Gifts for Electrical Engineers: Which Tesla Patent Shirt Fits Which Engineer

2 minute read. Published October 17, 2026.

In short: The best gift for an electrical engineer is one that speaks their language. Each of our seven shirts carries a real Nikola Tesla patent drawing, and each one maps neatly onto a different corner of the field. Pick the patent closest to the work they do, and the shirt becomes an inside joke only they fully get.

For the power engineer: The Tower or The Upper Air

If they work on grids, transmission or generation, give them the dream that started it all. The Tower is Tesla's Wardenclyffe patent, his plan to send power without wires. The Upper Air is the 1900 patent for moving energy between two elevated terminals.

For the RF or communications engineer: The Secret Signal

The Secret Signal is Tesla's 1903 idea for keeping wireless messages private by combining several frequencies. Anyone who has worked on selectivity, interference or secure links will recognise the problem immediately.

For the controls or robotics engineer: The Teleautomaton

The Teleautomaton is the patent behind Tesla's radio-controlled boat, demonstrated in 1898. It's an early ancestor of every remote-controlled machine since.

For the high-voltage hobbyist: The Flat Spiral

Know someone who builds Tesla coils in the garage? The Flat Spiral is Tesla's 1897 coil transformer patent, the hardware behind the sparks.

For the physicist or materials engineer: The Cold Circuit

The Cold Circuit is Tesla's 1901 idea of chilling conductors to cut resistance, a decade before superconductivity was discovered.

For the one who loves big, unproven ideas: Waves in the Earth

Waves in the Earth is Tesla's proposal to use the planet itself as a resonant conductor. It's still debated, which makes it a great conversation starter.

Gift details that matter

  • Size: unisex Bella + Canvas 3001, true to size. If unsure, go one size up for a relaxed fit.
  • Delivery: printed to order and shipped free in the US, usually in 5 to 10 business days. In December, order early.
  • Buying two? Code PLATES2 takes 15% off two or more designs.

Every shirt has its full history in The Archive, so the gift comes with a story to tell.