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The madness of CES has been a whirlwind. But, for the first time ever, I’m handing out my very own ‘best of’ awards to the products that impressed me the most and caught my attention.
I’m just throwing these awards out to anything that looks flashy or gimmicky. Everything in this list has made it here because it uses excellent hardware to make the lives of normal people easier. It is the Consumer Electronics Show after all, so I’m looking for ultra-consumer-friendly tech. No half-arsed AI garbage.
So without any further delay, let’s get into my awards for CES 2025!
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition Headphones
I couldn’t leave CES without giving an award to a pair of headphones. I review so many of them that I know what to look for, and JLab has got something special in the Epic Lux Lab Edition headphones. Best of all they are ridiculously well priced.
With 32mm dynamic drivers, the JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition headphones are very capable cans. They deal with complex tracks with ease and I didn’t run into any noticeable blemishes in quality when I got to use them.
The bass is deep but not overwhelming, the mids are clear and well-pronounced, and the treble is crisp without being harsh. There’s ANC up to 42dB and transparency mode too which both work well. But it’s the price that really interests me. At $199/£167, these are an absolute bargain, outpricing competitors like the Sony WH100XM5 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra by miles.
For such little money, it’s hard to recommend them.
Oneisall Comfy C1
CES is a wondrous place. It allows tech content creators like me to broaden our horizons beyond the usual humdrum of smartphones, earbuds and the rest. And that’s why I’ve included the Oneisall Comfy C1 in my Best Of CES awards this year.
With five features rolled into one, this is a device that makes grooming your pet at home so much easier. If you have a dog then you’ll know two things; their hair gets everywhere and grooming costs are expensive.
Being able to groom your pet at home saves a lot of money but increases the mess you make. The Comfy C1 solves this by adding vacuuming into every attachment. Trimming hair? It vacuums it up. Brushing your dog? It vacuums it up.
Crucially, the Comfy C1 is as quiet as 50db meaning it is less intimidating to pets and is only 1.9kg in weight. That means you can transport it easily and store it pretty much everywhere.
Great hardware that solves a problem and saves you money. An easy win in my book.
LG
LG had so many great products at CES that I had to pick more than one. So I picked three. Sue me.
The LG PF600U is what first captured my attention. It’s a 3-in-1 projector, Bluetooth speaker and lamp. It is incredibly cool. The design is spot-on, capturing this sort of futuristic, mellow look meaning you can leave it in your house and it won’t look out of place.
It is 4K, capable of a 120-inch screen and has a 150,000:1 contrast ratio meaning the blacks are beautifully rich and there’s a high level of detail. In short, it projects an excellent picture and there’s no need for extra equipment as it comes with that built-in speaker.
More of my thoughts about the LG gram and more
I also liked the look of the LG gram laptop, so named because of its low weight. At 1.12kg it is lighter than a MacBook Air but that isn’t my favourite thing about it. I really love the gram Link feature included in LG’s software which allows you to connect to up to ten other devices, including iOS and Android. You can’t do that on an Apple device.
Finally, the MyView Smart Monitor caught my eye for it’s sheer convenience and quality. It is a 4K, 60Hz monitor that acts as a PC, TV and gaming console at the same time thanks to the magic of the Cloud. Like the PF600U, no other computing equipment needed.
OneLaser Hydra
OneLaser is a relatively new company but have already made a splash in their niche which I got to experience at CES. The product that really caught my eye was the Hydra, a desktop laser engraver and cutter.
And if you know anything about laser cutting, you’ll have double-taked when I wrote ‘desktop’ just then. Usually, these things are pretty huge. So yes, the Hydra can fit on a desk and cut/engrave like a larger machine.
The OneLaser Hydra has 3G acceleration and a max speed of 1200mm/s which is super fast for a desktop device. That means you don’t have to worry about getting detailed work done in a pinch.
The real kicker though is the Hydra’s dual laser setup. Single laser systems can only work on certain materials that fall within their capabilities. The Hydra has both a CO2 laser tube and an RF metal tube meaning you can work on a range of materials including leather, acrylic, wood, plastics, ceramics and metals.
The Hydra is the perfect device for small businesses that don’t have loads of space, or hobbyists who want to up their capabilities.
Dreame X50 Ultra
You might have heard of Dreame, they’re making a name for themselves in the world of robotic cleaning. And if you haven’t, well that’s why I’ve included them on this list.
Dreame makes the best robotic vacuum cleaners I’ve seen in person. I can flood you with a load of specs about the Dreame X50 Ultra like the 20000pa suction power and its automatic dirt detection, but the proof with these things is simply how well do they clean.
And I can confirm from seeing them in action that they leave things looking spotless. The X50 Ultra can hoover and mop too so that’s handy.
Oh, and it can climb up small steps and ledges. Yes, robotic vacuum cleaners now have legs thanks to Dreame. It might sound like the start of a sci-fi dystopian movie, but it actually works. The X50 Ultra won’t scale your staircase but if there’s a ledge between rooms in your house, this thing will get over it.
If you want a robotic vacuum cleaner, look no further.
BeBird EarSight Complete
Have you ever had a problem with your ears? Perhaps an infection, or irritation caused by earwax or even a blockage? If yes, then you’ll know how annoying, painful and time-consuming getting it sorted can be.
The BeBird EarSight Complete genuinely revolutionises this scenario. It is the world’s first over-the-counter ear-cleaning kit with a camera and light. Using a flexible body, the 10-megapixel camera enables you to see clearly into your ear canal via the BeBird app.
Once you know what the problem is with your ear, you can either use attachments like tweezers or scrapers to dislodge debris, or send pictures and videos to your doctor without needing to see them in-person.
The BeBird EarSight Complete makes this list because it uses excellent hardware to make something complex much easier for the everyday person.
McAfee Deepfake Detector
It feels so good to be awarding McAfee a CES award. Someone is finally taking the initiative to harness AI for a good cause.
The McAfee deepfake detection software is the first of its kind and works to automatically detect when you are watching or listening to something that has been made with AI. Amazingly, it works entirely in the background, only providing an alert when it thinks you are watching something fake. It works across platforms too including social media and email.
Deepfakes and AI scams are only going to get more common and sophisticated so we need help to fight them. Software like McAfee is desperately needed and rightfully deserving of an award.
Conclusion
CES 2025 has been an absolutely exhausting, enlightening but ultimately fun experience. Handing out awards to brands that I think are making actually useful products aimed at bettering consumers’ lives has been the cherry on top.
Hoepfully these awards have brought your attention towards a lot of the excellent work going on underneath all of the AI noise in consumer tech at the moment, because they certainly did for me!
Until next year, Vegas!
This article is supported by Oneisall, OneLaser, JLab, McAfee, Dreame, BeBird and LG
2 Comments
It’s great to see two brands I wouldn’t normally expect to see on someone’s top list. I’ve tried many JLab products over the years and I think they make some underrated accessories, especially for someone looking for basic, cheap and cheerful tech. McAfee is an interesting one. When I saw that McAfee logo on the cover image, I just had to read on. As an IT engineer, I usually tend to recommend Windows Defender, with something like Malwarebytes for on-demand scans. Or if you’re after a better solution, something like Sophos Home, Emsisoft or Eset. But McAfee was never on the top of my list, but I think the new DeepFake Detector will be a game-changer!
Hi Dom, Max here! The thing with McAfee is that it’s surprising noone else has done this yet in this form, considering how prevalent deepfakes/AI content have become. It will definitely be the standard going forward for malware/security softwares too. So they deserve props for going for it! As for JLab, the price of those headphones is genuinely quite hard to believe considering what you get.