January 15, 2025
The perfect of CES 2025

CES 2025 is coming to a detailed — in the present day is the ultimate day of the present — and crew Engadget is able to go away Las Vegas. Our reporters and editors have scoured limitless carpeted conference halls of the CES present flooring, braved strains of chain people who smoke, overcome nasty colds and sore ankles and fielded hundreds of emails a day to search out the most effective and most credible merchandise on the present.

As anticipated, the overwhelming majority of issues we noticed this CES had an AI element, with a noticeable uptick in AR glasses, listening to support earbuds, solar-powered tech, emotional help robots and robotic vacuums. Apparently individuals actually like robovacs that may decide up socks. Our crew was inspired to see extra progress in tech constructed to enhance the lives of these with disabilities and mobility points, too. And we have been pleasantly stunned to see quite a lot of of those just-announced CES 2025 merchandise truly obtainable on the market or preorder already.

Our record of CES 2025 winners covers a wide range of classes, starting from typical areas like dwelling leisure, transportation and good dwelling to theme-based matters like sustainability and accessibility. After our crew shortlisted nominees and voted on the most effective for varied classes, we then performed one other spherical of voting to determine on the most effective product of the present.

That mentioned, right here’s the total record of our picks for the Better of CES 2025.

Engadget Best of CES awards - ASUS Zenbook A14
ASUS

The ASUS Zenbook A14 feels impossibly mild, weighing between 2.2 and a couple of.4 kilos, and it has a stunning 14-inch OLED display and a good array of ports (USB-C, USB-A and HDMI)! What else ccould you need in a MacBook Air competitor? After years of mainly copying Apple’s MacBooks, ASUS proves it may out-innovate Apple with out resorting to gimmicks like twin screens or flashy lights. The Zenbook A14 is solely a tiny laptop computer that feels nice in your arms, thanks largely to ASUS’s distinctive Ceraluminum case materials. ASUS claims it may last as long as 32 hours whereas taking part in video, properly above the 18 hours Apple estimates for the MacBook Air. It could appear odd that the least flashy laptop computer of CES 2025 is considered one of our favorites, however typically pure practicality is plain. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter, opinions

Engadget Best of CES awards - Biolite Backup
Biolite

We’re all the time in search of model new, never-seen-before stuff at CES, however typically it’s the intelligent reinterpretation of current tech that catches our consideration. That’s the case with Backup by Biolite. It’s primarily a cross between a common energy provide (UPS) and a whole-home backup battery, however improves on each.

The skinny, 40-pound 1.5 kWh battery lives between a wall outlet and your fridge (or another plug-in machine) and retains these issues operating within the occasion of an influence outage. It doesn’t require skilled set up, only a user-installed wall mount, and it’s skinny sufficient to cover behind your fridge or tuck below a counter. Although if it have been on show, the matte-silver end wouldn’t spoil any aesthetic.

The Backup Full consists of two items that offer as much as 3 kWh, which is sufficient to energy a fridge, microwave, lights, in addition to refill telephones and a laptop computer. The three kWh capability and the truth that it’s an put in battery at present qualifies it for a 30 % federal tax credit score, which might carry the fee right down to $2,100 for the Full. The only-unit Backup Core packs 1.5 kWh and goes for $2,000. Each can be found for pre-order now and may ship this summer time. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter, shopping for recommendation

Engadget Best of CES awards - Jackery Solar Roof
Jackery

Jackery is already a longtime title in home photo voltaic generator methods, and its newest product fills a wavy hole in its product lineup. Jackery’s XBC curved photo voltaic roof shingles mimic among the commonest home kinds within the nation, they usually are available in terracotta or obsidian colorways for optimum HOA appeasement. These are the primary curved photo voltaic tiles to hit the US market they usually ship a cell conversion effectivity of greater than 25 %. They will stand up to excessive climate situations, together with temperatures between -40 levels F and 185 levels F, they usually’re designed according to conventional roofing set up practices, that includes a modular setup that permits for versatile upkeep. Jackery’s new wavy photo voltaic tiles join with the corporate’s current photo voltaic technology and storage merchandise, making them an accessible and engaging possibility for whole-home sustainability. — Jessica Conditt, Senior reporter

Engadget best of CES 2025 awards - Lenovo Legion Go S
Lenovo

The plight of the fashionable handheld-PC gamer is making an attempt to determine which OS to make use of. There are a ton of Home windows 11-based gadgets that supply unparalleled compatibility and robust graphics help. However all that comes on a platform that isn’t optimized for smaller devices with connected controllers. Alternatively, SteamOS presents a way more cohesive expertise with a greater UI and fewer efficiency overhead. The issue is that Valve’s working system was mainly solely obtainable on a single machine — the Steam Deck. That adjustments now with the Lenovo Legion Go S, which will probably be obtainable in two flavors: a Home windows model and for the primary time on any handheld not made by Valve, a mannequin powered by SteamOS.

Apart from the selection of platforms and totally different coloured shells, we recognize that the 2 variants characteristic nearly similar specs together with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, as much as 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and a decently giant 55.5Whr battery. Its 8-inch touchscreen seems nice too, because it presents a 120Hz refresh fee with help for VRR, 500 nits of brightness and a 1,920 x 1,200 decision. And with costs beginning at $600 (or $500 for the SteamOS mannequin), it’s quite reasonably priced too. Maybe the largest draw back is that whereas the Home windows mannequin will probably be out later this month, we’re going to have to attend till Might for the one powered by SteamOS. However with the latter type of lastly making good on the practically decade-old promise of Valve’s Steam Machines, holding out for a couple of further months doesn’t appear so lengthy. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter, opinions

Engadget Best of CES awards - LG OLED evo M5
LG

LG’s Better of CES crown is secure for an additional yr. The corporate is constantly on the prime of the most effective TVs we see every year in Las Vegas, and it ceaselessly comes out the winner. For this yr’s OLED evo M5, the corporate managed to additional enhance its most premium shows, including the newest α (Alpha) 11 AI processor Gen2 to enhance the look of lower-resolution content material and energy superior options.

For avid gamers, there’s a 165Hz refresh fee, alongside each NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium certifications. This could clean issues out and preserve lag to a minimal. The corporate’s new Brightness Booster Final can obtain ranges which can be thrice brighter than “typical OLED” fashions, in accordance with the corporate. Plus, the characteristic contributes to a UL Options’ “Good Black” and “Good Colour” verification on the M5. It’s really gorgeous image high quality.

Lastly, LG’s Zero Join Field that’s been obtainable on the M-series for some time now could be lastly obtainable on screens beneath 77 inches. This machine means that you can join your entire consoles and streaming gear with out operating a number of HDMI cables to the TV. LG now says it doesn’t want line-of-sight clearance both, and that it may be hidden in a picket cupboard close to the M5. — Billy Steele, Senior reporter, opinions

Engadget Best of CES awards - Moonbird Moonbuddy
Moonbird

Devices made for rest shouldn’t be difficult. Moonbuddy has one goal — to make guided breathwork accessible and interesting to kids — and it nails the execution with no pointless frills. The corporate behind it first made the same stress reduction machine for adults, and Moonbuddy simplifies that have and places it right into a cuter bundle. Moonbuddy is an egg-shaped machine with a smooth space that expands and contracts in set rhythms, so youngsters can observe alongside and sync up their very own respiration. It suits into an animal themed sleeve, so it seems like a toy. There are 4 totally different respiration modes, every lasting a couple of minutes and designed to advertise a state of calmness.

The entire thing is tactile and screen-free, which is particularly good contemplating many dad and mom might need to incorporate it into the nighttime routine. And as a lot as I really like the little animal outfits as an individual who gravitates towards cute issues, I additionally like that in case your child will get to that stage the place they reject all the things babyish, they’ll take the sleeve off and preserve utilizing it in its extra nondescript type. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor

Engadget Best of CES awards - OhSnap MCON
OhSnap

The MCON by OhSnap mainly transforms any smartphone into a contemporary Xperia Play, full with trendy conveniences like Corridor impact analog sticks, silent buttons, flip-out grips, and a full bumper and set off structure. It’s a cellular gamepad that may slide into your pocket with out the sticks or handles getting caught on something, and it really works with just about each smartphone in the marketplace in the present day. The MCON makes use of MagSafe to snap onto the again of any current iPhone and it comes with an adapter for Android gadgets to hitch in on the enjoyable. It even works with the Galaxy Z Fold, and its creator, Josh King, is engaged on an answer for the Z Flip, too.

The mockup that King delivered to CES 2025 felt light-weight but stable and comfy to carry, and the phone-snapping motion was supremely satisfying. After gaining a little bit of viral fame along with his thought, King partnered with established MagSafe accent producer OhSnap to push the MCON into full manufacturing, and it’s because of hit the market in August for $150. — Jessica Conditt, Senior reporter

Engadget Best of CES awards - Roborock Saros Z70
Roborock

Robotic vacuums obtained a bunch of recent — and typically unusual — powers at CES 2025. However none made a much bigger impression than Roborock’s Saros Z70, which comes with a mechanical arm that may decide up socks, raise cords and seize different objects.

The OmniGrip arm can decide up objects as much as 300 grams (a bit of greater than half a pound) with the intention to clear below them or deposit them within the location of your selection. Performance of the arm is managed by way of Roborock’s app and is extraordinarily customizable so you possibly can program it to select up free trash and cat toys, however raise up cords to scrub beneath.

After we noticed it in motion at CES, it deftly picked up socks and positioned them in a basket. However Roborock guarantees it may do far more. The vacuum will routinely acknowledge 108 totally different objects — sure, like seemingly each different gadget we noticed at CES, it makes use of AI — however you can even educate it to detect as much as 50 extra objects so it would know deal with obstacles it’s most probably to come across in your house.

Surprisingly, the Saros Z70 wasn’t the one robotic vacuum with an arm we noticed at CES, however it is going to be the primary that you may truly purchase. — Karissa Bell, Senior reporter

Engadget Best of CES awards - Technics EAH-AZ100
Technics

Technics’ new Magnetic Fluid drivers have garnered a whole lot of headlines this week, however all you actually need to know in regards to the EAH-AZ100 earbuds is that the sound high quality is massively improved. Powered by these new elements, there’s extra readability, element and bass, all of that are upgrades from the already spectacular AZ80. Technics revised its earbud form for the AZ100 within the title of consolation and match, whereas additionally making the buds smaller and lighter. Options like contact controls, multipoint connectivity for 3 gadgets, spatial Dolby Atmos audio and LDAC help are right here as properly. And in contrast to most of what we see at CES, these new earbuds are already obtainable to buy. — Billy Steele, Senior reporter, opinions

Engadget Best of CES awards - Urtopia Titanium Zero
Urtopia

For the reason that pandemic, e-bikes, not electric cars, have been on the forefront of the EV revolution, and it’s simple to see why: Electrical bikes are much more reasonably priced than their four-wheeled counterparts. Plus, right here at Engadget, we’re all for gadgets that promote more healthy residing, and for a lot of, getting an e-bike might be transformational.

So when Urtopia confirmed up at CES 2025 with an idea e-bike that includes a novel motor design, I used to be excited. As my colleague Daniel Cooper notes in his writeup, e-bike motors have historically are available in two type elements, every with their very own set of issues. The custom-designed Quark DMI.2 mid-drive motor Urtopia confirmed off alongside its Titanium Zero e-bike presents a 3rd path. It’s not as highly effective as conventional mid-drive motors, however it nonetheless options extra energy output than even the most effective hub motors. Better of all, the motor is sufficiently small to suit inside a backside bracket and weighs simply 2.6 kilos.

Urtopia hasn’t mentioned when it would begin manufacturing the Titanium Zero, however it’s simple to see a state of affairs the place the design of the Quark DMI.2 evokes different bike makers and pushes the business ahead. — Igor Bonifacic, Senior reporter

Engadget Best of CES awards - WeWalk Smart Cane 2
WeWalk

Of all of the merchandise at CES 2025 that had AI stuffed into them, WeWalk’s Good Cane 2 stood out. The good cane for individuals with visible impairments obtained an replace this yr that not solely provides AI, but additionally addresses the unique’s shortcomings. It brings extra superior sensors, and better of all, nonetheless works as a traditional folding cane when these technological options aren’t engaged. The Good Cane 2 can detect obstacles and provide turn-by-turn navigation, and it has a ChatGPT-powered assistant that may present solutions to questions whereas somebody is strolling, with out the necessity to attain for a smartphone. WeWalk additionally refined the precise cane by making its deal with slimmer, changing the unique’s touchpad with tactile buttons and shaving a little bit of weight off.

Certain, you may not have the ability to belief ChatGPT to provide you appropriate solutions to each query possible but, however no less than on this implementation, the product isn’t prone to hurt customers even when the AI fails. Plus, it has helpful {hardware}, together with time-of-flight and movement sensors to enhance navigation, audio system to offer solutions and suggestions, in addition to a flashlight to make the visually impaired extra noticeable at evening. And once more, if the battery dies, you possibly can nonetheless use this as a standard, albeit pricier, cane. — Cherlynn Low, Deputy editor, opinions

Engadget Best of CES awards - Yukai Engineering Mirumi
Yukai Engineering

Some of the memorable robots at CES this yr was the one which arguably does the least. We discovered ourselves powerless towards the heart-melting allure of Mirumi, a tiny, fluffy robotic made by Yukai Engineering that actually simply stares at individuals and appears round like a child discovering the skin world. It’s sufficiently small to slot in the palm of your hand, however even higher than that, it has lengthy posable arms that permit it to hold onto objects. So in case you put it in your bag strap, it would stare down everybody you encounter, and possibly grow to be a bit of shy once they return the eye.

Mirumi has no goal aside from to unfold pleasure, and I find it irresistible for that. Yukai beforehand introduced us the bizarre Qoobo pillow (the one with the tail) and the cat that nibbles your finger, and that is one other case during which it didn’t miss with considered one of its odd creations. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor

Engadget Best of CES awards - WeWalk Smart Cane 2
WeWalk

At CES this yr, AI was unsurprisingly in every single place, typically in locations it didn’t actually seem to be it wanted to be. However the WeWalk Good Cane 2, a high-tech model of the mobility cane for people who find themselves blind, struck me as an software the place it might truly be actually useful. With a brand new voice assistant that’s powered by GPT, customers can converse on to the cane to get detailed navigation steering and on-demand data, like public transportation choices and menu objects. The good cane can be filled with sensors that permit it to alert the customers of upcoming obstacles. It does this with haptic suggestions within the deal with and by calling out a verbal warning.

WeWalk co-founder Kursat Ceylan, who’s blind, gave an illustration of the cane within the chaotic surroundings of the Las Vegas Conference Middle, and it was spectacular. The voice assistant responded rapidly and precisely to his prompts, and the impediment detection alert was loud sufficient to be heard over the thrill of the CES crowd. It might additionally pair with headphones or earbuds by way of Bluetooth. For the reason that cane can deal with issues like turn-by-turn navigation, customers don’t have to fret about additionally holding a smartphone whereas they’re making an attempt to get round.

The good cane takes an current software that persons are already accustomed to and enhances it. Importantly, it additionally looks like the corporate heard the suggestions of customers who had the primary model of the cane and improved the design to higher meet their wants. It has a slimmer deal with than the primary mannequin and tactile buttons, and weighs about the identical as a standard white cane. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor