18 Best Gifts for Female Engineers in 2024

9 min read

Last updated: November 17th, 2024

Female engineers are notoriously difficult to find gifts for. They tend to want things that are practical, functional, and unique. I polled several friends to create this curated list of the best gift ideas for female engineers anywhere.

Finding the perfect gift for a female engineer can be time-consuming, but I hope this gift guide helps you finish your gift shopping faster than ever and brings a smile to an engineer’s face. Show them you understand their passion for engineering and support them when they geek out over your perfect gift.

This list is a compilation of my favorites from around the internet. Some are our own Genius Lab Gear inventions and some we’re just jealous we didn’t think of first! Some external links in this page are from affiliates, which means that any purchase of the items after clicking the link will result in a small monetary referral fee paid back to Genius Lab Gear at no cost to you. We appreciate your support which allows us to continue inventing and testing the best tools for engineers on the planet!

1. The Pocket Engineer: Wallet Ruler and Unit Conversion Reference

The most practical and unique pocket tool for any female engineer that easily fits in their purse or handbag. It’s the size of a typical credit card and packed with functionality and information that any woman in engineering will need on a daily basis. The laser-cut and laser-engraved stainless steel has a thick black enamel coating to prevent scratching and stand up to years of abuse. It’s one of the best inexpensive gadget gifts that they will geek out over. You can order directly through our site or on Amazon with the links below.

You can also add a custom logo to this for events, networking, or promotional giveaways! Custom orders start at 100 pieces - just email us for more info.

purse wallet engineering tool for women in STEM

The Pocket Engineer at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Engineer on Amazon

2. Women's waterproof steel toe work boots by CAT

When working on job sites like major engineering projects, steel mills, or manufacturing facilities, female engineers should ditch the flats and get footwear that will both protect and support them.

At a bare minimum, they should be waterproof and steel-toed. These women's work boots by CAT (the big equipment company) strike a happy medium between protection and comfort. Personally, I love the cocoa color but there are 3 to choose from!

Check the price on Amazon.

3. Funny Engineering-themed Word Magnets

We recently launched a full line of science and engineering-themed word magnets and of course made a set specifically for engineers! Each specialty pack comes with 144 tiles carefully designed by a PhD in that field for technical accuracy and tacit absurdity. These make for a funny engineer gift for the lab or office that lets them express their technical side but isn't work-oriented.

Also now available on Amazon.

You can also bundle it from our site with our newest "Engineering is for Everyone" sticker and The Pocket Engineer above!

4. Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Baseball Cap

For a female engineer who is a member of the popular Society of Women Engineers (SWE), this is the perfect gift to show their affiliation wherever they go and support their efforts to bring more women into engineering. It’s especially helpful for field work or job sites to keep their hair up and give some protection from the sun. The hat is 100% cotton with an embroidered SWE logo. It’s simple but would be much appreciated!

Check the price on Amazon.

5. Best books for female engineers to read for pleasure (not textbooks!)

Engineers spend a ton of time reading textbooks and journal articles. It’s important to occasionally break that cycle and dive into a book for pleasure. Below are a few of our favorite engineering-related books that will be an enjoyable and inspiring read for a female engineer or student.

She Engineers: Outsmart Bias, Unlock your Potential, and Create the Engineering Career of your Dreams by Stephanie Slocum

A perfect gift for a female engineer, this book helps to address a major issue not often discussed in school: the “boys” culture of engineering. The author has been an engineer in the industry for over 15 years and gives practical strategies in an easy-to-read conversational tone to help any female engineer navigate the male-dominated workplace. It’s well-structured and filled with immediately applicable advice not only on excelling in your career but keeping a work-life balance while you do it.

Check the price on Amazon.

Rosie Revere, Engineer (The Questioneers)

Rosie Revere, a young girl who dreamed of being a brilliant engineer, is the subject of this famous New York Times bestselling picture book. A perfect gift for a female engineer who once shared the same dream with Rosie Revere and overcame the challenges of becoming a professional engineer. This lovely book is full of humor, rhyming verse, and detailed illustrations that will surely inspire every reader.

Check the price on Amazon.

We Built This: A Look at the Society of Women Engineers' First 65 Years

This wonderful book is an inspiring and motivating gift for a female engineer. Written by the Society of Women Engineers -- the world's leading advocate for women in engineering and technology, as well as a catalyst for change, this book will take her through a journey of SWE’s history. It’s filled with the roller coaster of highs and lows that women engineers endured and conquered over their 65-year history.

Check the price on Amazon.

The Engineer's Wife: A Novel of the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge was meant to be designed by a man, but fate decided otherwise. The Engineer's Wife tells the story of Emily Roebling, who stepped in for her injured husband to complete the project. It's inspiring but also covers many points of conflict between Emily, her husband, other engineers, and following her own principles. I've found that books like this make for a fantastic mid-day break to do something other than working, while still engaging your passion for engineering.

Check the price on Amazon.

6. Bolle Safety Rush+ Safety Glasses

According to statistics, more than 20,000 workplace eye injuries happen each year and 90% of them are preventable by wearing proper eye protection. Most engineers work in a hazardous environment and need eye protection, but it’s difficult for female engineers to find safety glasses that fit well and feel good. Let her know that you care about her safety by giving her these colorful and ergonomic safety glasses for women.

Check the price on Amazon.

7. Women in Engineering themed gift bag

For an aspiring female engineering in high school or early college, a simple inexpensive bag with an inspiring message can be that daily reminder motivating them through their engineering major. Depending on the person, it can be a pens/pencils bag, a makeup organizer, or keep their tools handy. Stuff it with the stickers and The Pocket Engineer to make it even more impactful!

Check the price on Amazon.

8. Electrical Engineering themed PCB Coasters

Admittedly, I think these are pretty high on the nerdy scale. A woman studying electrical engineering, computer engineering, electronics or semiconductors will likely love it though! These PCB drink coasters are made with the same process as the printed circuit boards (PCBs) which run every computer and tiny device we use!

Check the price on Amazon.

9. Nerdy engineering sticker set

For the women in engineering who love to deck out their laptop, thermos, and notebooks to keep it fun and lighthearted - this inexpensive 50-pack of cute engineer-themed stickers gives them a ton of options. Another great stocking stuffer (pair it with The Pocket Engineer above)!

Check the price on Amazon.

10. Engineer’s Black Book

If you’re looking for a useful and practical gift for a female engineer that they can use at work, then this engineer’s black book is the one you’re looking for. This ultimate reference handbook is packed with up-to-date, useful, practical, and hard to find engineering information. Within the book lies a ton of datasheets, formulas, reference tables, and charts. It’s also written in both English and metric measurements so it’ll save them lots of time on manual conversions.

Check the price on Amazon.

11. Math Infinity Scarf for Women Engineers

Engineers can be big math nerds and women engineers love to geek out over engineering fashion like this math-themed scarf. Aside from fashion, it’s a practical gift to help keep them warm on a job site or while doing field work.

$Math-Infinity-Scarf-for-Women-Engineers$

For other color options, you can check them out on Amazon.

12. 9 Women of Science Tote Bag

This tote bag has images of 9 women that changed the world with their contribution to science. Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, Rosalind Franklin, Mae Jemison, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Maria Sibylla Merian, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Jane Goodall inspired girls and women all around the world to pursue a career in STEM. This would make a great eco-friendly gift for your favorite female engineer who’s also a science enthusiast.

Check the price on Amazon.

13. Engineer Life: A Snarky, Relatable & Humorous Adult Coloring Book For Engineers

Let her take a break from work and enjoy this fun and unique gift that’s perfect for an engineer. This adult coloring book has tons of hilarious engineering puns and artwork that will surely bring out the creativeness and inner child in any engineer.

Check the price on Amazon.

14. Ada Lovelace Biography for Kids

This is my favorite. It's less for the female engineer and more for the younger girls they want to inspire to follow in their footsteps. Ada Lovelace is known as the "Mother of Computers" and shattered glass ceiling after glass ceiling over her career.

This book chronicles Ada's life and accomplishments in language written for kids. It's a wonderful way for a woman in STEM to engage a niece or daughter in an inspiring story they can both share.

Check the price on Amazon.

15. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

Engineers do a lot of work both on paper and with software. Rocketbook finally solved the problem of merging your hand-written notes into your favorite digital services. You simply use their app to take a photo of your pages of notes and the QR code and marked symbols on each page trigger the app to send the digitized page to any of the 9 pre-set digital destinations you choose. This includes OneNote, Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox, and even specific emails. Want a shortcut to send notes via email straight to your colleague or boss? This is what you’re looking for.

The Rocketbook Matrix is my personal favorite because it's designed for more technical engineering work. It's got 30 pages of graphing paper and one regular lined page for taking notes, plus a built-in ruler on the inside cover. Did I mention they are reusable? Use their "Pilot Frixion" pens and then wipe the page with a damp cloth after uploading your notes to use it all over again (and win one for the environment!).

Check the price on Amazon.

Rocketbook-Matrix-cloud-connected-reusable-paper-notebook-1

16. rOtring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil

Mechanical pencils are an essential daily tool for engineers on the job and in the classroom. But in the new digital age, engineers often find themselves using touchscreens as well.

That’s why my new favorite is the rOtring 800 Retractable Mechanical Pencil, (0.5 mm). This one turns from a pencil to a stylus on the fly, and also ensures the tip isn’t poking holes in your pocket all day like most other models. This is truly the top-end mechanical pencil and will make a special gift.

Check price on Amazon

Staedtler is another brand much-loved by engineers. This model is cheaper and will last a long time, but just isn’t convertible to a stylus. You can’t go wrong with either one.

17. Pink Pocket Protector for workwear shirts

Yes, we made the first ever PINK pocket protector! The venerable Pocket Protector became a cultural icon in the 1960's and 1970's, but somewhere along the way the newer generation of STEM researchers forgot about them. Engineers need these back in their labs to stay organized, stay efficient, protect their work clothes, and finish their experiments without being late to lunch. So we researched and tested every type ever made to methodically solve each problem and come up with this refreshed design.

Available in spruce green, sapphire blue, and faded pink - the top 3 colors voted on by our fans! You can even get it from our Amazon page if that's easier.

pink women's pocket protector for science and STEM lab work

Check the price on Amazon.

18. Engineer’s Gift Bundle ($39.50)

If you can't decide by now, I can still help! Consider this decision made. I put together a Engineer Gift Bundle just to make it easy for you. It includes the Pocket tool and Word Magnets from above, plus a few fun science stickers. You'll save over 20% by bundling them together, so grab this and you can stop your search here!