Expert Reviews Product of the Year Awards 2025

It’s awards season again here at Expert Reviews and this year, we’re celebrating the game-changers. Our overall Product of the Year winners in the tech and home categories both breathed new life into their respective markets, shifting the balance of power and generally causing a bit of a stir.

They may be the most influential products we’ve seen, but they’re only a drop in the ocean. We’ve assessed, scrutinised and critiqued well over 500 products in the past year, and in more detail than ever before.

Our sleep specialists have developed a nifty new system for testing mattresses and kipped their way through nine mattress reviews over the course of the year. In the tech department, our prolific smartphone experts ploughed through a whopping 53 handsets – no mean feat, given the complexity of our tests. Meanwhile in the home and garden section, we tested 132 products across a uniquely broad category, and our air fryer expertise earned us a spot on national radio.

We don’t do all of this to brag, however. We do it because we firmly believe that exhaustive, objective testing is the only way to help you make informed buying decisions – which is our mission here at Expert Reviews. Our team of industry experts bring their knowledge and painstaking analysis to bear on hundreds of products every year so you know that, when you buy based on our recommendations, your hard-earned cash is well spent.

Below, you’ll find our pick of the absolute best products we’ve tested in the past year across 54 categories from air fryers to wireless earbuds. You’ll also find two Products of the Year: these are products that we feel represent the absolute best the home and tech sectors had to offer.

Welcome to the Expert Reviews Product of the Year Awards 2025.

Tech Product of the Year | Winner

Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chipsets

The year 2024 will be forever remembered as the year Windows machines finally caught up with Apple on battery life and that was, in no small part, thanks to Qualcomm and its Snapdragon X series of chipsets.

Launched in April 2024 in the form of the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chipsets, the new silicon went on to star in our favourite laptop of 2024 – the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 – and power a new breed of long-lasting, MacBook Air-beating machines.

We’ve loved every laptop we’ve reviewed powered by Qualcomm’s silicon in the last year but, more importantly, the chips have driven serious change in the wider laptop market. Qualcomm has given Apple some serious competition at last and now presents consumers with more choice than ever.

Home Product of the Year | Winner

Our Place Wonder Oven

Bucking the trend of the drab and dreary air fryers of yesteryear, the Wonder Oven is a great example of a product that’s both thoughtful in its construction and its functionality. Its retro design is colourful and compact, yet it retains an incredible amount of space inside, making it ideal for cooking everything from roast chicken to croissants. In fact, its useful steam feature, another trick it has up its sleeve, makes this an ideal appliance for baking.

It performed admirably in our tests across a range of dishes, while also impressing us with its energy efficiency, something that’s so important with rising energy costs. This cemented it as our favourite home product of the year.

Action Camera of the Year

Winner | GoPro Hero 13 Black

GoPro’s action cameras have become the de facto standard for both consumers and professionals over the years and the Hero 13 Black is no different. Eschewing a major overhaul for tweaks and feature additions, it remains the best overall action camera you can buy.

In this generation, the Hero 13 Black adds superior cooling and battery life, a more convenient magnetic latching system, a new five-second 5.3K slow-motion burst mode and a series of smart HB lenses and filters. Moreover, it maintains its excellent image quality and flexibility thanks to its 5.3K 8:7 aspect ratio sensor and superb image stabilisation. Its rivals are getting ever closer, though.

Highly commended | DJI Osmo Action 5

DJI has been getting closer and closer to rival GoPro with its action cameras over the past few years and the Osmo Action 5 is its best effort yet. It’s more affordable than GoPro’s Hero 13 Black, delivers better image quality in low light and its OLED touchscreen displays are a wonder to behold. It’s a superb alternative to the GoPro Hero 13 Black.

Air Fryer of the Year

Winner | Our Place Wonder Oven

A viral hit thanks to its aesthetically pleasing design, the Our Place Wonder Oven proved itself more than just a pretty face in our tests. The Wonder Oven impressed us with its generous 12l capacity, six cooking functions and its excellent cooking performance across these various modes. A unique bonus feature our reviewer loved was the Wonder Oven’s steam infusion ability, which allows users to add a small amount of water through a cap to create steam inside the oven, improving moistness and fluffiness while baking. Overall, the Our Place Wonder Oven makes for a harmonious marriage of style and substance.

Highly commended | Ninja Double Stack

The first real innovation in air frying in recent years, the Ninja DoubleStack XL’s vertically arranged drawers mean this dual air fryer takes up much less room on your countertop than its rivals. Despite this, it still packs in a very roomy 9.5l of cooking space and a solid range of cooking modes. A few quibbles held this model back from perfection, but design-wise, this is what the future of air frying looks like.

Air Purifier of the Year

Winner | Blueair Blue Max 3250i

This is an excellent air purifier for medium to large-sized rooms. In our tests, it brought the air from 395 PM2.5 particles per square metre to 25 in less than three minutes. It has five power settings, including a night mode and an automatic adjustment setting, plus Wi-Fi features and app compatibility. All in all, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is quiet, powerful, compact and looks rather stylish to boot.

Highly commended | Shark NeverChange 5

If you cringe at the prospect of changing your air purifier filter, consider the Shark NeverCharge 5. Its filter won’t literally last forever as its name seems to suggest, but it should have a good five years in it according to Shark. It’s a bit on the louder side but it works effectively, is simple to control and has a very clear and useful display.

Android Phone of the Year

Winner | Google Pixel 9 Pro

Surprise surprise, the best Android phone of the year is one made by the proprietor of the Android platform. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a pocket rocket, with the Tensor G4 chipset upping the performance speed, a wonderfully bright display and a massive seven years of software support, all bundled in a slick, compact build.

As ever, the biggest draw of Pixels is the cameras, and the 9 Pro is better than ever. Detail and dynamic range are exquisite, portraits are perfection and you get a handful of new editing tools to further tweak the final product.

Highly commended | Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is an excellent showcase for Android in the flip phone format, taking the stripped-back, accessible take on the software for which Motorola is known and allowing users the freedom to use any app of their choice on the external display. Add in decent performance, a slim, stylish design and the first telephoto camera on any clamshell phone in the UK, and the Razr 50 Ultra is the best way to experience a compact folding phone right now.

Coffee Machine of the Year

Winner | Sage the Oracle Jet

If you’re looking for the absolute best automatic coffee machine for your kitchen, this is it. The Oracle Jet is as good at making premium quality espresso as it is a cappuccino or iced lattes. It seriously impressed us in testing with its easy to use controls, advanced drink customisation and plant milk frothing capabilities.

It’s also Sage’s first Oracle machine that allows automated firmware updates via Wi-Fi, meaning the Jet will continue to improve and adapt the longer you own it. In our review, we called it “near faultless” praising its features over overall quality. It’s no wonder it bagged the top prize this year.

Highly commended | Ninja Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine ES601UK

Another machine that really impressed us this year is Ninja’s first UK coffee machine, the Luxe Café Premier. We were blown away by its value for money, with it featuring many elements you’d find on much pricier automatic machines. We were particularly taken with its Barista Assist feature and impressive automated milk frothing, which make this machine an ideal option for beginners and coffee veterans alike.

Dehumidifier of the Year

Winner | Meaco Arete Two

Meaco has improved on its MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier, which was previously the best dehumidifier we have ever tested here at Expert Reviews. It follows then that the Meaco Arete Two should take the top spot. Its DC motor is quieter than its predecessor’s AC motor, laundry drying performance is improved and it’s powerful enough to tackle larger rooms. Some minor complaints with the app’s ease of use haven’t stopped us crowning the Meaco Arete Two the best dehumidifier you can buy.

Highly commended | ProBreeze PB-08

Following closely behind the Meaco Arete Two, ProBreeze’s PB-08 dehumidifier is also great at drying laundry and is powerful enough to work in larger homes. What’s more, it’s a third of the price and has a larger tank. If your budget won’t cover the price of the Meaco, this might be your next best option.

Electric Toothbrush of the Year

Winner | Oclean X Ultra S

Smart electric toothbrushes are rarely as good as they say they are, which is why the Oclean X Ultra S stood out to us as the most impressive electric toothbrush this year. It’s powerful and packed with intelligent features, with its built-in screen displaying live feedback as you brush. Most smart brushes rely on their companion app to show you brushing feedback but this brush has a distinctive voice guide that provides audible guidance, like over-pressure alerts and motion-tracking advice. This operates through bone conduction, which means it’s clearly audible to the brusher and nobody else. Add onto this an impressive 40-day battery life and you have one of the only ‘smart’ electric toothbrushes we recommend.

Highly commended | Oral-B Pro 3

If high-flying smart features don’t tickle your fancy, the next best electric toothbrush is the Oral-B Pro 3. Not only is this a highly affordable electric toothbrush, at £42 on average, it has a three-week battery life, a clear pressure sensor and a flawless two-minute timer. In short, it gives you all the basics at a realistic price – if you don’t want data, why spend more?

External Hard Drive of the Year

Winner | Samsung T9

It’s one of the fastest external hard drives we’ve tested, yet performance is only one part of what makes Samsung’s T9 SSD so good. The drive’s rubberised housing is rugged and tough – meaning it’s drop-proof from three metres and is very easy to grip – and it comes with a five-year warranty for complete peace of mind, too. The icing on the cake, though, is Samsung’s slick Magician software, which has a generous set of features including diagnostics, benchmarks, performance optimisation and secure data removal, plus data migration and encryption tools.

Highly commended | Crucial X9 Pro

In our review of the X9 Pro, we said that if you didn’t require the fastest possible transfer speeds, it was “all the external drive you need”. And that’s because it’s well designed – compact, lightweight and tough enough to shrug off dust and water splashes, thanks to its IP55 rating – and it’s great value for money, too. It connects to your devices via USB-C, is capable of read/write speeds of 1,050MB/sec and comes with the cables and adapters so you can attach it to both USB-C and USB-A devices. A great all-rounder.

Fan of the Year

Winner | MeacoFan Sefte 10in Pedestal Fan

Another winner for Meaco, the 10in Sefte pedestal fan is the best fan we’ve reviewed over the past year. Impressively, its massive airflow power is matched by the near-silence of its motor: during our tests, it never exceeded 40dB, even when turned up to the max. It’s versatile too, functioning as a desk and floor fan as well as a pedestal fan and has a flexible arc that can be set between 30 and 120 degrees horizontal, and 20 and 65 degrees vertical. Make way for the new king of pedestal fans.

Highly commended | Levoit Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan

In our full-length review, we dubbed the Levoit Classic Pro “one of the biggest and mightiest tower fans around”. It has impressive airflow and a great set of features, including 12 speed settings, an Auto mode that will set the fan speed according to the current temperature, Advanced Sleep Mode and a timer. Its smart features aren’t just gimmicks either, and we found the compatible VeSync app easy to use, “slick and fully featured”.

Folding Phone of the Year

Winner | Honor Magic V3

After years of nipping at Samsung’s heels, Honor has finally surpassed its rival with the outstanding Magic V3 foldable. The big draw here is just how petite this phone is, measuring a wispy 4.35mm when unfolded, but there’s a lot more to like than just the slender build. Both the internal and external displays are bright and colour accurate, performance and battery life are solid and the 66W charging fills the battery in under an hour.

Cameras are usually weaker on foldables but the Magic V3 includes a versatile and effective suite, with the main camera capturing plenty of detail, even in challenging light conditions, an effective telephoto camera and 10-bit recording included in the video offering.

Highly commended | Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

With industry-first accolades including the largest cover screen on any flip phone and the first compact foldable to include a telephoto camera, the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra takes a big step forward for the brand. Performance is improved and the cameras are excellent shooters but the biggest perk here is that the phone allows you to open any app of your choosing on the cover screen – a level of customisation that is not offered by all flip phones.

Gaming Monitor of the Year

Winner | Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 OLED

This is a true behemoth with a price tag to match but it’s quite simply a monstrously good monitor. It has a huge 49in curved QD OLED panel, refreshes at a smooth 240Hz and comes with Philips’ impressive Ambiglow system that sees coloured LEDs arrayed across the rear of the monitor to cast a moody glow across the wall in your gaming room or study. In testing the Philips Evnia wowed our reviewer, with impressive peak brightness of 771cd/m2, superb colour accuracy and some of the finest motion fidelity we’ve ever seen from any monitor.

Highly commended | MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED

We’ve seen some impressive gaming monitors over the past 12 months but none are as fast or as capable as the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. This 28in monitor has a gorgeous 27in QD OLED panel with hugely impressive colour reproduction, accuracy and brightness levels, delivers HDR content as convincingly as a good TV and it refreshes at up to 360Hz. It’s expensive but definitely worth it.

Gaming TV of the Year

Winner | LG C4

LG’s C4 is a very strong all-round performer but its gaming credentials are where it truly stands out from the crowd. Its panel can handle frame rates of up to 144Hz, making it a wonderful choice for PC gamers, while all four of its HDMI ports are of the 2.1 specification and support VRR (Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium) and ALLM. Input lag is extremely low, LG’s Game Bar and Game Dashboard are exceptional navigational and customisation tools and the brand’s AI-enhanced image processing ensures gameplay looks stunning in addition to being buttery smooth.

Highly commended | Philips OLED809

The Philips OLED809’s punchy, vibrant colour reproduction delivers a wonderful 4K HDR gaming experience. Two of its four HDMI inputs support 4K/120Hz and 4K/144Hz refresh rates, along with the now obligatory VRR and ALLM, while Dolby Vision Gaming is present and correct, too. Throw in a three-sided Ambilight for additional immersion, a dedicated low-latency mode and customisability via the Game Bar and you’ve got yourself a top gaming television.

Grass Trimmer of the Year

Winner | Bosch UniversalGrassCut 18V-26-500

For unrivalled grass trimming prowess, nothing comes close to the Bosch UniversalGrassCut 18V-26-500. It’s a heavy-duty beast of a machine with a wide 26cm cutting width and plenty of adjustment options to help you a) find a position that doesn’t strain your back and b) tackle those tricky corners of your lawn. After just ten minutes of use our expert stopped worrying about what the UniversalGrassCut could or couldn’t stomach and just let it clear its way through grass, thistles and weeds without so much as a whimper – if that’s not a glowing endorsement, we don’t know what is.

Highly commended | Ryobi RY18LTX33A-0 ONE+

If you’re in need of something ergonomic, our runner-up in the Grass Trimmer of the Year category will hit the spot. The Ryobi RY18LTX33A-0 ONE+ trimmer is masterfully balanced and built with comfort in mind, and it shows: our reviewer felt no need to stop trimming before the battery – which lasts an impressive 30 minutes – finally gave up. Throw in a clever rotating head and Ryobi more than earns its spot here.

Hard Floor Cleaner of the Year

Winner | Dyson WashG1

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dyson’s first dedicated hard floor cleaner is a premium piece of kit, and one worthy of this year’s top spot. A generous 0.8l water capacity and a brilliant 34 minutes of tested battery life mean it has enough stamina for big cleans, while the combination of rollers and brush bars in its floor head mean it can tackle dried-on stains, solid debris and more. When put to the test, the Dyson WashG1 performed impressively on a range of spills, clearing up in less passes than rival models to put itself head and shoulders above the competition.

Highly commended | Shark HydroVac WD210UK

The Shark HydroVac may not tackle stains quite as effectively as the Dyson WashG1, but it’s still an impressive hard floor cleaner. Lighter and more manoeuvrable than its rival, the Shark HydroVac’s 0.5l water capacity and nearly 30 minutes of battery life give it plenty of time to tackle stains with close to the efficacy of the best we’ve tested. The HydroVac is also very reasonably priced, making it ideal for most budgets.

Hedge Trimmer of the Year

Winner | Husqvarna Aspire H50-P4A

The Husqvarna Aspire H50-P4A’s moderate 50cm blade and lightweight 3.1kg bearing belie this hedge trimmer’s formidable cutting power. A powerful motor and wide tooth gap allow this compact trimmer to tackle dense hedges and cut through branches of up to 23mm, all without breaking much of a sweat. Thanks to its compact size and ergonomic design, clearing vegetation with the Aspire feels easier than with larger, bulkier trimmers. Also included with the H50-P4A are a removable leaf catcher that shifts foliage out of your way as you trim and a robust battery which should ensure up to 40 minutes of cutting time.

Highly commended | Flymo 18V EasiCut 450

At 2.6kg, the Flymo 18V EasiCut 450 is even lighter than the Husqvarna trimmer above. While it isn’t up to particularly tough tasks, generally maxing out at 16mm branches, it’s perfectly set up for light, day-to-day gardening work. Chunky trigger buttons, a comfortable handle, a large protective hand shield and a well-balanced design mean the Easicut 450 also feels pleasant to use and provides enough protection to put more nervous user’s minds at rest.

Home Security Camera of the Year

Winner | Eufy SoloCam S340

The Eufy SoloCam S340 has to be the most comprehensive security camera we’ve ever reviewed. Not only does it come with a solar panel to keep its internal battery topped up, but it also has two lenses – one wide angle to get a broad view of the area you’re monitoring, and the other a telephoto to get a closer, more detailed view. Couple that with a pan and tilt motor, the ability to store triggered clips locally so you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription and excellent image quality and performance, and you have pretty much the perfect outdoor security camera.

Highly commended | Yale Smart Outdoor

A security camera doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective and this is exactly what the Yale Outdoor camera delivers. A solid performance in a reasonably priced package, this camera is not only capable, it’s also very easy to use. Not only that, it also has built-in local storage allowing it to run subscription free, and it comes with an integrated siren and LED floodlight for scaring would-be burglars away.

Kettle of the Year

Winner | Russell Hobbs Attentiv

A handsome, sturdy and quick-boiling kettle, the Russell Hobbs Attentiv stands out thanks to its neat range of extra features. A variable temperature kettle, the Attentiv allows users to select temperatures between 40°C and 100°C in precise 5°C increments, making it perfect for everything from preparing baby formula to making specialty teas and coffees. The Attentiv’s touch control base also gives you access to a 30-minute keep-warm function and a handy steep timer. As a final flourish, the Attentiv includes a removal steeping basket for loose leaf tea, meaning it can double as a teapot if the need arises.

Highly commended | John Lewis Anyday

Our favourite value kettle, the John Lewis Anyday doesn’t have any clever tricks up its sleeves, just solid everyday performance. Thanks to its 3,000W heating coil, it’s able to match more expensive kettles in terms of boil speed and, even without dual-walled insulation, it also fared very well in our heat retention test. A clear water level viewer with measurement markings and a lightweight design round out the positives of this reliable budget kettle.

Keyboard of the Year

Winner | Keychron Q1 HE

We’ve never reviewed a keyboard as well made as the Keychron Q1 HE and we’ve never reviewed one as good, either. This is, quite simply, the ultimate all-round performer, as good for typists as it is for gamers, featuring magnetic switches with adjustable actuation points, easy multi-layer customisability and RGB lighting. It can be connected via Bluetooth, fast RF or USB-C, it supports both Windows and MacOS computers and comes with swappable keycaps in the box allowing you to customise it to suit. The thing we love about it most, though, is its build quality. Its frame is built entirely from metal and constructed as if it came out of a tank or a nuclear power station control room and the typing action is beautifully well balanced.

Highly commended | Cherry XTRFY K5V2

Cherry’s compact XTRFY K5V2 won our hearts this year, not just for its performance and its minimalist design, but also for its super-bright RGB lighting system and its MX2A switches, which proved a delight to both type and game on. As with most Cherry keyboards, there’s a huge amount of customisation you can do at the point of purchase and we loved the way all the RGB lighting and macro recording can be done directly on the keyboard itself without having to use extra software.

Laptop of the Year

Winner | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

This year, Microsoft made the bold decision to move its main laptop range from Intel and AMD lock stock over to Qualcomm chips. It’s a move we thoroughly approve of and although Microsoft hasn’t changed the physical design over previous iterations of the laptop, the new chip completely transforms the battery life of the Surface Laptop – and our overall opinion of it. In our tests, the 15in Snapdragon X Elite Surface 7 model lasted 17hrs 13mins in our tests, and we found performance was perfectly nippy and acceptable, too. Combine that with the Surface Laptop’s traditional strengths – bright, colour accurate touchscreens, a lovely keyboard and touchpad, reasonable prices and surprisingly good repairability – and you have all the ingredients of an award-winning laptop.

Highly commended | Asus Zenbook S 14 UX5406

Intel’s response to Qualcomm’s hyper efficient Snapdragon X chipsets was to launch the Core Ultra (Series 2) CPUs in September 2024 and the Asus Zenbook 14 was the first laptop we reviewed to feature the latest CPU. We were impressed, too, both with the strides Intel had made on battery life – the Asus Zenbook S 14 UX5406 lasted an impressive 18hrs 28mins in our video playback test – and the laptop’s general performance. Its lovely 14in OLED screen and comfy all-round design makes this our second favourite premium laptop this year.

Lawn Mower of the Year

Winner | Worx Nitro WG737E

Few mowers have impressed us as much as the Worx Nitro WG737E. Not only is it completely cordless, it also has fantastic cutting power. Our reviewer said: “This mower gives you the kind of cutting power we used to associate with petrol mowers, but with all the convenience of cordless”. We also praised it for its robust design and ease of use, particularly on tricky ground. Even battery life is fantastic, cementing it as a worthwhile winner of this award.

Highly commended | Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A

We also have to shout out one of our favourite compact cordless mowers of the year, the Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A. It performed well in our mowing tests, especially in smaller gardens and we also found battery life to be notable. What impressed us most though, was its ingenious design, which allows you to fold it down to an ultra compact size.

Mesh Router of the Year

Winner | Netgear Orbi 770

Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems are usually priced out of the budget of normal people, but the Netgear Orbi 770 was the first last year to approach the realm of affordability, undercutting other rival Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems we had seen on price. We also found it was speedy in testing, delivering fast downloads and uploads at close and long range, with four 2.5GbE sockets on the primary router unit and a pair of 2.5GbE sockets on each of the nodes. As a compromise between speed and affordability, it’s a fantastic mesh system and delivers more than enough performance for most homes.

Highly commended | Amazon Eero Max 7

The Amazon Eero Max 7 was the first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system we reviewed but it still holds its own, courtesy of blazing speeds (especially over 5GHz) and an impressive spread of features. We loved the fact that you can configure compatible Echo speakers as extenders and you can directly connect Zigbee smart home devices to the system as well. It’s still pricey, but you can buy the router on its own to save money and it performs brilliantly on its own.

Mid-Range Phone of the Year

Winner | Google Pixel 8a

The best thing about the Google Pixel 8a is how similar it is to the flagship members of the 8-series. It uses the same Tensor G3 chipset, delivering performance well above what we expect at this price, the cameras are broadly the same, delivering a level of photographic quality that is more suited to flagship phones, and it is promised the same seven years of software support.

Round out the package with a bright, colour-accurate display and a handful of Gemini AI features and the Google Pixel 8a isn’t just the best mid-range phone for this year – it will be difficult to surpass for years to come.

Highly commended | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion

Continuing the theme of punching well above the price tag, Motorola’s excellent Edge 50 Fusion is packed with features that suggest a much more expensive phone. The AMOLED display is wonderfully bright and nailed the colour accuracy test, the main camera performed very well in difficult lighting conditions and battery life is some of the best we’ve ever seen from a phone this cheap.

Monitor of the Year

Winner | Philips 27E1N1600AE

Not everyone has the budget for an exotic, curved OLED monitor; some of us just need a solid monitor for work, and those people are perfectly catered for by the Philips 27E1N1600AE. It’s affordable, delivers a crisp, colour accurate image across its 27in IPS panel, and is capable of going slightly beyond sRGB to reproduce 82.2% of the DCI-P3 colour space. It comes with a sturdy stand that has height adjustment, while USB-C connectivity means you only need one cable to connect and charge your laptop. In short, the Philips 27E1N1600AE strikes the perfect balance between ergonomics, image quality and features — as a result, it’s a worthy award winner.

Highly commended | Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 OLED

Sitting at entirely the other end of the monitor spectrum to the Philips 27E1N1600AE is the huge 49in Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 OLED – a gaming monitor so good that it won our Gaming Monitor of the Year ward as well as the Highly Commended award in the overall category. The reason? It’s an amazing thing with a stunning 49in curved QD-OLED panel, a 240Hz refresh rate, superb brightness levels and colour performance – and among the best motion fidelity we’ve ever seen. Plus, it has Philips’ Ambiglow system beaming out at the rear of the monitor – what’s not to like?

Office Chair of the Year

Winner | Slouch Task One

A winner in our 2023 Remote Working Awards, the Slouch Task One is still one of the best office chairs we’ve ever reviewed. It hasn’t got quite as many flashy knobs and levers as some high-spec ergonomic chairs, but it’s got all the essential adjustable features including seat height and backrest tilt, plus a sliding lumbar support and adjustable seat depth. Its foam seat and mesh backrest offer consistent comfort throughout the working day and it doesn’t look too shabby either. What’s more, at £289 (with arms), it’s fantastic value for money.

Highly commended | Orangebox Do Better

Orangebox revamped its Do office chair, with a focus on reducing its carbon footprint with the use of recycled or recyclable materials. The result is still a great product: comfortable and supportive with an effective “weight balancing mechanism” that removes the need to fiddle with tilt tension knobs. At just under £500, it’s a very sensible mid-range investment if you work from home.

PC Speakers of the Year

Winner | Creative Pebble X Plus

The Pebble X Plus wowed us with a sonic performance belying the compact and affordable nature of its 2.1-channel setup. Its satellite speakers delivered impressive levels of detail and great stereo separation during testing, while the accompanying subwoofer added plenty of low-end punch to ensure a deeply satisfying listening experience. The system’s other great strength is its connection options, with two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm input and Bluetooth compatibility giving you plenty of ways to connect to your PC or laptop. No other PC speakers we’ve tested balance audio quality, features and form factor so well.

Highly commended | SteelSeries Arena 3

Despite being primarily designed for gamers, the SteelSeries Arena 3 are a welcome addition to any PC setup. Each of the pear-shaped satellite speakers houses a 4in full-range driver and can be tilted upwards by 25 degrees, helping project sound to ear-level. That sound is remarkably enveloping and immersive considering the inherent limitations of a two-channel setup and we were taken aback by how loud the Arena 3 was capable of going without distorting.

Phone Battery Life of the Year

Winner | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was one of the first flagship phones of 2024 to make use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and it quickly demonstrated its power efficiency capabilities. In our standard looping video test, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted for an outstanding 34hrs 36mins, obliterating the previous record to be the longest-lasting phone we’ve ever tested.

There’s a lot more to love about the Galaxy S24 Ultra – the built-in S Pen stylus, the extensive reach of the telephoto cameras, the long software support – but nothing impresses quite as much as just how long this thing can last.

Highly commended | Honor Magic 6 Pro

Also making use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, Honor’s Magic 6 Pro wasn’t far behind Samsung in the battery life stakes, lasting for just over 33 hours, making it the second-best phone battery life we’ve ever tested. The gorgeous display, unique features like high-frequency PWM dimming and effective cameras all make the 6 Pro an appealing handset but the phenomenal battery life is where the magic truly lies.

Phone Camera of the Year

Winner | Google Pixel 9 Pro

While some compact flagships drop camera performance to achieve the smaller build, the Google Pixel 9 Pro uses the exact same loadout as its XL sibling. The main camera captures wonderful detail, even in the most challenging lighting conditions and the telephoto camera produces detailed, well-exposed 5x optical shots and decent 10x hybrid zooms, too.

Perhaps the biggest improvement to the hardware is the ultrawide camera, which uses a wider aperture to capture more detail, particularly in the tricky corners of the image. Add in a handful of new editing features and the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera system is fantastically versatile.

Highly commended | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a fantastic main camera too but its real strength lies in the two telephoto cameras, offering 3x and 5x optical zooms, respectively. Between the pair of them, these lenses deliver some of the best zoom photography you can get on any phone, including decent hybrid zooms all the way up to 100x. Galaxy AI has a few editing tricks of its own, too, which just further expands the application of this brilliant camera suite.

Power Bank of the Year

Winner | Anker A1259 Nano

Anker is regularly one of our favourite names in the power bank game, so it’s unsurprising to see the A1259 Nano claim the top spot in this year’s awards. The 10,000mAh capacity and multiple connection options means that it’s more than capable of keeping your phone fully charged, and it’s even able to juice up your laptop in a pinch.

Charging speeds lived up to the promised figures in our testing and useful features like a built-in USC-C cable and a read-out display that tells you exactly how much charge remains just add to the versatility of this excellent power bank.

Highly commended | Ugreen Nexode PB560

Our favourite power bank on a budget, the Ugreen Nexode PB560 is lightweight and slim, making it easy to take on the go with you. The 5,000mAh capacity is enough to fully recharge most smartphones and you have the option of either using a wired USB-C connection at 18.5W or going wireless with 7.5W charging. The latter is even compatible with iPhones magnetic charging system, giving you even more flexibility.

Premium Headphones of the Year

Winner | Marshall Monitor III ANC

Marshall’s latest over-ear headphones successfully blend iconic design and clear, articulate sound with a wonderful suite of features and customisation options. The brand’s new Soundstage spatial sound mode, which works with all types of content across any platform, is a big hit, noise cancellation is very effective and the on-board controls are some of the best-implemented we’ve seen. Add astounding battery life (up to 70 hours with ANC engaged) and a nigh-on indestructible build to the Monitor III ANC’s list of charms and you’ve got yourself a compelling package that outperforms many more expensive options.

Highly commended | Sonos Ace

The Sonos Ace put an end to our long wait for Sonos headphones and brought something unique to the table courtesy of integration with the company’s home theatre ecosystem. Once you’ve paired them with a Sonos soundbar, you can seamlessly switch between the two outputs and enjoy late-night TV without disturbing your household. Head tracking helps deliver an engrossing viewing experience and the Ace offers well-balanced audio to complement their smart design, comfortable fit and intuitive controls.

Premium Smartphone of the Year

Winner | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Nothing says premium like a titanium build and the tough yet lightweight Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is as high-end as smartphones got in 2024. In addition to the sleek, tactile titanium frame, the S24 Ultra impressed with a fantastic quad-camera system, including two dedicated telephoto lenses, a gorgeous and sharp display, a bundled stylus that slots neatly into the phone and class-leading performance and battery life.

If all of that wasn’t enough, Samsung also went hard on the software front, debuting Galaxy AI with a handful of productivity features and camera editing tools, and topping it all off with an impressive seven years of software support.

Highly commended | Honor Magic 6 Pro

Between the elegant vegan leather rear and the striking Damascus Steel effect in the camera module, the Honor Magic 6 Pro might just be the most stylish phone of 2024. In addition to its premium looks, the Magic 6 Pro delivered performance and battery life that nearly matched the above Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a versatile camera system and unique features like high-frequency PWM dimming and a TV-controlling IR blaster. There are few flagships like the Magic 6 Pro and even fewer that look this good while doing it.

Pressure Washer of the Year

Winner | Kärcher K5 Power Control

The Kärcher K5 Power Control is a well-priced, heavy-duty pressure washer capable of taking on muddy cars, mossy driveways and more. It comes bundled with the brand’s Power Control trigger gun and Vario Power spray lance, which allow you to tailor the intensity and pattern of its jet spray. Also included is Kärcher’s Dirt Blaster lance, a focused jet which makes light work of baked-on mud, stubborn grime and even paint spills. Expanding its versatility further, a plug-in slot for the brand’s detergent and a low-power mode allow it to gently clean patios and decking to boot.

Highly commended | Ryobi RY180PWX41A-0

A battery-powered, handheld pressure washer which can blast out water at 41 bars of pressure, the Ryobi RY18PWX41A-0 pairs portability with power to great effect. Simply secure the end of the hose in a large bucket or water tank, and you can set the Ryobi to tasks like car cleaning and light paving work. While it can’t match the power of a full-size model, it’s the perfect option for quickly taking on smaller jobs.

Printer of the Year

Winner | Epson EcoTank ET-2830

“A consumer ink tank with the pace of a business printer”. That’s how our expert described the Epson EcoTank ET-2830 when he reviewed it – this printer churns out pages at an astonishing speed, outclassing many of its rival printers and earning Printer of the Year from us in the process. It’s pretty cheap to run, too, thanks in part to Epson’s commitment to low-cost ink. It comes with an enormous amount of ink bundled – three year’s worth, by our reckoning – and boasts a healthy complement of printing modes and other features. Add to that the high quality of the printed product and it’s clear that the ET-2830 deserves its spot here.

Highly commended | Canon Pixma TR7650

The Canon Pixma TR7650 is a great all-in-one printer that’s perfect for anyone needing a mix of office and photo printing. It’s got all the essentials like double-sided printing, a document feeder, and even faxing. What’s really impressive, though, is how well it prints photos – better than most office printers. With its compact design and solid performance, it’s a fantastic choice if you want a reliable, versatile printer for both work tasks and high-quality photo prints.

Projector of the Year

Winner | Samsung Premiere 9

Simple to set up, easy on the eye and capable of putting in a sensational visual and audio performance, the Samsung Premiere 9 stands out in an increasingly competitive projector market. Its triple-laser light source is more than bright enough to do justice to 4K HDR material and Samsung’s upscaling technology does a great job improving the clarity of lower-resolution content. Punchy, colour-accurate pictures are backed up by first-class audio from the in-built 2.2.2-channel sound system, while Tizen OS provides access to a huge range of streaming services as well as the Bixby and Alexa voice assistants.

Highly commended | Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE

Anker’s reputation for creating high-performance products at prices that undercut its rivals proceeds it and the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is a case in point. By combining laser and LED light sources with effective image processing, it’s able to deliver vibrant, detailed 4K images that compete with those created by options costing hundreds more. Google TV works fantastically well and the projector is one of the easiest to use we’ve ever tested.

Robot Vacuum Cleaner of the Year

Winner | Eufy Clean X8 Pro

The X8 Pro is a phenomenal robot vacuum that does it all and very much deserves its crown as the best robot vacuum of the year. As well as being excellent value for money with its self-emptying station and impressive hard floor mopping, this vacuum also has an innovative hair cleaning comb, which helps to remove tangled up hair from the roller – a common problem with robots and indeed all vacuums.

In our review, the X8 Pro was also praised for its exceptional floor mapping. We said: “The navigation skills of the Eufy Clean X8 Pro are, on the whole, exceptional.” This, along with its mopping and vacuuming prowess make it the perfect all-rounder.

Highly commended | Eufy X10 Pro Omni

We were also blown away by the very capable X10 Pro Omni, which has a range of high end features, the most noticeable of these being object detection. If you’re a busy household with potential pet or child messes on the floor, this capable robot ensures they don’t get dragged along the floor. Pair that with good cleaning results and a rotating mop pad and you’ve got the full package.

Router of the Year

Winner | Netgear Nighthawk RS300

The Netgear Nighthawk RS300 offers the Wi-Fi 7 standard at a thoroughly palatable price, and that alone earns it first place in the Router of the Year category. This router’s 6GHz speeds are up there with the absolute best, and it’s exceptionally easy to set up and manage via the Netgear Nighthawk mobile app and accompanying webpage. With multi-gigabit WAN and LAN connectors and a USB connector for sharing storage over your home network, the RS300 is an imposing, impressive wireless router for early adopters.

Highly commended | Netgear Nighthawk RS700S

Picking up second place in this category is another strong router from Netgear. The RS700S is even bigger and bolder than the RS300 above, and it packs in faster WAN and LAN ports to sweeten the deal. It delivered exceedingly speedy results over all three bands in our tests, making it comfortably one of the fastest routers we’ve tested, and it’s overflowing with useful features for experienced networking pros.

Soundbar of the Year

Winner | Samsung HW-Q990D

If you’re after an immersive multi-channel home theatre system, the Samsung HW-Q990D can’t be beaten. Its 11.1.4-channel arrangement, spread out over a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers, is supremely adept at enveloping you in a bubble of sound and thrives when handling the DTS:X and Dolby Atmos object-based audio formats. The addition of HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM passthrough makes the HW-Q990D a far more enticing proposition for gamers than its predecessor, while the minimalist design and first-rate build quality help keep it top of the soundbar pile.

Highly commended | Sonos Arc Ultra

Improving on an already-excellent product is no mean feat but Sonos has done that very successfully with the Arc Ultra. By boosting the number of drivers inside the chassis, it managed to produce a standalone soundbar capable of greater detail, better bass and more convincing multi-channel surround sound than its predecessor. Sonos’ TruePlay room-tuning tech works as well as ever, while new speech settings are a very welcome addition. A successful sequel if we ever did see one.

Steam Iron of the Year

Winner | Morphy Richards TurboGlide

A superstar at reducing creases, the TurboGlide is one of the best value all-rounders we’ve tested to date. In our ironing tests, it also scored top marks for ease of use, heat up time and manoeuvrability. Our reviewer said: “I found the TurboGlide to be highly impressive in use and it came up top in most of my testing.”

Other notable features include its roomy water tank and lengthy cord, which are ideal if you’ve got limited ironing spaces around your home.

Highly commended | Tefal Easygliss Eco

Another great contender, Tefal’s Easygliss Eco has a lot of sustainable credentials, which we love. It’s also a competent iron when it comes to crease reductions and steam shots. Our reviewer was particularly impressed with the latter, which made ironing a smooth and quick task. It’s great value, too.

Tablet of the Year

Winner | OnePlus Pad 2

Between the sturdy unibody aluminium build and the gorgeous 3K display, the OnePlus Pad 2 makes a brilliant first impression. As the first tablet to use the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Pad 2 is also a fantastic performer, scoring equal to tablets that cost hundreds more in our benchmark testing.

The addition of the Stylo 2 stylus and the optional keyboard case make the OnePlus Pad 2 a decent laptop replacement, with useful features like the Open Canvas mode giving you new ways to manage multiple windows. Whether for productivity or entertainment, the OnePlus Pad 2 was the most impressive new tablet of 2024.

Highly commended | Honor Magic Pad 2

Coming right up on the heels of the OnePlus Pad 2, Honor’s Magic Pad 2 is another brilliant choice for those seeking a mid-range Android tablet. The OLED display is crisp and bright, with high-frequency PWM dimming to combat eye strain, and battery life proved particularly impressive, delivering some of the best stamina we’ve seen on any tablet to date. Throw in the effective accessories and the Honor Magic Pad 2 is a very commendable runner up.

TV of the Year

Winner | Samsung S95D

The Samsung S95D redefines what is possible with quantum dot OLED TV technology to triumph in one of this year’s most hotly contested categories. Significantly brighter than its predecessor and able to reproduce images with pinpoint accuracy, it’s an exceptional television for movie lovers and gamers alike. The S95D supports key current-generation gaming features across all four of its HDMI 2.1 ports and audio quality is phenomenal. Samsung somehow managed to squeeze a 4.2.2-channel speaker system into the S95D’s super-slim chassis and this, combined with the brand’s Object Tracking Sound Plus tech, ensures the TV sounds almost as good as it looks.

Highly commended | Panasonic Z95A

Panasonic’s decision to use Fire TV on its flagship OLED came as a surprise but paid off in fine style. The Z95A integrates Amazon’s smart platform with Panasonic’s established menu system very smoothly and supports a huge range of streaming services via which it can flex its visual and sonic muscles. Blazing brightness and awe-inspiring realism are complemented by stunning 360 Soundcape Pro audio on what is a standout Micro Lens Array-enhanced powerhouse.

Vacuum Cleaner of the Year

Winner | Dyson V15s Detect Submarine

The Dyson V15s Submarine maintains the awesome vacuuming power, laser dust detection abilities and anti-tangle technology of the base V15 model, while adding a third cleaning head. The new Submarine head is made up of a soft roller and a pair of water tanks, and expands this vacuum’s skillset to include mopping. Testing this model, we were once again impressed by its powerful suction and debris collection while vacuuming, as well as its competent mopping action. Essentially giving you two top-notch appliances for just an extra £100, the Submarine is the perfect option for anyone seeking a do-it-all floor cleaning device.

Highly commended | Shark PowerDetect IP3251UKT

A well-priced vacuum that can go toe-to-toe with the top Dyson models on spill clearance and accessories, the Shark PowerDetect IP3251UKT stands out thanks to its unique base station. As well as charging the vacuum, this station will also automatically empty its collection bin. While you still have to empty the main station on occasion, this clever set-up takes much of the hassle and faff out of day-to-day vacuuming.

Value Air Fryer of the Year

Winner | Tower Vortx 5l Digital Air Fryer

The Tower Vortx 5l Digital Air Fryer is the best budget air fryer we’ve tested, balancing price and performance brilliantly. While it doesn’t have the fancy features of more expensive models, the Vortx Digital does have a capacious 5l drawer with a flat, wide bottom, allowing it to cook large items or hearty portions of smaller foods. Despite its roominess, its boxy shape and rounded corners mean it will fit neatly on most kitchen countertops. In testing, we were pleased with its performance on items ranging from halloumi fries and honey-glazed carrots, to chicken breasts and bacon.

Highly commended | Ninja Max Pro 6.2l AF180UK

Sitting at the higher end of the budget category, the Ninja Max Pro 6.2l’s large cooking basket, tapered build and matte exterior betray its more premium aspirations. The Max Pro also offers six cooking modes: Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Dehydrate, Reheat and Max Crisp, which boosts temperatures to 240°C to quickly achieve a brilliant crisp on frozen foods. Ultimately, this entry-level Ninja model allows you to access the brand’s top-end cooking power for less.

Value Headphones of the Year

Winner | Cambridge Audio Melomania M100

Extremely well-specified and aggressively priced, the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 offer unrivalled bang for your buck. Their use of Class AB amplification is a rarity, aptX Adaptive support unlocks lossless streaming and battery life is very competitive. Most importantly, however, the Melomania M100 sound great regardless of what you’re listening to. There’s a gratifying balance and musicality to their audio, and they’re particularly adept at handling mid-range frequencies. To top things off, they include voice prompts from celebrated actor Matt Berry; a point of difference that helps nudge a triumphant ANC earbuds debut from Cambridge Audio above the chasing pack.

Highly commended | Nothing Ear (a)

Nothing’s striking design language has won it a lot of fans over the past couple of years but the brand’s entry-level wireless earbuds deliver plenty of sonic substance to back up their ample helping of style. Trebles are reproduced crisply, the bass response is impactful without being overbearing and there’s more than enough power and detail to keep listeners happy, especially if they’re enjoying high-resolution audio over LDAC. The Nothing Ear (a) are sub-£100 superstars.

Value Laptop of the Year

Winner | Acer Swift 14 AI

The Acer Swift 14 AI is a great laptop with a unique selling point that’s guaranteed to catch your eye – its battery life. In our tests it ran for an extraordinary 24 hours on a single charge, which puts it squarely at the top of our leaderboard above some industry heavyweights. It’s also a solid performer with a lightning-fast SSD and good results in our gaming benchmarks, and it’s sturdily built, too. Throw in an excellent webcam and a lovely, tactile keyboard and you’re onto a winner.

Highly commended | Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I

If you’re after a great-value all-rounder with some gaming capabilities, the Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I is our choice. The keyboard is particularly good, and the display and speakers are both better than many laptops costing significantly more. In typical Lenovo fashion, the LOG 15IAX9I looks and feels like a far more expensive product, which further cements its position as our runner-up.

Value Lawn Mower of the Year

Winner | Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ

The Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ won us over because it’s a great cordless all-rounder for most people. It perfectly balances cost with features and most importantly, impressed us during testing with its mowing capabilities. The battery is impressive for a cordless mower and if you mow frequently, you’ll find it’s fast, too. We also love how lightweight and easy to manoeuvre it is, making short work of grass in the average family garden.

Highly commended | Bosch AdvancedRotak 44-750

Just missing out on the top prize is the Bosch AdvancedRotak – a great corded lawnmower for larger gardens. Our reviewer found it super easy to work with and was impressed with its results during testing. They said: ‘This powerhouse mower gives a fantastic clean cut on flat, well-treated lawns but also has the beef to chomp through thick, wet grass without much jamming.”

Value Monitor of the Year

Winner | BenQ GW2490

You can always count on BenQ to deliver bang for your buck, and the GW2490 is no exception. In fact, our expert labelled it “the king of super budget monitors”, which is about the highest praise we can bestow. This is a 24in 1080p monitor with a lovely discreet design and the specs to tackle work and play without a fuss. A 100Hz refresh rate will appeal to gamers on a tighter budget, as will the IPS panel, which exhibited minimal ghosting and quick response times on test. It’s small, light and straightforward, and it represents astonishing value for money.

Highly commended | AOC Gaming 27G4XE

Hot on the heels of the BenQ above is the AOC Gaming 27G4XE, another masterclass in good value. For the miniscule price tag you’re getting a 27in 1080p monitor with an impressive 180Hz refresh rate and a slim, appealing design. With surprisingly good results in our brightness, contrast and motion handling tests, the 27G4XE is a fierce contender and our highly commended pick.

Value Smartphone of the Year

Winner | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion

No phone in 2024 offered quite as much bang for your buck as the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion. Despite its mid-range price, the Edge 50 Fusion is fronted by a beautiful, colour-accurate AMOLED display that wouldn’t look out of place on a phone that costs twice as much. Battery life punches well above its weight too, delivering some of the best stamina we’ve ever seen from a phone in this price bracket, and the nippy charging fills the phone faster than some flagships.

Particularly impressive is the main camera, which delivered some beautiful shots in tricky light conditions and even managed to produce clear and colour images when shooting at night – far from guaranteed from phones of this price.

Highly commended | Motorola Moto G55

Another top value offering from Motorola, the Moto G55 earned its place as our new favourite budget smartphone thanks to its improved performance, extended battery life and more well-rounded camera offering. Charging speeds have doubled here, drastically reducing the time needed for a full charge, and the display is once again bright and decently colour-accurate, resulting in much more quality than you tend to expect for such a low price.

Value Soundbar of the Year

Winner | Hisense AX5125H

Immersive home audio setups typically cost an arm and a leg, but not so the Hisense AX5125H. The Chinese manufacturer’s latest 5.1.2-channel offering includes a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers, and you simply won’t find a surround sound system that performs as well for the money. The AX5125H supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X – something that can’t be said for many soundbars costing twice as much – and handles them very effectively. The soundbar articulates sound with impressive breadth and height, the rear speakers are enveloping and the tonal balance across the various components is very well-judged.

Highly commended | Philips TAB6309

Stylish, affordable soundbars capable of delivering engaging audio are a rarity but the Philips TAB6309 manages to keenly balance aesthetic appeal with sonic performance. The bar itself is supremely sleek, powerful enough to fill reasonably-sized living spaces with sound and will fit under any TV, while the subwoofer tackles low-end frequencies admirably. Control options are varied and there’s support for DTS Virtual:X in addition to Dolby Atmos, making the TAB6309 a budget soundbar to be reckoned with.

Video Doorbell of the Year

Winner | Eufy E340

The Eufy Video Doorbell E340 is our Video Doorbell of the Year and a great pick for anyone who gets a lot of deliveries. That’s thanks to its dual-camera design, which lets you keep an eye on your entire front door area. There’s much more to like here, too: the E340 offers superb image quality and includes a chime right in the box, and you won’t have to pay a subscription to store footage. With its thoughtful design and reliable performance, this doorbell delivers both functionality and value, making it an obvious choice for the winner of this category.

Highly commended | Aqara G4

Aqara’s excellent G4 video doorbell is packed to the rafters with features, including free 24/7 recording – a rarity among video doorbells – free cloud storage and support for Apple’s smart home devices alongside those of Google and Amazon. It reacts exceptionally quickly upon sensing a visitor and has both a chime and batteries included in the box, which is a nice touch. A worthy runner-up.

VPN of the Year

Winner | NordVPN

It’s no surprise that NordVPN takes home first place in our VPN of the Year category this year. For one thing, it offers some of the best speeds of any VPN we’ve encountered; in our tests, it had next to no impact on our Virgin Media broadband speeds, no matter where we chose to locate ourselves. It’s packed with thoughtful features – like the Kill Switch, which ensures that no activity is accidentally exposed to your ISP – and is also one of the most secure VPNs we’ve tested, offering password and file-management extras for an additional fee. For privacy at a reasonable price, we heartily recommend NordVPN.

Highly commended | Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is our runner-up in the VPN category, thanks to its simplicity, excellent features and streaming coverage. It delivers fast speeds for smooth 4K streaming and offers easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps packed with privacy tools. Whether you choose the free version for basic use or the reasonably priced paid plans, this VPN impressed us across the board. With its reliable performance and user-friendly design, it’s a standout choice for secure and seamless browsing.

Wearable of the Year

Winner | Huawei Watch Fit 3

Although it bristles with a selection of essential fitness-tracking sensors, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 is stylishly designed and exceedingly comfortable to wear. Its large, vibrant OLED display beats similarly priced rivals hands-down, and the responsive UI is a pleasure to navigate. Packed with features (including some hidden depths that proved immensely satisfying to plumb) and remarkably accurate on test, the Watch Fit 3 picks up our Wearable of the Year award without breaking a sweat.

Highly commended | Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is often eclipsed by its all-singing, all-dancing sibling, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but unfairly so – this is a great smartwatch that delivers a huge suite of health- and fitness-tracking features at a reasonable price. Fast, comfortable and pleasing on the eye, the Watch 7 is a worthy runner-up.

Wi-Fi Extender of the Year

Winner | TP-Link RE815XE

TP-Link was quick to climb aboard the Wi-Fi 6e bandwagon, and the RE815XE was the first extender of its kind that we tested. That eagerness paid off – this is a powerful, well-priced Wi-Fi extender that’s ideal for demanding streaming applications and general heavy use. It made a substantial difference to Wi-Fi speeds in our tests, spreading a strong signal further than even a Wi-Fi 6 extender could manage. If you need the extra grunt and you’re an early adopter, the TP-Link RE815XE is simply the best extender around.

Highly commended | TP-Link RE505X

It’s a clean sweep in the Wi-Fi extender category for TP-Link year as the RE505X picks up our highly commended award. This inexpensive little Wi-Fi 6 router performed admirably on test, extending our broadband signal to the dark corners of our home and providing enough grunt to support demanding applications such as Steam Link.

Wireless Earbuds of the Year

Winner | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose’s flagship in-ear headphones tick almost every true wireless earbuds box and do so in some style. Their greatest strength is their noise cancellation – no other buds attenuate external distractions as effectively – but they have several other strings to their bow. Audio is warm, rich and detailed, and Bose’s Immersive Audio brings successfully executed spatial sound to Bose earbuds for the first time. The QC Ultra Earbuds excel in the comfort stakes too; you can wear them for hours on end while enjoying first-rate sound in as close to silent conditions as you’re going to get from wireless earbuds.

Highly commended | Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

Were this category judged on sound quality alone, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 would have scooped the top prize. Their 12mm carbon cone drivers produce audio that’s sublime by true wireless standards; detail retrieval is unmatched, dynamic transitions are handled artfully and superbly controlled bass notes throb within a soundstage of impressive scale. The Pi8 look and feel the part too, while their charging case doubles up as a handy high-resolution Bluetooth retransmitter.