Best of CES 2026 awards finalists announced: How to see the nominees, find out the winners

CES turns Las Vegas into the epicenter of the tech world every January, bringing together industry giants and scrappy startups alike to debut the ideas that will shape the year ahead. From cutting-edge AI and robotics to TVs, laptops, and some truly weird tech, CES 2026 delivered no shortage of bold claims and ambitious hardware.

Now, we’re excited to announce our official Best of CES 2026 finalists.

Selected on the ground in Las Vegas, these finalists represent the most compelling, innovative, and forward-thinking products at the show. They were hand-picked by more than 40 expert journalists from CNET, Mashable, PCMag, ZDNET, and Lifehacker, with additional input from Ziff Davis sister sites Everyday Health and IGN.

To qualify, products had to be official CES 2026 exhibitors and stand out by introducing a meaningful new idea, solving a real consumer problem, or raising the bar for performance, design, or quality. The result is a finalist list that spans 22 categories, from AI and robotics to wellness, sustainability, and future tech.

Best of CES 2026 Finalist Categories

• Best Age Tech

• Best AI

• Best Audio

• Best Deep Computing Tech

• Best Energy Tech

• Best Future Tech

• Best Gaming

• Best Kitchen Tech

• Best Laptop

• Best Mobile Tech

• Best Parent Tech

• Best Pet Tech

• Best Robot

• Best Smart Home Tech

• Best Startup

• Best Sustainability

• Best Transportation

• Best Travel Tech

• Best TV or Home Theater

• Best Weird Tech

• Best Wellness Tech

• Best Yard or Outdoor Tech

The official Best of CES 2026 winners will be announced live today, Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 4 p.m. PST on the CTA stage at the LVCC Central Hall Grand Lobby.

After the ceremony, we'll update this page with the full list of winners — so check back soon.