The tech products we absolutely loved this year – and which we’re taking into 2026

Product testing is kind of ZDNET's thing. 

We test hundreds of products each year, ranging from phones and TVs to mobile accessories and smart home tech. After days, weeks, and months of reviewing and using these products, we make our recommendations based on a device's value, overall usability, innovative and intelligent upgrades, and standout features. 

Often, we consider how a company is designing a product to fundamentally change and innovate for the future. Other times, we recommend a product that works beautifully right now. Because when you take away all the flashy product announcements and viral gadgets, what we really care about are really great products that will improve your life in big and small ways. 

Ahead of the new year, I've rounded up the top gadgets ZDNET staffers and contributors loved in 2025. From noise-canceling earbuds to smart glasses, here are this year's picks. 

Products we couldn't live without in 2025 

Taylor Clemons picked up three of these camera packs from Eufy after a robber broke into their home a few weeks ago. Unlike competitors, the Eufy Security SoloCams don't charge a monthly fee to access the video feed, offer decent camera quality, easy installation, and a budget-friendly price. 

Automate your household routines in the new year with this plug-and-play smart plug. 

"I now own about eight of them," ZDNET contributor Charlie Osborne tells me. Osborne says the smart plugs are cheap, reliable, and take 20 seconds to set up. "They now have my Christmas lights on schedule." 

The sunrise-to-sunset feature is another highlight of the smart plug, which updates automatically. Osborne uses this feature specifically for her bearded dragon's lighting and warmth. 

Contributor Prakhar Khanna says he loves these earbuds, "because they fit me sooo well." Khanna says they're great for travel and deliver wonderful sound without compromising any touch controls.  

Xreal One Pro smart glasses

Work from anywhere

Many people wear these smart glasses for gaming, but ZDNET contributor Matt Miller found a game-changing use case for the Xreal One Pro smart glasses: he no longer travels without them. 

The smart glasses take your computer desktop's workflow and turn it into an impressive ultra-wide monitor through One Pro's display. The smart glasses make it possible to have a private working experience on a plane -- and deter any wandering eyes from seeing what you're working on. 

"For those times when I want to relax, nothing beats big screen movies in the glasses with me being able to position my head and neck comfortably. They are an absolute necessity for long international flights, in my honest opinion," Miller tells me. 

ZDNET writer Taylor Clemons recently purchased this wireless guitar system that replaces amp cables with something smaller and less trippable, "and it's honestly a game-changer," they tell me. 

It comes with a five-hour charge, no latency issues, and fits into a budget setup nicely. The only issue Clemons ran into while setting this up was figuring our which unit is plugged in where "I put them in backwards and couldn't figure out why i couldn't get any sound," they tell me. 

Headphone reviewer Jada Jones tells me the Sonos Ace headphones are the best headphones to travel with if you care a whole lot about comfort. "Since I live with a night shift worker, I can connect them to my soundbar and binge all of Real Housewives without needing to listen at low volume," she says. 

Also: Sonos Ace review

Charge your laptop, phone, tablet, and camera with this power bank. "It's small enough to go in my backpack when I travel or go to Events but powerful enough to charge everything I need," ZDNET reviewer Maria Diaz tells me. 

AAWireless Two Plus

Play your music in your car (finally)

Some of our favorite products we tested this year are small fixes to big problems. Here's one: If you have an older car, it's difficult to hook up your phone to the sound system and play your music. This Bluetooth adapter makes it easy. 

The AAWireless Two Plus Bluetooth adapter lets you access Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wirelessly in your car. Recent feature upgrades add Gemini functionalities into the mix. 

The Cosori Smart Air Fryer takes your kitchen appliance to a new level. The gadget connects to your phone and delivers notifications when to shake your food and when the food is done cooking. ZDNET's Maria Diaz says she also enjoys the recipes on Cosori's app that integrate with the settings on the air fryer. 

ZDNET writer Cesar Cadenas tried these earbuds out over a year ago, but says he still uses them all the time. "Awesome ANC, comfortable fit, love them," he tells me. For a Sony product, they're also fairly priced. 

Products that surprised us (for better or for worse) in 2025

Oops! Charlie Osborne's robot vacuum locked her out of her house, after it fell and wedged itself against the door. "I had to climb my back fence to get in," she said. I guess the robots won't be replacing us as quickly as originally expected. 

Galaxy Z Fold 7

An impressive foldable phone

Prakhar Khanna didn't expect Samsung to nail the form factor as well as it did with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, given their years of iterative upgrades. Nevertheless, Samsung prevailed with an impressive design and new kind of foldable phone. 

If you, like ZDNET editor Kayla Solino, have a habit of snacking while working, you, too, may have some crumbs and splatters across your laptop's keyboard. This keyboard protector helps keep things clean. 

"I bought it on a whim after accidentally spilling coffee on half my keyboard. It's really thin, and I don't even notice it's there, but it makes it easy to keep my keys clean. I can just shake it off and put it back on, and it's washable if I need to rinse it down," she tells me. This Uppercase Ghostcover made Solino a keyboard protector believer. 

Suunto Vertical 2 Watch

A newcomer smartwatch

Smartwatch reviewer Matt Miller said he hoped another brand would compete with Garmin and launch a great smartwatch with an LED flashlight. "But I didn't expect that to be Suunto," he tells me. The Vertical 2 smartwatch has a bright LED flashlight, as well as a long-lasting battery that persists even with a bright AMOLED display. "It is also more affordable than competing Garmin watches and proof that there is great competition in the GPS sports watch space," Miller says.  

For a first-generation soundbar, the Marshall Heston 120 outperforms. "It's insanely impressive," reviewer Jada Jones says. 

TravlFi JourneyGo 4G Hotspot

For speedy internet

Want to boost your internet speeds and connections? This hockey puck-sized 4G hotspot device gets the job done. 

This Antigravity A1 drone is "very fun and easy to fly around," ZDNET writer Cesar Cadenas tells me. It records 360-degree shots in up to 8K and is lightweight.  

The AirPods Pro 3 is one of the few Apple products that performs just as well on Android as it does on iOS, ZDNET managing editor Kerry Wan says. The earbuds also come with noise cancellation that does a stellar job of blocking out the plane's engine while traveling. 

Also: AirPods Pro 3 review

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