#All The Best Things We Saw This Year – Review Geek

After going all-digital last year, CES 2022 opted for a mix of virtual and in-person events this time around. And after careful deliberation, our editorial team has eagerly awarded the following 15 products with Review Geek‘s Best of CES 2022 awards.

Before we jump into the awards, however, know that we’ve been hard at work covering all of the coolest CES 2022 announcements you need to know about. Head on over there if you’ve missed anything from the iconic trade show.

Best in Show: Moen Smart Faucet with Motion Control

Anything snagging the coveted Best in Show award would surely need to stand out from the crowd, which is precisely what Moen’s Smart Faucet with Motion Control did. The clever faucet features touchless technology that only requires you to lift a finger—perfect for when you have dirt on your hands but don’t want to get the faucet dirty. You can gesture in different directions to turn the water on, off, and choose hot, warm, or cold temperatures.

Beyond simple hand motions, you have three other ways to control the faucet, as well: voice commands via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, the companion mobile app (Android/iOS), or the physical. And what’s more, the voice-activated capabilities allow you to request metered water portions, temperature-based requests, a combination of the two, or user-customized presets, like “water bottle” or “dog bowl.”

So whether you’re looking to have the faucet give you exactly half a cup of 105-degree water or turn on the faucet remotely for a family member with dirty hands without leaving the comfort of your couch, Moen’s Smart Faucet with Motion Controls is a worthy upgrade from its last iteration and the thoughtful, smart appliance upgrade everyone’s kitchen needs.

Our Editor-in-Chief, Josh, went hands-on (or should that be hands-off?) with the faucet and came away impressed. Gesture technology is typically challenging to get right. It could have easily been a scenario where Josh gestured in the direction for cold water and instead got warm water or nothing at all. But the gestures worked correctly and quickly every time; it was just as fast as using the included traditional handle.

Best Robot Vacuum: Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra

Let’s be honest—vacuuming is nobody’s favorite chore, but with a handy-dandy robot vacuum at your side, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Fortunately, Roborock’s S7 MaxV Ultra is here and ready to vacuum your carpet and rugs then mop your hardwood, tile, or vinyl floors. It even comes with a dock that automates additional tasks like emptying its 400ml debris bin, refilling its 200ml water tank, and cleaning its mop heads.

The S7 MaxV Ultra also has an outstanding 5,200mAh battery that can run for up to three hours before needing to return to its dock for a recharge. It also sports 100Pa of suction power—which is more than double that of the Roborock S6—along with six cliff sensors and super smart room-mapping technology.

Best Computer Monitor: Alienware AW3423DW

We love a good computer monitor here at Review Geek, and Alienware’s bold new QD-OLED gaming monitor does not disappoint. The Dell Alienware AW3423DW monitor gives you 34 inches of curved screen real estate. Tech specs include a 3440 x 1440 resolution, a 175Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits of peak brightness, and an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio.

It’s the world’s first Quantum Dot OLED panel for gamers, and it boasts a meek 0.1ms G2G response time. The monitor is also built with a Native NVIDIA G-Sync module and features a flicker-free ComfortView screen and a built-in ambient light sensor.

Of course, you can also expect stellar HDR capabilities thanks to its QD-OLED design. This means you’ll get the darkest possible blacks via local pixel-level LED backlight dimming abilities; furthermore, it also sports 10-bit color depth and a wide color gamut (99.3% DCI-P3 and ~149% sRGB. And with a 178-degree viewing angle, you’ll have a good view of your game no matter where in your room you sit.

Best Smart Home or IoT: eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual

Video doorbells are a common bit of smart home tech at this point, but there’s always room for improvements and new features. Thankfully, that’s what eufy was thinking, too, when it developed the new Security Video Doorbell Dual. This iteration has not one but two cameras; one to detect and monitor packages left on your doorstep, and the other to capture the face and body of anyone who approaches your yard or front door.

The Doorbell Dual doesn’t look too different from existing models but adds a second camera to the bottom of the panel that’s pointed downward (hence its ability to better monitor packages). The primary front-facing camera—the one that all current video doorbells sport—can capture in 2560 x 1920 full HD, while the second cam captures in 1600 x 1200 HD.

This is the perfect evolution of the video doorbell, with new tech keeping pace with current everyday needs. And, of course, it can still send you notifications if and when it does detect a visitor or package. Eufy promises more neat features for it as well, but won’t release them until some time in early February. Keep your eyes peeled!

Best Wearable: TCL Nxtwear AIR

Our editor-in-chief Josh had a blast testing out TCL’s upgraded wearable display glasses this year and noted that they are lighter and more comfortable than the original version. But what exactly are they, you ask? They’re essentially a wearable TV—every kid’s dream—and they look like a decently cool pair of sunglasses.

Best Fitness Tech: Liteboxer VR

If you already own Liteboxer’s at-home full-body boxing machine and are looking to up your boxing game, you need to check out Liteboxer VR. The brand is expanding its offerings into the world of virtual reality and brings Meta Quest 2 users an exclusive title with trainer-led exercises you can do from the comfort of your living room.

Liteboxer VR gives you a virtual version of its boxing machine to work with and immerse you in a fitness-class-meets-video-game experience. Yes, you’ll have daily workouts to compete in, but you’ll also get to have some fun along the way with gamified elements a la Supernatural and Beat Saber along with a banging soundtrack.

The VR experience also boasts remarkable hand-track accuracy and even gives you the option to set down the controllers for workouts so you don’t cover them in sweat (unlike most other VR boxing titles). And once you get the hang of things, you can also compete in challenges against friends and other Liteboxer users around the world via global leaderboards.

Best Audio: Victrola Premiere V1

Vinyl is currently surging in popularity—more than it has since 1991, in fact. And now, Victrola is making it incredibly easy to enter the world of vinyl with its Premiere V1 all-in-one music system. It pairs the V1 Stereo Turntable (and its internal stereo speakers) with the S1 Subwoofer that you can set up and start enjoying in mere minutes.

The system features anti-vibration technology with its aluminum platter, along with a silicone slipmat and a unique dust cover to keep your system protected and working optimally. It also includes a VPC-190 high-performance moving cartridge, a 45RPM adapter, and a custom aluminum tonearm designed to replicate a high-end audio system with a wide frequency response and specified downforce. Be sure to stock up on vinyl before you grab this, though, so you can start listening immediately!

Our Editor-in-Chief gave the system a listen and was wowed by both the sheer volume and clarity of the sound. The included wireless Subwoofer makes for a smart addition, and it’s impressive to see the system pump out so much sound without rocking the record.

Best Gaming Projector: BenQ X3000i

Not enough people know this, but gaming projectors are an excellent addition to your home gaming setup. They make the experience better, which is why we were thrilled to see the new BenQ X3000i 4K HDR gaming projector.

It’s optimized for “open-world” games. That means while it does feature a low latency design, it’s not the first choice for twitch-action games like first-person shooters. For that, see BenQ’s other gaming projector, the TK700STi. Instead, this projector focuses more heavily on getting every inch of detail on the screen as possible while maintaining crisp high resolution at large screen sizes. That’s perfect for open-world games, like Spider-Man: Miles Morales that pack every nook and cranny with stuff to see.

The projector boasts a low-latency design with 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy, built-in speakers with Bongiovi DPS technology, an artillery of preset modes for audio-visual enhancements, and 3,000-lumen LED brightness (hence the HDR certification). Those preset modes are tuned to 8.3ms response times at a 120Hz frequency, critical for real-time online games like Valorant or Halo Infinite.

Best Mobile Accessory: Motorola AM1 Wireless Car Adapter

We love any gadget that makes it easier to interact with our smartphones while still being safe and responsible drivers. Motorola’s new MA1 Adapter makes your Android Auto connection wireless, so you’ll no longer need to fuss with USB cables or plug your phone in every time you get in your car.

The adapter offers automatic connections over Bluetooth and fast 5G Wi-Fi data transmission, all in a small, lightweight, and sleek design that’s easy to install. If you already have an Android Auto unit installed, don’t fret; plug the dongle into the existing USB cable instead of your phone, then pair it over Wi-Fi. Easy peasy!

Best Automotive: Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX

Mercedes-Benz is already a well-established name in the world of luxury vehicles. Now it’s staking its claim as the new kid on the electric vehicle block with a fancy new concept EV, dubbed the Vision EQXX. The concept vehicle dazzled us with a slew of great-sounding specs, like a potential 648-mile range and the ability to travel more than 60 miles using just 10kWh of energy.

And what’s more, the Vision EQXX gains its truly impressive mileage range through efficient engineering—a la streamlined aerodynamics, an advanced drivetrain, and a reasonably lightweight design overall—not from just a bulkier battery.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Inside the vehicle, you’ll see the undeniably futuristic design, with a 56-inch Hyperscreen that spans the entire width of the dashboard, curious mushroom-leather seats (okay …), and pull tabs instead of traditional door handles. It’s undoubtedly inventive!

Best Concept: Labrador Retriever

Though we all might need a helping hand from time to time, those with chronic pain can benefit extra from an assistive robot, like the Retriever robot from Labrador Systems. A mobile robot assistant is a practical way to lend a helping hand at home, whether it’s carrying stuff to another room or offering up a waist-level platform you can put your dinner plate, laundry basket, or anything else (up to 25 pounds) on.

The appropriately-named Labrador Retriever works via voice command, touchscreen, or mobile app. It is capable of responding to specific programmed reminders and uses a proprietary navigation system (with AR and several algorithms) to create a 3D map of your home and self-drive through it as needed, just like robot vacuums do. It features two storage areas, and can also pick up and bring you anything on the included trays (up to 10 pounds), which you can store on countertops or shelves and keep items like medication on.

Our Editor-in-Chief, Josh, got to watch the Labrador Retriever in action, and the robot moves quite quickly. It doesn’t move at its full speed during programmed routes to give it the most time available to avoid objects. It drove up to a custom fridge, retrieved a tray of beverages, and delivered them elsewhere. But the hardware is still in early development, and the robot Josh saw is built by hand.

It’s nice to see such a powerful and thoughtful product concept appear at a consumer level. The Retriever looks to be able to improve the quality of life for people with chronic pain and (re)gain more independence. Although it’s still just a concept, it holds a lot of promise and we hope to see it become widely available at an affordable price so those who need assistance can finally have it.

Best Design: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3

Lenovo is known for making powerful laptops that look like … every other Lenovo laptop. But with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, Lenovo broke its own mold by adding in an ultrawide display with a 21:10 aspect ratio and a secondary full-color 8-inch touchscreen LCD display next to the keyboard. You can use it to take notes digitally while in a Zoom call for work, or to view the sources for the giant paper you’re writing up for school.

Regardless of what you choose to do with it, you can’t deny that the Plus Gen 3 has a super cool design. And did we mention it comes with an integrated digital pen? Or that it also sports a “Magic Launcher” option that’ll let you place your most commonly-used application icons on the second display for quick access? Or that the secondary display also supports smartphone mirroring for cross-device file access? Yep. It’s pretty awesome.

Best Health & Wellness: Movano Ring

Living with a chronic illness is tough but the Movano Ring can make it a little easier to track it and other essential health metrics (like your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, temperature, sleep, and daily steps). Although the smart ring still needs to secure approval from the FDA, it’s incredibly powerful, as is what the company hopes to do with it.

Movano doesn’t want to throw mountains of raw health data at you without any context. In fact, it paired the stylish rings with its powerful companion mobile app that’s designed to make your health data easy to understand. It also goes a long way to help users understand how one health metric relates to another one, like how daily exercise impacts heart rate variability. The ring is also proof that health tech doesn’t have to be bulky or unattractive, which we love.

Editor’s Choice (Josh Hendrickson, Editor-in-Chief): Eargo 6

Tech that solves hearing issues is a subject near and dear to my heart. I have trouble understanding people a lot. I’m usually lost in crowded rooms or restaurants, and I can never understand anyone who tries to whisper to me. But hearing aids are expensive, as in $10,000 or more kinds of expensive. And my hearing issues don’t justify that amount of money.

That’s why I fell in love with Eargo 6 within seconds of going “ears in” with them. Here is a pair of medical-grade hearing aids that cost just under $3,000 and offers a financing plan. $3,000 is still a lot, but it’s a fraction of the usual price. But you aren’t getting a fraction of the typical features. While I tested out a pair, I discovered a wealth of features. You can tune Eargo to match your surroundings with a click of a button in the Eargo app or a tap of your ear. That includes raising and lowering the volume for each ear or enabling an AI mode to help with specific situations. Eargo can even enhance speech muffled by masks.

So how well did they work? So well that I didn’t quite want to take them out after my brief demo. I stood in a noisy, crowded room filled with conversation, and yet I could hear with near-perfect clarity every word being spoken to me. It was amazing. Especially considering the Eargo 6 model is so discreet, it’s practically invisible. That might satisfy anyone who refuses to be seen wearing hearing aids. The Eargos slip directly into the ear canal, and you pull them out with a small wire. That’s the only visible part, and it’s hard to spot. And yes, they were comfortable and didn’t hurt my ears at all.

Eargo represents the very promise of technological advances: it’s a product that can genuinely enrich lives by tackling both hearing loss and the costs involved.

Editor’s Choice (Suzanne Humphries, Commerce Editor): Noveto N1

I love all things audio, so believe me when I say the Noveto N1 and its invisible headphone design immediately piqued my interest. Noveto claims that the N1’s Smart Beaming technology transmits ultrasound silently through the air directly into your ears, providing immersive 3D binaural sound without you needing to wear headphones.

The catch? You need to be standing more or less in front of the speaker in order to hear what’s playing, as it only projects audio to a small area, rather than omnidirectionally. But honestly, if you’re chilling on your couch or working from home and want to listen to something without annoying your roommates, and you’re tired of wearing earbuds all day, this is a perfect solution.

That also makes it perfect for office work settings. You can place this at your desk and listen to music on “full blast” or take a private Zoom call without your co-workers getting annoyed or hearing all your personal details.

The N1’s sleek and modern design features an intuitive glass-fronted circular LED display that is mounted atop a smooth matte-black aluminum frame and adjustable stand, making it the perfect fit for home offices, living rooms, and bedrooms. The N1 is extremely fascinating as a concept, and I am anxious to get my hands on this to test it out for myself!

And as it turns out, our Editor-in-Chief, Josh, got to listen to it in action. According to Josh, it’s everything the company is promising. The built-in cameras spot your ears and deliver appropriate sound to each ear. During a demo of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Josh could hear bullets zip by his head, footsteps approaching from behind, and more as though he were in the game. But a step to the side and all the audio disappeared. It lacks a bit in bass, but that’s to be expected. The final results are impressive and need to be heard to be believed.