Aerogel Gift Guide

Aerogels are the perfect gift for the geek/hacker/tinkerer/technology enthusiast in your life. Here are some fun gift ideas:

Valentine Aerogel (as featured on Wired)

Heart-Shaped Valentine Aerogel™ from Aerogel Technologies

Pink, heart-shaped Valentine Aerogels are a unique and fascinating gift for space enthusiasts and general nerds alike! Comprised of 95% air by volume and made of the same kind of aerogel used by NASA on the Mars rovers, these aerogels have been infused with optically active materials to afford their unusual light-variant color properties! Since introducing them Valentine’s Day 2013, we’ve barely been able to keep them in stock (thanks in part to Wired, DVICE, and many others). Get yours now in time for the holidays!

Aeroeggs

New Aeroeggs from Aerogelex are always an eggselent way to say ‘I l’oeuf you’.

Aerogel Fun for Only $10

Experience the magic of nanotechnology with hydrophobic (waterproof) aerogel particles! Not only do our aerogel particles give you an inexpensive way to experience the famous “blue” aerogel first-hand, but enables you to plunge your hands into a tank of water without ever getting wet (watch the video below).

Bottled Skies

Large Bottled Sky with Embedded Cloud from Iannis Michalou(di)s

Bottled Skies from aerogel artist Iannis Michalou(di)s (the only artist we know with parentheses in his name) are a beautiful showpiece that captures the magic of the ethereal visual properties of aerogels in a unique handcrafted piece. And the name Bottled Sky is apt—silica aerogels are blue for the same reason the sky is blue (Rayleigh scattering), meaning these works are about as close to an actual “bottle of sky” as you can get! Available in two different variations.

Hydrophobic Silica Aerogel Disc

Hydrophobic Silica Aerogel Disc from Aerogel Technologies

For those who want to get their hands on their own little piece of the space program, we recommend Hydrophobic Aerogel Discs. Over 96% air by volume, these aerogels have been made waterproof and are resistant to fingerprints, moisture, and can even float in a glass of water without damage! Not to mention they’re super cool looking too.

A Gift for the Pyro in Your Life for Only $30 (as seen on Penn and Teller Tell a Lie)

Pyrogel XT Superinsulating Blanket from Aspen Aerogels

Perhaps you’ve heard about the amazing ability of aerogels ability to protect Hershey’s Kisses, crayons, flowers, and the like from the flame of a blowtorch. While you could use an incredibly delicate aerogel tile (see below), we recommend Pyrogel XT flexible aerogel blankets. Unlike classic silica aerogel tiles, Pyrogel XT is flexible, cuttable, and resists the flame of a blowtorch for hours on end with no risk of cracking, making it perfect for science projects, demos, and saving scientists from flamethrowers.