Tech & gadgets

The Beats Pill is the best Bluetooth speaker for most people who want one portable speaker for home, yard and trips in 2026, at $149.99; the Marshall Emberton III suits campers and travelers who need the longest battery, at $179.99. The cheapest option, the Tribit StormBox Micro 3, costs $64.99.

1. 1. Beats Pill8.9
2. 2. JBL Charge 68.7
3. 3. Marshall Emberton III8.7

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is the best bone conduction headphone for runners and cyclists who want to hear traffic in 2026, with a 12-hour battery for $179.95; Shokz OpenRun Air 2 suits runners who want a lighter pair for $129.95, and Suunto Wing 2 suits cyclists with LED lights for $179. The cheapest option is the Nank Runner Pro2 at $69.99 on sale.

1. 1. Shokz OpenRun Pro 28.7
2. 2. Shokz OpenRun Air 28.6
3. 3. Suunto Wing 28.4

The Anker soundcore Q31i is the best budget headphones for most buyers who want wireless over-ear noise cancelling under $100 in 2026, at $89.99; the Sony WH-CH720N suits people who want a light, simple pair from a big brand, at $89.99 on sale when we checked. The cheapest option, the Anker soundcore Q20i, costs $69.99.

1. 1. Anker soundcore Q31i8.8
2. 2. Sony WH-CH720N8.7
3. 3. EarFun Wave Pro8.6

The Google Pixel 9a is the best budget smartphone for buyers who want a capable phone under $500 in 2026, at $499 with 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates; the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G suits buyers who want IP68 and six OS upgrades for less, from $449.99. The cheapest option, the moto g play 2026, costs $199.99 on sale.

1. 1. Google Pixel 9a8.8
2. 2. Nothing Phone (4a) Pro8.6
3. 3. Samsung Galaxy A37 5G8.6

Soundcore P31i is the best budget wireless earbud in 2026 for listeners who want noise cancelling, LDAC and long battery for $59.99; CMF Buds Pro 2 suit Android users who want dual drivers and a physical dial at $49, the cheapest verified price here. EarFun Air Pro 4 are the pick for the most features under $100 at a $89.99 list price.

1. 1. Soundcore P31i8.9
2. 2. CMF Buds Pro 28.8
3. 3. EarFun Air Pro 48.8

The Kobo Libra Colour is the best e-reader for readers who borrow library ebooks and want color and page-turn buttons in 2026, at $259.99; the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite suits readers who buy from the Kindle Store and want up to 12 weeks of battery life. The cheapest pick with a verified US price, the Kobo Clara BW, costs $159.99.

1. 1. Kobo Libra Colour8.7
2. 2. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite8.6
3. 3. Kobo Clara BW8.5

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni is the best gaming headset for PC and console players who want clear voice chat and positional audio in 2026, at $399.99. The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro suits competitive players who want a full band mic and low latency, at US$259.99 list or US$209.99 on sale when we checked. The cheapest list price, the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless, costs $179.99.

1. 1. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni8.9
2. 2. Razer BlackShark V3 Pro8.8
3. 3. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 28.7

Sony WF-1000XM6 is the best noise cancelling earbud in 2026 for travelers and commuters who want the strongest quiet on any phone, at a $329.99 list price; AirPods Pro 3 suit iPhone owners at $249. Sony WF-C710N is the cheapest pick here, with an MSRP of $129.99.

1. 1. Sony WF-1000XM69.0
2. 2. Apple AirPods Pro 38.9
3. 3. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)8.7

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best noise cancelling headphones for commuters and office workers in 2026; the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) suit people who want maximum comfort and lossless USB-C audio, at $449 list or $369 on sale when we checked. The cheapest option, the Anker Soundcore Space One, costs $99.99.

1. 1. Sony WH-1000XM68.9
2. 2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)8.8
3. 3. Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)8.7

Shokz OpenFit 2 is the best open-ear earbud in 2026 for people who want to hear their surroundings all day at work, outdoors or at home, at $179.95 with up to 11 hours per charge; Soundcore AeroFit 2 suits buyers who want an adjustable hook and wireless charging for $129.99. Cleer ARC 4 is the cheapest pick at $99.99.

1. 1. Shokz OpenFit 28.9
2. 2. Soundcore AeroFit 28.7
3. 3. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)8.6

The Sonos Era 100 is the best smart speaker for households that want strong music sound with Alexa voice control in 2026, at $219; the Apple HomePod mini 2 suits iPhone homes that want Siri and a HomeKit hub, at $149. The cheapest pick with a verified US price, the Google Home Speaker, costs $79.99 on sale ($99.99 list).

1. 1. Apple HomePod mini 28.6
2. 2. Sonos Era 1008.6
3. 3. Google Home Speaker8.5

The Apple Watch Series 12 is the best smartwatch for iPhone owners who want notifications, health tracking and Apple Pay in 2026, from $399; the Google Pixel Watch 5 suits Android owners, at $299.99 on sale or $399.99 regular. The cheapest option, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, costs $169.99.

1. 1. Apple Watch Series 129.1
2. 2. Google Pixel Watch 58.9
3. 3. Apple Watch SE 38.7

Sonos Beam Ultra is the best soundbar for TV owners who want clearer dialogue and fuller sound in 2026, with four levels of AI Speech Enhancement and true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos for $699; Sonos Arc Ultra suits large rooms and big TVs for $1,099. The cheapest pick is Roku Streambar SE at $99.99 on a limited-time offer, with Low, High and Auto speech clarity settings.

1. 1. Sonos Arc Ultra8.8
2. 2. Sonos Beam Ultra8.8
3. 3. Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar8.7

Apple AirPods Pro 3 are the best wireless earbuds for most iPhone owners in 2026, at $249 with IP57 protection and heart rate sensing; Sony WF-1000XM6 suit buyers on any phone who want top sound and noise cancelling, at a $329.99 list price. AirPods 5 are the cheapest pair here, from $129.

1. 1. Apple AirPods Pro 39.1
2. 2. Google Pixel Buds Pro 28.8
3. 3. Sony WF-1000XM68.8

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best wireless headphones for most people in 2026, at $379.99 on sale or $459.99 list; the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) suits buyers who put comfort and spatial movie sound first, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 suits music lovers who want up to 60 hours of battery for $299.95. The cheapest option, the Anker Soundcore Space One, costs $99.99.

1. 1. Sony WH-1000XM68.9
2. 2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)8.8
3. 3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless8.7

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is the best workout earbud in 2026 for runners and gym users who want a hook fit that does not move, at $249.99; Apple AirPods Pro 3 suit iPhone owners who want IP57 protection in a regular in-ear shape at $249. Soundcore Sport X20 is the cheapest pick here, with a regular price of $79.99.

1. 1. Beats Powerbeats Pro 29.0
2. 2. Apple AirPods Pro 38.9
3. 3. Soundcore Sport X208.8