72 cool gadgets: Our pick of the best new tech for 2022

Sony WH-1000XM5

Back in 2018, Sony released what would become one of the best pairs of headphones available – the WH-1000XM3. Since then we’ve seen the XM4, and now, Sony has followed up with the WH-1000XM5. If you ignore the somewhat painfully dull naming conventions, these, like their predecessors, are some of the best headphones around.

Scoring 5 star reviews all around, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are very much designed for those who would rather not splurge on a pair of Apple AirPod Max headphones.

In terms of specs and audio, these are extremely similar to Sony’s renditions from before. They offer market-leading audio across the low’s, mids and highs, excellent noise cancellation, and you get an array of smart ambient features.

The biggest difference with these headphones is the design, offering a completely new look to their predecessor. More minimalist and lighter too.

MacBook Pro with M2 chip

Does Apple’s new MacBook Pro reinvent the wheel? No. Does it feature ground-breaking new features and a revolutionary design…? Also no. What Apple’s new MacBook Pro does is ramp up specs and improve on an already popular design.

It continues to feature the touch bar (very much a love or hate feature), it offers more RAM allocation, the charging is faster and the Pro now features Spatial Audio.

However, the biggest change here is the processor, now featuring Apple’s M2 processor chip. This makes the 2022 MacBook Pro an incredibly powerful computer. Finally, we have an Apple laptop that can keep up with gaming alongside the demands of professional editing and creative software.

DJI Mini 3 Pro

Every year, DJI’s Mini series gets smaller and yet more powerful, cramming high-end specs into a lightweight drone that you can chuck in your bag.

But with all those improvements, comes an eye-watering price, and an increasing fear for your financial status if you crash it. It offers advanced obstacle avoidance features, a rotating lens so you can film portrait or landscape, 4K video, smart flying features like automatic tracking and the ability to follow a subject.

Despite its higher price, this feels like the perfect drone for beginners, those who like to travel, or really anyone in the market for a light-weight, high tech drone.

Marshall Acton III speaker

While it is best known for its towering amps on stage, Marshall has also been building an array of Bluetooth speakers over the years. Now it has launched its third edition of the Acton, Stanmore and Woburn speakers.

The Acton is the cheapest of the three new speakers from Marshall. Like the Stanmore and Woburn, the Acton is made using a sustainable design of 70% recycled plastic and vegan materials.

Through the use of Placement Compensation technology, this speaker optimises the equalisation (EQ) based on its surroundings. This means it will adapt and correct for nearby reflective surfaces which could affect the sound quality.

VAHA S Fitness Mirror

Sure, you could go the gym… or, the gym could come to you. That’s the idea of the Vaha S Fitness Mirror, giving you a full size mirror that can play over 850 workout classes, and connect you with personal trainers in real time.

The mirror itself is a 32-inch Full HD touchscreen, complete with 30W speakers and a brushed metal finish.

While this is without a doubt one of the the more impressive home workout options, it is also pretty pricey. The mirror alone will cost you £1195 and then there is a £39 a month payment to access classes.

For more cool gadgets, see our round-up of the best smart mirrors to buy for your home.

Therabody Wave Roller

The Therabody Wave Roller takes the traditional model of a foam roller and throws a bunch of tech into it. Through the use of vibration therapy and a wave-style texture, this roller helps to work out all of your aches and pains.

It comes with an app that can guide you through a rolling routine, five customisable vibration frequencies and can be used anywhere on the body that needs working out.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ

Ever since the release of Apple’s AirPods, the style of wireless earbuds with stems has picked up drastically, and now the design-centric B&O has given it a go. In classic style for the company, these look and feel premium. They are made using a mix of glass and aluminium and have an IP57 waterproof rating (dust, water and sand resistant).

Each earbud boasts a 9.2mm driver, a microphone and high-end ANC. They even come with an impressive 28 hours of audio life. While they seem to perform well in all of the key areas, that does also mean a £359 price tag.

Samsung M8 Smart monitor

Squint your eyes, and Samsung’s new M8 monitor looks identical to Apple’s recent colourful iMacs… what a coincidence. However, with an affordable price tag, and an overkill of connection options, the Samsung M8 could be the perfect monitor for a lot of people.

It doubles up as a TV and monitor, offering smart TV with Netflix, YouTube and most streaming platforms, as well as connection options for most laptops, AirPlay for Apple products and even DEX to connect your Samsung smartphone as a computer. Not enough? It also has built-in speakers, a 4K display and an added webcam.

Gocycle G4 electric bike

There are now plenty of electric bikes on the market, but if you live in a city, constantly hopping on trains, buses, and up and down stairs, throwing in the ability to fold the bike down could be a necessity. That’s the key feature of the new Gocycle G4, offering a premium electric bike that can easily be folded down.

Inside you’ll find a powerful motor and there’s even an app that you can connect up which allows you to start the bike remotely, see how fast your going, how much battery you have left and more. With traction control features, this bike works great on roads, grass and other more unique terrains. There is even different modes, putting out more power where necessary.

Insta360 One

Action cameras need to be versatile, able to catch every terrifying cliff jump, risky dirt bike trail or gnarly wave while surfing… and that’s where the new Insta360 One RS comes in. As far as action cameras go, this is one of the more unique options. It uses a modular design, offering a detachable 360 degree lens, wide angle lens and a 4K action camera that you can easily switch between. You can also detach the battery, allowing you to carry back-ups that you can snap in place quickly between stunts.

Generation Zerøgrand II

The sustainable shoe market is blowing up right now, with major companies trying to create the shoe that leaves the smallest carbon footprint. One of the more unique attempts at this is the recent Generation Zerøgrand II.

These shoes from Cole Haan are made using almost entirely recycled materials. The upper design is made with vegan microfiber made of 21 per cent recycled content and a felt fabric made of 85 per cent plastic bottles. The laces are completely recycled, and the most unique part, the soles have a minimum of 25 per cent natural dandelion rubber!

Logitech Litra Glow

Zoom calls and video meetings are going nowhere so why not look your absolute best while you do it? With Logitech’s new Litra Glow, you can get a nice glow at home that will make co-workers jealous – they don’t need to know you’ve just crawled out of bed!

Sensors on the Litra Glow will adjust the light’s brightness to adapt to different skin tones and diffuse the light so that you don’t look like a deer caught in the headlights. It has also been tested to make sure it is completely safe to use the lamp for long periods of time.

Sony Linkbuds

Sony has always been at the forefront of headphone technology and with its latest pair, it is doing something rather unique. These headphones feature a hole in them (by design – don’t worry, no parts are missing). This means you can be more aware of your surroundings and people desperately trying to get your attention while enjoying your music. It features other clever features like touch control by tapping the skin by your ear and volume that adjusts to match your environment.

Gran Turismo 7

A game feels like a strange addition to a gadgets list, and yet Gran Turismo 7 fits in perfectly. That’s because of the incredible graphics on offer, especially if played on the PS5. As you whizz around race tracks in beefed-up supercars, you’ll find it hard to convince yourself you’re not actually there.

The game fits in other impressive features like some incredibly fast load times, clever use of haptic feedback and a realistic driving feel as you hit the tracks.

Nothing Ear

These new wireless earbuds are the most hyped new product in tech right now. Backed by the likes of Tony Fadell, who invented the iPod, and Casey Neistat, one of YouTube’s most revered vloggers, there’s a huge amount of buzz surrounding this product that aims to bring premium audio performance at a wallet-friendly price bracket. It’s something that the company’s CEO Carl Pei had a track record for at his previous mobile phone company, OnePlus, which specialised in unfussy smartphones with powerful chipsets.

We can’t vouch for the sound yet, but we love the design and retro-futurism aesthetic. For the price, there’s an impressive set of features, including variable levels of noise cancellation, water- and splash-resistance and customisable gesture controls on the earbuds themselves.

£99

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3

This is the first foldable phone that might be worth a go. The first few iterations of foldables were marred with reliability issues and huge price tags. However at £949, this phone is likely to cost as much on contract as the latest Apple or Google devices. There’s no sacrificing on processing power or features to make the phone work at this price either: the Flip3 comes with an octa-core processor inside, plenty of RAM and a 120Hz display. Plus it’s waterproof.

Folding the phone will split the display in two, so you can, for example, sit the phone on the table to watch videos. There’s also a small screen on the back so that you can see notifications when your phone is shut. We’d give it a few months to see if anyone reports any hardware issues with the screen, but we personally can’t wait to see what they do with foldable tablets next…

£949

Urbanista Los Angeles headphones

Charging devices is one of those daily pains that we could all live without, and while battery lives have improved, it is still a regular occurrence. This is a problem Urbanista is attempting to resolve with the Los Angeles headphones.

Lined with a solar cell material, these headphones will constantly charge themselves throughout the day as long as there is light. This works both inside and out in the big wide world and theoretically removes the need for charging.

Along with the unique charging feature, the Los Angeles headphones also include active noise cancelling, ambient sound mode and voice assistant features.

AllBirds Tree Dasher 2

The AllBirds Tree Dasher 2 are a pair of shoes that will especially appeal to the eco-friendly runner. Made from a eucalyptus tree fibre knit, with shoelaces from recycled plastic bottles, this is a shoe with a small carbon footprint.

Despite this, these shoes still offer a comfortable performance and a lightweight design – perfect for both long-distance runners and rapid sprinters.

Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4

If you like the idea of a smartwatch, but also want to feel like the classy individual you are, the Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 could be just what you need. It is by no means affordable at £1550 but that price is pretty normal from a brand like this.

Skip past the large amount of futuristic buzzwords here and there are some interesting features to this watch, especially around fitness. The watch includes guided 7 minute workouts with animations and notifications to switch exercises. You can choose upper, lower or full-body exercises.

LEGO App-controlled Transformation Vehicle

When it comes to LEGO, there is a lot of choice. However, this new LEGO Technic set has a unique feature to help it stand out – the ability to control it via an app.

With the app, you can drive the vehicle around, and when you flip the car over (or hit a wall), it will reveal a completely different car below. Because the LEGO car features suspension, you can even drive it over uneven surfaces.

For more LEGO Technic picks check out our list of the best LEGO Technic kits.

Mac Studio

In its latest launch event, Apple listed off a host of new gadgets, but it’s the new Mac Studio that stands out as the most interesting addition. A small desktop computer with a surprisingly high amount of power, the Mac Studio is aimed at creatives with digitally-intensive work.

Coming in two models (expensive and bank-breaking), you can choose how much power you want from your computer. The more affordable option still feels incredibly overpowered, offering 3.4x faster graphics compared to the 27-inch iMac – another incredibly powerful device.

We’ll be honest, for the majority of people this is going to be a heavily overpowered piece of kit. However, if you’re a serious video editor, 3D designer or someone intending to really push your computer’s processing power to the extreme, this will be the perfect investment.

Skydio 2+

There are a lot of drones on the market right now, all offering something slightly different. However, Skydio’s 2+ has a unique feature we haven’t seen elsewhere that really helps it to stand out.

Through technology known as Keyframe, you can plan out routes that the Skydio 2+ will follow. You can define complex camera movements and then choose what speed the drone will approach these routes.

Skydio’s aim with this feature was to be able to give anyone the ability to get clean drone shots, no matter their level of skill. Equally, you can use this feature to film yourself doing something if you don’t have someone to pilot it for you.

$1,099, shop.skydio.com

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold

With Samsung taking the helm, the world of foldable devices seems to be flourishing recently. We’ve seen plenty of brands launch their own folding smartphone but at CES 2022, Asus went a step further by unveiling a folding tablet.

The Zenbook 17 Fold is, as the name suggests, a 17-inch folding tablet. It can be folded completely over for easy storage, or you can even bend the display at any angle. Asus has crammed in fancy features like AI noise cancellation, Dolby Vision Atoms and Vision for high-end streaming and, surprisingly for a folding tablet, a lot of ports!

However, while no price has been announced yet, we would expect the Zenbook 17 Fold to be pretty expensive on its launch.

£TBC, Asus.com

DJI Action 2

DJI, along with GoPro, is one of the biggest names in the action camera market and with the Action 2, they are going all-in on modular features.

With strong magnets attached to the camera, you can quickly switch attachments, throwing on a tripod, helmet mount, waterproof cases, a screen and other features you’ll need when trying to keep a camera attached to your body as you leap off a cliff.

Along with the magnetic modular attachments, the DJI Action 2 also succeeds at the features we would expect from an action camera. It offers 4K, 120fps footage, it has image stabilisation to keep your footage level through the action and it is water, dust and drop-proof.

Opal Camera

The Opal camera is a stylish, high-quality and oh so expensive webcam, but what else would you expect from a company headed by ex-members of Apple, Beats and Uber!

Marketing itself as a DSLR quality camera in webcam form, this could be the future of webcams. Of course, at $300 this needs to perform well. Along with 4K quality, the camera also features intelligent noise cancellation and a lot of adjustable settings.

Right now this camera is only available by reservation and works exclusively on Apple devices, but Opal plans to open this up to Windows down the line.

$300, Opalcamera.com

Sony HT-A9

Sony’s new speaker system is designed for those that want to get serious home cinema surround sound, without having to spend time and effort draping wires around your living room. The HT-A9 system is essentially a set of four wireless speakers that talk to a control box plugged directly into your TV. You just place the four speakers around you, and let the setup – which echolocates each speaker – calibrate to you and your living room. Each device has a tweeter, a sub and an upfiring speaker to power the full Dolby Atmos experience. Pair these with a Sony TV and the system will also use your TV’s speakers to add to the sound.

£1,799

Zephyr PRO RGB sweat-proof gaming mouse

If you’ve ever played an online game, whether that’s Fortnite, Call Of Duty or Apex Legends, then you’ll have experienced the sweaty palms that come with going toe-to-toe with a cocky 12-year-old shouting abuse at you over the voice comms. Short of keeping a chalk dish and a chamois cloth beside your console, there’s not a lot you could do about it… until now. This gaming mouse houses a tiny fan that blows cool air onto your palms through its honeycomb outer shell while you play. The rest of the mouse hardware uses the latest, most accurate sensors to keep your inputs sharp as well as dry.

$59 (£43 approx), marsback.com

NightWatch Magnifying Clock Dock for Apple Watch

Not all tech needs to come with wires and buttons. This NightWatch orb magnifies an Apple Watch’s display to effectively turn it into an alarm clock for your bedside table. There’s a slot in the back that holds the watch’s MagSafe charger, and tapping the surface of the orb will wake up the watch screen so you can see the time. Plus, the shape of the NightWatch amplifies sound to transform your watch into an effective alarm clock.

£94

Symfonisk Picture Frame Wi-Fi Speaker

We’re rather besotted with these unconventional Wi-Fi speakers borne out of a collaboration between Sonos and Ikea. The flat panel speaker is about as thick as a flatscreen TV and can be mounted flush against a wall or stood up on a shelf using the kickstand. Ikea offers interchangeable front panels so you can shake things up when you tire of its looks.

There are controls on the side but the speakers also work with Sonos’s S2 app, which means you can send music seamlessly to different parts of your home, and access the full range of streaming services that plug into it.

£199, ikea.com

LG Signature OLED R

When you turn this TV off, the display just rolls itself up, and tucks into the small speaker cabinet below. Alternatively in ‘Line View’ mode, it shrinks down to about a fifth of its height to work as a display for the integrated sound bar. It’s an achingly cool party trick that’s made possible by OLED technology. This kind of display doesn’t require backlights – the OLED crystals generate their own light when a current is passed through them. This means they can, if manufactured in a certain way, be built into flexible screens.

We’ve seen demos of this bendable screen technology for a couple of years now, but manufacturing is still fairly expensive and hard to perfect, which goes some way to explaining why you’ll have to cough up a house deposit to own one of these TVs…

£99,999, lg.com

Meeting Owl Pro

As the world continues to work remotely and online meetings become a part of everyday life, the tech has stepped up to make the process more efficient and immersive, with the meeting owl pro being a great example of that.

Fitted with a 360 degree camera, 8 microphones, and a speaker, it aims to replicate an in-person meeting while separated from colleagues. With an 18-foot audio pickup radius and an automatic zoom that responds to who is speaking at the time, it’s a sophisticated bit of kit that integrates with Zoom, Slack, Google Hangouts and more.

£999

A500 Mini

Set for release in early 2022, the Amiga A500 Mini will emulate the Amiga 500, 600 & 120, featuring 25 classics including Alien Breed 3D, Kick Off 2 and Pinball Dreams, with the option to add your own games.

Perfect for throwback fans and retro gamers, it comes with the original-style 2-button mouse as well as a newly engineered 8-button precision gamepad, for ultimate control over your play.

£119.99

Furbo Dog Camera

If you want to keep in contact with your collie while out of the house, this full 1080p HD camera will give you a line of sight with your pup, day or night. With a 160º wide-angle lens, 4x zoom and infrared night vision mode, you’ll be able to keep an eye on your pedigree no matter what.

There are a number of handy features including a barking alert which will send a push notification to your phone if your dog is upset, and a two way chat system that will let you speak to your pet if you need to comfort or calm them down. You can even store over 100 treats in the device and remotely toss them to your pet to keep them entertained with a tasty game of catch.

£188.99

Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook

For the eco-conscious note-taker, this smart notebook has 32 pages that are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth when paired with Pilot Frixion pens. The first reusable notepad of its kind, they claim it feels just like writing on a traditional pad thanks to its special space-aged paper.

Available in a variety of sizes, it’s also compatible with the Rocketbook app. This allows you to scan your notes which will then be saved into a cloud of your choice, so you’ll never lose your work and can easily revisit any sketches, notes and lists in the long run.

£34.99

Pure Flux One e-bike

It’s not obvious that the Flux One from UK retailer Pure Electric is an electric bike – but it is, and it’s one that arrives at a particularly attractive price.

The bottle-like item mounted to the aluminium frame of the Flux One is actually a battery that powers a motor contained within the hub of the rear wheel. Claimed to provide pedal assistance for 25 miles / 40km, this bike isn’t one for big days out but should prove sufficient for most people’s commutes and short leisure rides.

Pure has chosen a belt-driven single-speed transmission that – unlike the chains used on most bikes – doesn’t require oiling and thus shouldn’t mess up your clothes. Mechanical disc brakes front and rear should provide consistent stopping whatever the weather.

We think this discrete ebike will prove extremely popular.

£1,099

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

Take your gaming up a notch with the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, a next-generation monitor that promises to deliver an unparalleled, immersive experience. With a curved, ultra-wide 49-inch display, and Quantum Matrix Technology that aims to make dark areas darker and bright areas brighter, you’ll be right on top of the action with cutting-edge picture quality to guide you through the game.

The physical display has a glossy white exterior, and features a rear infinity core lighting system which means you can personalise your set-up with 52 colours and five lighting effect options.

£1,099

KODAK Luma 150 Pocket Projector

Portable enough to fit in a briefcase if you need to produce a presentation for work, or your backpack if you’d like to watch a film or enlarge your gaming experience on the go, the KODAK Luma 150 portable projector promises to expand the screen to up to 150 inches while delivering bright, vivid images.

It has built-in, surround-sound speakers and a headphone jack for private viewing, with a battery run time of up to 2.5 hours, which is rechargeable via mini USB.

£199.99

Grado SR80x headphones

We love the build and design of Grado’s headphones. They sound warm, lively and full of bass, while looking both retro and minimal. They’ve recently updated their award-winning range and our pick of the lot is the SR80x.

They’re open-backed, which means the audio will bleed out a little, so you may not want to take these on the train. But it does make them lighter and more comfortable to use at home for long periods and it’ll make the audio sound roomier than a closed-back pair. The new headphones have upgraded drivers too, improving the bass and mid-range. Certainly one of the best sets we’ve worn under the £150 mark.

£129.95

Biolite FirePit+

We love bonfires (and barbecues!) but it does get tiresome having to dance around the fire all evening to dodge the eye-watering smoke. The FirePit+ eliminates smoke by making your fire hotter. Battery-powered fans at the bottom of the fire basket stoke the flames from beneath, while the mesh sides let plenty of air in.

The improved airflow means the flame burns hotter and more efficiently, therefore producing less smoke. Plus, you can put some charcoal in and rest a grill on the top. The fans last between 7 and 30 hours depending on how high they’re turned up, and the battery can be recharged via USB.

£269.99

Apple iMac 24-inch

11.5mm, that’s how thin Apple’s new iMac is. This slender frame is made possible by Apple’s new M1 chip. Previously, Apple put Intel tech at its core and connected it to various components to build its Macs. Now the company has channelled its work on smartphone and iPad chipsets to build a complete “system on a chip”.

Like having a neatly tidied desk, building the computer’s processing units on one piece of architecture means the new iMacs are able work more efficiently and quickly than their predecessors.

There’s also 4K Retina display onboard, with a six-speaker sound system squeezed in behind it. Plus, the iMac now has Touch ID so you can unlock your computer, log in and pay for shopping with your fingerprint.

From £1,249

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 camera

Generally speaking, we tend to look forwards here at Science Focus, but this retro, instant camera from Fujifilm is too cute to ignore. There are two modes and two buttons: one for selfies and one for normal shooting. A button beneath the lens pops the lens out so it can get up close and personal for selfies.

There’s even a teeny tiny mirror embedded into the body so you can get a sense of what you’re framing in your shot. Then you just click the shutter button and wait 90 seconds for the AA-battery-powered printer to process your photo.

£89

Signia Active hearing aids

Let’s face it, we give our ears a tough time. Loud concerts (remember those?), cotton buds, illnesses and even our own DNA works against our hearing health. It’s thought that 6.7 million people in the UK could benefit from a hearing aid, but only two million are wearing one.

Signia hopes to change that. With Bluetooth connectivity, an accompanying mobile app, a rechargeable battery and a sleek earbud-style design, the Signia Active hearing aids bring assistive technology on-trend.

Designed for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, the aids pack in intelligent software that boosts voices over background noise and come with a virtual assistant to boot.

£999 for two, active.signia-hearing.co.uk

TrinoXO Tee

An odour-fighting T-shirt made of recycled crab. Yes, you read that right. This unassuming T-shirt is made of chitosan, a material obtained from the exoskeletons of shellfish.

It’s one of the most abundant ingredients on the planet, so its creators, Allbirds, decided to use it to make some of its clothing line. According to Allbirds, this special blend also has odour-fighting properties (it presumably has a surface that’s hard for smelly bacteria to colonise), which hopefully means you have to wash it less, and it’ll last longer.

£45, allbirds.co.uk, buy now from allbirds.co.uk

DJI FPV drone

Fancy yourself as a drone pilot? DJI’s new drone beams the view from its camera straight to a headset back on terra firma. You see what the drone sees.

It’s a user-friendly version of what drone-racing pilots use in competitions. The drone itself can move at a max speed of 140km/h (87mph) and can reach 0-60mph in just two seconds. It has a max range of 10km (6 miles), but you’ll need a spotter who can keep an eye out for people or obstructions below while you fly.

The tech is pretty power hungry, so you’ll get a maximum of 25 minutes out of a flight, but it will be one helluva ride.

£1,249

Simba Hybrid Luxe Mattress

A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health and wellbeing.

Memory foam mattresses are fashionable, but their spongy embrace isn’t for everyone. Simba’s patented hybrid solution pairs springs with open-cell foam, a memory foam-like material with internal pockets that allow the mattress to disperse heat. This creates a mattress that’s firm, ensures two people sleeping in a bed won’t feel each other move around, and is cooler than memory foam.

The company’s latest upgrade, the Hybrid Luxe, adds a second set of springs to provide extra support and remove any chance of sore joints for side sleepers. Plus, Simba has added a breathable bamboo wool layer just beneath the top layer, to help regulate your temperature and fend off a sweaty night’s sleep.

From £1,099 (single mattress)

Gouthwaite Backpack 23L

The brand behind this roll top bag is called Bear and its founders have a mission: to get more people outside to talk about their mental health. Sales from each bag will be funding free outdoor workshops from fly fishing to foraging to off-road cycling. Shoppers just have to sign up to their mailing list to find out when courses start.

In the meantime, while we’re all stuck mostly indoors, Bear will donate 10 per cent of sales to The Outward Bound Trust. On top of that, the company is carbon negative, relying on recyclable, fossil fuel-free materials where possible and carbon-offsetting the rest.

The actual bags are pretty smart too. There’s a quick release buckle holding the top together, which is the same one used by the rescue services, and the waxed canvas is made in Scotland without the use of PFCs (the chemicals typically used in waterproof coatings) which can wash off materials and end up in waterways.

£165, bearmade.co.uk

Transparent speakers

Apart from public toilets, there are few things in life that aren’t made better by being see-through. Case in point, this speaker that replaces its housing with tempered glass.

Its creator, the Swedish design studio Transparent, says that its speakers use durable, recyclable materials. Each of the devices can be used alone as a Bluetooth speaker, paired together as a stereo sound system, or plugged into existing audio equipment.

It’s upgradeable too, with a compartment at the rear that can hold and power various modules – a voice assistant, for example, or new wireless tech.

£775

North Face Dryzzle Futurelight Jacket

A three-layers coat, the oddly named Dryzzle Futurelight provides a combined high durability and waterproofing to keep you safe out in the heavy rain. North Face applies a material that allows for great breathability so along with not getting wet, you also won’t feel like you’re getting overly stuffy.

Sonos Arc soundbar

Offering up a hard-to-beat balance of features, design, ease of use and performance, the Sonos Arc, the company’s first Atmos soundbar, is an easy product to love. There are very few soundbars out there that do so much so well. In fact, it’s our pick for the best soundbar.

No matter what you’re watching, it sounds superb. There’s a stunning clarity to dialogue, a fullness to bass and stacks of detail across the frequency range. But when you listen to an Atmos soundtrack, you really hear the added breadth and depth you’d expect from a more immersive 3D soundstage, with sound effects that are placed precisely around and above you, delivered by the Arc’s carefully angled drivers.

Of course, it’ll fit into a wider Sonos multi-room system if you have other Sonos speakers, or act as a superb sound system on its own for crisp, expressive music playback. Its size means you’ll probably want a 55-inch TV or larger though, as it’ll dwarf anything smaller.

£899

Dyson Corrale hair straightener

Dyson, the company that’s perhaps best-known for its futuristic vacuum cleaners, has spent the last few years branching out into the world of haircare.

Its most recent launch is the Corrale straightener, which joins a hairdryer and the Airwrap styler in the line-up. Unlike the solid plates on other straighteners, Dyson claims that the Corrale’s patented flexing copper plates gather the hair while styling, allowing less heat to be used to get desired results. As hair-styling aficionados will be aware, lots of heat leads to damaged and frazzled tresses.

I’ve got a headful of curls, and while I’ve had my hair straightened at the hairdresser before, I’ve never tried doing it myself, so tried the Corrale as a complete straightener rookie.

What I liked about the Corrale was that it can be used cord-free without losing any performance. It takes 70 minutes to fully charge, then you can unplug it and use it for 30 minutes without an irritating cord entangling your arms and smacking you on the head.

If you’re having a massive straightening sesh, however, you can simply reattach the cord to continue charging while you’re styling. When you’re done, just place back on the charging stand (no burnt carpets here).

The straightener takes mere seconds to warm up, and has three heat settings: 165°C, 185°C and 210°C, with an OLED screen and a chirpy chime telling you when it’s reached the desired temperature. It is suitable for all hair types, with the hotter temperatures recommended for curly or coily hair.

I did find that I had to go over each section of my hair a few times to get a smooth finish, even when I had the heat turned up to full whack. Those with straighter hair may not have this problem, though.

Like all straighteners, you can also use the Corrale to create waves and curls. Despite my beginner status (and aided by videos on their website), I managed to do this fairly easily – the lack of cord certainly made the necessary twisting and twirling a lot easier.

The Corrale would suit straightener addicts: it can be stashed in a (large) bag to take on a night out, and even comes with a flight-safe tag, so you can pop it in your hand luggage when flying. But at its hefty price, it’s probably best for people who will get regular use from it. – Alice Lipscombe-Southwell

£399.99

$300 (£238 approx)

Apple Watch 6

We’ve grown to love Apple’s smartwatch. It’s not just a great fitness tracker, it’s that rarest of things: a piece of tech that can actually change your life. The multitude of sensors on-board means the wristwatch can track your heart rhythm and it logs the data on your phone. If it spots any irregularities, it’ll suggest you take a trip to the doctor, who can take a look at ECGs recorded by the watch.

The Apple Watch will also keep an eye out if you fall or your pulse stops and alert emergency services if something’s awry. There are other variables it’ll track like your sleep, blood oxygen saturation and even heart rate variability, which scientists think could be a good indicator of your overall wellbeing.

The future’s bright for the Apple Watch too. A study involving 400,000 participants by researchers at Stanford University found that a smartwatch and phone could be effectively used together to spot atrial fibrillation in wearers, one of the most common heart issues in the UK, though it’s important to note that this feature hasn’t been implemented yet.

Similarly, Apple watches are being trialled as a means of remotely tracking the condition of patients with chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease and it’s even being deployed by the University of Washington’s School of Medicine to find out if it can predict the onset of flu or COVID-19 before a patient is aware of symptoms.

From £379

£250

Philips 558M1RY display

If you end up using your TV for gaming more than, well, watching TV, then you might want to consider one of a new breed of displays built for consoles. This model from Phillips boasts an ultra-fast response time (4ms) at ultra-HD resolution, which means you’ll have no excuses left when you’re sniped by an energy-drink-riddled 12-year-old from the other side of the map.

If Animal Crossing is more your pace, then this model is also kitted out with a rather neat speaker system along the base built by British Hi-Fi stalwarts Bowers and Wilkins, which will make the game’s lilting trumpet melody all the more soothing for your soul. Philips’ Ambiglow tech is on board too, which extends the picture beyond the frame of the display via LEDS along the edges of the panel.

£1,199, Philips.co.uk, buy now from Amazon UK or Currys

Apple AirPods Pro

True to form, it’s taken Apple a couple of iterations to deliver a pair of wireless earbuds that justify the hefty price tag. In fact, it’s our pick for the best wireless earbuds.

The AirPods are still all-white, but a smarter, stubbier design means that you don’t look like you’ve stuck a pair of electric toothbrush heads in your ears anymore.

Unsurprisingly, the AirPods play best with Apple hardware with a setup that’s mercifully painless thanks to the new chip tech. Pull them out of the case and if your device is nearby, it will pair them up, giving you a quick glance at the battery status of the buds too.

Sound quality has stepped up a notch as far as offering something that’s more balanced. It’s not heavy handed with the bass and there’s a nicer sense of detail here. The headline grabber is the addition of active noise cancellation that will help drown out the world. Apple uses outward microphones to detect the noise from outside and an inward-facing one to deal with sound that makes it through the seal.

There’s even room to squeeze on controls into the stem and a very pocket-friendly case will quickly give them a battery boost. More features are on the way too, including surround sound support and the welcome addition of a smart switching mode to pair to the device you’re currently using, giving you more reason to keep them in.

£249

Arlo video doorbell

Offering a good balance between price, premium features, and usability, Arlo’s Video Doorbell is our top choice for the best video doorbell if you want a high-quality smart doorbell that works reliably without being annoying.

Its standout feature – telling the difference between people, animals, vehicles, and packages, and only sending you the notifications you want – means you don’t get an alert every time a strong breeze sends a plastic bag down the street.

Being able to create motion zones – so you get alerted only when someone (or the neighbour’s cat) is in them – and the option to turn off all alerts when you are home (using the location of your phone to figure this out) ensures a smart doorbell doesn’t become just another electronic annoyance but a useful security tool.

Along with some of the best quality video we tested and a nice square video shape that shows you more of your doorstep than most, we like that it has a built-in siren you can set off from the app if you spot someone suspicious.

Another thing that sets it on top of the pile is an answering machine option. While no one ever left us a message outside of testing – possibly because most people aren’t used to talking to a doorbell – we can see potential here as smart doorbells gain popularity.

£179

NowLight self-powered lamp

However good your camping gadgets are, it’s a simple fact of life that at some point (probably the worst point) they’re going to run out of juice. Rather than filling your backpack with a plethora of spare batteries, the NowLight is a hand-cranked instant charger that with a minute of tugging the attached chord can power your phone for 15 minutes.

But what really sets this apart from other chargers is the fact that it also doubles up as a 160-lumen lamp, which is more than bright enough to light up any jamborees once the campfire has died out. You can also attach up to six satellite lamps to light up the inside of even the most cavernous of tents.

The device itself is about the size and weight of a small bag of sugar, and set up is easy – basically, just attach the chord and crank – but if all that tugging isn’t your thing, it comes with a solar charger to soak up some of the Sun’s eco-friendly energy. – AM

£99, deciwatt.global

HELM Audio BOLT DAC/AMP

If you’re looking for a simple way to upgrade your audio experience, a DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) might be it. A DAC is one of the most important steps in digital audio processing. If you’re not familiar with the tech, it’s where the stored digital representation of your music – a series of 1s and 0s – is translated into an analogue wave that can physically power a speaker driver in your headphones.

Just as downloading or streaming a high-quality audio file ensures an accurate representation of your music, a DAC will make sure you’re getting the most out of your audio files.

This new DAC upgrade from HELM Audio is the smallest we’ve seen – perfect for travel or just keeping your desk uncluttered. It’s compatible with laptops and smartphones with a USB-C slot (and iPhones with a convertor), and it plays best with Tidal’s chosen digital format for its recordings (MQA), though it will happily work across all streaming services.

$99.00 (£75 + £18 shipping approximately), helmaudio.com, buy now from Amazon UK

NuraLoop headphones

What if your earphones could give you a hearing test and tune your equaliser to reflect the frequencies you are most, or least, sensitive to? That’s the idea behind the Nuraphone, which we first tested a few years back in headphone format.

During setup, the original Nuraphones would fire out a range of frequencies and then measure your ear’s response to each of them, building a sound profile that perfectly equalises the output to your hearing. The company has now shrunk their clever tech and shaped it into a set of Bluetooth earphones called the NuraLoop.

They’re packed full of all the other tech you’d expect – like active noise-cancelling and touch controls – but there are a few extra smart touches, like the magnetic analogue jack that lets you connect to your earphones with wires, or the smart on/off feature that automatically switches them on when you put them around your head.

But most importantly it’s the sound that really sets these apart. Like the Nuraphones before them, what you hear is nothing short of exceptional, especially for a pair of headphones under £200, with everything wonderfully balanced, letting sounds you didn’t know even existed drift into the mix. Dare I say it, but I think I might even have heard the bass track on Metallica’s …And Justice for All (maybe).

The only EQ option you have (or really need) is an Immersion setting, which is basically a bass boost. Of course, all this goes to pot as soon as you listen to someone else’s sound profile, but then that’s sort of the point. We all have different ears and respond to different frequencies, so the fact that my partner’s profile sounds like a swampy mess to me suggests that yes, maybe I did spend far too much of my youth turning it up to 11. – AM

£199, nuraphone.com

Flare Calmer

What are the most annoying sounds you can think of? Nails scratching down a chalkboard? Car alarms? It could be that our ears, through thousands of years of evolution, are sort of designed to find these sounds particularly unpleasant to act as a warning that danger is imminent.

That’s great for our ancient ancestors, listening out for prowling sabre-tooth tigers, but for us modern humans it’s just plain annoying. In fact, according to audio specialists Flare, the shape of the eardrum itself acts as a bell, adding 20db of distortion-causing resonance.

This irritating distortion could impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, so the idea behind the Flare Calmer earplugs is that they change the shape of the eardrum to cut out the particularly annoying distorted frequencies between 2,000-8,000 Hz. By doing this, they claim to reduce ear fatigue, noise-induced headaches and overall stress levels.

So does it work? Well, it’s hard to tell how much earplugs can reduce your overall stress in the midst of a global pandemic, protests in the streets and the ever-present threat of a toddler walking into your Zoom meetings, but what is certain is that after using them almost constantly for a few weeks now, there are definitely benefits to having them in.

For a start, it is noticeable that the very worst day-to-day frequencies are reduced, and this has the knock-on effect that they are ultimately less annoying. The same can be said when you have them underneath headphones, and although they change the sounds slightly, it makes music a little warmer and notches down the intensity.

Another side effect that has been noted by other users, not that I can verify and was entirely unexpected by Flare, is that it reduces the constant ringing experienced by those suffering from tinnitus. – AM

£19.99

HyperX wireless gaming setup

HyperX are big names in gaming peripherals (they even have their own esports arena in Las Vegas), so it’s no wonder their kit maxes out on quality and features. Their suite of wireless gear doesn’t disappoint.

First up you’ll need 7.1 headphones, and the HyperX Cloud Fight S ­­headset has some seriously good surround sound. You can control chat/audio balance from the headset itself, ideal for those vital mission strategy briefings without interrupting play, and the swivelling ear cups on the headset allows them to sit comfortably around your neck for when you need a breather (or snack).

The butter-like softness of the leatherette and memory foam innards makes them plush and extremely easy to wear, even for all-day and night gaming marathons, and is weighted enough so that it’s stable when sitting on the charging pad, but not too heavy that it becomes uncomfortable after a few hours of continuous wear.

The reassuringly familiar design of the HyperX Pulsefire Dart mouse is ergonomic and has satisfying leatherette side grips. It’s weighty and feels ‘solid’ in your hand, but does an excellent job of gliding effortlessly across your desk surface, and the fun part – you can customise the RGB lighting using the NGENUITY software.

The battery life on both headset and mouse far exceed that of a PS4 controller and can be charged wirelessly at the same time on the sleek Chargeplay Base. As a bonus, when you’re busy fragging zombies you can charge any Qi-enabled device. – HS

Cloud Flight S headset, £149.99

Pulsefire Dart mouse, £89.99

Chargeplay Base, £49.99

Ember Mug² and Travel Mug²

Nothing stirs the soul of a Brit more than the thought of a piping hot cup of tea. However, a cold and forgotten cuppa is practically an insult to Queen and country. The Ember Mug² is a very elegant (if expensive), solution to this distinctly British problem.

By connecting the Ember mug to your smartphone via the accompanying app, you get a notification when your brew has reached your perfect temperature, and a heating element in the bottom of the mug keeps it toasty warm until you have finished every last drop.

Weirdly, when we tested it out we found you had to use two teabags to get a good strong brew and were a little disappointed that it can’t be charged via USB (something to do with it drawing a lot of power means it needs its own plug socket), but that is a small price to pay for a sizable 414ml mug of perfectly temperate tea. Milk, no sugar (and two bags) please.

You can also now pick up the Ember Travel Mug², which is great for warm drinks on the go. -AM

£129.95

Yoto Player interactive audio player

Cassettes were great, weren’t they… Ok, the sound was rubbish, you couldn’t skip tracks and they never lasted too long before they were gobbled up by the tape monster (you know what I mean), but as a kid I used to love listening to stories on them.

For me there was something deeply satisfying about slotting the tapes into the player, pressing play and getting lost in a ripping yarn, and the Yoto Player is a modern-day equivalent just as tactile and exciting. Except it sounds good.

Instead of tapes, this groovy little audio player works by slotting in cards, each of which contains a story to listen to. There are loads of classic tales to pick from, such as The Gruffalo and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as other cards with podcasts, radio and activities on. Instead of a screen it has a cutesy pixelated display, which along with chunky buttons for volume and skipping tracks, the whole device is completely kid-friendly (even my two-year-old was able to get to grips with it).

Whatever the circumstances, keeping kids entertained without having to resort to a tablet can be a struggle, so the Yoto Player is a definitely one of the better ways to keep their little minds whirring and imagination sparked.

As of July, for £12.99 Yoto also run a monthly subscription package which, amongst other treats, sends you two new cards to listen to every month, a postcard and an ever-growing colouring art piece to keep those creative juices flowing. – AM

£79.99 for the Yoto Player + cards from £1.99, yotoplay.com

Theragun Prime massage gun

Recently you might have noticed that social media is filled with deeply satisfying slow-mo videos of people pummelling their legs with massage guns, but what exactly is going on? Well rather than having to fork out on physiotherapy, massage guns are like having a private masseur on hand for a quick post-workout session – the Theragun is the one such gadget.

It looks like a cross between a weapon and a power tool (and actually when you switch it on you could be forgiven for thinking it’s both) but in reality, the Theragun Prime is a percussive therapy device, designed to massage your muscles by rapidly applying pressure to your body up to 40 times per second.

It claims to get 60 per cent deeper into your muscles than other massagers, increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation, muscle tension, and working out any knots that have developed.

Read more about the science of health:

The triangular handle makes it easy to hold from any angle, allowing you to really pick out problem areas without having to bend at all angles to get at it, and while it’s far from silent, it’s definitely not as loud as something beating at 2,400 percussions a minute in your hand should be.

The documentation for how to use the Theragun could do with a little work, and the app isn’t super helpful either, offering only a few routines and a guide as to how much pressure you’re applying. In fact, it was two weeks before I discovered you could switch it on without even needing to go through the app, however, once I worked out this now very obvious feature, I was using it daily.

It was a revelation to be able to pick it up and work on knotted muscles I didn’t even know existed and massage specific parts of my body that were feeling sorry for themselves after working out all day (read that as standing at my desk).

I’ve mostly been using it at the beginning of the day to get the blood flowing and at night before bed, and it definitely releases some of the muscle tension that has built up over the day. This being said, I’m no medical expert, so it’s worth researching online to find out exactly how to use it safely. – AM

£275

MiniBrew CRAFT home brewing kit

Anyone who has ever tried making homebrew beer will know that it’s one heck of a messy job, so anything that can take out the graft and cut straight to the tasty bit will be sweet nectar to any budding brewmaster’s ear.

The MiniBrew CRAFT is an all-in-one worktop home brewing machine, which takes you from raw ingredients to a keg of around five litres of freshly poured beer in around 10 days. Ok, that’s not a quick as popping down to the local off licence, but in these strange times anything that’ll keep you safely out of the open is welcome.

Beginners can pick the type of beer they want to make using brew kits, which cost between £17 and £30, but more experienced brewers can use the app to create their own liquid masterpieces. We’ll cheers to that!

£1,022, minibrew.io, buy now from Amazon UK and beerwulf.com

SNOO Smart Sleeper

Babies are fickle little things – one moment they’re all snoozy woozy curled up in bed, and the next they’re bawling little demons for absolutely no apparent reason. For parents there is no more entertaining time of day for them to partake in this little pastime of theirs than in the middle of the night, so anything that can claw back a few moments of sleep before the next round of stinky nappies and thrown-up milk is welcome.

The SNOO smart bassinet claims to soothe your baby back to sleep in just 30 seconds through a combination of white noise and adaptive rocking, which gets more vigorous the more the baby cries. I say claims, as giving it a spin with number two (yey me) didn’t go entirely to plan.

For the SNOO to work, the baby has to be wrapped in a special swaddle that clips to the bassinet to stop them from rolling around as it rocks back and forth. Said baby was not cool with swaddling. We did eventually manage to get him in, and actually, once the SNOO was in full swing he seems pretty content with the situation (or maybe confused), but ultimately the little fella never really had any issues sleeping in the first place (again, yey me). Ironically our first child would probably have loved it…

Unsurprisingly, with celebs like Beyoncé, Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman giving it a big thumbs up, this is a full-on luxury parenting product, and having passed a keen eye over a number of cribs in my time, is easily one of the best looking, but can you really afford to spend the best part of £1,000 at this point in your life? Well, that depends on how much of a price you can put on sleep. If the SNOO works for you, it’ll be worth its weight in gold, but if like me it doesn’t work out, there is a no questions asked 30-day refund. – AM

£1145

Ultion SMART lock

Got a house stacked with cool gadgets? Great, but how secure is it – specifically, the door? With that in mind, the gateway to your veritable Aladdin’s Cave of goodies should not only be safe, but also smart.

If you’re into ‘lock stats’, you’ll be pleased to hear the Ultion SMART lock features an 11 pin internal system and a potential 294,970 key combinations, as well as a lockdown mode if it gets attacked. For the non lock-aficionados out there, Ultion has stuck a £1,000 guarantee on it, which sounds like they’re pretty confident of its security credentials.

If turning a key is too much for you, the motorised lock will turn with but a gentle tap, and for the seriously lazy you can ask Apple or Amazon’s voice assistants Siri and Alexa to do it for you, hands-free. Similarly, it can automatically lock or unlock when a trusted person is near using GPS and Bluetooth.

The whole thing is battery operated (and should last well over a year) and doesn’t require any cables or drill to install, just a screwdriver. And on top of all that, as far as door locks go, it looks rather fetching too.

From £229, ultion-lock.co.uk

Looking for even more cool gadgets?

Wow, you’ve made it this far… you must really like gadgets! That’s great, but the fun doesn’t end here. We regularly update this list so bookmark it if you want to see the latest tech news and what we reckon are the must-have gadgets to get your mitts on this year.

And if you think we’ve missed some blindingly obvious devices then let us know on Twitter and we’ll have a look at it in the near future.