We’re on the ground floor at CES 2026, the annual consumer electronics show that sets the stage for a new year in technology. As always, there’s no shortage of great products and concepts at CES, but here are our favorites of 2026.
Best Laptop: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition
High-end laptops should be able to do anything and everything. And Lenovo’s new Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, equipped with a cutting-edge Core Ultra 9 Series 3 processor, RTX 50-series GPU, and 16-inch 3.2K OLED display, is more than capable of serving as a “do-everything” PC. It’s well-equipped for video editing, gaming, or whatever other task you want to throw at it.
But the most interesting part of this laptop is its “Force Pad;” a large and responsive touchpad that doubles as a Wacom drawing surface. You can use it to draw, sketch, or annotate notes with an included stylus, though it can also serve as a natural and convenient control surface in apps where you would typically use a mouse, such as video editing apps. It’s a neat addition that really makes the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition a “do-everything” laptop.
Though, interestingly, Lenovo isn’t the only brand to embrace this concept. Acer’s new Swift 16 AI also offers a touchpad with native stylus input (minus the official Wacom tie-in). Both machines look great, though the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition’s inclusion of a discrete GPU pushes things to the next level, which is why it’s earned our “Best Laptop” award.
Best Desktop: HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI
While our favorite laptop of CES 2026 is an all-around powerhouse, our favorite desktop is generally just a neat little computer. HP’s new EliteBoard G1a is a Windows 11 PC built into a keyboard. It sports a fairly powerful AMD Ryzen AI 300-series processor (meaning that it actually qualifies as a Copilot+ “AI” PC), it only weighs 1.5 pounds, and it connects to desktop monitors or portable screens over a single USB-C cable.
Of course, “PC-in-a-keyboard isn’t a new concept. It was a common thing back in the day—the Commodore 64 and Apple IIe are notable examples—and Raspberry Pi recently revived the idea with its Pi 400 microcomputer. But HP is the first major brand to embrace this concept with an x86 platform, at least in recent memory. The EliteBoard G1a isn’t for everybody, though it should open the door to some unique experiences. Although we’ve got to ask—where’s the Windows on ARM version?
Best Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
AMD’s X3D CPUs are famous among gamers for their ability to squeeze out extra frames. In some cases, these processors can eke out as much as a 50% performance uplift over comparably priced CPUs from their competitors.
Now, if you’re a gamer looking to upgrade to AM5, there is a new option available: the Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
The 9850X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU with a maximum TDP of 120 watts and features AMD’s 3D V-cache, which provides an impressive performance bump in most games.
Though 9850X3D doesn’t add additional cache over the 9800X3D—it still has 104MB like its predecessor—but it does increase the maximum boost clock from 5.2GHz to 5.6GHz, a modest 400MHz (7.6%) increase. It manages that increase with no increase in TDP, which means there is no need to run out and get an expensive cooler to use it.
There is no official word about the integrated GPU, but it’ll probably be very similar to the GPU found in the 9800X3D, which is sufficient for some light gaming, browsing the web, and daily office work.
With such a small margin between the 9800X3D and the 9850X3D, it certainly isn’t worth upgrading from the 9800X3D to the 9850X3D. However, they’re likely to be very close in price, which means if you’re in the market for a new CPU—especially if you’re moving from AM4 to AM5—the 9850X3D is certainly worth considering.
Best Computer Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor
Size-obsessed computer nerds, as well as professionals in some fields, often use a smart TV in place of a computer monitor. And while there are a lot of benefits to this kind of setup, including the ability to simulate a multi-monitor setup on a single screen, there are plenty of caveats, too. TVs tend to have a fair amount of input lag, they aren’t color-calibrated for desktop usage, they utilize a 16:9 aspect ratio that may not be ideal for some tasks, and of course, they don’t offer DisplayPort or USB-C DP input.
Dell’s new UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U5226KW) features a 51.5-inch display with an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and 6K video resolution. The wide aspect ratio provides a massive viewing area without excessive vertical space (so you don’t have to crane your neck to see the top of the screen), and the 6K resolution gives a far better pixel density than what you’d get with a 4K TV of the same size. It’s not OLED monitor, but it utilizes an IPS Black panel for enhanced contrast (these panels are fantastic in our experience), and it packs a 120Hz refresh rate. Notably, there’s also advanced Picture-by-Picture functionality that lets you split multiple video inputs on one screen, KVM support for up to four connected PCs, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity for laptops or desktops.
While this monitor is unique and exciting, there’s one notable drawback—the cost. Priced at $3,900, the U5226KW is inaccessible to most customers outside of the professional or enterprise space. Our hope is that the pricing for this kind of monitor will decrease in the future, though it will probably take a while, admittedly.
Best TV or Projector: XGIMI Titan Noir Max
XGIMI has a habit of debuting high-end consumer-grade projectors at CES. The company’s latest offering, called the XGIMI Titan Noir Max, is an especially notable addition to the catalog—it’s essentially a prosumer version of last year’s XGIMI Titan, a projector that was primarily intended for professional use. Most of the Titan Noir’s features are inherited from the original Titan, most notably a high-end dynamic IRIS system that provides deeper, more nuanced contrast by adjusting image brightness based on the contents of a projected image.
This should be a pretty straightforward and appealing concept to anyone who’s owned a projector. Normally, a dark scene in a movie will look like a gray-ish glowing box, as projectors don’t have local dimming zones (not in a conventional sense, at least) and will always produce light even when a scene is fully black. The high-end dynamic IRIS in XGIMI’s new Titan Noir reduces light output in dark scenes to minimize this effect, essentially brute-forcing a better contrast ratio.
Of course, even without the fancy dynamic IRIS system, this is just a generally great projector. Its new SST DMD architecture provides increased brightness (probably slightly less than the original Titan’s 5000 ANSI lumen output, but we haven’t heard an exact figure yet), a 4K picture, optical zoom, HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision, and so on. It looks amazing in person, which is what really matters, and it’s the most exciting projector we encountered at CES 2026.
Best in Gaming: Lenovo Legion Go (SteamOS Edition)
Handheld gaming PCs are beginning to reach a certain level of maturity, yet Windows 11 is still a very imperfect platform for handheld gaming. Valve’s SteamOS is almost always a better option, particularly for gamers who don’t want to spend too much time fussing around with software. This creates an awkward situation for those who want to play new, resource-hungry AAA games—the Steam Deck is great, but it’s not as powerful as competing Windows handhelds.
Lenovo managed to bridge the gap with its Legion Go S, a handheld that we called “the closest thing you can get to a Steam Deck 2.” It was the first non-Valve device to ship with SteamOS, giving gamers the opportunity to buy something more performant without subjecting themselves to Windows 11. Now, Lenovo is introducing another handheld with SteamOS—the confusingly-named “Legion Go.” It’s actually a SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2, but in any case, we can probably overlook the name for now and just focus on the hardware.
This handheld runs on an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor (there’s also a cheaper config with an unconfirmed CPU, probably the Ryzen Z2), a big OLED display with a 1920×1200 resolution, up to 32GB of RAM, plus a maximum 2TB PCIe SSD storage. And because the hardware is identical to the Legion Go 2, it sports a set of removable controllers (à la Nintendo Switch). We just hope that the $1,200 starting price doesn’t stick around for too long. Previous Lenovo handhelds enjoyed steep discounts not too long after launch, so this doesn’t seem like too big an ask.
Best Smart Home Device: SwitchBot Weather Station
Everyone needs to know the weather, and one of SwitchBot’s latest offerings is designed to meet that exact need. The SwitchBot Weather Station features a 7.5-inch E-Ink display, with enough space to display pertinent information like the date, time, the time of sunrise and sunset, and a six-day forecast that includes the current air quality. The Weather station also features its own suite of sensors, which are used to measure and display the indoor temperature and humidity.
The Weather Station can also integrate with various calendars, and though we don’t know for sure which ones are included, it is a fair bet most of the popular ones will be included.
It also uses artificial intelligence to “offer daily insights and recommendations” to you based on the forecast in your area. Best of all, it can also provide weather-related aspirational quotes if incessant rain or lake effect snow are getting you down.
Best Robotic Vacuum: Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow
Robotic vacuum mops are nothing new, and even the simplest models can keep your floors tidy if you stick to a regular, frequent cleaning schedule. Still, these products tend to struggle with an important step in the cleaning process—they aren’t great at washing the hard corners around baseboards and furniture. No matter how much a robovac slams itself into a wall or chair leg, its circular mop heads can’t extend beyond the body of the vacuum itself.
Roborock’s new Qrevo Curv 2 Flow solves this problem in an unimaginably obvious way. It’s equipped with a 10.6-inch wide mop roller that extends itself outside the robovac’s body. In other words, this robotic vacuum mop can clean the corners of a room by running parallel with the wall. No need to bump into the baseboards.
Of course, Roborock packed the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow with some high-end features. The mop roller spins at 220 RPM and applies 15 newtons of downward pressure (comparable to wiping the floor with your hand), it self-cleans during use, and it contains a “Roller Shield” that protects carpets by physically blocking off the mop roller when needed. It’s a compelling product for those with a mix of hard floors and carpet, although it’ll set you back $1,000 after early bird discounts end on February 1st.
Best Headphones or Earbuds: Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro
Most people want to block out external noise when listening to music or podcasts. So, most earbuds are designed specifically for this purpose—they obstruct your ear canal, creating a passive seal to keep the outside world at bay. But some people—athletes, commuters, parents—want to be aware of their surroundings while using earbuds. That’s why the “open-ear” earbud design has gained so much traction in recent years. They provide a private listening experience without obstructing outside noise, so you can hear if a car is driving near you, for example. You can accomplish something similar with the “Ambient” sound mode on some earbuds, of course, but leaving the ear canal open is a far more effective way of bringing in outside noise.
But the open-ear design is inflexible. If you need noise cancelation in some situations, you’re out of luck. That’s why Soundcore’s new AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds are so exciting—they’re the first pair of open-ear earbuds to offer ANC. And this is accomplished through a simple but ingenious trick; the earbuds have an adjustable “ear hook.” If you want to block out a little bit of noise, you can adjust the earbuds so that they sit closer to your ear canal. And for increased isolation, simply re-position the earbuds so that they fit snugly over your ear canal, creating a true seal. There are five levels of mechanical adjustability, by the way, so there’s a lot of room to get granular with the noise cancelation.
And, surprisingly, the ANC is pretty good. It leverages Soundcore’s Adaptive ANC 3.0 technology (which measures and adapts to noise 380,000 times per second), and it utilizes a six-microphone array to capture and cancel a broad spectrum of ambient sound. Soundcore sells the AeroFit 2 Pro for $180, which seems like a fair price if you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of sound quality for this very unique design.
Best Smartphone Accessory: Lexar Air Portable SSD
No matter how much storage you choose when you purchase a new device—be it in a smartphone, a PC, a laptop, or a tablet—it never quite seems like enough. That is especially true if you’re recording or storing UHD video. You can easily use up several hundred gigabytes without even noticing.
Depending on your setup, it may be difficult or even completely impossible to add more. That is where Lexar’s Air Portable SSD comes in.
Lexar’s Air Portable SSD is designed as an all-in-one backup solution, whether you’re using a phone, desktop PC, or a laptop. It is available in three different models: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB, all of which connect over USB-C and have a transfer speed of around 400 megabytes per second.
If you’re using it with a phone, Lexar provides a special app that, when paired with the SSD, can automatically back up your photos and videos from your phone. No more worrying about whether your pictures are going to use up all of your storage, or going through your phone to delete old videos of your pet to free up space.
Despite the impressive storage volumes available, the Air Portable SSD lives up to its name—the whole unit only weighs 19 grams, which is about as much as a standard DVD or a AA battery. It is only 2 inches wide, 2.75 inches long, and 1/3 of an inch thick, guaranteeing it’ll fit in a pocket or backpack. The top also features a loop, which could be used to affix the drive to your keychain if you’re in a position where you always need some extra storage on hand.
Best Cutting-edge Device: Hypershell X Ultra
You probably won’t buy an exoskeleton anytime soon, but if you have a chance to try Hypershell’s X Ultra, give it a go. The X Ultra is a next-generation personal mobility exoskeleton that makes walking, hiking, running, and cycling less strenuous. But it doesn’t “do the walking for you” or anything like that. Instead, it supports your movements so that you can overcome obstacles or enjoy personal experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Hypershell describes situations where you might want to use the X Ultra—you’re hiking with a heavy load, for example, and you’d like to add 10 miles to your journey without overexerting yourself. But there’s also a very obvious accessibility angle here. Someone of limited mobility could seriously benefit from this technology, be it in exciting or mundane circumstances. One person might use it to enjoy a hiking expedition with their friends, while another might use it to walk through a grocery store more comfortably.
It’s kind of hard to quantify how much a personal mobility exoskeleton can assist someone (it probably varies from person to person), but Hypershell promises 20% less physical exertion when walking and “40% less effort” when hiking or climbing. The battery life is supposed to last for 42,000 steps, by the way (and batteries are hot-swappable). There’s naturally a lot of room for improvement here, but the Hypershell X Ultra is a cutting-edge product with a clear purpose, so we’re naturally very excited about it.
Best Automotive Accessory: Pioneer Sphera
Dolby Atmos is a premium audio standard that allows you to experience detailed, spatial audio with your home theater or at the movie theater.
Generally speaking, Atmos is associated with additional speakers positioned around a space. When you have an audio track that supports it, Atmos can be extremely immersive.
Now, it is available for your car. Pioneer has revealed SPHERA, an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto receiver with Dolby Atmos capability that leverages your existing front and rear speakers to create a more immersive listening experience. To counter some of the difficulties that come with high-end audio in a car, Pioneer has implemented PURE Autotuning, which adjusts the audio to account for things like the position of the seats and the shape of the vehicle.
The in-dash receiver itself features a 10.1 HD screen, and supports Bluetooth, wireless CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto. SPHERA will be available from a variety of online retailers and starts at $1300.
