Raspberry Pi Holiday Gift-Buying Guide (2022)

Canakit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB

Who’s it for? Electronics Enthusiasts

This kit is ideal for new Raspberry Pi users and seasoned vets. It has everything you need to get started with the Pi and great as a first kit or an additional Pi for the avid collector. With so many possibilities, you can never have too many Raspberry Pis. You can find it on Amazon for $99.

What it comes with:

• Raspberry Pi 4 4GB model
• 32GB Micro SD card w/ NOOBS
• Canakit Pi 4 case w/ fan mount
• Fan
• 6ft Micro HDMI to HDMI cable
• Power supply
• 3 heatsinks
• MicroSD to SD USB adapter

Our Canakit review

If you need further convincing, check out our comprehensive review of the Canakit for the Raspberry 4. It will tell you everything you need to know before investing in this all-around great Pi kit.

Vilros Raspberry Pi 4 Retro Gaming Kit

Who’s it for? Retro Gamers

If you want to build a retro gaming Raspberry Pi rig with RetroPie, you need a kit with the right hardware. This retro gaming kit comes with everything you need to get started: including SNES-style USB controllers and a case resembling the NES. You can grab this kit on Amazon for $159.

What it comes with:

• Raspberry Pi 4 B 4GB
• SNES-Style USB controllers
• 5ft Micro HDMI to HDMI cable
• NES-Style case
• 32GB Micro SD card
• MicroSD to SD card USB adapter
• Vilros power supply
• Heatsinks

Raspberry Pi Kit and Camera

Who’s it for? 3D Printing Enthusiasts

This gift is a two-parter! OctoPrint is an excellent tool for controlling and managing your 3D printer remotely. You need a Raspberry Pi to set up Octoprint. Just throw in a camera and you can monitor your prints on-the-go!

This gift set includes both a Raspberry Pi starter kit (on Amazon for $99) as well as an official Raspberry Pi camera (on Amazon for $22).

Used here

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Raspberry Pi camera

Check Price on Amazon

Canakit Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit with Fan

Check Price on Amazon

What it comes with:

• Raspberry Pi 4 B 4GB
• Raspberry Pi 4 case
• Fan
• Heatsinks
• 6ft Micro HDMI to HDMI cable
• Power supply
• USB-C power supply
• Official Raspberry Pi camera

Need help setting up Octoprint?

And once you've purchased the kit, head back over to Howchoo to learn how to easily set up Octoprint on your 3D printer.

Freenove Ultimate Starter Kit

Who’s it for? Electronics Tinkerers and Developers

If you like to tinker with electronics, it helps to have a supply of sensors and modules on hand. This kit has over 200 items that are especially useful to microelectronics developers. These components are ideal for both Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects. You can grab this kind on Amazon for $49.

What it comes with:

• 223 microelectronics components (LEDs, LCD screen, numeric pad, ultrasonic sensor, and more)

Note: This kit does not include a Raspberry Pi!

Mini Pan-Tilt Kit

Who’s it for? Robotic Enthusiasts

Adafruit gadgets open your Raspberry Pi projects to a whole new realm of possibilities. This kit is designed to pan left and right as well as up and down by means of two servos. There is an empty 38mm x 36mm space that you can use to which you can mount anything—from cameras to IR sensors, and more. It’s listed on Amazon for $23.

What it comes with:

• Fully assembled pant-tilt device

AutoPi Raspberry Pi Car Monitoring System

Who’s it for? Car Enthusiasts

AutoPi is designed to help you monitor your car through the OBD port. It's built entirely on top of a Raspberry Pi. Check out the AutoPi website to purchase an AutoPi device and read more about the features and capabilities of the system. The AutoPi Telematics Unit 4G/LTE edition is on the AutoPi website for $248.50.

What it comes with:

• 1 AutoPi Telematics unit

Our AutoPi guide

And after you've given this to your favorite automotive enthusiast, be sure to send them to our guide on building a Raspberry Pi car computer with AutoPi.

Pimoroni Grow Kit

Who’s it for? Gardeners

The Pimoroni Grow Kit is designed with makers in mind who have the greenest of thumbs. It includes specially designed moisture sensors that can be used in automated gardening projects. You also get to choose from a selection of starter seeds with your purchase of one of the Herb Pack editions! The basic Grow Kit is available on the Pimoroni website for $39.

What it comes with:

• 3 moisture sensors
• 3 moisture sensor cables
• Grow HAT Mini
• Selection of seeds and starter pods (Herb Pack Editions only)

Show us your blooms!

We love things that grow in the earth! Be sure to share your Grow kit photos with us on Facebook and Twitter!

HeaterMeter Kit

Who’s it for? Cooks and Grill Masters

We love the HeaterMeter project! Using probes, it monitors your food while it cooks inside of a grill. A Raspberry Pi is used to remotely control the grill. Without getting up, you can use your smartphone to maintain the temperature and even open/shut a damper to get the perfect steak every time. You can order the HeaterMeter kit on the official HeaterMeter website for $79.

What it comes with:

• HeaterMeter 4.3.4 base + LCD/Button circuit boards
• Mouser Base + LCD/Button circuit boards
• Black/White LCD

Our HeaterMeter setup guide

If you need help getting this awesome kit set up, don't sweat it! We've got a great guide on setting up the HeaterMeter that can help.

Adafruit T-Cobbler Plus

Who’s it for? Raspberry Pi Users

If you know a Raspberry Pi user without a T-Cobbler, stop and get them one! This board snaps right onto the GPIO making a smooth interface between the Raspberry Pi and a breadboard. It's easy to use and compatible with several Pi models. The T-Cobbler Plus is priced on Amazon for $14.

What it comes with:

• Assembled T- Cobbler Plus
• Raspberry Pi Breakout/breadboard

Retroflag GPi

Who’s it for? Gamers

This Raspberry Pi-based handheld looks a lot like the original Gameboy. It has a color display and runs RetroPie on a Pi Zero W inside. There are enough buttons and enough power to play SNES games with no trouble. It’s available right now on Amazon for $96.

What it comes with:

• GPi case
• Raspberry Pi Zero W
• Carrying bag
• Heatsink
• Flannel bag
• 32GB MicroSD card
• MicroSD card to SD card USB adapter
• SD-card case

GPi Setup Guide

Unless your gift recipient is a Pi veteran, they'll likely need some help getting the GPi all set up. We've got the best guide to get the GPi case setup so they can start playing games right away.