The Coolest Tech Gadgets We’ve Tested So Far This Year (2024)

The Nothing Ear (a) true wireless earbuds are the best AirPods Pro alternative with a two-digit price tag, offering elegant design, durable build, impeccable ergonomics, great sound, and reliable noise cancellation. When linked to an Android phone, the Nothing Ear (a) can stream lossless audio from Apple Music and Tidal, among other services.nb

Featuring transparent stems with contrasting black, white, or yellow color accents, the earphones also look like they belong in a higher price tier. The same goes for their 10-hour maximum battery life. Their charging case is just as characterful.

Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Earbuds Review

The best thing about the Vestaboard is that, despite being a decidedly high-tech product, it's sleek and minimalistic. Featuring 132 customizable split-flap character slots, the device makes for a striking alternative to a standard digital display that’s guaranteed to put a smile on the face of everyone who sees it. It can display anything — from weather updates and live scores to personal messages.

Measuring 42 inches diagonally, the Vestaboard is great for large homes or open workspaces if you have the budget for it. You can control the device via a mobile or a web app.

The AnkerMake M5 is our top 3D printer recommendation for most consumers because it can crank out complex objects at best-in-class speed, including elaborate ones that use multiple filament materials. The splurgeworthy product is also elegant and easy to operate via a touchscreen and a companion app.

Other noteworthy features of the AnkerMake M5 include a built-in camera for keeping an eye on the progress of your prints and a die-cast aluminum structure that’s sleek and sturdy in equal measure.

More: The Best 3D Printers of the Year

The Ekster Parliament is a smart bifold wallet with RFID coating (to protect against identity theft) and a patented mechanism that ejects cards from its aluminum storage pocket with the press of a button. It has space for at least ten cards, as well as a strap for carrying cash and receipts.

Ekster has crafted the wallet from high-quality leather that comes in a multitude of colors. An optional Bluetooth tracker for the wallet is also available — this ultra-thin gadget has a maximum range of 200 feet, and it is powered by light, so it never needs a battery.

More: The Best iPhone Wallet Cases

The D03 Dapper bifold wallet by Dango Products is an everyday accessory that effortlessly combines cool design, exceptional craftsmanship, and perfect usability. Made in the U.S. from machined aluminum, water-resistant DTEX, and genuine leather (in black or brown), the D03 wallet has space for up to 14 cards and cash.

You can order the badass wallet with a satin silver or jet-black aluminum chassis. Dango backs the product with a lifetime warranty.

The Raptic Link & Lock carabiner is one of the coolest gadgets and best accessories for Apple AirTags we’ve encountered yet. Crafted from ultra-tough zinc, this product has a heavy-duty lock with a three-digit combination code.

The standout feature mentioned above makes tampering with your favorite tracker and removing it from an item practically impossible. Of course, the Link & Lock will also protect your AirTag from damage via a rubber case with a softer interior.

I’ve been swearing by this tiny laptop accessory by OXO to keep my laptop spotless since I impulsively bought one more than a year ago. The affordable gadget packs a microfiber pad and a retractable soft brush.

The microfiber pad mentioned above is handy for removing smudges from the screen of a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, or any other gadget. On the other hand, the brush makes cleaning a keyboard fast and effortless.

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This compact flashlight became an instant favorite of ours by offering an elegant aluminum build, incredible versatility, excellent battery life, and a USB-C connector for recharging it. Thanks to a bundled light diffuser, the handy gadget can quickly transform from a high-powered flashlight with stellar zoom capabilities to a lamp to use while camping or on the road.

We like the flashlight’s integrated hook for attaching it to items. Its intuitive button controls include an SOS button for use during emergencies.

The Casa pop-up desk by Logitech is an awesome new laptop accessory that's tailor-made for space-starved remote workers and on-the-go professionals. The do-everything accessory consists of a stand that will lift the laptop to eye level to optimize comfort, as well as a wireless keyboard and touchpad. Combined, the accessories will allow you or a giftee to create a full-blown workstation just about anywhere.

Impressively, the keyboard and trackpad have dedicated storage slots in the laptop stand. When folded, the Casa pop-up desk is about the size of a large notepad.

Once a niche subcategory with only a few products worth buying, open-ear wireless earphones without ear tips have become a popular form factor, with many options now available. Open-ear earphones are perfect for outdoor exercising and commuting because they allow you to always be aware of your surroundings.

The Soundcore AeroFit Pro open-ear earphones are the best worth your attention. Available in several colors, the product has a sleek and durable design, comfy fit, top-tier sound that’s customizable via an app, and up to 14 hours of battery life.

More: The Best Open-Ear Headphones Out Today

The PerL Pro true wireless earbuds by Denon set themselves apart from top-shelf rivals by Sony, Bose, and Apple by providing a listening experience that's precisely tailored to your hearing. The functionality utilizes tech by Masimo — a well-known maker of medical-grade monitoring devices. It's vastly more sophisticated than its rivals in terms of efficiency and user-friendliness.

Completing the personalized sound setup will allow you or the giftee to discover your favorite music in a whole new dimension. When it comes to sound, noise cancellation, and battery life, the PerL Pro earbuds perform in line with the expectations set by their price tag. A cheaper PerL model is also available.

The all-new iPad Pro is Apple's sleekest, most advanced touchscreen slate yet and the absolute best big-screen tablet worth your attention, regardless of the platform. The thoroughly revamped Pro has a strikingly thin design, best-in-class hardware specs that include Apple's latest M4 chip and captivating Ultra Retina XDR display, and a performance to match.

Apple offers the slate with an 11- and a 13-inch screen in silver or space black. The latest iPad Pro also arrived alongside a new Apple Pencil Pro and a metal-clad Magic Keyboard with a haptic trackpad.

Apple iPad Pro with M4 Chip Review

The Beats Solo 4 wireless on-ear headphones are a follow-up to a legendary product that's been on the shelves for almost a decade. The new iteration brings welcome sound improvements, headlined by support for immersive spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, as well as longer battery life (up to 50 hours). Support for lossless audio is also on board.

Of course, the Solo 4 headphones also have an instantly recognizable design and comfy on-ear fit with convenient controls. You can order a set in black, blue, or pink.

This charging station by Anker is the best I have experienced yet because it's sleek, compact, and incredibly versatile. It packs a duo of AC outlets, a pair of fast USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. Such an abundance of outputs ensures the accessory can power up just about any gadget you or the giftee own — from a desktop computer to a smartphone and tablet, all the way to smaller gadgets.

One of my favorite bits about the charging station is its built-in color display for keeping tabs on the charging process of its USB ports. With a slim profile and a removable cable, the accessory is also a perfect travel companion.

Google’s Pixel 8a is the most value-packed Android smartphone to hit the shelves this year and a worthy sequel to the excellent Pixel 7a. The new iteration has a refreshed design, a more capable chip and camera, and a better OLED screen with a higher refresh rate, all for less than $500.

Like the latest top-shelf Pixel phones made by Google, the 8a will always treat you or the giftee to timely Android updates for seven years after you buy it. The phone is available in several colors: aloe (pictured here), bay, obsidian, and porcelain.

Google Pixel 8a Android Smartphone Review

The HERO12 Black by GoPro is better than its predecessor and the best action camera out there. It's compact, easy to operate, and full of connectivity features. It can capture incredibly smooth 5.3K video that's sharper than 4K and 27MP still images. It can also livestream your adventures.

Like every GoPro that precedes it, the HERO12 Black has the best video stabilization tech in its class. It can go up to 33 feet underwater without a protective case. It is compatible with a robust selection of original and third-party accessories.

This MagGo magnetic power bank by Anker supports the latest Qi2 wireless charging standard, ensuring it can charge the latest iPhones faster than a standard MagSafe battery pack. The essential accessory has a battery pack with 10,000 mAh capacity, so it can recharge an iPhone and have plenty of power to spare for other gadgets. A USB-C port for fast wired charging is also available.

We like the gadget’s onboard color display for keeping tabs on the charging process and its battery capacity. Its integrated viewing stand is super convenient, too.

The unapologetically retro-styled Tidbyt is a simple, yet high-tech reminder of glorious times when high-resolution screens in phones, tablets, laptops, and TV screens weren’t a thing. The gadget’s basic LED display can show you essential information like weather conditions, upcoming calendar appointments, and even live scores. It can also display artwork of your choosing.

Tidbyt comes with a companion app for customizing the onscreen experience. The characterful tech product is available with a beech or a walnut housing, just like a mid-century radio. It's a great gift option, too.

The Peak Design Tech Pouch is a stylish and exceptionally made accessory that's a must-have for frequent travelers. It has enough pockets and compartments for small gadgets, charging cables, memory cards, and any other accessories you might own.

Peak Design has crafted the exterior of this tech pouch using recycled nylon with a weatherproof finish. There are several colors to pick from: black, charcoal, bone, midnight, and sage green.

The updated Hisense U8 Series 4K TV is an instant challenger for the best in its price range. It has an elegant industrial design and superb picture quality. Its vast mini-LED display panel has more than 2,000 local dimming zones, allowing the big-screen TV to deliver a bright picture with deep contrast and vibrant colors.

mPowered by Google TV, the Hisense U8 Series offers access to all streaming services out of the box. It's compatible with Google Assistant voice commands, and it comes with a sleek remote with backlit buttons. A cheaper variant of the TV with a 55-inch display panel is available, and so is a bigger 75-inch version.