CES 2026 made one thing abundantly clear: the smart technology industry has entered a new phase. This year’s show wasn’t just about flashy gadgets or incremental upgrades — it was about systems, ecosystems, AI, and platforms that work together across the home, car, entertainment stack, and even robotics.

GearBrain’s Editor’s Choice Awards for Best of CES 2026 reflect that shift. Instead of focusing solely on spectacle, our picks highlight real-world usefulness, interoperability, AI-driven intelligence, and future-proof design. The result is an impressive cross-section of smart home, AI, energy, entertainment, mobility, wearables, and robotics — and a list that looks very different from many traditional “Best of CES” roundups.

Below are GearBrain’s top selections from CES 2026, along with why each device or platform earned its place.

GearBrain’s Best of CES 2026 Picks:

EcoFlow Alliance with Homey (LG)

EcoFlow

EcoFlow Smart Home Energy Management Meets Homey

The partnership between EcoFlow and Homey stood out as one of the most important ecosystem announcements at CES 2026. By integrating smart energy management with Homey’s universal controller approach, this alliance brings whole-home energy monitoring, automation, and optimization into a single, intelligent system. It’s a strong example of how energy, AI, and smart home platforms are converging.

GearBrain Editor’s Choice Awards: Best of CES 2026 Revealed! Discover the most groundbreaking tech from CES 2026 in GearBrain's Editor's Choice Awards! In this video, we highlight our top ...

Why This List Matters — And How It’s Different

Most “Best of CES” lists lean heavily toward spectacle: massive TVs, experimental gadgets, or products that look impressive on a show floor but may never scale. GearBrain’s Editor’s Choice Awards take a different approach.

This year’s list stands out because it:

• Spans multiple categories — smart home, energy, entertainment, mobility, wearables, and robotics
• Emphasizes ecosystems and platforms, not isolated devices
• Highlights interoperability through standards like Matter and AI-driven integration
• Balances future concepts with near-term, real-world products

Rather than asking “What’s the flashiest device at CES 2026?”, GearBrain asked a more important question:
Which technologies best represent where connected living is actually heading?

The answer is a diverse, thoughtful lineup that reflects the industry’s transition from smart gadgets to intelligent, connected systems — and that’s why GearBrain’s Best of CES 2026 list looks different from the rest.

Check out The GearBrain, our smart home product find engine, to see other compatible products that work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, or any other smart-connected device you have in your home.

Note: GearBrain may earn affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases. Our editorial selections are based on hands-on evaluation, ecosystem impact, and long-term value for consumers navigating the connected world.

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