We sent 11 reporters and editors from Wirecutter to explore the show floors, press conferences, and suites of CES 2017 in Las Vegas. From handheld keyboards to multi-thousand-dollar smart fridges, we took it all in and cut through the hype—dismissing a lot of outlandish gizmos that will likely struggle to make store shelves, let alone impress customers—to find the most promising stuff that might be worth buying in the coming year. We’ll be calling in everything we can over the next few months for testing, of course, but these are the gadgets that look most likely to find places in our lives, and in the lives of our readers.

As four of us huddled around a table meant for two during our all-too-short lunch break, associate editor Kimber Streams remarked, “My favorite part of CES is coming here and seeing companies come up with solutions to problems I've been writing about for years.” Based on what we’ve seen so far, of the six years we’ve been covering CES for The Wirecutter, 2017 stands out as particularly promising in that respect. While we didn't see too many groundbreaking new gadgets, stuff that actually looked practical seemed more abundant. It’s as if the prototypes and technologies we’ve been side-eyeing over the past several years have finally matured in a way that might appeal to most people.



Wi-Fi–connected appliances have been around for a few years, but they’ve finally begun to look useful now that you can ask Alexa to preheat your oven or check on the laundry. The virtual reality setups that were always technically impressive should soon be available with useful functionality, at realistic prices. And true wireless headphones that look and sound good (and even improve on traditional designs in some ways) may finally be available for purchase. We know it’s hard to get things right the first time around (and maybe in 2022, we’ll be revisiting the handheld selfie drone in a new light), but for now these are the things that we think may find a home in your home in 2017.

The living room keyboard we didn’t know we wanted

Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller, March 2017, $55

In the past, the best living room keyboards—the kind you use on the couch to control your television or an attached computer or console—were traditional keyboards with a built-in trackpad on the right side. The Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller is vastly different, more like an old physical cell phone keyboard that swallowed a trackpad. It’s about the size of a gaming controller, and its metal-dome keys are a bit more spacious and comfortable to type on than old mobile keyboards. Even cooler is the fact that the keys have a capacitive layer that allows you to use their tops as a trackpad. The controller supports tap-to-click and standard Windows two- and three-finger gestures, and it has two physical left- and right-click buttons along the bottom. Lenovo's decision to use a USB RF dongle instead of Bluetooth for connectivity is a bit frustrating, but aside from that minor flaw, this seems like it could be the perfect living room keyboard. I personally can’t wait to buy one myself when it’s available in March for $55.

—Kimber Streams



A cheap TV with a great UI and picture quality to match (we hope)

TCL P-Series Roku TVs, spring 2017, $500-plus

We’ve been big fans of TCL Roku TVs in the past, as they’ve combined our recommended media streamer’s ease of use with TCL’s low prices. But they’ve been held back by unremarkable image quality. The newly announced P-Series could change that, if it lives up to the promise of its spec sheet. The 50-inch P-Series costs only $500 but has features you might expect on a much more expensive TV, including local dimming (called Contrast Control Zones) for better black levels, wide color gamut support, and support for both major HDR standards, Dolby Vision and HDR10. Thanks to these features, the P-Series represents a step up over our current $500 TV pick from Vizio, which offers local dimming but no HDR. The TCL set will also have a TV tuner and Roku’s class-leading interface and app ecosystem. We have to test it when it comes out in the spring to make sure it lives up to the specs, but it promises image quality that prior TCL models didn’t have.

—Chris Heinonen



The next generation of true wireless headphones

Here One, preorder now, shipping March, $300

True wireless headphones were much discussed going into CES, but we’ve been pessimistic about their chances of success since testing last year’s first-generation models. Most of the pairs we tried were overpriced, sounded mediocre, had connection issues, or all of the above. But from what we saw and heard in Las Vegas, headphone companies seem to have gotten the message and are ironing out the kinks and adding interesting features we haven’t encountered in other types of headphones. The most exciting model we saw at CES was the Here One, which not only sounded great in our demo but also used active noise-cancellation technology that converted me from skeptic to optimist regarding the future of true wireless.

The Hear One true wireless headphones have active and selective noise cancelling that lets you choose just how much of your aural surroundings to block out or let in. Using the app, you can dial up the amount of situational awareness so you can commute safely, for example. Want to have a conversation? One mode allows you to hear the person speaking right in front of you while still bringing down the volume of the noise around you. Want to hear if someone is speaking to you from behind? Another mode reduces all but the vocal range of a person talking directly behind you. (It's great for people who work facing a wall or window in a noisy open office but want to know if someone starts speaking to them from behind.) Don’t want to hear music, but need to zone out? The headphones have an ANC mode with white noise. Here One reps told us that there are also some other modes, currently in beta testing, that the company can introduce via the app after release. We can’t yet speak to the reliability of the Bluetooth connection, or whether the headphones have any latency delay during video playback. But we look forward to testing these fully as soon as we can, to get some answers.

—Lauren Dragan



The IT toy of 2017

Lego Boost, August 2017, $160

The newly announced Lego Boost system will almost certainly make an appearance on our list of the best learning and STEM toys when it comes out in August. For $160, you get 843 Lego pieces, three Boost bricks (including a tilt sensor, a color/distance sensor, and a motor), and plans for five basic robots. You download an accompanying tablet app (for iPad and Android) that your child can use to program their robotic creations to do their bidding via drag-and-drop graphic “code” bricks.

On its surface, the Boost app looks much like any tablet game aimed at kids, but it’s actually designed to teach children programming concepts; these lessons get more complex as they work through the various levels. It starts with the basics: Build a robot according to the plans, and make it move forward, backward, or side to side. Completing a level unlocks increasingly complex functions, such as color-sensing, projectile firing, and sound recognition. And the Boost app also walks kids through writing functions that sound a lot like real code. After getting deeper into the curriculum, a student should be able to tell their robot to “move forward until it senses an object, then fire the missile.” Boost is designed for kids ages 7 to 12, but honestly, I wouldn’t mind finding one under the tree for myself next holiday season.

—Michael Zhao



Alexa, do it all

Lenovo Smart Assistant, May 2017, $130 ($180 for upgraded sound)

There was hardly a smart-home product, let alone any product, at CES this year that wasn’t advertising its compatibility with Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem. Now that Amazon (as well as Apple and Google, to a lesser extent) has convinced millions of people of the usefulness of voice control in their homes, manufacturers are in a mad rush to add the feature to their own products. One of the biggest boosters this year is Lenovo, which launched its own Echo-like speaker using the Alexa natural-language processing system. Like the Echo, Lenovo’s Smart Assistant has far-field microphones to listen for its wake word, and it processes your commands in the cloud. To differentiate the Smart Assistant from the original Echo, Lenovo is making its model available in three colors (gray, green, or orange); the unit comes in a budget $130 version and an upgrade $180 version that replaces the standard speaker with a Harman Kardon system for better sound. The Harman Kardon version also increases the sound cavity by 2 inches to give the speaker better bass.

Other products getting the Alexa built-in treatment include an LG smart fridge and a Westinghouse TV (it has Amazon’s Fire TV built in, although the microphone is on the remote instead of the actual TV). First Alert is working on an Alexa version of its Onelink smart smoke alarm, though that won’t be out until late 2017 or even 2018. Even lamps are coming out with Alexa support.

Other manufacturers are not incorporating Alexa technology directly but are adding compatibility through skills, something Amazon encourages. Dish announced that its Hopper super DVR will soon work with Alexa; so too will the ADT Pulse security platform, plus a few Whirlpool appliances that let you preheat your oven or check how much time is left on your dryer’s cycle, and a Samsung robo vacuum.

—Grant Clauser



Convertible laptops are closing the gap

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, available now, $1,200 for our recommended specs

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a new version of our long-running favorite Windows ultrabook, with the addition of a 360-degree hinged touchscreen. The 2-in-1 also has a fingerprint reader and scoots the webcam from the bottom-left corner to the bottom center—we’d still prefer to see the cam at the top, but the new position is a slight improvement to one of the few features that bothered us in this laptop's older sibling. The 2-in-1 features a fanless Y-series Intel processor instead of the more powerful Core i5-7200U found in the non–2-in-1 XPS 13. We’ve found similar processors to be too slow in the past, but the Acer Swift 7 we tested with the same exact processor was plenty fast, so we’re optimistic (and so is Dell) that this newer generation of fanless processors will be good enough for most people. We don’t know whether the XPS 13 2-in-1 will surpass the excellent HP Spectre x360—our pick for the best convertible Windows ultrabook—and we don’t expect it to be better for most people than the standard XPS 13 because it costs a bit more for slightly lesser specs, but we’ll find out when we fully test one ourselves. We spent some time with a prototype model in December, and its build quality, trackpad, and keyboard all felt very similar to those of the regular XPS 13, which is to say, impressive. It’s available now, and it costs about $1,200 with our recommended specs.

Lenovo has also updated the X1 Carbon, making it lighter and more compact by reducing the size of the bezel. We look forward to testing the 2017 version, though for the past few years the X1 Carbon has been a couple hundred dollars too expensive to recommend over our other picks for most people.

—KS



Smart appliances are going mainstream

Samsung Family Hub 2.0, Q1/Q2 2017, price TBA; previous version $3,800

Wi-Fi connectivity, touchscreens, and voice recognition started showing up in a few high-end appliances last year. There will be more where that came from in 2017, such as the Samsung Family Hub 2.0 and LG InstaView smart refrigerators, and the Whirlpool Smart suite of kitchen and laundry appliances, all of which are very pricey. But Internet connectivity and voice commands will also come built into less-expensive models from several big manufacturers, and at CES, LG even promised (threatened?) to put Wi-Fi in all of its 2017 appliances.

We’re skeptical of the push to put more sensitive electronics into machines that are supposed to last for a decade—it means more stuff that can break or grow obsolete—and we’re concerned about the broader privacy and security implications of the Internet of Everything. But some of the features we’ve seen might actually be useful. Cameras inside the Samsung and LG flagship fridges let you take a peek at what items you need while you’re at the grocery store. The Whirlpool Smart Range has voice-activated temperature controls, so you don’t need to get your chicken-slime fingers on the touchpad. Several washers and dryers let you check how much time is left on a load through an app or even by asking Alexa. And because these appliances are Internet connected, they should be able to receive automatic firmware updates in the future to maintain security and possibly add features. That means a machine you buy this year could keep improving over time: For example, Whirlpool is pushing out updates that add Alexa support to some of its existing smart models, like the Smart Cabrio Top Load Washer, with no effort required on the part of owners.

—Liam McCabe



Smart health monitoring—no phone required

Omron Evolv BP7000, now available, about $75

The Omron Evolv isn’t the first FDA-approved, HealthKit-compatible wireless blood-pressure monitor, but unlike existing tubeless all-in-one options from Qardio and iHealth, it has a start/stop button and a large-font OLED display for reading results—you don’t need to use your smartphone to take and monitor each reading. This design makes it useful for anyone who wants a portable monitor for taking blood-pressure readings while traveling but doesn’t want to rely on a phone.

It’s simple to set up and use: Just strap it onto your upper arm, press the dedicated start/stop button, and look at the reading. Press start/stop again to turn it off. It stores your last 100 readings along with the date and time, but you can see only the most recent reading unless you sync it with your phone. (The Omron Connect App currently supports Apple HealthKit, with Google Health compatibility in the works.) It should last 300 readings on a set of four AAA batteries.

The Evolv just recently hit store shelves and is available for about $75, a bit steep compared with non-tubeless monitors we’ve reviewed, but that amount buys a compact, travel-friendly package and a long warranty (five years—two years longer than the coverage for its closest competitor).

—MZ



Already-good cameras get a little better

Panasonic GH5, March 2017, $2,000

For cameras, CES 2017 was one of the most quiet years any of us could remember. The only company we saw bring anything major and new to the table was Panasonic, with the long-anticipated GH5, a $2,000 video-shooting powerhouse with a new sensor, stabilization, higher bit-rate options, better AF, dual SD card slots, 4K video at 60 fps, 1080 video at up to 180 fps, and the ability to shoot 4K still photos at up to 30 shots a second. While that set of features is impressive, its price signals that it is aimed squarely at high-end photographers, and its capabilities are far beyond what most people need.

Otherwise, we saw mostly minor incremental updates to existing models, like the Canon G9 X II, a small tweak to a camera we already like. Fujifilm’s big news consisted of new colors for two of its cameras, and Olympus wasn’t even at the show. One likely explanation for this dearth of new models is the major earthquake that hit Japan in 2016—it hugely damaged sensor production for Sony, which makes those chips for much of the industry. But remember: Even with most of these new cameras bringing only minor exterior redesigns or a couple of new shooting modes, almost all cameras are good cameras.

—Tim Barribeau



A faster portable document scanner

Epson ES-200 and ES-300W, available now, $250 to $300

The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i has been our portable document scanner pick for more than three years, without much in the way of serious competition (and without much in the way of an update, either). But Epson’s new ES-200 and ES-300W (the latter adds Wi-Fi and a built-in battery for more mobility) stack up quite nicely on paper. Both Epson models can scan up to 25 double-sided pages per minute, whereas the S1300i tops out at 12. They also both use USB 3.0, which should transfer files more quickly than the ScanSnap’s older USB 2.0 connection. The Epson scanners use TWAIN imaging communication standards, which should make them more widely compatible with third-party apps than the Fujitsu, which doesn’t. Finally, like the Fujitsu, the Epson models use the ABBYY engine for optical character recognition, so their text scans should be as accurate as with our current pick. With any luck (and assuming they have a half-decent interface), the Epson models should be faster, more portable scanners—an upgrade overall, for about the same price as the one we already like.

—TB



Affordable virtual reality

Lenovo Windows Holographic VR headset, sometime in 2017, less than $400

Although 2016's VR headsets (the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive) are fantastic for gaming and watching movies, so far there isn't that much else to do in them. And they're expensive: about $800 for the headset and controllers, plus at least $1,000 for a PC that can run them. But this year things will change.

Microsoft is making a bunch of its Windows apps VR and AR compatible with Windows Holographic. If you already have a VR headset, why not? Maybe you'll finally get that distraction-free writing environment.

If you're interested in VR but not gaming, you might appreciate that several PC makers, such as Lenovo and Dell, are coming out with more comfortable, easier-to-use, and cheaper VR headsets for Windows Holographic. They'll cost $300 to $400 when they launch later in the year—roughly half the price of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but without the motion controllers included with those gaming-focused VR headsets.

VR-capable PCs are also getting cheaper and smaller. Last year you'd have to spend around $1,000 on a desktop and over $2,000 for a laptop that could handle VR. Thanks to new graphics cards, you can now get a small, VR-ready desktop like the just-announced Asus VivoPC X starting at $800, and VR laptops should start at around $1,400.

—Nathan Edwards



A combo washer/dryer that might actually work

Whirlpool Smart All-in-One Care Washer Dryer Combo, available Q4, $1,500

Our readers frequently ask whether we have an all-in-one washer/dryer combo-unit pick, but we haven’t recommended one yet because up until now they’ve all been terrible at drying clothes. This Whirlpool combo acts more like a regular stand-alone dryer, though, because it needs a 240 V outlet to work. That extra voltage means it should dry clothes faster than the typical 120 V combo machines, which can take three or four hours to dry a modest load of laundry. Like most combos, it’s pretty compact, at about 2.3 cubic feet of capacity. The upside of that small chassis and ventless design is that it can fit under a kitchen counter, into a closet, or wherever you can make the space.

The projected retail price is about $1,500—less than a separate washer and matching dryer with similar specs. It also has Wi-Fi connectivity and a touchscreen interface, and it works with Alexa, so you can check how much time is left in a load using just your voice. If you can’t fit full-size laundry appliances into your home, this could be the compact workaround you’ve been waiting for.

LG also showed off a full-power compact washer and heat-pump dryer combo at CES. But unlike the Whirlpool, this model needs ventilation for the exhaust, limiting its appeal for the kind of buyers who typically need compact laundry machines. It’s also part of the high-end LG Signature line, and while LG couldn’t confirm an exact price, we’d expect it to cost much more than the Whirlpool.

—LM



Over-the-air TV, over an app

Mohu AirWave Wi-Fi TV antenna, spring 2017, $150

The most interesting thing to come to TV antennas is from Mohu, the company that pioneered the flat antenna with the Leaf. Mohu’s new AirWave antenna includes its own TV tuner and doesn’t actually connect to your TV—handy, since some manufacturers, like Vizio, are dropping built-in tuners from their displays. Instead, you download an app onto a Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android, or iOS device, and your local channels are retrieved via Wi-Fi from the antenna into the app. The app, when available, will include a channel guide to make surfing easier. And the fact that you don’t need to physically tether it to your TV gives you more freedom to experiment with optimal antenna placement. Mohu expects to launch the AirWave this spring for $150. That’s significantly more than a separate tuner and antenna, but if the app works as advertised, it could easily be worth the premium—especially for people whose TVs aren’t located near windows.

—GC



A true 4K projector that’s (relatively) affordable

Optoma UHD60 Projector, May/June 2017, $2,800

Up until now true 4K projectors have cost $8,000 or more, but the Optoma UHD60 DLP projector can be had for just $2,800 when it becomes available in May or June of this year. If it lives up to the specs, it should be by far the most affordable way to produce a 100-inch, 4K image that’s bright enough to be visible under most lighting conditions. Full specs aren’t available yet, but we know that the UHD60 supports HDR. (It uses the Rec.709 color gamut and not the larger DCI/P3 gamut, however, so it can’t capitalize on the expanded color range that UltraHD Blu-ray and streaming can offer.) It also offers vertical lens shift, a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs with HDCP 2.2, RS232 and Ethernet for control, and output close to 3,000 lumens.

—CH



Like OnStar, but for any car

Autobrain, available now, $50 plus $9-per-month subscription

For a minimal up-front investment and a $9 monthly subscription, Autobrain gives you OnStar-like roadside-assistance features and the ability to monitor what’s going on with your car, which can be especially handy if you have a young driver or a senior driver you want to keep an eye on. You plug the device into the car’s diagnostic port (located under the dash; it’s easier to do than you might think). From there, it can access a wealth of data about how and where the car is operating and communicate with Autobrain’s cloud service through its smartphone app.

Autobrain lets you track the location of the car, get roadside assistance, call for medical help, get automatic emergency response in a crash, or consult a live mechanic hotline if a warning light comes on in your dash. You can also set up the app to let you know when the car is in use, moving over a certain speed, or going outside of a designated area. It will also give you trip reports that show you on a map where the car went.

The Autobrain system is a little cheaper than the similar Verizon Hum and doesn’t require the Hum’s two-year commitment. You can buy it now (and get a month free) on the Autobrain website, and the company says major retailers will start to sell it later this year.

—Rik Paul



Sous vide for the masses

Anova Precision Cooker Nano, summer 2017, $100

You can find great sous vide cookers for about $200, but in 2017 they’ll be available for half that. Anova announced its Precision Cooker Nano, which is expected to ship this summer and cost just $100. It’s smaller than the current Precision Cookers, has a less powerful 700 W heater, and uses Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi. But it maintains onboard controls (meaning you don’t need a smartphone to use it), and Anova makes great cookers, so we’re excited to test it when it’s released and see if the lower-priced unit will work well for most people. The company will be releasing Mini and Pro models of its cookers later this year, too. And Monoprice will also be jumping into the category with a $90 immersion circulator.

—Nick Guy



OLED TVs are (more likely) here to stay

Sony A-Series, price and availability TBA

We’ve lauded LG’s OLED TVs for several years: They’re expensive, but they offer the best picture quality you can get. As great as the OLED technology is, LG has been the only company able to make it work affordably. Now, after several years of rumors, Sony has announced a line of OLED models, too, apparently using LG’s OLED panels and its own electronics.

We’re optimistic about this pairing for a few reasons. First, Sony usually has great video processing, user interface, and control options, often better than LG’s. Second, in the video industry there’s a long history of one company being the sole champion of a technology and being unable to make it profitable in the long run, leading to that tech's discontinuation. Sony's decision to buy LG’s panels probably doesn’t mean much to the average person, but it should indicate that the technology itself will be sticking around—and that means we’ll be more likely to see OLED TVs for many more years to come.

We don’t know much about the new Sony TVs, of course (solid info is rare at CES). They’re called the A-Series, and they’ll support 4K and HDR (Dolby Vision) and have the Android TV OS. Sizes will be 55, 65, and 77 inches. Though a trade show floor is a pretty terrible place to judge anything, the A-Series TVs we saw looked bright and vibrant, and we look forward to checking them out later this year. We’re expecting them to be more expensive than LG’s offerings of the same size.

—Geoffrey Morrison



An iPhone 7 (case) with a headphone jack and a bigger battery

Griffin Reserve Battery Case, spring 2017, $100

The loss of the headphone port on the iPhone 7 was the new handset's most well-publicized change compared with the 6s, but it was far from the most loved. You can find plenty of ways to get around this limitation, but for some people there’s just no substitute for the convenience of a built-in headphone jack. Griffin is one of the first companies to offer the next best thing: a case that adds the jack and also includes a Lightning passthrough for charging (or using Lightning headphones). The Reserve Battery Case with Headphone Jack is very similar to parent company Incipio’s OX but also includes a 3,000 mAh battery, all for the same price as standard battery cases. The “chin” on the bottom is larger than on competitors, but that might be an acceptable sacrifice for those who want to be able to use their 3.5 mm headphones. It will be iPhone 7–only to start, and it will come in black, navy, pink, and gray.

—NG



A mechanical keyboard with a detachable number pad

Asus ROG Claymore, price and availability TBA

Asus’s ROG Claymore mechanical gaming keyboard has a number pad that you can remove entirely or attach on either the right or left side of the board as needed. This design is a brilliant idea, so it’s surprising that this is the first time we’ve come across it. Smaller boards without the 10-key portion are popular among professional e-sports players because you can keep your mouse arm closer to your body during long gaming sessions to prevent neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by bad keyboard ergonomics. Yet few 10-key–less mechanical boards with customizable multicolor backlighting and programmable keys are widely available. In fact, when researching for our exhaustive guide to mechanical keyboards, we found only two—the Razer Blackwidow Chroma Tournament Edition and the Logitech G410 Atlas Spectrum—and neither had the bonus of a detachable number pad.

The Claymore will be available with Cherry MX Brown, Blue, Red, and Black switches. We don't yet have pricing or availability information for the full Claymore, but Asus will begin selling the Claymore Core—just the TKL board without the attached number pad—for $160 in the first quarter of 2017. We look forward to testing it as soon as we can.

—KS



Stand-alone GPS gets smarter

Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S, early 2017, $180

Garmin has introduced an upgraded series of car GPS models, including the 51 LMT-S, a new version of our current top pick. In addition to great navigation, an easy-to-use interface, and helpful driver alerts, the new version gives you a bunch of practical upgrades that should benefit both commuters and travelers, including live parking locations and prices, TripAdvisor ratings for points of interest, and location sharing. Other new models also offer integrated Wi-Fi for automatic updates and the ability to automatically send a message to someone after a crash. We look forward to testing these as soon as we can.

—RP