment and see what’s causing the problems.

The RaspberryTips Community: Need help or want to discuss your Raspberry Pi projects with others who actually get it? Join the RaspberryTips Community and get access to private forums, exclusive lessons, and direct help.

Master your Raspberry Pi in 30 days: If you are looking for the best tips to become an expert on Raspberry Pi, this book is for you. Learn useful Linux skills and practice multiple projects with step-by-step guides.

Master Python on Raspberry Pi: Create, understand, and improve any Python script for your Raspberry Pi. Learn the essentials step-by-step without losing time understanding useless concepts.

You can also find all my recommendations for tools and hardware on this page.