I reviewed 99 products this year. These are my favourite gadgets of 2024
The best gadgets of 2024 weren't necessarily the ones you would expect.
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2024 is almost done. What a year!
To celebrate BTTR's survival through what was a pretty tough year, I want to champion the 10 products that most impressed me in 2024. I tested 99 products over the past 12 months, and while I had hoped to hit 100 reviews, 99 is no small feat.
Out of those 99 products, these are the 10 products that have most impressed me. I tested products from 42 different brands across 24 different categories, so while this list doesn't cover every product that launched in 2024, it's still a pretty solid cross-section of the year that was.
So what was the best product of the year? Keep reading to find out.
10: Sonos Arc Ultra
Nick Broughall
Sonos had a pretty rough year in 2024 thanks to some average software, but its hardware was exemplary.
Despite launch delays due to a focus on improving its broken app experience, the Arc Ultra soundbar was a beautiful speaker to look at and listen to.
The secret sauce here is a technology called Sound Motion, which allows for a huge step-change in the level of bass produced by the soundbar. These new drivers create a 9.1.4 audio configuration from the Arc Ultra, without any subwoofer or wireless surrounds in the setup.
Of course, when you do add a pair of wireless surrounds and a subwoofer like the Sonos Sub 4, you get an even more immersive audio experience. But even on its own, the Arc Ultra sounds incredible.
With additional improvements to speech enhancement and night modes, plus dedicated Bluetooth connectivity and easier on-device volume controls, The Arc Ultra is comfortably at the top of my home theatre wishlist.
9: Ninja FrostVault Cooler
Nick Broughall
It has no battery, doesn't use electricity or have a screen. It is definitively low-tech. But there is a real slap on the forehead moment when you realise just how clever Ninja's designers were to put a food drawer underneath the main ice compartment with its FrostVault cooler.
It's a simple solution to an age-old problem, of getting your food all soggy while trying to keep it cold. By placing the food drawer underneath the ice box, it keeps your food at a food-safe temperature for a couple of days, while also keeping it dry and secure from pests.
It's a total game-changer for picnics and camping. You can pack enough meat for a couple of nights and know that it will keep fresh without contaminating your ice as it melts. You can pack things like cheese boards, knowing that the crackers won't get wet and soggy, while the cheese will stay fresh.
Honestly, it's not tech, but it is such a brilliant solution to a vexing problem with any cooler it is definitely one of my favourite products of the year.
8: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
Nick Broughall
Sequels aren't a new thing in the tech world. Consumer electronics companies are always upgrading and improving their products, trying to persuade you to upgrade to the shiniest new thing.
I reviewed both the OpenRun Pro and the OpenRun Pro 2 this year, and the step up from the first generation to the second was huge.
Shokz did this by combining its traditional bone conduction technology with the air conduction tech found in its Openfit earbuds. The end result is an impressively balanced sound, with heaps of bass, solid mid-range and plenty of detail in the high end.
But all of that detail comes in headphones that don't block your ears, so you can still hear your surrounding environment. There's still a bit of noise leakage, as you would expect, but to be expected with the form factor.
Shokz also moved away from a proprietary charger to a standard USB-C port, and with 12 hours of battery life and an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, these are a fantastic pair of headphones for runners.
7: Samsung Music Frame
Nick Broughall
Samsung wasn't the first company to turn a speaker into a piece of art. But the Music Frame, which launched this year as an audio companion to the beautiful Frame TV sets, is a product that makes it easy to have customised art on your speakers.
Shipping with a white mat board with space for a 8 x 10 photo or art work, you can easily change out the art work for your own photo, which is a good start.
But even better is the partnership Samsung arranged with digital printing service MARPPLE, which allows users to create full-sized acrylic prints to fill the speaker's entire 13 x 13 inch facade.
As a speaker, the Frame has plenty of grunt. It is best for people who already have products in the Samsung ecosystem, particularly given its reliance on the SmartThings app for control, but it works well enough as just a Bluetooth or AirPlay speaker that you can use it in any home.
The speaker comes with a wall mounting kit and a table top stand in the box, which makes it easy to set up in any environment.
I think Samsung will improve on the features and functions of the Frame in future generations. But I really loved the commitment to turning your art into music. Or should that be turning your music into art?
6: Moto RAZR 50 Ultra
Nick Broughall
If I look back across the 27 phone reviews I wrote this year, there wasn't a huge amount of revolution. Most phones were iterative upgrades with slightly better processors or cameras. Or, the manufacturers tried to sell the idea of generative AI as a game-changing feature, when really it was generic slop.
The phone that impressed me most this year was the RAZR 50 Ultra from Motorola.
While it boasted some level of AI functionality, and had an iterative specs boost over the previous model, Motorola also did some impressive things with the RAZR's external screen. Namely, it was large enough that it could run pretty much any Android app, without needing to open the phone.
Testing this side by side with the Galaxy Flip6 really highlighted just how useful this could be. While the Samsung model had more power, its external screen was limited to certain widgets and functions like replying to messages.
It wasn't perfect. Some apps didn't really like the smaller screen, and others couldn't transition well from closed to open. But it was still a big step up over previous flip phones.
When you pair it with the stunning design and great cameras, this was my favourite phone to test this year. I would have loved it even more if it had a bit more processing power, but maybe that'll come next year.
5: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC
Nick Broughall
I was skeptical that Apple would be able to deliver decent noise cancellation from open-ear earbuds. Other brands have tried it before, but none have really been able to block out external sounds without making things sound weird.
But somehow, the AirPods 4 with ANC work. They work well. They work so well I actually prefer them to my first generation AirPod Pros, which surprised me even more.
The fit is way more secure than I would have expected, and the sound quality is really well balanced. Combined with spatial audio – either through Apple Music or while watching video mixed in Atmos – and these earbuds offer an incredible experience.
I'd still like to see improvements to the transparency mode and the conversation awareness feature that drops audio volume when it thinks you are talking. I also didn't really notice any real benefits to the adaptive mode Apple has introduced here.
But if you are looking for a pair of AirPods, the the AirPods 4 with ANC offer incredible bang for your buck.
4: Shark FlexBreeze Fan
Nick Broughall
I typically spend Christmas Day celebrating with family at my mother-in-law's home. She has a pool and the kids love to swim, but the house itself doesn't have air conditioning, and gets really hot and stuffy.
But this year, I brought along the Shark FlexBreeze, and I have to tell you, it was brilliant. This versatile fan looks like a pretty basic pedestal fan, with a 4.5 metre power cable rated for both indoor and outdoor use. But if you pull the cable out, the fan's battery kicks and and keeps on cooling you down.
There are five fan speeds and three levels of horizontal oscillation, which help to spread the cooler air around the home.
But if you need a more direct source of cooling, the fan unit pops out of the pedestal with an integrated standing base, so you can pop it on a table to blow cooling air.
For Christmas, it helped everyone in the kitchen survive the Summer heat a lot more easily than previous years. And that's without the optional misting attachment, which lets you connect the fan to a garden hose to spray a fine, cooling mist outdoors.
Honestly, this fan is another example of exceptional product design, where it's functional and stylish. If you're in the market for a pedestal or tabletop fan, this is what I would choose.
3: Sonos Ace
Nick Broughall
I do feel bad for the engineers at Sonos. The launch of the company's first headphone product was meant to be a cause for celebration, but instead was marred by a rushed and buggy app rollout.
It's such a shame because the Sonos Ace are some of the best headphones I have ever used.
Sound quality is impeccable, with full-bodied bass and exceptional clarity across the full audio spectrum. Listening to Jeff Buckley's cover of Hallelujah was a near-religious experience with these headphones.
You also get Atmos playback, which is delivered with head tracking, making everything really immersive. Sonos' special sauce for these headphones is the ability to pair it with a Sonos soundbar, and easily transfer the full surround audio from the home theatre to your headphones with the press of a button, and it works flawlessly.
The sound quality is matched by the headphones' comfort, which doesn't create any form of pressure on your ears, or get overly sweaty either. I've sat wearing these headphones for hours, playing video games and listening to music and you don't feel like you need to take them off for a break.
There is a premium price tag on these headphones, but I would argue it's definitely worth it, particularly if you already use a Sonos soundbar. It's such a shame the launch was marred by the Sonos app's problems.
2: DJI Neo
Nick Broughall
DJI makes better drones than the Neo. But nothing comes close to this in terms of versatility and simplicity.
The Neo is designed to be controlled without having to pull out your phone or a controller. You can cycle through six different shooting modes, and activate them all from the drone itself, with the on-board software tracking you for the shot. It can follow you while you walk, or shoot up to the sky and record footage pointing straight down.
Of course, you can still use a controller or your smartphone to fly the Neo. But if you're someone who creates a lot of content, then the drone's ability to record about 40 minutes of 4K footage single-handedly is absolutely brilliant.
The drone weighs just 135 grams, and launches from the palm of your hand, making it easy to take with you anywhere. You get about 15 minutes of flight time from a single battery, which isn't a lot, but batteries can be swapped quickly and effortlessly, so it's worth picking up some spares.
Honestly, the Neo is the first drone I've ever really considered buying. And since I reviewed the drone DJI launched a software update allowing you to film in 16:9 aspect ratio, which makes it even more useful for anyone looking to create TikTok content natively on the drone.
With a starting price of $299 for the drone, it's hard to go past the Neo as a starting point for any first-time droners.
1: Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni
Nick Broughall
My favourite product this year was a window-cleaning robot. I don't know what that says about me – do I really hate cleaning glass that much?
Like a few of the other products in this list, the Winbot W2 Pro Omni is impeccably designed. It all comes in a self-contained box, which can be easily transported with its handle around your home to clean all of your windows, inside and out.
If you aren't near a power point, then there's an integrated battery that will let you clean remotely, with a single cable connecting the window cleaner itself to the base unit.
The Winbot uses suction power to attach to your window vertically, and there is a real wow moment the first time you do it. Once attached, you stand back and let the Winbot do its job, systematically working its way around your window, spraying cleaning solution and wiping it off as it goes.
The end result is a streak-free clean of your windows in a few minutes and with next to no real effort.
But it's a pricey product, which places it deeply in the luxury items department. It is likely overkill for most people, but it's just so well designed and so impressive to watch that it was comfortably my favourite review product of 2024.
So, these are my 10 favourite products of the year. It's obviously based entirely on the sample of products I personally reviewed, and there's a bunch of products I didn't get to look at I would have loved to try out.
Products like the Apple Vision Pro, the ROG Ally X and the Samsung Galaxy Ring all looked like interesting products, but I wasn't able to review them this year.
As we head into 2025, tell me what you think! What were your top products of 2024? Let me know in comments, or drop me a message on social media.
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