The best home gadgets of 2026

Walk into nearly any bathroom, and there's a good chance you're sitting on a Bemis—and that ubiquity is earned. America's largest toilet seat manufacturer is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2026, and for generations it's been the name we reach for when we need a toilet seat that simply works, thanks to thoughtful touches like soft-close lids, STA-TITE installation that never loosens, and a Universal Fit design (a winner of our Best Bathroom Innovation award at KBIS 2025) that fits both round and elongated bowls and takes the guesswork out of replacement for homeowners and plumbers alike. But Bemis isn't content to coast on the basics: The brand keeps pushing the category forward with app-controlled bidet seats like the Bio Bidet BB-1200 and 2000 and accessibility-minded options like the Empower Clean Care. Dependable, affordable, and quietly innovative even at 125, Bemis is the brand we trust for the most-used seat in the house.

Few names carry more weight at the front door than Kwikset. Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026, the brand has spent eight decades building locks we trust to keep homes secure—it's been the No. 1 name in residential locksets since the 1950s—and its signature SmartKey technology, which lets you re-key a lock yourself in seconds and guards against advanced break-in techniques, remains one of the smartest features in the category. What earns Kwikset our trust now is how gracefully it has carried that reliability into the smart era. Whether you want a traditional deadbolt, a fingerprint-reading Halo Touch, a touchscreen Halo Select with up to 250 user codes, or the Matter-ready Aura Reach, Kwikset offers a deep, dependable lineup that plays nicely with Alexa and Google Assistant. From the hardware aisle to the smart home, Kwikset is the brand we count on to lock up.

When we want smart lighting that's as fun as it is functional, we turn to Govee—and this year it backed that trust up with hardware, taking home two Best of Year awards for its Uplighter Floor Lamp (Best Smart Floor Lamp) and Outdoor Solar String Lights (Best String Lights). We're not alone in our enthusiasm: Govee swept CES 2026 with 36 Best of CES awards from outlets across the industry, and its design chops have earned it Red Dot and iF Design honors, too. But our confidence in Govee runs the length of its catalog. Its M1 LED strip is our pick for the best smart light strip you can buy it. It’s the No. 1 best-selling permanent outdoor lighting brand, and its range—from TV backlights and permanent outdoor lights to ceiling lights, lantern lamps, and curtain lights—is unmatched for breadth and creativity. Across the board, Govee delivers near-effortless app setup, deep smart home integration, and the signature, saturated RGBIC color that no one does better. For lighting that brings a home to life, Govee is the brand we trust.

Stop flushing away key indicators of your health every day with Kohler’s revolutionary Dekoda at-home health tracker. This device wowed us at KBIS with its smart premise: By attaching to your toilet bowl, the Dekoda uses optical sensors, advanced spectroscopy, and machine learning to monitor your hydration, bathroom routine, and gut health, and can even alert you if you have blood in your stool. These critical health indicators get sent securely to Kohler’s Health app so you can track your wellness privately, and the self-clamping technology itself is so sleek and discreet that no one but you will know where you’re getting your critical health info.

Comfortable and feature-packed, the Brondell Swash 1400 is our pick for the best bidet seat you can install. Great adjustability and an effective remote control make it supremely accessible, and we loved that you can program preferred settings for two users. What settings? With the 1400, features include a seat warmer (which we very much appreciated), a deodorizer, an air drying setting, and warm water. The Swash 1400 is a premium product at a premium price, delivering top-notch comfort and cleaning performance.

For the cleanest, healthiest, yummiest water, the Waterdrop X Series Dual Flow RO System (X12-Pro) is the best reverse osmosis filter we’ve tested. The Waterdrop’s 11-stage filtration system reduces chlorine, fluoride, PFAS, lead, and arsenic in your home’s water, making it cleaner and purer with a “fresh and clean” taste. Our tester loved the system’s Dual Flow setup, which gives you filtered water from your existing faucet for washing dishes or produce and adds a smart faucet flowing reverse osmosis filtered water for drinking—and we think having the cleanest, tastiest water at the turn of a tap is “a convenience that can’t be overstated.”

Easy to use, attractive, and filled with pictures of (and even from) your loved ones, the Arzopa D14 digital picture frame is a great gift and an even better piece of home décor. We love the brushed brass frame itself, which fits seamlessly into a grouping of traditional framed photos or other decorative elements, and syncing photos, both our own and those from invited users, was fast and simple—an important factor for a frame that can hold and display as many as 80,000 family snapshots or vintage pictures. And setup took only a few minutes, making it approachable even for the least tech-friendly grandparents or analog fans.

Every digital frame can display your photos, but only the Homture AI Magic Frame brings them to life. Just like a traditional digital frame, you can upload old or current digital pictures (and invite your family and friends to upload theirs, too) for display, but that’s where the similarity stops. Homture’s frame uses the power of AI to bring movement and flow to still shots, whether it’s animating a loved one’s wave to you or showing night falling on the skyline snap you took on vacation. It can even sharpen clarity or restore damaged older photos—it’s your photos, but in a way you’ve never seen them before.

The right throw blanket feels like being wrapped in a warm hug, and in our testing, the Snuggle Sac Snug Cozy Reversible Leopard Feather Yarn Knit Throw Blanket is the kind of embrace you want to sink right into. We found the microfiber feather yarn to be light, soft, and cozy—and we love that it’s OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, free from more than 1,000 harmful substances. For snuggles at home that are warm and snug but never too hot, the Snuggle Sac is our go-to.

Mess-free, odorless, and safe for homes with pets and kids, the Zevo Flying Insect Trap is incredibly effective at keeping fruit flies, gnats, house flies, and other flying nuisances out of your home airspace. Zevo’s plug-in trap impressed us with its easy-to-use cartridge system and low energy consumption, and it kept even challenging areas, like the sink and the garbage, in our tester’s home free from bugs. It’s cost-effective and chemical-free, and we think it’s the best solution for indoor flying insects.

Our tester called the first version of the Skylight digital calendar a sanity saver for the way it centralized her busy family’s calendar, grocery list, and meal-planning info — and while we haven’t published our review of the upgraded Skylight 2 yet, take it from us: It’s made a good thing even better. The Skylight 2 is faster and brighter, and our team says the recipe-saving, chore-list-displaying, calendar-syncing features make it an “essential tool” for busy moms and dads.

The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp is three lights in one, with a ceiling-facing ripple for mood lighting, a powerful downlight for reading, and a customizable RGBIC glowing middle unit. The “refreshingly easy” setup and build quality impressed our tester; in fact, its design is what earned it a place just a step ahead of its sister floor lamps, Govee’s Floor Lamp 3 and Lantern Floor Lamp. The functionality you can manage with the app makes this smart lamp stand out in the broader market. Cycle through 80-plus preloaded lighting scenes or create your own; set up lighting schedules; sync the lights to music; and link it to your Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant account to control it with voice commands. There’s no reason your floor lamp can’t be as smart as the rest of your home, and the Uplighter makes that obvious.

For adding ambiance to your patio or deck, nothing beats the warm glow of string lights, and we have named the best of this year as the Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights. Powered by a 180-degree adjustable solar panel for efficient charging that keeps the lights on for up to 13 hours, these are optimized for the outdoors with an IP67 waterproof rating and ETFE technology, making them durable in temperatures as low as -4°F and as high as 104°F. But what sets them apart is Govee’s signature commitment to incredible color: These lights excel at creating not just the soft white lights that add so much ambiance, but also low-saturation and pastel colors that really pop. In fact, Govee’s solar-powered string lights have 281 trillion (yes, with a T) color possibilities and 100 different preset scenes. They sync with music, too. Can your string lights do that?

Some products are so good they transcend their category’s traditional limits, and the Midea Cube is one of them. Our tester called the Cube “an entire rethink of how [dehumidifiers] work” for its “staggering” tank capacity and incredible efficiency at pulling moisture from the air. The Cube draws the least power among its competitive set while lowering humidity levels faster. The bottom line? You can run this unit for days without emptying it, even as it draws large amounts of water from the atmosphere. It’s powerful, smart, and changing the way we think about dehumidifiers.

Molekule’s Mo Glow ultrasonic humidifier is the first of its kind from Molekule’s more affordable, smarter Mo line, and it’s an outstanding choice for small spaces. Its compact size, quiet operation, and easy-to-clean build (with dishwasher-friendly parts!) impressed our tester, and we liked the combination of simple on-device controls and a smart app that offers more customizable options, including monitoring the room’s humidity levels and setting humidity targets.

The Kelvin Smart Wall Heater doesn’t look like your average space heater, and it doesn’t perform like one, either — it excels. Quiet, sleek, and energy-efficient, the wall-mounted Kelvin uses infrared heat to gently and safely keep your space warm and cozy. It’s easy to install, delivers quick, noticeable results, and comes with smart monitoring so you can see exactly how much energy you’re using (and saving) while it runs. If you need to heat a specific space, the Kelvin is the smart choice.

Making the move to a smart lock? The Aqara U200 Smart Lock is the best choice. We appreciate that this retrofit lock works with your existing single-cylinder deadbolts, letting you add useful functionality like unlocking the door with your phone, the Apple Home app, or your fingerprint without giving up your existing keys. It’s renter-friendly, easy to use, and our pick for the best of the best.

When we tested the Google Nest Doorbell, its AI-driven enhancements impressed us with their user-friendly applications, such as asking the app for a summary of visitors or searching the video history. With its wide 166-degree field of view, crisp 2K HDR images, and clear night vision, the IP65 weatherproof doorbell is the video doorbell we recommend.

For one camera that does it all, the Reolink OMVI 3i PoE security camera is the best choice. It offers both the wide panoramic shots and the close-up coverage of multi-camera setups thanks to a setup that pairs a 10MP dual-lens module with a 4K 8MP pan-and-tilt camera. Using the Reolink App lets you view the output of both cameras together, so you’re never missing the bigger picture even when you’re zooming in — and you can tap anywhere in the panoramic view to adjust the pan-and-tilt camera instantly, with no manual readjustment or cumbersome zoom required. When you add in the new AI-powered ReoNeura tech, which we first saw at IFA Berlin this past fall, which can identify people, animals, and vehicles in real time (and can filter out false alerts), you have a do-it-all safety camera system in a compact package.

There’s no compromise with the Lasko Xtra Air 48-Inch Smart DC Tower Fan. It’s powerful enough to send cool air 50 feet away, with a face velocity of 23 feet per second, but it’s 20% quieter than previous models. Four modes and a 24-hour programmable timer let you easily customize the feel and cooling level you want. With Google and Alexa compatibility, changing things up is a voice command away.

Cool off even faster with the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S. We first encountered this misting fan at CES 2026 this past January. Designed to be easy to use, easy to clean, and, at 20 dB, near-silent, the 765S leverages a 6-liter tank to give you 7 hours of a fine, 17 micrometer mist (and up to 30 hours on a lower setting), which can drop the temperature as much as 10°F when paired with the 34 feet per second airflow—this cooled us right down after running all over the Las Vegas showfloor. There are 12 speeds and four modes to help you fine-tune the humidity and temperature. For rapid relief from heat in a user-friendly package, the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S delivers.

If you’re ready to take your bird watching (and your backyard ambiance) to the next level, the solar-powered Birdfy Bath Pro Smart Bird Bath is the upgrade your hobby needs. We loved the motion-activated, dual-camera setup that gave us multiple angles on our bird visitors in high definition, with crisp video and pictures even at night. And we found that the solar-powered bubbling fountain brought seriously good vibes to our space. Just make sure you add some rocks so the birds have somewhere to perch and a way to judge depth — for us, that made the difference between no bird visitors and 20 visits in a week.

We’ve tried lots (and lots and lots) of smart bird feeders over the years, so take it from us: The Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 4K AI Camera with Solar Panel is the best of the best. From the high-quality build to the sharp 4K HD camera to the built-in (finally!) solar panel, the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 knocks it out of the park on all fronts. It’s remarkably simple to set up, too, with thoughtful details aimed at bird lovers, like independently operated seed drawers that let you try different types of feed and a well-organized, useful app. If you’re only getting one smart bird feeder, this is a hands-down winner.

Whether taking down small trees or cutting firewood, the Husqvarna 440 is the best gas-powered chainsaw around. It’s easy to start and clearly designed for homeowners, with thoughtful features like starting instructions on the handle. It effortlessly cut through logs as thick as 12 inches around and barely slowed down even at 18-inch logs, making it a workhorse you can rely on. We evaluated Husqvarna’s new 450 model, which has a ton of power and a simple start mechanism that make it an outstanding choice for landowners with sprawling grounds and major forest cover, but we think the excellent performance and user-friendly features of the 440 make it the best choice for most homeowners.

For precision pruning jobs and garden trims where finesse, not just brute power, is called for, the Echo DHS-3006 Handheld Pruning Saw is the best tool for the job. We love that the battery-powered Echo saw has a tool-less chain tensioner and a quickdraw harness ring, and we appreciated the speed and accuracy with which the DHS-3006 took down shrubs and branches. If you’re looking for a handheld saw made for close cuts and careful work, the Echo DHS-3006 delivers.

For years, anyone who wanted to skip gas had few options, but battery tech has finally caught up, and the Ego Power+ LM2135SP is proof. This 21-inch self-propelled cordless mower runs on a 56-volt lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 60 minutes of uninterrupted cutting in our testing, with plenty of torque to keep up with anything a gas mower can do, even on uphill terrain. It’s clean, efficient, and a joy to use: It starts with the press of a button, twin blades make quick work of mulching and cut down on trips to empty the rear bag, and one easy-to-access lever sets the cutting height. The handle slides and folds for effortless storage, and the battery recharges in just 50 minutes with a charger featuring a built-in cooling fan. Best of all, the Ego Power+ was the only mower we tested that could propel itself with the blades off, so there’s no pushing it back to the garage.

This machine really is the GOAT. The Ecovacs Goat A3000 LiDAR Pro robot lawn mower caught our attention on the CES show floor in 2025 and again in 2026 with the added edge-trimmer, but it really shone when we unleashed it on a hilly backyard. We like the way the AI camera and the 360-degree LiDAR create maps that get more detailed each time it mows, and how easy the app is to use. The GOAT mows fast, charges fast, and handles slopes like its namesake, keeping your lawn in check. It’s no wonder it’s our top pick in robot lawn mowers and a second-time Best of Year winner.

A string trimmer is an essential tool for keeping your grass edges under control. Still, the Wild Badger 40V Electric Weed Wacker 4-in-1 Tool goes far beyond grass edges, serving as a multipurpose device that can help you tame weeds, overgrown shrubs, and even small bushes and trees with string trimmer, hedge trimmer, pole saw, and brush cutter attachments. Our tester liked the durable attachments and the long battery life from the dual 20V batteries, which give the 4-in-1 Tool a total of 40V. The Badger 4-in-1 combines the most useful functions in one device, making it a smart buy for new homeowners or users who prefer to keep their tools streamlined.

Flexzilla’s ultra-flexible, ultra-durable, ultra-easy-to-move garden hoses impressed us from the first use — we think it’s the best garden hose for most people, and it’s a repeat winner as the best garden hose of the year. Whether with SwivelGrips or standard (we’ve tested both and they both get top marks), we love the ease of coiling, the lightweight material, the surprisingly robust aluminum fittings, and the bright green color that keeps water cooler than darker hoses. It’s the hose we reach for again and again, and it’s the best one for 2026.

The Aiper IrriSense 2 makes watering your lawn and garden more efficient, more cost-effective, and more precise — oh, and a lot easier, too. The smart sprinkler has a generous 39-foot spray range that covers 4,800 square feet, and it supports up to 10 separate irrigation zones to target different needs, whether it’s high-demand new sod or resilient native plants. We like the granular targeting control the app offers and the easy-for-all 15-minute setup, which means less time fiddling with hoses and more time watching your garden thrive.

The Karcher K4 Power Control has everything you want in a home power washer. It has a powerful spray with a pressure of 1900 PSI that shoots 1.5 gallons per minute, strong enough to strip paint from a sign but gentle enough to wash your car. What we like best: It keeps things simple with just two wands, but offers more versatility than many competitor models with twice as many (or more). It’s a snap to change out the wand or switch the aperture, which makes the K4 Power Control the best pressure washer you can get. Karcher’s newer release, the K 3000 E, is an ultra-powerful alternative for homeowners who want contractor-grade stripping and cleaning power, but for most homes, the K4 has the combination of control, features, and power to get the job done.

The Beatbot Aquasense Ultra 2 distinguishes itself among pool robots for its excellent cleaning and navigation, ease of use, and built-in water clarification technology that kept our tester’s pool clean, sparkling, and inviting, even during the heavy use of spring break with multiple kids. The wireless pool cleaner uses infrared and ultrasonic sensors, as well as its built-in AI camera, to thoroughly map your pool and efficiently scrub fine particles and surface stains from the walls, bottom, and water surface, so your pool is always swim-ready.

The Mileseey S50 Green Beam Laser Measure is precise and easy to use, with a bright green laser light that we can see well even outdoors. The measure gave us right-on-the-money distance measurement down to 1/16th of an inch (and even 1/32nd of an inch on certain measures), and it accurately measured lateral distance, too, with much less work than traditional methods. Whether it’s for home projects, installation jobs, woodworking, or floor plan creation, this is a pro-grade tool at an outstanding price.

Easy to start, easy to use, easy to clean—the Tiki Patio Smokeless Fire Pit is our longtime favorite, and our 2026 retest only proved it: This is the best fire pit for most people. It’s smokeless, with an airflow design that gave us a tall, roaring flame right away and an already-installed ashpan to keep things clean. Best of all? The 16-gauge stainless steel body doesn’t heat up hot enough to burn you, and our tester deemed it “genuinely gorgeous.” If you’re looking for cozy evenings around a fire with no compromises, this is the gold standard.