Checklist · 12 picks · 5 categories
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Christmas shopping for someone who builds and fixes electronics comes down to three things: an iron, a meter and a next project.
The Pinecil V2 is Tom's Hardware's best smart soldering iron, the Tabiger kit its best for beginners, with a stand and a case, and the Miniware TS101 its best all rounder. For the bench, the Weller WLC100 is Bob Vila's best bang for the buck station and the Yihua 995D+ is Tom's Hardware's best hot air rework station. Klein's MM320KIT is Bob Vila's best starter kit multimeter and the Extech EX330 its runner-up. For the next project, the Raspberry Pi 5 and Pi 500 are Tom's Hardware Editor's Choice picks, and its 2021 review calls the Uctronics Pico kit fun and easy to use. The splurges are the Hakko FX-888D, its best soldering station, and the Fluke 107, Bob Vila's best for basic DIY.
Who this is not for. Skip this if they'd rather use gadgets than build them; the gifts for geeks page fits better.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecil V2 | mid | $25-50 | an iron they won't outgrow | 1 outlet |
| Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit | budget | $15-25 | trying soldering without buying anything else | 1 outlet |
| Miniware TS101 | splurge | $50-100 | long sessions where comfort matters | 1 outlet |
Best soldering ironmid pick · 155 mm long
Best for an iron they won't outgrow
Tom's Hardware's best smart soldering iron: it hit 350°C in 20 seconds on a 20V USB-C adapter, and the site calls it the ideal iron for younger or inexperienced makers.
Heads up. Not much different from the V1, and it doesn't come with a stand
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware best smart soldering iron.
$25-50
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budget pick · Kit with case
Best for trying soldering without buying anything else
Tom's Hardware's best soldering iron for beginners: a cheap entry to soldering, with basic temperature control, interchangeable tips, a stand and a case.
Heads up. Exudes cheapness, and the tip burns out; Tom's Hardware saw it scorch quite quickly
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware best Soldering Iron for Beginners.
$15-25
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splurge pick · 170 mm long
Best for long sessions where comfort matters
Tom's Hardware's best all rounder: a refinement of the TS100 with DC and USB power, and the iron it would choose if soldering all day long.
Heads up. Twice the price of its leading competitor, the Pinecil V2
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware best all rounder.
$50-100
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 | mid | $50-100 | home servers, retro consoles and weekend projects | 1 outlet |
| Uctronics Raspberry Pi Pico Starter Kit | budget | $25-50 | learning electronics with no soldering on day one | Limited evidence |
| Raspberry Pi 500 | splurge | $100-150 | a whole computer tucked inside a keyboard | 1 outlet |
Best raspberry pimid pick · Credit-card size
Best for home servers, retro consoles and weekend projects
A Tom's Hardware Editor's Choice: significantly faster than the Pi before it for almost the same price, with dual camera and display support.
Heads up. Needs active cooling, and some older HATs need software updates
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware editor's Choice Raspberry Pi 5.
$50-100
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budget pick · 7.5 x 3.5 x 2 in box
Best for learning electronics with no soldering on day one
Tom's Hardware's verdict in its 2021 review: a fun and easy-to-use kit that grows with your confidence, built to follow the official Pico book.
Heads up. The Pico's GPIO soldering was a little off on the review unit, and the included LCD display differs from the book
Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.
$25-50
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splurge pick · Keyboard
Best for a whole computer tucked inside a keyboard
A Tom's Hardware Editor's Choice: the power of a Raspberry Pi 5 built into a keyboard, with excellent thermals and an easy overclock to 3 GHz.
Heads up. GPIO access is awkward, there's no NVMe storage and no camera or Touch Display connections
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware editor's Choice Raspberry Pi 500.
$100-150
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Best multimeterbudget pick · Kit
Best for starting an electrical toolkit from scratch
Bob Vila's best starter kit: a massive screen plus many of the tools its reviewers once bought separately for their own electrical kits.
Heads up. No backlight, which makes it hard to read in low light
1 outlet. Bob Vila best Starter Kit multimeter.
$50-100
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mid pick · Mini
Best for more functions in a small meter
Bob Vila's runner-up: a large screen, a built-in noncontact tester and a thermocouple kit in a mini meter.
Heads up. No backlight for dark spaces
1 outlet. Bob Vila runner-Up multimeter.
$50-100
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Best soldering stationbudget pick · Benchtop
Best for a dedicated bench without a digital readout
Bob Vila's best bang for the buck: a low-cost station with five temperature settings and a built-in tip cleaning station.
Heads up. No precise digital temperature control, and the included ST3 tip is too bulky for fine circuit-board work
1 outlet. Bob Vila best Bang For The Buck soldering station.
$50-100
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mid pick · Benchtop
Best for repairing boards and removing surface-mount parts
Tom's Hardware's best hot air rework station: brand-name performance for a fraction of the price, with an iron and a hot air gun for removing components.
Heads up. The user interface isn't intuitive
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware best Hot Air Rework Station.
$100-150
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Top picksplurge pick · Station 100 x 120 x 120 mm
Best for hours at the bench on bigger projects
Tom's Hardware's best soldering station: excellent build quality, thermal mass and ease of use make it the ideal choice for beginners and professionals alike.
Heads up. Expensive compared to others, and it looks a little "Fisher Price"
1 outlet. Tom's Hardware best soldering station.
$100-150
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splurge pick · Pocket
Best for simple readings with a backlight
Bob Vila's best for basic DIY: a simple design with plenty of basic functionality, a large backlit display and a magnetic strap for hands-free use.
Heads up. No carrying case and no spot to snap the leads into
1 outlet. Bob Vila best for Basic DIY multimeter.
$150-200
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Spot a mistake? A broken link, a wrong price range or an outdated pick: tell me at hello@allsetlist.com and I'll fix it.
A new project or a better iron. The Raspberry Pi 5 is a Tom's Hardware Editor's Choice, significantly faster than the Pi before it, and the Pinecil V2 is its best smart soldering iron, hitting 350°C in 20 seconds on a 20V USB-C adapter.
Tom's Hardware's best iron for beginners is the Tabiger kit, a cheap entry with a stand and a case, though it warns the tip burns out. It calls the Pinecil V2 the ideal iron for younger or inexperienced makers, but that one doesn't come with a stand.
USPS's recommended last send dates for December 25 in the contiguous US are December 17 for Ground Advantage, December 18 for Priority Mail and December 19 for Priority Mail Express. Retailers set their own order-by dates, so check at checkout.