The 2025 GQ Tech Awards

Luddites, shield your eyes, because we’ve just powered up the 2025 GQ Tech Awards. We’ve been plugged in for the last 12 months to bring you a sophomore class of the best drops and innovations in tech last year. We listened to an unbelievable number of headphones, affixed an innumerable amount of gadgets to our bodies, and even chef’d it up in the kitchen.

All of which means the 45 products we’ve listed below are sure to make your life a little bit more joyful. So, from gear to help you on your fitness journey to the best tech essentials everyone should own, we present to you: the 2025 GQ Tech Awards.

Tech Essentials

A year on from its release, this ludicrously thin iPad Pro remains a class apart from every other tablet going. What makes this Pro quite so special? You’ll understand as soon as you get your hands on it. A slender 5.1mm in its 13-inch guise, it’s Apple’s best-designed device in recent memory. Not just because of that skinny aesthetic, but sheer amount of tech that’s crammed into it, with Apple’s latest M4 chip and a resplendent Ultra Retina XDR OLED display gifting this iPad headlining a slew of laptop-calibre capabilities. Pairing with either Apple’s Magic Keyboard or Pencil Pro accessories is more or less essential, as will be downloading Apple’s major new iPadOS 26 upgrade later this year—assuming you’re as amped about the ability to resize app windows as we are.

Despite AirPods seeing a discount every Prime Day, it’s not often an Apple-made product can be described as a bona fide steal. Still the world’s best-selling laptop, its entry-level configuration is now available for under a grand, giving you an ultra-portable, crazy powerful computer to create with. Although the MacBook Pro is still your best bet for heavy-duty editing, the Air has the heft to hop between 4K video files, GarageBand sessions, and the like with consummate ease. If you want to spend a little extra on a 10-core model, that dual USB-C adapter is almost worth the upgrade alone.

Fujifilm

X-T5 Mirrorless Digital Camera

Compared to AI voice assistants and autonomous vehicles, time travels a little slower in the world of camera tech. That’s why 2022’s Fujifilm X-T5 still ranks as our favorite camera for still photography—at least until the long-awaited X-T6 launches in the not-too-distant future. Why do old habits die hard with the X-T5? It’s an incredibly well-made piece of kit that combines pin-sharp autofocus and a gloriously detailed 40.2MP APS-C sensor with the kind of tactile, retro-imbued ergonomics that get camera enthusiasts hot under the collar.

A year on from the furor that greeted Sonos’ now-infamous app redesign, it’s worth remembering why everyone got so indignant in the first place. Just like the brand’s many other speakers (and now headphones), the Era 100 absolutely slaps. Originally released way back in 2023, it’s our favorite wireless speaker by far thanks to its compact design, ample smarts, and impeccably judged audio for the price. Now with a mercifully improved app experience and available at a semi-regular discount if you’re shopping in the right place, this remains an easygoing companion whether you’re giving the new Haim LP a spin or delving through EPMD deep cuts.

Apple might be going through a bit of an AI-related wobble right now, but the iPhone remains imperious. In all honesty, its 16 Pro Max doesn’t change up too much from previous years. A slick touch-controlled camera button for photography, the latest A18 Pro chip to put ChatGPT (and eventually a smarter Apple Intelligence-powered Siri) through its paces and a refined titanium design with ultra-thin screen bezels rank as the major innovations here. Should you be inclined to make an upgrade before the new models drop in September, you still can’t go wrong with the biggest, most powerful iPhone out there.

As much as Google redefined foldables with last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, its Pixel 9a remains the reasonably priced jewel in a quietly imperious hardware crown. As with the best affordably-minded handsets, this Pixel is laser-focused on bang for your buck. More specifically, it’s a playground for many of Google’s latest AI innovations. Not least, its talkative Gemini Live assistant, which can see and respond to the world via the Pixel’s excellent 48-megapixel camera. It’s not all new-fangled gimmickry that we love about the Pixel 9a though—it also sports a two-day battery life.

Audio Visual Tech

Nothing elevates your listening experience like a pair of headphones you’ll actually want to wear, and this year, two headphones offer peerless sonic performance: the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Sony WF-1000XM6. Slimmer and more compact on the outside, the B&W S3 is also completely different from its predecessor on the inside, sporting a re-engineered 40mm bio-cellulose driver alongside a separate headphone amp. A DSP powered by a top-tier Qualcomm chipset enables 24-bit/96kHz and Lossless support for high-resolution wireless audio. Add in the 8 microphones for ANC and you get a pair of headphones that’s equal parts functional and fun.

As for Sony’s headphones? Its WF-1000X series is as critically acclaimed a franchise as the likes of Severance, Toy Story, and every Beatles album (bar Yellow Submarine). Three years in, the making having long set the standard for noise cancellation and comfort in over-ear headphones, this new pair proved well worth the wait thanks to a new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 that adjusts their acoustic performance in real-time according to 12 microphones. With 30 hours of battery life and a refined, foldable design, these are the kind of cans that afford you an ocean of calm to revel in as you schlep across town into work.

Samsung

65-Inch Class The Frame Pro

Honestly, given the fidelity of most TVs nowadays, you’ll struggle to find a model that recalls the blurry, pixelated horrors of the early smart TV era. From Amazon’s own Fire TV Omni QLED to the imperious Sony Bravia 8 and LG’s legendary C5 series, there’s a great screen going at almost any given price point. So why are we giving Samsung’s Frame Pro the spotlight? While the design-forward ethos of these TVs—they’re built like an artwork and display iconic imagery from The Met and Tate when turned off— has always made them stand apart, the Pro’s televisual performance has also taken a leap forward this year thanks to its brighter panel and more detailed Neo QLED display. As such, this is an up-to-85-inches large television that actually deserves that space in your living room.

Pro-Ject

Primary E with Ortofon

Every aspiring audiophile needs a starter turntable that won’t scratch up their records or scare them off with an enormous price tag. With a built-in power supply alongside preset tracking force and anti-skate and an included Ortofon OM cartridge, the Pro-Ject Primary E will have you jamming in no time, with minimal setup. An included adapter for seven-inch singles and speed settings for 33.3 or 45 RPM means the Pro-Ject Primary E will be able to play whatever you get your hands on. And maybe most important of all, it’ll look great in your living room.

The Best Soundbar: Sonos Arc Ultra

How do you make a former Tech Awards winner even better? Apparently, you add “Ultra” to the end of the name and generally just make everything better. Weighing less than the original, featuring a more compact design, and improved audio quality, the Sonos Arc Ultra might be the best soundbar we’ve tested. The improved Ultra projects sound into a room that’s more enveloping and clear than the original, with all of the Sonos-powered connectivity you know and love.

The Best Affordable TV: Amazon Fire TV

Amazon

Fire TV 55″ Omni Mini-LED Series

Researching which TV you should buy can be a whirlwind of numbers and jargon, but Amazon’s Fire TV Omni mini-LED TV makes the calculus a little easier. Built-in Fire TV OS brings a user-friendly smart TV platform with access to every app you could need. High contrast and Dolby Atmos provide a viewing and listening experience that rivals that of even your local chain movie theater. Plus, Alexa capability makes it easy to put the remote down, especially if it’s once again been lost to the sofa’s seat cushions.

Sony

Playstation 5 Pro Console

Modern consoles give the vaunted gaming PC a run for its money, and none more so than the PlayStation 5 Pro. Stop worrying about “performance” versus “quality” mode: The Pro lets you play over 100 Pro-enhanced PS5 titles with 4K output, 60 frames per second, and ray tracing simultaneously. Combine that with high-speed SSD storage for near-instant load times plus Wi-Fi 7 capability for maximum network speeds, and you have a device engineered top to bottom for maximum speed in every scenario where you might otherwise have to wait to play.

JLab

JBuds Pods ANC Bluetooth Earbuds

Any time active noise cancellation enters the conversation for earbuds, a high price tag is usually to follow. JLab bucks the trend with its JBuds Pods, a stupidly affordable pair of noise-cancelling earbuds that seriously don’t suck. At its price point, the bounty of features is hard to beat: 56 hours of playtime (with the charging case), spatial audio, IP55 water and dust resistance, and wireless charging.

The Best Surround Sound: Sony Bravia Theater Quad

Sony

Bravia Theater Quad 16-Speaker Home Theater Audio System

If you’ve wanted a surround sound system without having to run a thousand miles of cable, the Bravia Theater Quad is what you’ve been looking for. With 360-degree spatial sound mapping, BRAVIA’s system creates up to 12 “phantom” speakers from just four slim and stylish wireless units that can be configured free-standing or mounted to the wall. HDMI 2.1 pass-through provides support for 4K and 8K systems (at 120Hz and 60Hz, respectively) while wireless subwoofer support gives you the option for booming bass, all without any tripping hazards.

The Best Streaming Box: Roku

Cancel your cable subscription, and get a streaming stick. Roku, one of the most popular of the bunch, offers a way to keep all of your streaming services onto what is essentially a master account so you can easily juggle from Squid Game to Reacher to Yellowstone with as little effort as changing a channel. Plus, Roku offers over 500 live TV channels, so you won’t miss out on daily news coverage and the occasional sports.

Tech Accessories

If you aren’t blessed with the luxury of being able to leave your work computer at the office, you’re going to need a good laptop bag for your commutes. A good one, like this Nomatic option, might not get your grumpy train mate to compliment your bag, but it will get you a good jumpstart to your work day. The bag’s multiple compartments make it easy to organize your cables, water bottle, and brown-bagged lunch, while a padded dedicated laptop sleeve will protect company secrets from the elbow that gets thrown around on the sardine-packed train.

Small, sleek, and affordable, an AirTag is an absent-minded person’s best friend. Whether helping you locate your keys with Precision Finding or helping you recover tech that has gone further afield by leveraging Apple’s ubiquitous Find My network, AirTags continue to be amazing insurance for anything you can’t afford to lose. And if your item truly goes off the grid, Lost Mode will always show your phone number to helpful finders, so your gear can make its way home.

The Best Mouse: Logitech MX Master 3S

A good mouse is the unsung hero of any productive office setup, and Logitech’s MX Master 3S is the cream of the crop. An 8000 DPI sensor means your mouse work is precise, even on high-resolution screens, while MagSpeed Electromagnetic Scrolling lets you zoom through documents or navigate line by line as needed. Silent click technology makes the 3S 90% quieter than its predecessor, and the optional PowerPlay 2 mat, which wirelessly charges your mouse as you use it, means this mount won’t annoy you or your office mates.

The Best Charger: Anker Nano Power Bank

A backpack full of tech is worthless if none of it can power on. That’s what makes Anker’s Nano Power Bank such a reliable sidekick. A little larger than a deck of playing cards and weighing in at less than a can of soda, the Nano packs 5,000mAh of capacity—enough to recharge your phone multiple times or give your laptop a second wind. When it does run dry, 30-watt bi-directional fast charging lets it drink in the power as fast as it dishes it out, running from 0 to 50% charge in 45 minutes in ideal conditions. And with a built-in USB-C cable, you’ll be able to charge virtually any modern device without worrying about packing another charger.

The Best Travel Mug: Ember Tumbler

Ember

Tumbler Temperature Control Travel Mug

Coffee should only be cold when it’s literally on ice, and the Ember Tumbler can help you keep 16oz of your morning joe in the sweet spot between scalding and frigid for three hours on battery power or all day on the charging coaster. The Ember app (for iOS and Android) lets you select your exact desired temperature between 120°F and 145°F, along with settings for presets, a built-in sleep timer, and customizable LED colors. And with IPX7 waterproofing, you don’t have to worry about giving it a full dunk when you’re washing it.

The Best Phone Case: Casetify Impact

Your phone is not only an essential and expensive tool but also a fashion accessory. So it’s imperative that you protect it in style. Casetify’s Impact line of phone cases promises drop protection for up to eight feet while keeping a slim and lightweight design. A subtle raised bezel and camera rim protect your screen and lenses against direct impacts when you inevitably drop your phone, and MagSafe compatibility combined with a range of styles and finishes means you don’t have to sacrifice style or convenience for protection.

Fitness and Health Tech

Apple

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm)

Now in its 10th iteration, the iconic Apple smartwatch is the best it’s ever been with a new slimmer design, the brightest wide-angle OLED screen yet, and a nigh-on indestructible titanium case replacing traditional stainless steel options. With an improved S10 SiP chip inside and cellular connectivity by default alongside FDA-cleared notifications for moderate to severe sleep apnea, the Apple Watch Series 10 is not only a ridiculously polished piece of kit but a purchase you can justify as an investment in your health.

Garmin

Forerunner 570 Smart Watch

If you’re looking for a sidekick to help you train for that marathon, Garmin’s Forerunner 570 is hard to beat. Coming standard with multi-band GPS for route tracking and Garmin’s Elevate Gen 5 optical heart rate sensor that can track your cardio mid-run or overnight, the 570 provides rock-solid performance when it’s tracking yours. A crisp and bright AMOLED display that’s visible in direct sunlight and a built-in speaker and microphone for taking calls on the go make the Forerunner an excellent outdoor smartwatch in addition to its impressive fitness functionality.

If you’ve ever thought wistfully about your first Fitbit, the fourth-generation Oura Ring will tickle the step-counting part of your brain, and then some. Boasting support for over 30 biometrics, including sleep tracking, temperature monitoring, blood oxygen sensing, cardio capacity, and 24/7 heart rate via recessed sensors flush with the ring’s inner surface, the Oura Ring will increase your self-awareness by an order of magnitude as soon as you slip it on. And with over a week of battery life and a lightweight titanium design you’ll hardly ever want to take it off.

You’re already familiar with the heavy hitters in the massage gun game, but Rally is a new one to know. Recently released this spring, this massager works in continuous thumping circles rather than hitting the same spot over and over (like a jackhammer). The result is a recovery tool that’s more gentle on the muscle, resulting in less pain during use while remaining effective in warm-ups and recovery.

For years, the Beats Powerbeats Pro earbuds were the leading workout headphones, but the second-gen model is truly the only gym buddy you need. Why? They’ve been boosted with active noise cancellation, effectively putting those grunting gym goers on permanent mute, while improving the fit so that they’re even less likely to bounce out of your ear during a particularly motion-heavy workout. And because we don’t think you should buy separate headphones for working out and the rest of your life, the audio quality is exactly as you’d expect from a brand like Beats.

We never took recovery seriously until setting off on a journey for thighs as thick as our arms. Easy to use, comfortable as hell, and just a helluva excellent way to reduce my recovery time, the JetBoots Prime are basically the treatment we’d get if we were to go to PT, but without a recurring copayment. And now every day can be leg day.

Sure, you can technically sleep on a mattress on the floor. But you’re wasting your 40 winks by not sleeping smarter. The Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra+ is the ultimate in snoozing technology. It creates a microclimate around your body, automatically adjusts your posture to eliminate pain and snoring, and passively monitors your cardiovascular and respiratory health with AI. The sleep tracking and clinical-grade sensors are the best way to justify the investment, while the alarm that combines gentle vibration with a warming sensation will be the thing you can’t live without.

Shark

CryoGlow LED Face Mask

While LED face masks require a hefty price to pay upfront, they’re much cheaper than regular trips to an esthetician. A recent contender in the fight for the best LED mask is Shark’s Cryoglow, which easily won out for its affordability (yes, it’s $350) and effectiveness. Hyperpigmentation seems to fade like you just got a chemical peel, fine lines plump up like you injected fillers, and acne spends less time on your face like Mount Vesuvius. Plus, nifty cooling under-eye patches help to reduce puffiness almost immediately.

Outdoor and Travel Tech

Marshall

Kilburn III Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Your go-to Bluetooth speaker shouldn’t just sound good. It should also be fun to use, and that’s what puts the Marshall Kilburn III a step above the rest. With physical tactile knobs for volume, bass, and treble, the Kilburn III provides an old-school user experience, along with its warm and rich analog-style sound. But for all its old-school charm, it also has the modern creature comforts you need, like the ability to function as a power bank via its USB-C port, a battery life of over 50 hours on a single charge, and the latest Bluetooth 5.3 for rock-solid connectivity.

The original Nintendo Switch was a huge mainstream hit, but after eight years, the casual gaming juggernaut was getting a bit long in the tooth. Now, with a new, larger LCD touchscreen and an updated Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, the Nintendo Switch 2 is taking hybrid mobile and home console gaming to a new level of fidelity. Enhanced docked performance brings games up to 1440p at 120Hz or 4K/60Hz thanks to a built-in cooling fan and Ethernet port, so the top-tier Nintendo console can play all of your favorite flagship titles with the crisp and smooth graphics they deserve, at home or on the go.

BioLite

Charge Inflatable Rechargeable Solar Camping Lantern

Whether you’re planning for some time in the great outdoors or just trying to expect the unexpected, the Biolite Luci Charge 360 will be the star of your kit. Weighing in at just slightly more than a large smartphone, the Charge 360 is not only capable of lighting up your night with up to 360 lumen output or 110 hours of light in low mode, it can also power the rest of your kit with its built-in 4,000 mAh charging hub and its high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar panel that can refill the tank with about 28 hours of sunlight.

Specialized

Turbo Vado 4.0

It’s nice to break out the bike without having to break a sweat. The Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 is always ready to help you over the hump with a 70Nm torque motor and 710Wh battery that can quadruple your pedal force for easy cruising up to 28 miles per hour (depending on local laws). The 80mm front suspension fork and shock-absorbing seat post ensure your journey is smooth for the whole 90 miles you can get on a single charge in Eco Mode. Compatible with child seats and thru-axle trailers, you can haul who or whatever wants to come along for a ride.

Meta’s smart specs merge the iconic style of Ray-Ban Wayfarer glasses with flagship AI functionality. An ultra-wide 12 megapixel camera and 5-mic system capture high resolution photos and video that Meta’s built-in AI can leverage for real-time translation and object identification. The glasses’ custom-built open-ear speakers and in-depth voice control let you run the show by voice (with a touchpad for subtlety when necessary), and the portable charging case provides more than 24 hours of AI assistance before you have to plug in.

Stihl

iMOW 5 EVO 11 in. Battery Self-Propelled Robotic Lawn Mower

Capable of tackling yards up to a third of an acre, Stihl’s iMOW 5 takes almost all the pain out of having a lawn. With automatic charging at its local docking station and a mulching function that eliminates any need for bags, the iMow 5 can cut your grass down to size with barely any oversight from you. Customize the dynamic mowing plan according to your needs, and the iMOW will use its ultrasonic sensors to avoid trees and other obstacles, freeing you up to oversee while drinking a lemonade, if you care to supervise at all.

The Best Portable Projector: XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro

XGIMI

MoGo 3 Pro Portable Projector

Projectors aren’t just for cinephiles with a home theater in their basement. The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro Portable Projector turns movie night into an on-the-go proposition with pre-installed Netflix plus Google TV OS for access to thousands of apps and 1920×1080 resolution with 450 ISO lumens of brightness to make whatever you’re watching easy to see. Dual 5-watt Harman Kardon speakers mean the sound system is included in a package roughly the size and weight of a full thermos. All that’s left to you is to find a good place to point it.

Amazon

Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Sporting a new seven-inch color ink display, the Kindle Colorsoft is more comic book than newspaper. With support for graphic novels, travel guides, and PDFs on its 32GB of on-device storage, the Colorsoft will make you feel like a kid with a coloring book as you highlight in yellow, blue, pink, and orange. And you won’t have to compromise on other now-standard Kindle features like over a month of battery life, IPX8 waterproofing for bath and pool reading, and an auto-adjusting front light with customizable color temperature you can tune to taste.

Kitchen Tech

Eufy

X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo

Gone are the days when a robot vacuum was a gimmick, and the Eufy X10 Pro Omni illustrates why. Using AI and a front-mounted camera, this robovac strategically maps your home for efficient cleaning and navigates around household objects like wires, shoes and toys. The X10 hoovers up crumbs from carpets and hard floors alike with 8000pa of vacuum suction and switches off to dual oscillating mop heads that exert as much as two pounds of downward pressure for scrubbing and stain removal when necessary. Best of all, its docking station will empty the dustbin and clean the mop heads, so you only have to pay attention once a week.

Big Green Egg

MiniMax Charcoal Kamado Grill and Smoker Green

Everyone loves the Big Green Egg, but sometimes it’s nice to have something you can move without help. At (just) 76 pounds, the MiniMax brings Egg-style cooking to tailgates and small apartment patios. With the convEGGtor heat shielding accessory, the Minimax is also capable of indirect cooking, making it a terrific option for pizzas and other dishes that require a convection approach. But if the dish calls for a direct blast of 750-degree Fahrenheit direct heat, the Minimax can provide that too, with even less wait time than larger models.

There’s no quicker way to become the king of the cookout than to show up with the pizza oven. The size of a small suitcase and just slightly heavier than a case of beer, the Gozney Tread is astonishingly portable for a device that can reach nearly a thousand degrees Fahrenheit after just 30 minutes of preheating. Beyond being perfect for cooking small personal pizzas to your friends’ specifications, the Tread can also be used to roast chicken legs or sear steak, making it almost as welcome an addition to the BBQ as the person who brought it.

Phillips

Air Fryer 3000 Series

At this point, an air fryer is as much of a necessity in the modern kitchen as a stovetop or conventional oven. Phillips’ newest air fryer brings touch-operated control to a sleek and quick-heating countertop cooking appliance that makes it easy to cook practically anything you can imagine from reheating frozen fries, “frying” chicken, to dehydrating fruit. A peek-a-boo window lets you monitor your food as it’s cooking, and because this is an air fryer, you can use less oil and still get a delicious meal

The Best Espresso Machine: Breville Oracle Jet

Breville

Oracle Jet Espresso Machine

Brewing your own espresso is a hobby in itself. But the Breville Oracle Jet proves that it doesn’t have to be complicated. With a user-friendly touchscreen display, a fully integrated precision burr grinder that automatically grinds, doses, and tamps into a professional-style portafilter, and microfoam with settings for dairy and plant-based milks alike, your primary concern will be figuring out what you want to drink. New functions for extracting cold brew in under three minutes or making crema-topped cold espresso mean that truly the entire coffee shop menu is now in your kitchen.

A blender can be for much more than milkshakes and smoothies if it has enough grunt. With 19 variable speeds and a variety of blending programs, the Vitamix X5 will make everything from soups to nut butters, even freshly ground spices. With an on-screen indicator for when thicker blends require the included tamper, and a self-cleaning program that agitates soapy water at a variety of speeds, the Vitamix X5 comes with all the creature comforts you need to make it part of your daily life. And with a comprehensive 10-year warranty, you can be confident it won’t quit on you, either.

While it’s certainly more striking than a box fan, the Shark TurboBlade does plenty more than just look slick. Its bladeless design that pulls air in from the base cuts down on dust while blasting the breeze as far as 80 feet, with a telescoping pole and 360-degree top bar to aim the airflow exactly where you need. Sophisticated settings like « Sleep Mode » (dimmed lights, no beeps) and « Natural Breeze » (varying speeds for an outdoor vibe) plus 10 fine-tunable speed settings will make « high » and « low » feel unbearably old-fashioned.

2025 GQ TECH AWARDS CONTRIBUTORS

Tyler Chin, Rob Leedham, Eric Limer