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80 Examples of Low Technology

John Spacey, updated on August 31, 2023

Low technology is a term for less advanced or relatively unsophisticated techniques and equipment. This is the opposite of high technology, a term for modern technology that is close to the state of the art. The following are common examples of low technology.

8-track players	Acoustic instruments
Archery	Basic digital watches & clocks
Bicycles	Binoculars
Block printing	Board games
Books	Calligraphy
Candles	Canoes
Carpentry	Darkroom photography
Dial Telephones	Dog sleds
Electronic calculators	Embroidery
Film cameras	Film projectors
Fishing rod and tackle	Hand fans
Hand tools for farming	Hand-cranked generators
Handcarts	Handwriting
Homemade costumes	Horse-drawn carriages
Knitting	Manual cash registers
Manual typewriters	Manual water pumps
Mechanical gumball machines	Mechanical watches & clocks
Model building	Music boxes
Natural materials for construction	Oil lamps
Open fire cooking	Paddleboats
Paintings and drawings	Paper maps
Papermaking	Passive solar heating
Pen & paper	Pottery
Printing press	Quilting
Radios	Rainwater harvesting
Rickshaws	Root cellars
Rowboats	Scrapbooking
Seed saving	Sewing
Sleds	Slide projectors
Smokehouses	Soapmaking
Solar cookers	Street art
Tape recorders	Telegraph
Television broadcasts	Traditional crafts
Traditional midwifery	VCRs
Vintage electronic keyboards	Vintage game consoles
Vinyl records	Water wheels
Weaving textiles	Wells
Wind-up toys	Windmills
Wood-burning stoves	Woodcarving
Woodworking	Zines

Low technology comes in several distinct varieties:

Retro Technology

Certain old technologies may become collectables by enthusiasts driven by a sense of nostalgia and history. In some cases, retro technology is valued because it has features or quality that have been forgotten by new technology. Retro technologies may also be valued because they lack features that users find annoying or intrusive. For example, users may prefer tools that aren't connected to the internet out of a sense of privacy and security.

DIY

Low technology is valued by do-it-yourself enthusiasts as it is easier to modify and extend. For example, a car with a low-tech engine is easier to repair and modify in a home garage.

Handmade

Low technology is a common business model that seeks to standout in a crowded marketplace by producing things using traditional methods such as handmade techniques.

Traditional Items

Traditional arts, crafts and products may lose their value and significance if modernized.

Slow Movement

The slow movement is the idea that faster and cheaper isn't always better. It tends to be associated with low-tech methods such as traditional methods of agriculture and production.

Passive Design

Passive design is a category of tools and approaches that use no energy. In some cases, passive design is low tech.

Reverse Innovation

Taking existing technologies and making them less expense, simpler, maintainable and repairable in order to solve problems in developing nations.

Subculture

Subcultures that prefer low technology such as a music scene that revolves around collecting vinyl records.

Overview: Low Technology
Type	Technology
Definition	Technology that is significantly less complex, sophisticated or advanced than the state of the art.
Value	Collectables Unique features Lack of unwanted features Easier to modify Preservation of tradition Special requirements such as durability
Also Known As	low tech, lo-tech
Related Concepts	Reuse Passive Design Innovation Slow Food