Tom’s Guide Tech of the Year: 18 best gadgets of 2022

Tom'south Guide Tech of the Year: 18 best gadgets of 2020

(Image credit: JBL, Dyson, Nutrisystem, Tom'due south Guide)

Could nosotros accept survived this year without our favorite tech products? Probably, but they certain made the trainwreck better known every bit 2020 more bearable.

Spending less time in offices and on-the-go meant we had to find normalcy at home. Whether we wanted to stay in shape, upgrade our remote work set up up, stream a backlog of shows or commence on a new hobby, we turned to tech for aid.

Every bit this terrible year comes to a close, nosotros'd like to reflect on the silvery linings. See all our favorite tech products of 2020 beneath, from headphones and smart devices to stunning TVs and gaming peripherals.

Ring Fit Risk

Aye, I reviewed the Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure when it came out in 2019, simply I bought my ain Ring Fit correct subsequently the commencement of the pandemic, when I desperately needed a way to work out at dwelling — and have fun doing information technology. You lot just dock your Joy-Con controller into the ring gadget, which is like a pilates ring, and the game tin can start tracking your exercise, making certain you lot're staying in skillful form.

Months later on I've lost a significant amount of weight as I've stuck to daily morning time Band Fit sessions. The game itself is a kooky, fun romp where you lot save a magical land from being taken over by a fettle-crazed dragon. Yous fight Drageaux and his goons past doing exercises, which conjure floating abs, fists and other entities to hit the enemies and do damage. It'due south a bit corny, but I don't know how I would accept survived 2020 without information technology. — Henry T. Casey

MacBook Air M1

Apple actually did what it said it would earlier this year: ditching Intel'south processors for its own Apple tree silicon for impressive results. So while the newly released MacBook Air with M1 looks exactly similar its predecessor — down to the Magic Keyboard Apple thankfully added to throw out the shallow and controversial Butterfly keyboard — it's a whole new beast under the hood.

For example, the MacBook Air M1 lasts a lot longer, with xiv hours and 41 minutes of bombardment life, obliterating the 9:31 time from the Intel version. And its Rosetta 2 app translator has proven remarkably capable at running legacy applications that oasis't been updated for Apple silicon's ARM-based processors. That means we actually got Rise of the Tomb Raider looking beautiful on a MacBook Air, and Sid Meier's Culture VI ran at 37 frames per 2d, thirty fps faster than the Intel version.

The new MacBook Air even replaced my Intel-based MacBook Pro from a few years ago, with no hiccups at all. This makes me incredibly curious about how much faster the high-end 13-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro volition get when Apple silicon arrives in those models. — Henry T. Casey

NutriBullet Blender

I got a NutriBullet blender last year, but it'south been 2020 where information technology'south really made its mark. I was initially hesitant to get it – I already had a decent blender – just the NutriBullet's biggest draw isn't the blending capability or the feature set, but the simplicity of the thing. The canister is the loving cup. There are no buttons or settings, no pieces to disassemble and manus wash, and the size is perfect for one serving for 1 person. You throw your ingredients in the loving cup, screw on the lid/bract assembly, and put it on the blender until it's washed.

That simplicity has made it my go-to kitchen appliance in a year where daily life sometimes feels too hard. A healthy breakfast is easier when I can quickly alloy up some yogurt and fruit for a smoothie. Later on a large conditioning, I can whip up a good protein milkshake, with whatsoever extra ingredients I want to add together. Prepare is dead simple, clean upwards is piece of cake, and I don't even have to dirty a second dish pouring my smoothie into a glass, because the individual-serving canister doubles as a loving cup.

Some days it feels like too much to have to make nutrient and sit downwardly and consume. My NutriBullet lets me quickly become something made, makes information technology easy to eat and piece of cake to clean up. Not a lot of things take the stardom of being both convenient and salubrious, merely the NutriBullet has helped make life easier while too helping me stay salubrious. — Brian Westover

Sony A8H Bravia OLED TV

In that location's a reason that the Sony Bravia A8H OLED TV ruined all other TVs for me when I tested it this year. As I watched Star Wars: Ascension of Skywalker and more of my favorite flicks in 4K on the ready, I was completely mesmerized past the well-baked motion and colour reproduction.

In our Sony Bravia A8H OLED Television set review, nosotros loved only about everything with this set. Even at its regular cost, it was competitive with other OLED sets — so this discount is a real bargain. While it couldn't reproduce as many colors as other OLED sets, those that it did were more accurate than competing models from LG and Samsung, according to Tom'south Guide Telly tests.

I loved its deep blacks, as well as its customizable Android user interface. I also appreciated that it has Google Assistant built in, but still supports both Alexa and HomeKit, so this set meshed seamlessly with my smart home. — Kate Kozuch

Honor Watch GS Pro

My marvel about the Honor Watch GS Pro was first piqued when Honour announced that its sports-focussed smartwatch was capable of lasting 25 days on a single charge. Knowing that I'd have to plug it in only once or twice a month, I actually tried wearing the Spotter GS Pro every day, and found it blended seamlessly into my life. Its automated fitness and heart rate tracking features reminded me to log my occasional do sessions including SpO2 information, while its vibrating notifications allowed me to remain continued but undistracted whether I was working or relaxing.

I regret not being able to try out some of the Watch GS Pro'southward more heady features, similar the Road Back characteristic that automatically leads you home even if you don't take an internet connection, its weather, tide and sun/moonrise alerts or its tough MIL-STD-810G-compliant exterior. Just all the same, I think I've finally plant the smartwatch that'south correct for me. — Richard Priday

Plantronics BackBeat Fit headphones

My platonic morning routine looks something similar this: I wake up early, make it a nice workout, accept a shower and enjoy some breakfast earlier I head down to my cold basement office for a day of work. My Plantronics BackBeat Fit waterproof Bluetooth headphones help me do all of that.

Thanks to the comfortable fit and waterproof design, I can slip them on before I even leave of bed and go on them on throughout my morning. There's no pause in the music equally I go, no piffling with repositioning the headphones as I move through a workout, no pause to untangle any wires, no worries about water damage from sweat or shower. Simply a continuous stream of my music, and I can listen at any book without waking everyone else upwardly. Even as I dry off, get dressed and consume my breakfast, I tin can proceed the music going correct up until it'south time to sign on for the start of my workday.

And the battery life is splendid, with the headphones giving me viii hours of listening time per accuse. With my routine taking about an hour at virtually, that means I only have to accuse them once a calendar week, and then I'm good to become for days on end. — Brian Westover

Netgear Orbi router

As my wife and I both had to work from habitation this past year, having a good router became essential. My original hub-and-extender step proved inadequate, equally did the throughput from the mesh network from my Internet provider. Enter the Netgear Orbi. With but the base of operations station and satellite, I was able to cover my entire dwelling house and take enough bandwidth to carry on two video calls simultaneously while our daughter got her fill of Sesame Street streaming to our TV.— Mike Prospero

The tablet is a weird device, often maligned as just a big phone. Simply the reMarkable two goes in a whole other direction, and information technology thrives thanks to advances made since its original model. If you missed the original reMarkable, the big thing to know is that it's made for people who honey to write with a pen or pencil. Pressing its stylus confronting its display really feels a lot like writing on a real surface, unlike using any stylus from Apple or Microsoft, where you lose the tactile feeling of writing, pressing pens against glossy drinking glass.

The biggest change for the reMarkable two comes in its aesthetics, as the chunky white bezel and big buttons are gone, then information technology'southward streamlined downward to a thin sliver of an e-ink screen. Also, the handwriting to text conversion tool is a godsend, and information technology all comes together in one sleek bundle that has helped make me a much better annotation-taker in meetings during this work from home era, and then I can write on the reMarkable 2 and keep my eyes on my briefing I'm getting. — Henry T. Casey

Nanoleaf Shapes

Although the high price tag of these modular smart light tiles might seem unreasonable, especially for an ornamental product, Nanoleaf Shapes is worth the splurge if you, your cohabitor or your child is feeling bromidic at their workspace these days. These panels take definitely additional my mood, making my desk-bound someplace I really want to curl out of bed for in the morning.

My hexagonal Nanoleaf Shapes offering countless color patterns, although Rhythm Scenes is my personal favorite. This setting makes the tiles dance in tune to your music. I like working to a soundtrack, simply I like having lights that lucifer my music even meliorate. Some might find the endless movement distracting, though I retrieve it adds some much-needed free energy to my dwelling function. — Kate Kozuch

JBL Society 950NC headphones

I also recently treated myself with a pair of JBL Social club 950NC racket cancelling headphones. They practice everything I want a good pair of headphones to do — they audio dandy, they wear comfortably for hours at a time, and they weren't crazy expensive like some sound products can be.

But the active noise cancelling has been a game changer for my daily work. I'm far from the first person to recommend noise cancelling headphones for better focus, but until I put them on and switched on the instant-tranquillity of dissonance cancelling, I didn't realize how loud my basement office was. The depression hum of the furnace and air conditioner. The constant sounds of family walking upstairs. The sounds of my young kids crying or laughing or talking — noises that, as a parent, you never fully tune out.

Having that added measure of quiet makes it easier to work, sure, but information technology also helps make the professional and personal feel a piffling more than carve up in a time when the lines between workplace and home accept disappeared. — Brian Westover

Logitech G915 keyboard

The Logitech G915 may have debuted in 2019, just this product saved my 2020 time and time again. At $250, the G915 is ane of the most expensive keyboards nosotros've ever recommended, only with skillful reason. Information technology'due south a wireless mechanical gaming keyboard, which ways that it's comfortable, functional and durable. Information technology besides means that you lot can finally make your gaming desk-bound into a wire-free zone.

While gaming mice and headsets went wireless years ago, gaming keyboards have been a much tricker proposition, partially because mechanical keyboards are expensive, even in wired configurations. Just the G915 makes no compromises. It features robust Logitech GL key switches, gorgeous elevated keycaps, colorful RGB lighting and a handy selection of extra keys for media, macros and custom commands.

Since a keyboard is a stationary gadget, wireless functionality seems optional — but if you oftentimes swap out your mouse, keyboard, headset, monitor, laptop and even PC (as I do when reviewing hardware), not having to extricate yourself from a tangle of wires each time is worth the G915'southward price of admission. And it almost goes without saying, but the G915 is merely an first-class accessory for both productivity and gaming — as is nigh Logitech 1000 gear. — Marshall Honorof

Lumi Keys

Like a lot of people, I turned to hobbies to fill up up idle quarantine time. Ane of those hobbies was brushing up on my dormant piano skills, which Lumi Keys made like shooting fish in a barrel and fun. The portable, illuminated keyboard connects to the Lumi Music app, and together, they deliver Guitar Hero-like lessons. Acquire notes and scales, watch video tutorials as instructors go over technique and eventually play hit songs from the Beatles to Beyoncé.

Lumi is not cheap — $299 including the keyboard and a yearlong subscription to the full library of lessons and songs. But it's a well-designed slice of hardware and software that can yield hours of enjoyment. Lumi is best for beginners or anyone looking for a fun, game-like piano playing experience. Nobody will use it to become a concert pianist, simply it's certainly additional my mood in these unprecedented times. — Kelly Woo

Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell

Despite being very into my tech, I have been resisting the whole "smart home" trend that'southward been pushed on the states the last few years. Considering of the usual concerns near privacy, security, and the fact I don't experience much need for nearly of information technology. Only I always wanted a video doorbell, for lots of reasons including the fact my role is well out of earshot from the front end door. The controversy around Band, and how it treats cloud recordings, always fabricated me hesitant, until I found Eufy'southward Wireless Video Doorbell.

Eufy'southward video doorbell appeals because everything it records is kept local, and doesn't go near the cloud. Non merely does this hateful nobody else has access to your clips, information technology also means at that place are no hidden cloud subscriptions to debate with. The hub only has 16GB of space, but information technology'south been more than enough for what I've needed over the by 200 days. Plus I can access it all remotely, fifty-fifty if I'm non on my dwelling house Wi-Fi network.

At $200, the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell isn't inexpensive, but it'south well worth information technology in my opinion. It has all the benefits of a video doorbell, in terms of security and convenience, plus the added bonus that in that location is minimal server-side contact and none of your video goes onto the cloud where y'all lose all control. — Tom Pritchard

HyperX Cloud II

The HyperX Cloud Two is both a neat-sounding and very comfy headset, only neither of those qualities are why I love it. Or to be more than exact, why I love mine. While many take justifiably credited their smartphones for keeping them in touch with friends and family, the moments I'll most fondly recall from 2020 have largely occurred with this HyperX headset wrapped around my ears.

I've used information technology for middle-to-center talks tardily into the night, I've used it to enjoy countless new songs and I've used it to host a somewhat-positively-received Zoom quiz. Sometimes, for kicks, I've fifty-fifty used it for games. In Amongst Us, that microphone has transmitted hours of brazen lying to my closest friends, non to mention enough of shouting at U.k. Editor Roland whenever we died together in Apex Legends. Fond memories, indeed. — James Archer

Dyson Airwrap

Whoever said the best gifts come in small packages was not entirely right. The Dyson Airwrap has won the hearts of many since information technology was beginning released in 2018. This year, all the same, Dyson came out with several new attachments for the Airwrap, and the craze started afresh (though you lot could probably blame salon closures too).

The Dyson Airwrap is available in 2 different kits, one for frizz-decumbent pilus and one for fine and flat pilus. Each kit comes with four butt and brush attachments. At the moment, the Airwrap is the merely styler on the market that uses high speed air to operate at a lower heat that prevents from damaging your hair every bit you curl, dry and wave it. You tin easily operate it with one manus likewise, which can be a real time-saver.

Personally, I've abandoned the rest of my hair styling drove always since I tried it. Since then, I've noticed far fewer split up ends than usual and was finally able to become more than fourth dimension-efficient when styling my hair. The just downside (and what a jaw dropping downside it is) is its $500 toll tag. I'm ordinarily not a large fan of overpriced premium brands, simply after consistently using the Airwrap for over 5 months, I can confidently say that it was i of the best investments I made.

Is it really worth $500? Not entirely. Will information technology cut your hair routine fourth dimension in half? Admittedly. — Denise Primbet

Midea U Smart Air Conditioner

As I wrote in my Midea U Smart Air Conditioner review, this gadget probably saved my marriage. When the lockdown started, my married woman and I had to piece of work from home, and converted our finished attic from an entertainment room to a abode office. It beingness the attic, temperatures soared — and nerves frayed — during the summer months. With its cool and placidity functioning, the Midea U made things a lot more endurable. I particularly liked its unique U-shaped design, which has two benefits: it lets in more light, and lets you lot utilize your window, rather than flimsy baffles, as insulation from the exterior. I near tin can't wait for summer to get here once again. — Mike Prospero

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller has been out for a few years, but it wasn't until 2020 that this expensive peripheral really proved its worth. The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic portable panel, but that's of very express value when you're stuck at abode about all the fourth dimension. (And even if you weren't, in that location's nowhere to get.) The Switch comes with a controller mount for its two Joy-Cons, but this merely makes two small, clunky controllers into i large, clunky controller.

The Switch Pro Controller is a much more than elegant solution. Resembling an Xbox controller, the Switch Pro Controller has large hand grips, staggered analog sticks, a high-quality D-pad and a slick, semi-transparent blueprint. Information technology's the perfect Switch accessory if you're going to kick back on the couch, plant your Switch in the TV dock and play for hours at a time. And, let's exist honest — that's the only mode that about of united states tin play right at present. — Marshall Honorof

TCL 6-Series Roku Tv

The TCL 6-Serial Roku Goggle box (R635) was easily the all-time value TV of the year, and a stand out favorite amongst the products I reviewed. Ownership a TV for under $1,000 used to mean giving up some quality, losing important features or settling for a smaller screen size. Only TCL'southward value champ totally flips the script with a QLED screen and mini-LED backlight that outperformed more than expensive competing LCD TVs and let y'all enjoy a seriously great TV for less. Combine that with the rich app-pick and feature prepare of Roku Television set, and you've got one of the best TVs of the twelvemonth, at any price. — Brian Westover

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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/favorite-tech-2020

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