13 Best Gifts for Biomedical Engineers (in 2024)

8 min read

Last updated: November 17th, 2024

Gifts for biomedical engineers and students are pretty hard to find if you aren't one yourself. This list helps get rid of the kitsch like printed mugs and medical joke t-shirts to narrow it down to items they will truly love and keep for a long time.

This list ties together our favorite gifts for scientists 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 links in this page contain affiliate links, 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 scientists on the planet!

1. The Pocket Scientist pocket ruler and equation reference

We've made the perfect work companion for a biomedical engineer. They will carry this credit card-sized science and engineering ruler with them every day for a lifetime. We even laser-engraved the backside full of basic chemistry, physics and engineering equations plus every-day physical constants and unit conversions. It's a handy tool both for homework and for a biomedical engineering professional. See the product page for a full list of features we've packed in!

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.

Available with free shipping from our website or from Amazon.

Pocket Scientist reference tool for biomedical engineering students

The Pocket Scientist at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Scientist from Amazon

How to use The Pocket Scientist – Full Feature Guide

P.S. We also have a version specifically for organic chemistry class which they normally need to take as a sophomore and would save them a ton of time doing homework!

2. rOtring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil

Biomedical engineers often need to sketch diagrams and ideas on paper or take quick notes around the lab. 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

best mechanical pencil for engineers

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.

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 biomedical engineering gift for students for a dorm, lab or office that lets them express their technical side but isn't work-oriented.

Pair the engineering set with others like the basic science, chemistry or microbiology sets for a customized creative experience for biomedical engineers.

Also now available on Amazon.

4. Biodesign: The Process of Innovating Medical Technologies

I'm recommending this book only for a very specific type of biomedical engineer: one who designs medical devices or is considering starting a business around an idea for a medical device. With that in mind, it's usefulness is unrivaled. The authors of "Biodesign" collected an entire industry's knowledge (and mistakes) to provide a handbook for successfully taking an idea from prototyping to manufacturing and FDA approval.

Check price on Amazon

5. New 100% Cotton Lab Coats designed for Research

If they work in a laboratory, most biologists wear lab coats daily. And most of them hate their lab coats. That's why we spent 3 years designing and modifying a lab coat that scientists love! Released in 2024, the Louis and Curie lab coats are consistently reviewed as "the best lab coat I've ever had". (The Louis is named after renowned biologist Louis Pasteur, as voted on by our fans.)

For biomedical labs specifically, the tapered knit cuffs are especially important for protecting wrists from chemicals and prevent skin and hairs from contaminating their work! The two versions are tailored to fit male and female builds differently, with a wide size range and adjustable belt so biologists can finally feel great in their lab coat at work.

This is one to clue them in about beforehand so you can get the sizing right and make sure it meets their lab safety requirements! Or, you can grab a refundable $75 gift card to let them grab their own lab coat plus a pocket protector!

It's now also available on Amazon!

6. Cute biology-themed sticker set

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

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7. Cytosis: A Cell Biology Board Game

This Cytosis board game from Genius Games is yet another fun science game, this time focus on the processes of cells. These games are created by people with PhDs who make sure everything is accurate. They even include a detailed booklet explaining the concepts of the game in a longer educational format (totally optional)!

The board game concepts will be fundamental but fun to a graduate level biomedical engineer, but it's a fun way to introduce them to younger siblings, nieces and nephews who might be thinking about a STEM career. Playing a game like this, I see engineers' passions shine through and kids pick up on that. Try it out!

Check price on Amazon

8. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

This is my favorite clever invention. It was inevitable. 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 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 resuable? 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.

9. Lab Coat Pocket Protector

Sometimes, the best gift comes in a small, unassuming package. 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.

Biomedical Engineers need these back in their labs to stay organized, stay efficient, protect their lab coats, 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.

pocket protector for science and STEM biomedical professionals lab work

10. Marie Curie or Engineering is for Everyone stickers

Marie Curie was a Nobel prize-winning chemist (and physicist) who shattered the glass ceiling for female scientists of her time and stayed true to her passions for scientific discovery. This Marie Curie silhouette sticker coveys a cute but meaningful message - "Stay Curie-ous" in honor of her life and mission.

Our Engineering is for Everyone sticker spreads the message that anyone can participate in engineering, no matter their race, gender identification or socioeconomic status.

Both of these are perfect gifts under $5 for adding to a biomedical engineer's laptop, thermos or notebook! Bundle them in the same shipment with The Pocket Scientist or Engineering Word Magnets above for a compact yet meaningful gift pack.

Marie Curie Stay Curie-ous sticker engineering is for everyone sticker

11. GIANT Microbe Human Body Cell Plush

This next one may seem like a young child's toy, but we've seen many PhD's in the biomedical field purchase and love these to death. This amazing company makes a full line of plush microbes, cells and organs the size of a small stuffed animal! This set is specifically cells found in the human body - bone, fat, nerve, hair and muscle cells. Biomedical engineers are trying to merge new technology with these stubborn cells daily, so this is one they will appreciate and have some fun with at their desk!

biomedical body cells plush toys

Check price on Amazon

12. Subscription to AI-powered Research and Writing Software (SciSpace)

Professors and academic researchers have to keep track of a huge amount of information to complete their research and write new papers. Luckily, AI is now ready to help! SciSpace is a new software tool that combines AI search engines with reference/bibliography management to quickly get answers to highly technical questions - all sourced from peer-reviewed journals.

The Copilot feature is my favorite! It can scan those clunky PDF files to make summaries and even pull tables out into an editable format! That would have saved me hundreds of hours in grad school...The other neat thing is that it lets you take notes on every journal article, link it to that file, and search your notes later with the AI engine.

The best move here is to gift them a 1-year subscription! Just create an account here with your email, and then print out the login details to put into a gift box for the big day! They can move the account to their email address right after.

SciSpace Subscription

13. Best books for biomedical engineers to read for pleasure (not textbooks!)

Biomedical 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 science-related books that will be an enjoyable read for a biomedical engineer or student.

The Body Builders: Inside the science of the engineered human

This book will both delight and surprise them - for the wonderful ways humans are engineering our bodies and the potentially disastrous consequences if bioengineering gets out of hand. The author Adam Piore details the scientific revolution through rich storytelling of the scientists, engineers and patients altering the human race. It's exactly the type of book a biomedical engineer would dive into for pure joy of learning the extremes of their field.

the body builders biomedical engineering book

Check the price on Amazon

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

A perfect gift for a female biomedical engineer nearing graduation or heading to their first job, 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 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 work-life balance while you do it.

She-Engineers

Check the price on Amazon

Cellfies: A Cell Biology Coloring Book

OK, this one isn't for reading, but anyone with a love of biology and an artistic side would love to de-stress with some coloring. This fun book takes you through several kinds of cells (eye cells, brain cells, cancer cells and epithelia), explains some of the technical background and gives you a chance to color in each different part of the cells! Definitely a fun gift for a budding biomedical engineering student or even a professional one who needs a little break from work.

cellfies biomedical cellular coloring book