Abstract It has become commonplace to acknowledge that the human being is no isolated entity but is rather a relational being that attains a particular shape as a result of its relation to other entities. This has resulted in a variety of so-called relational approaches in the ethics and philosophy of technology, to the extent that one might speak of a broader “relational trend”. However, the concept of relationality and its implications often remain unclear in ethical discussions and even more so when applied to specific technologies. In this paper, we provide a deeper understanding of what defines relational approaches by examining qualitative differences in the way relationality is understood and integrated into philosophical approaches. We do so by focusing on three prominent relational approaches in the philosophy of technology: postphenomenology, actor-network theory, and new materialism. The sense in which these approaches are relational will be qualified with reference to six themes: (1) ontological commitments, (2) boundaries between entities, (3) subjectivity, (4) agency, (5) anthropocentrism, (6) normativity. We conclude that there does not appear to be a shared view of what relationality entails, nor a shared normative stance or framework that provides clear ethical guidance. In response to this, we make some suggestions concerning the shared vector that could unify different approaches.