It’s been a couple of weeks since the excitement of CES in Las Vegas, and I’ve thought a lot about the many weird and wonderful gadgets on show.
Of everything I saw at CES 2026, these were the best, the worst, and the weirdest gadgets from one of the biggest consumer tech shows on earth.
The Best
Lego Smart Play System
Lego is touting this as the biggest update to the Lego system of play since the 1970s. At first, I was sceptical about that massive claim, but the more I interact with it, the more I can see that this is a huge shift in how kids interact with Lego.
I love that it doesn’t have any way to connect to a screen or app, so there’s not going to be any begging to use mum’s phone. It’s just about building and playing with Lego, and that’s such a smart move for the brand. I can’t wait to see what kids make with it.
Reolink’s subscription-free home security ecosystem
I’m so sick of every single thing requiring a subscription, and so many security cameras uploading footage to the cloud. Reolink’s whole deal is about not doing any of that. It’s got old-school features (like a box that is in your home which can record your footage, no internet connection requirement, and no subscription fees) with modern features like AI people detection, the option to have wired or wireless cameras, and optional solar panels.
It’s a bit more expensive to get started because you’re buying everything up front, and they’re not selling your data for advertising purposes. But if you like the idea of buying security cameras once and owning them forever, this is the brand to watch.
Samsung’s big TV
I love a big TV. I love a pretty TV. Samsung launched a massive 130-inch Micro RGB TV at CES, and while there’s no universe in which I will be able to afford it, I just enjoy living at the same time as a TV that big, which looks that good. It seems right.
I can’t wait for 2040 when every home has a 100-inch screen.
Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp with nebula effect
Sure, this is just a lamp, but it looks so beautiful that I couldn’t not feature it.
By day, it’s just a really nice lamp, but by night, it’s a really nice lamp that also projects a nebula effect on the ceiling. I’m here for the aesthetic, the whimsy, and the practicality. It’s the mullet of lamps, and it’s already on my birthday wish list.
Espresso Displays’ more affordable portable monitor
I love Espresso Displays. It’s exciting to see a small Aussie hardware company do well on the global stage, and it helps that they make a damn good product.
However, for those who balk at the idea of spending $669+ on a portable display, they’ve just announced the new Espresso Lite 15. It’s still thin, light and Full HD, while omitting a few of the top-tier models’ premium features to sell for US$249 (which translates to around AU$360).
I can’t wait to get my hands on the new screen to put it through its paces.
xTool
I have been watching xTool videos for ages and always wanted to try a machine in person. There was one at CES, and it didn’t disappoint.
xTool makes a wide range of crafting tools, and I tried the F2 Ultra UV, which has a ridiculously tiny laser for engraving. I watched it engrave a name on a pendant in less than three seconds. It also did a detailed engraving on a large cork coaster in under three minutes.
Because it has such a tiny laser dot, it’s capable of doing small, detailed work as well as (if you’re patient) larger images. It’s able to laser engrave products with writing or images so small it can only be seen with a microscope.
It was extremely impressive for a hobby product. The applications are fascinating, and hopefully, I’ll get to go hands-on with more of xTool’s range this year.
Second-generation LG Xboom Speakers
Look, I will admit that when LG first announced the Xboom speakers, I didn’t think they were worth paying attention to. I still hate the AI radio station element, but having now sat down with will.i.am and had him take me through what he looks for when tuning the speakers, and hearing his passion for them (and how good they sound), I’m keen to get my hands on them.
They’re such a great-sounding speaker for the size and price. Keep an eye out for that interview coming soon, and a review later in the year.
Corsair Galleon 100 SD
This keyboard was one of my highlights of the show. There are just so many uses for a precise keyboard with an Elgato Stream Deck+ built in. It’s going to be amazing for gamers, streamers, editors, and people who have to work with a lot of shortcuts. Also, people who just like shiny things.
We’re going to have a review of this coming up really soon, so that’s something to look forward to.
The Worst
Generative AI everything
Fun fact: if you made a drinking game out of taking a sip every time someone mentioned AI at CES, you would die. I’m not even talking about alcohol poisoning; you’d overdose on water.
I’ve mentioned numerous times why I dislike generative AI so much, but what really got me at CES was how irresponsibly the technology is being used. We’ve had it around for long enough now that we know the potential risks and harms, and instead of building against that, the trend of desktop anime waifu holograms with ChatGPT or Grok powering them seems designed to make people lonelier and worsen their mental health.
Not to mention all the AI glasses and AI headsets that are a privacy nightmare. Having all these announcements happen at the same time as the scandal of Grok’s new image creation tool being used for exactly what you’d expect (making disturbing deepfake images) was just such a disconnect.
Seeing the companies hoping to make a quick buck off a fad just ignoring the real-world harms of child sexual abuse material being created at an alarming rate by the technologies they were touting was just absolutely shameful.
The Weirdest
Hydrogenated water bottles
How much would you pay for a water bottle that, according to the woman leading the demonstration, removes some of the oxygen and hydrogen from your water, and then only puts back the hydrogen?
Before you answer, what if I also told you that it’s touted to possibly cure COVID-19, help you heal from cancer, reduce pain, reduce inflammation, improve flexibility and cognitive performance, reduce allergy severity, boost mitochondrial health, slow aging, speed up wound healing, make your skin glow, improve your gut health, improve your immunity and help you lose weight (all things mentioned by people working on the booth)?
If the answer is “$440”, then I have good news for you! Echo Water makes such a bottle.
So far, there’s no firm evidence that hydrogen water is anything more than a placebo for humans. But it sounds fancy, it’ll give some people hope of impossible cures or improvements, and it’s very expensive. So, there’s probably a market for it if they sell it with Ivermectin.
The woman at the booth assured me that the water isn’t changed in any way, that it’s still the same water, just with more hydrogen. I drank some, and it tasted a bit gassy but otherwise fine.
Hago Bago sperm microscope
If you ever wanted to know your sperm count and how your swimmers are doing, you could go to a fertility specialist to get it professionally tested. Or you can buy a US$20 kit on Amazon and use an app to take a photo of it and analyse it for you. Korean health tech company Intin has just the thing.
Is it accurate? Who can say? I have my doubts about my iPhone’s ability to moonlight as a microscope. But it seems like a good place to start if people are having trouble with their fertility.
Vivoo urine test kit
Did you know that there’s an app to analyse your nutrition through your pee? What a world.
Alice Clarke attended CES 2026 in Las Vegas as a guest of Lego and Intel.
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