We’re on the ground at CES in Las Vegas all week to sift through the hype and find the products that should actually be worth your money this year. Check out our guide to CES 2026 for our latest hands-on impressions right from the show floor.
Only at CES can you see a laundry-folding robot, a swiveling laptop screen and a 130-inch TV all under the same roof. As entertaining as this stuff can be, though, very few of these flashy showpieces see the light of day for shoppers, and if they do, they’re exorbitantly expensive. That’s why every year, we make it our mission to find the cool, practical products you might actually want to buy this year.
We spent nearly a week trudging the crowded hallways of Las Vegas’ convention centers, meeting with dozens of top brands, trying tons of the latest tech products and carefully deliberating over winners (not to mention crushing our step goals in the process). After all that, we came away with 18 products we think can truly make life a little easier, better and more fun this year, from modular portable chargers and refreshingly simple smartwatches to a clock built to help you sleep and wake up better. Here’s the best tech we found at CES 2026.
Best TV: LG Wallpaper W6 OLED TV
At a CES where the other big TV titans focused on gigantic and/or blindingly bright RGB TVs, the LG Wallpaper W6 stood out from the pack by blending into the room. Its wireless connection box and impressively thin 9-millimeter design combine to let it float on a wall. But the big win came in LG’s OLED panel that breathed tons of life into the Impressionist paintings I know well from when I worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Images switch out faster than on Samsung’s The Frame Pro, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for getting an art TV with LG’s new Hyper Radiant Color tech it’s using for its new C6 and G6 OLED TVs. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
Best accessory: Nimble Champ Stack 10K Portable Charger
CES is a land of promises of future-focused innovation, but I don’t go for the robots. I look for solutions to real problems, such as the Nimble Champ Stack 10K, which solves the all-too-real annoyance of sharing a pocket-sized portable charger. If you, like me, have that one friend or colleague who always needs juice, this power brick that splits in half is one you need to watch for this spring when it drops for $80. Each side has USB-C connectors so you don’t need to bring cables, and I can’t wait to test it in the wild world of low-battery notifications. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
Best laptop: Dell XPS 14 Windows Laptop
The once-best Windows laptop on the market is back to challenge for the throne again, as Dell’s fixed the three biggest flaws of its flagship laptop. First off, it’s no longer called the Dell Premium 14, a confusing name that signaled a lack of care. More importantly, the new Dell XPS 14 finally has physical function-row keys again, so no more tapping on that capacitive glass row of lights. Also, the touchpad is actually visible again, so no more guessing where to tap. On top of that, Dell managed to pack in a 14-inch display while still achieving a smaller footprint than you get with the 13-inch MacBook Air M4. I can’t wait to test it and see the less-expensive configurations that are coming in February. — Henry T. Casey, electronics
The Dell XPS 14 is a return to form that brings back physical function keys and a more intuitive touchpad.
Best wearable: Pebble Round 2 Smartwatch
I never personally used the original Pebble Time Round smartwatch, first released back in 2015, but I do know it garnered quite the following. Now that I’ve had a chance to try out its reboot, the Pebble Round 2, I can see why. Its e-paper display is attractive and easy to read, and the watch itself looked stylish on my wrist and felt extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. It was fun to use actual buttons rather than a touchscreen to navigate its purposefully simple features. This isn’t a watch you make phone calls on or use to monitor your heart rate, and that’s the whole point. I ditched my Apple Watch long ago for being too overstimulating, but the Pebble Round 2 is a smartwatch I could actually see myself wearing. Senior tech editor Mike Andronico and I agreed that the Pebble Round 2 felt like a somewhat analog breath of fresh air among the AI assistants and literal robots on the CES floor. Luckily for me, it’s available for preorder now, starting at $199. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
The return of this fan-favorite smartwatch features an e-paper screen and three stylish color options.
Best headphones/audio: Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro Dual-Form Earbuds
I see more and more people wearing open-ear headphones these days, likely because they’re unobtrusive and make it easy to stay aware of what’s going on around you. I get the appeal and have enjoyed using them, but as someone living in New York City, I can’t imagine not having active noise cancellation for drowning out crowded streets and subway cars. With the Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro, I no longer have to choose between the two.
These “dual-form” earbuds feature a rotating hinge on each bud, allowing you to flip between an open-style fit that rests above your ear canal and an in-ear fit for immersive sound and ANC. Changing modes was easy, and the buds felt nice and light on my ears in both configurations. And while most traditional earbuds offer transparency modes that amplify the real world, nothing beats being able to hear your surroundings with your actual human ears. The AeroFit 2 Pro give you the best of both worlds in a way I haven’t seen before, and this could be just the turning point that makes me a long-term open-earbud user. — Mike Andronico, senior tech editor
These unique earbuds can switch between an open-ear and in-ear fit within seconds.
Best gaming tech: GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron Gaming Controller
As someone who games on modern consoles, PCs, retro systems and even my phone, I own what some might call an unhealthy number of video game controllers. GameSir and Hyperkin’s X5 Alteron could be the reason they all get put into storage. Compatible with Nintendo Switch consoles, phones, tablets and computers, this modular Bluetooth controller can easily morph to fit whatever — and wherever — you play.
Want a traditional PlayStation or Xbox layout? Just swap in the corresponding joystick and button modules. Going retro with some N64 and GameCube titles on your Switch? There’s a component for that. The X5 Alteron felt solid and comfortable in my brief hands-on time, and swapping out modules was simple and snappy. Hyperkin is targeting a price range of roughly $100 to $150 when the X5 launches later this year, which seems reasonable for what could be your one gamepad to rule them all. — Mike Andronico, senior tech editor
Best smart home tech: Lockin V7 Max True AI Smart Lock
A smart lock’s biggest downside is that if it loses power, you could get locked out. But that’s never going to be an issue with Lockin’s latest, the V7 Max AI Smart Lock. The lock is powered by wireless optical charging via a technology called AuraCharge; a separate device is plugged in within 13 feet of the lock and automatically beams power to the lock’s receptor. It’s seemingly a step up from other smart locks, which rely on solar power and, thus, must be situated in sunlight or on batteries that need to be manually changed as they run out. Not to mention, it features a bunch of other high-tech bells and whistles — biometric security, video doorbell functionality, dual touch screens — and it looks pretty sleek (a former chief designer from Apple is behind the design). Look out for these smarts to hit doorsteps starting in early 2026. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
This unique smart lock is powered by a wireless optical charger that ensures it never runs out of battery.
Best home appliance: Dreo 765S TurboCool Misting Fan
Dreo makes our favorite space heater, favorite humidifier and one of our favorite cooling fans, and the brand continues to impress at CES. This year, I was blown away (pun intended) by the new Dreo 765S TurboCool Misting Fan, which combines powerful tower fan capabilities with a cooling mist that’s suited to indoor use. The key is ultrafine mist particles that evaporate before creating wetness on surfaces; after holding my hand and my phone directly in the mist’s stream, I was amazed that they were both left completely dry, so I’m confident that furniture and pets will be safe from dampness. Dreo is also launching a smaller tabletop version that I’d love to have in my AC-less home office come summer and an outdoor model that will be a game changer for backyard hangs in hot weather. Expect the entire series to launch in April before the mercury rises. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Best outdoor tech: Roborock RockMow X1 LiDAR
The brand behind our favorite robot vacuum and robot mop is officially coming for your yard. Roborock debuted the two-legged, jumping Saros Rover to much fanfare at CES this year, but it was its new line of robot lawn mowers that stuck with me as a streamlined addition to the category. The flagship RockMow X1 LiDAR is the clear leader of the pack, thanks to Sentisphere LiDAR Environmental Perception technology, which it uses to construct a 3D model of your yard for real-time navigation. Meanwhile, AI allows it to identify and react to obstacles like garden gnomes and hoses, plus four-wheel drive and dynamic suspension keep things rolling along over any terrain. Combine all that with myriad safety and security features (humans and animals in its path prompt a swift U-turn, for instance), impressive durability and — oh yeah, grass cutting! — and a pristine lawn with zero effort will finally be within reach later this year. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Best health/fitness device: Ambient Dreamie Smart Alarm Clock
In 2026, we’re done using smartphone alarms to wake up in the morning. Calling the new Dreamie from Ambient just a nightstand clock is selling the bedside companion a bit short, as it does more than just setting alarms. The integrated lamp can be used on its own or with the sunrise simulation features for waking up each morning, with an onboard white noise machine to help you fall asleep at night.
In a hands-on demo, both Chelsea Stone and I were impressed by the overall charm and polish of the Dreamie to life. I particularly appreciated that all the customization can be done right on the device, as there’s no companion app to download. We also both loved the design, which features a touchscreen display on the front and pairs with a physical volume knob and touch panel on the back for controlling the lamp without interacting with a screen.
From our short time testing it out at CES, the Dreamie feels like a promising way to ditch your smartphone alarm from your morning routine. — Rikka Altland, senior deals editor
This bedside companion allows you to wind down and wake up peacefully without having to bring your phone to the bedroom.
Best beauty product: L’Oréal Light Straight + Multi-Styler
Flat irons are some of the most damaging styling tools out there, as they apply high heat directly to your hair, so it’s about time someone came up with a better solution. L’Oréal’s newest innovation features patented near-infrared light technology (reminiscent of past Best of CES winner, the L’Oréal AirLight Pro) that penetrates hair fibers to reshape internal hydrogen bonds, resulting in a look that’s two times smoother, achieved three times faster with fewer passes than traditional hot tools, per the brand, and using far less heat. In fact, this styler doesn’t exceed 320 degrees Fahrenheit — most straighteners utilize heat well over 400 degrees Fahrenheit — to better preserve hair health and mitigate heat damage. And what would a CES beauty debut be without a personalized experience courtesy of machine learning? Smart internal sensors with built-in algorithms pick up on and adapt to users’ gestures on top of all the tools’ hair-boosting benefits.
While I wasn’t able to try it on my own hair for hygienic reasons, our senior deals editor Rikka Altland and I were treated to an in-person demo of the Light Straight + Multi-Styler, in which we watched a robot arm straighten and curl some test hair strands to impressive results. As someone with curly hair, it typically takes two to three passes to get my strands looking anything close to straight, so I’m looking forward to using it on my own curls when it launches sometime in 2027. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Best under-$100 score: Clicks Power Keyboard
The Clicks keyboard is a nifty accessory that turns your phone into a modern-day Blackberry with satisfying physical keys, but it leaves you with a bulky setup. The new Clicks Power Keyboard solves this very problem with a magnetic snap-on design and a slide-open keyboard, which allows you to summon those snappy keys when you need them and put them away when you don’t. Oh, and it’s also a full-on MagSafe power brick that can charge your phone wirelessly while you type. I was genuinely surprised to learn that all this functionality can be had for $80, an enticing early bird price that’s set to jump higher later this year. – Mike Andronico, senior tech editor
The Clicks Power Keyboard has a handy slide-out design and doubles as a magnetic charger.
Best travel tech: iOttie Arkx Portable Air Pump
We’re big on emergency preparedness at CNN Underscored, which is why I was excited about iOttie’s recent addition to its line of car products. At CES, the brand, which makes one of our favorite car phone mounts, showed off the Arkx Portable Air Pump, a compact, 3-in-1 gadget that can reinflate your tires (or really, any inflatable), recharge your devices thanks to a built-in 5200 mAh battery and act a light source via one of its three modes (flashlight, ring light and red SOS beacon). At $80, it seems like a no-brainer addition to any trunk once it launches in March. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Best innovation: Samsung The Freestyle+ Projector
My first real “wow” moment of CES 2026 was seeing Samsung’s The Freestyle+ projector beam an image onto a flowy set of curtains — typically a nightmare surface for this kind of thing — and magically form a perfect rectangle that made it easy to see what was playing. This new portable projector packs auto-keystone technology that’s designed to make your content look good on any surface, whether you’re watching in a tent while camping or in the corner of a room due to limited wall space. It also uses AI to automatically fill any dedicated projection surfaces you may be using, which worked within seconds without us having to tinker with a single setting. It’s the exact innovation we like to see: cool to look at and fun to play with, but also solving one of the most common problems of portable projectors. — Mike Andronico, senior tech editor
Editor’s pick: Twelve South Valet Catchall Charging Tray
We’ve hit a very lovely moment with home tech accessories where companies are starting to encourage healthier behavior. Such is the case with TwelveSouth’s Valet wireless charging tray, which is the epitome of subtlety. It might just look like a key and wallet and sunglasses tray you keep by your bed or door, but its 15W wireless charging puck is cleverly placed face-up. This means your phone is going to lie flat, passively telling you to stop checking your notifications and take the screen time break we all need. Oh and it’s made of luxurious Napa leather, so it will fit into or upgrade whatever space you place it in. – Henry T. Casey, electronics writer
This sleek tray features a 15W wireless charger for your phone and plenty of space for your everyday accessories.
Editor’s pick: Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp
I am a sucker for a cool lamp, and Ikea’s viral Varmblixt donut lamp is one of the coolest. Now, in its first-ever CES appearance, the famed Swedish furniture company has announced that it’s getting even better: a smart version of the iconic lamp, created in collaboration with Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis, will be available starting in April of this year. The new dimmable matte Varmblixts feature color-shifting capabilities in a whole spectrum of soft, vibe-y hues, controlled via Ikea’s Home Smart app and an included remote. You’ll be able to choose from table and wall versions of the lamp, but if a couple months’ wait feels unbearable, there’s absolutely no shame in picking up the glossy original right now. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Editor’s pick: Fender Mix headphones
In our experience, even the best headphones become worn and scuffed over time. What’s worse, they will sometimes succumb to a busted battery. Lots of folks will just buy a new pair when this happens, but what if you didn’t have to? That’s the idea behind the Fender Mix, a modular set of headphones that allow you to replace the ear cups, cushion and even battery to keep your cans looking fresh and performing their best.
The audio giant’s first-ever headphones have a slick, understated look that felt comfortable to wear, and, more crucially, they were easy to disassemble when I wanted to get inside the ear cups. Their audio quality and noise cancellation impressed me during my brief testing, and they’re loaded with connectivity options including Bluetooth, a classic headphone jack and wireless USB-C with lossless audio support. Add in Fender’s claim of 100 hours of battery life and you’ve got a uniquely promising set of cans that I can’t wait to put through their paces when they launch later this year for $300. –— Mike Andronico, senior tech editor
Editor’s pick: Lego Smart Brick
Lego surprised us by making an appearance at CES 2026 to show off its new Smart Play system, and I got a first look at how Lego is bringing its upcoming Star Wars sets to life using this slick new tech. Living up to its name, the brick comes loaded with tech like an accelerometer, light detector, sound sensor, miniature speaker, wireless charging capabilities and even an onboard synthesizer.
That combination of sensors, plus some new Smart Minifigures and Tags, means that placing the brick in an X-Wing can have the iconic vehicle from a galaxy far, far away make noise and light up as you swoosh it around your home. It can know when you place Luke Skywalker in the pilot’s seat or play different audio based on if the villainous Darth Vader has commandeered the ride. The system can also tell if a Death Star cannon has shot in its direction, playing an appropriate sound effect and lighting pattern in turn, or if you dodged the attack by spinning and sending R2-D2 into a screaming fit.
Amplifying the bricks I already love with this new reactive technology wowed me in my hands-on demo, and I am excited to test the kits officially when they launch in March. — Rikka Altland, senior deals editor
FAQs
Products unveiled at CES truly run the gamut when it comes to availability. Some are up for preorder the minute they’re announced, while others have nebulous “coming soon” release windows (and in our experience, some just never come out). However, most of the winners we’ve selected above are arriving in the first half of 2026.
Again, it’s a wide spectrum. Some of our favorites like the Nimble Champ Stack 10K and Clicks Power Keyboard are less than $100, while our favorite TV and laptop picks can go well into the $1,000 and up range.
Why trust CNN Underscored
CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and we ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.We talk to top experts when relevant to make certain our product testing is accurate as we speak to the pros and cons of each item.
To compile this list, senior tech editor Mike Andronico, electronics writer Henry T. Casey, editorial direct Chelsea Stone and senior deals editor Rikka Altland roamed the halls of CES 2026 for nearly a week, meeting with major brands and testing out dozens of new products in order to find the true standouts. We factored in hands-on impressions, our previous experience with a given brand and whether or not a product aims to solve a practical problem instead of just being a cool attraction.
