THE BEST GADGETS AND GEAR FOR 2020
WIRED Recommends is our definitive guide to the best gadgets, gear and new products. This list covers our number one picks for every category we’ve tested so far, and links to the new and noteworthy tech we’ve seen and reviewed this month. You can head to our dedicated guides for more idea and options.
When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we earn a small affiliate commission. This does not impact the products we recommend.
The headphones: Sony WH-1000XM3
Weight: 255g | Battery life: 30 hours | Noise cancelling: Yes
Our recommendation for both the best headphones overall and our top-rated noise cancelling headphones is still one and the same: the Sony WH-1000XM3 (£269). In short, we really approve of these cans. Sony wins on sound quality and design, with touch controls on the right earcup that work beautifully and a battery life that lasts up to 30 hours. With USB-C rapid charging and excellent wireless sound performance, these superstars are worth every penny.
Price: £248 | Check price on Amazon | Currys | John Lewis
- Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless (£290) are a terrific alternative.
- Our favourite wireless earbuds are the Apple AirPods Pro (£249).
- The finest on-ear headphones you’ll find under £100 are the AKG Y50s (£50).
- For running, wired and in-ear choices, at every budget, check out our WIRED Recommends guides to the best headphones, the best wireless headphones and the best noise-cancelling headphones..
The laptop: Dell XPS 13 (2019)
Weight: 1.2kg | Battery life: 21 hours | Screen: 13.3-inch 1080p/4K
The Dell XPS 13 (from £1,199) is the definitive MacBook-killer. This 13-inch laptop is slim and light yet is powerful enough to deal with a heavy workload. There are numerous configuration options, including non-glare screens, Full HD or UHD and touchscreen versions. The tiny screen bezel means it has a very small footprint, making it easy to fit in any bag and this 2019 edition comes with the webcam thankfully now positioned above the display. The 2020 model is in testing and goes on sale February 4.
Price: From £1,119 (i5) | Check price on Amazon | Currys PC World
- The Acer Aspire 3 (£369) is our top-rated budget laptop.
- And Asus’ Chromebook Flip C434 (£549) is our pick of the Chromebooks.
- For more options, including a great laptop under £500 and our favourite gaming laptop, read our guide to the best laptops.
The smartphone: Apple iPhone 11
Screen: 6.1-inch LCD | Battery life: 10 hours | Cameras: 12MP wide, ultra-wide
The iPhone 11 (£699) – not the higher specced 11 Pro – is our first choice because it’s hundreds of pounds cheaper than its Pro siblings and still gives you a high quality camera, the same processor, a fairly large screen and longer battery life than previous iPhones. This is the iPhone that could convince plenty of Android loyalists to switch with great cameras, power and performance.
Price: £699 | Check price on Apple
- The jimmyCASE (£41) is our pick of the current crop of iPhone 11 cases.
- The Samsung Galaxy S10+ (£369) is the Android phone to go for.
- On a budget? Get the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T (£169). Trust us.
- Google, OnePlus, Oppo and the rest can be found in our guide to the best smartphones you can buy right now.
The Bluetooth speaker: UE Megaboom 3
Weight: 925g | Battery life: 20 hours | Waterproof: IP67
The genuinely fantastic UE Megaboom 3 (£121) is our top pick from all the Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested. It balances features, sound quality and value better than any of its rivals with an impressive 20 hour battery life and the ability to stereo pair and daisy chain with other UE speakers.
Price: £121 | Check price on Amazon | Currys | John Lewis
- Our favourite Bluetooth speaker under £50 is the Anker SoundCore 2 (£40).
- And the B&O Play Beolit 17 (£389) is the loudest option in our list.
- If you’re after something a little larger, head to our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers for more options.
The fitness tracker: Fitbit Alta HR
If you don’t have a fitness tracker, the Fitbit Alta HR (£80) is a great place to start. Unlike a smartwatch, the battery lasts a whole week and the slim and discreet band houses plenty of tech. It tracks steps, calories burned, sleep and heart rate, includes extras like hourly mini goals and comes in six colours with accessory bands sold separately. The only downside is it’s not waterproof.
Price: From £70 | Check price on Amazon | Argos | John Lewis
- The best smartwatch is the Apple Watch Series 5 (£399).
- Gym bunnies should also consider the Garmin Vivosmart 3 (£67).
- If you’re ready for something more serious, or want a tracker for specific activities like swimming, read the WIRED Recommends guide to the best fitness trackers.
The tablet: Apple iPad Air
Screen: 10.5-inch | Battery life: 10 hours | Weight: 456g
We love the iPad Pro, but for most people the revived iPad Air (£479) is the best choice. The timeless design remains, as does the high-resolution screen, intuitive software and huge collection of apps. No platform can compete when it comes to apps designed specifically for tablets. This 2019 edition is compatible with Apple’s Smart Keyboard, giving you a capable laptop alternative, and there’s support for the (first gen) Apple Pencil, too.
Price: From £479 | Check price on Apple | Currys | John Lewis
- The best budget tablet is the Amazon Fire HD 8 (from £90).
- Our go-to kids tabs, meanwhile, is the Kurio Tab Connect (£80).
- And the best e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite (£130).
- For more picks, our best tablets guide features more iPad and Android tablet options and even a Microsoft Surface.
The running watch: Polar Vantage V
Specs: GPS, HR | Battery life: 40 hours | Water resistance: 50m
Polar’s Vantage V (£331) is the most complete running watch you can buy. It tracks running power in addition to GPS and heart rate and offers genuinely valuable recovery insights for runners who are pursuing performance. Stylishly built, with sleep tracking and phone notifications, the Vantage V lasts 40 hours on one charge.
Price: £331 | Check price on Amazon | Polar | Wiggle
- Beginners should pick up the Garmin Forerunner 45 (£143) instead.
- And Garmin’s Forerunner 945 (£520) will suit for multisports.
- Our top running shoes are the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 (£160).
- WIRED’s best running watches buying guide features GPS watches for all skills and budgets alongside advice on what to look for.
The 4K TV: Panasonic TX-55GZ2000
Display: 55inch 4K OLED | Smarts: My Home Screen | Connections: HDMI 2.0 x4, USB, Wi-Fi
This 55-inch OLED is the best TV you can buy right now. Panasonic’s no compromise approach to picture quality is evident in the bespoke panels and HCX Pro Intelligent processing of the GZ2000 (£2,499). The result? The most accurate picture this side of a £30K monitor and lower quality content that looks terrific too. With a simple but intuitive smart TV system and Dolby Atmos sound, it’s hard to fault.
Price: £2,499 (55-in), £3,499 (65-in) | John Lewis | Currys
- Under £1,000 it’s the Samsung Q60R (£699).
- If money’s no object, check out LG’s OLED88Z9 (£29,990).
- The GZ2000 is quite an expensive TV so head to our guide to the best TVs for a few more options at a lower price.
The gaming laptop: MSI GE75 Raider 9SF
Screen: 17.3-inch 1080p | GPU: RTX 2070 | Storage: 512GB SSD + 1TB
The MSI GE75 Raider 9SF (£2,200) offers fantastic all-round performance and a vibrant 17.3-inch diagonal display. It runs on a Nvidia RTX 2070 graphics core that’s capable of handling everything from demanding esports titles to single player games beyond 100fps, it’s quieter than rivals and the good, chiclet keyboard is also a nice surprise.
Price: £2,200 | Check price on Overclockers | Scan
- The HP Pavilion 15-cx0001na (£890) is the best cheap gaming laptop.
- And the Razer Blade 15 (from £1,548) is our pick for battery life.
- PC gamer? Asus’ ROG Swift PG27UQ (£1,752) is our No.1 gaming monitor.
- And the Razer Ultimate Viper (£143) is the gaming mouse to get.
- If you’re looking for something more on the budget end or a machine with better battery life, check out our full WIRED Recommends buying guide to the best gaming laptops.
The wireless speakers: Sonos
Voice: Alexa, Google | Wi-Fi: Yes | Apple AirPlay: Yes
Painless to operate and with a range of comprehensive kit, Sonos (from £199) still offers the best pound-for-pound wireless, multi-room system around. The user experience is smooth and stable, there’s a wide product range, including subs and amps, together with AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect etc (though no hi-res audio) and an up-and-at-’em sound. If you need somewhere to start we’d recommend the voice controlled and good value Sonos One. (The recent controversy over support for legacy products has been smoothed over to an extent but we’ll be keeping an eye on it).
Price: From £199 | Check prices on Amazon | John Lewis
- The best soundbar is the Sonos Beam (£358).
- Our pick for a hi-res multi-room system is Bluesound (from £299).
- If your ears deserve only the best, try the Linn Series 3 (£2,950).
- For more reviews on both multi-room, house-wide systems and individual statement speakers for all budgets, have a read of our guide to the best wireless speakers.
The coffee machine: Jura S8
The stylish Jura S8 (£1,400) has an ample coffee selection – latte macchiato, flat white, espresso, ristretto and more – and it’s great for green tea drinkers too. Operate via a high-res touchscreen or the Jura Coffee app. plus adjust the AromaG3 grinder to your preferences by altering how fine you have your coffee powder. Worth every penny.
Price: From £1,395 | Check price on John Lewis | Harrods
- The Nespresso Latissima One (£127) is good value and simple to use.
- The Smarter Coffee 2nd Gen (£179) has connected bells and whistles.
- Meanwhile, Kuvings’ EVO820 (£479) is the best juicer we’ve tested.
- Not your cup of coffee? Check out the WIRED Recommends guide to the best coffee machines to find the perfect brew for you.
The electric toothbrush: Philips Sonicare Smart 9500
Sure it’s expensive and the app could be slight overkill for some but if money is no object, this is the electric toothbrush to go for. With five cleaning modes, four brush heads and three intensity settings the Philips Sonicare Smart 9500 (£226) is highly customisable and aside from the superb clean you’ll get, the battery life of 14 days is handy and we’re fans of the glass charging stand and travel case too.
Price: £226 | Check price on Amazon
- The Braun 10-in-1 MGK7021 (£58) is the best beard trimmer we’ve tested.
- The Philips Series 9000 (£180) is our go-to electric shaver.
- For more options, head to our bathroom-inclined WIRED Recommends guides including the best electric toothbrushes, the best beard trimmers and the best electric shavers.
The vacuum cleaner: Dyson V11 Absolute
Run time: 60 mins | Weight: 3kg | Bagged or bagless? Bagless
You won’t be disappointed by the Dyson Cyclone V11 (£595), if your budget will stretch. With three power levels, it offers the same performance, in terms of suction, as a full-size vacuum. It’s great for stairs and with two floorheads, four additional tools and auto detection, the Dyson handles edge to edge cleaning like a champ.
Price: £595 | Check price on Amazon | Dyson | John Lewis
- For corded power, the Miele Complete C3 Cat&Dog PowerLine (£209).
- And WIRED’s go-to robot vac is iRobot’s Roomba i7+ (£1,149).
- For more options – with picks for pet hair, whole house cleaning and battery life – read our WIRED Recommends guides to the best vacuums and the best cordless vacuums you can buy right now..
The baby monitor: Kodak Cherish C525
Video: 720p HD | Two-way talk: Yes | Alerts: Sound, motion
With a 5in display for the parent unit and a video feed in the Kodak Smart Home app, infrared night vision and two-way talk, Kodak’s Cherish C525 (£150) is our preferred baby monitor system. Response time for sound and motion alerts is good and the HD camera is sharp with a 85-degree viewing angle. Range is up to 4,000 square feet and you can save footage to an SD card as well as the cloud.
Price: £150 | Check price on Amazon | Argos
- The Arlo Baby (£140) is ace on picture quality.
- The Philips Avent SCD860 (£177) is feature-packed and customisable.
- Head to our best baby monitors rundown for more systems, with and without video, to help you with parental peace of mind.
