My top 10 favourite tech gadgets of 2025 revealed — some big surprises
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From folding phones to robot vacs and ground-breaking solar systems, 2025 delivered some of the most exciting consumer tech in years - and these are the devices that truly stood out to our consumer technology expert after months of hands-on testing
We will look back on 2025 as something of a turning point in tech. Consumer technology innovation has absolutely exploded over the last 12 months, with AI being installed into everything from smartphones to dishwashers.
The post-pandemic gadget rebound has finally kicked into gear with dozens of smartphone launches, wearables really becoming part of the furniture, virtual reality finally getting good, and smart tech getting even smarter.
As a consumer technology writer, and a gadget obsessive, I've been lucky enough to get my hands on hundreds of new products, and I've lived with dozens of devices, gadgets, and appliances, to see what they're made of and put them through their paces.
As we round off the year, here's a list of 10 of my absolute favourite consumer technology products I spent time with in 2025, in no particular order, and I've given an award to my overall favourite piece of tech at the bottom of this list.
I've also added links to where to buy one for yourself, and the best prices I can find at the time of writing.
Logitech MX Master 4 wireless mouse
Computer peripheral specialists Logitech has always been a company I've gelled with. Their products just quietly get on with their job, reliably and competently, and they're very affordable for what they are.
This year Logitech announced two incredibly exciting new products, the Signature Slim Solar+ Wireless Keyboard, and the Master MX Master 4 Mouse.
The keyboard, which I'm typing this on now, uses any source of light to stay powered, and I'm staggered at how well it works.
However, the mouse I'm navigating this article with, the MX Master 4, was almost bigger news because its predecessor, the MX Master 3S, was widely hailed to be the best on the market. And it's not as if the Master 4 has just had a nip and a tuck, it's had some really clever new features, and it feels even nicer in the hand.
It is, by quite some margin, still the best mouse on the market, and it has a richly deserved slot in my top 10.
Bluetti Pioneer NA portable power station
It could be argued that the Bluetti Pioneer NA doesn't offer enough for its price. I've tested countless portable power stations in 2025, it's a booming industry at the moment, and I've had plenty in at the same price that have more battery capacity than the Pioneer NA, more outputs, and a bigger inverter.
But that really isn't the point of this device. Because this is the first of its kind to adopt an incredibly clever battery technology, that we should all start getting excited about. And Bluetti gets a mention in this list just for having the gumption to use it.
Sodium-ion could transform the way we use batteries, from smartphones to electric vehicles. It won't happen quickly, there's still some limitations, but it's safer, more reliable, and more environmentally friendly than Lithium technology will ever be.
Yes, it's ahead of its time, but it's the start of something big. And to see it appearing in a genuinely usable consumer device in 2025 is something to be celebrated.
Ecoflow Stream DIY solar system
Best price: From EcoFlow directly, prices start at £1,061 for a basic setup (for refurbished deals click here)
Almost exactly a week after one of the sunniest summers on record coughed its last, and we slid into a dank and depressing autumn, I installed a DIY solar system.
It's the latest tech from the brilliant innovators at EcoFlow, and it's their latest take on the rapidly growing balcony solar trend.
Instead of installing solar on your roof, which isn't always possible and is always very expensive, balcony solar can sit on your garage, along a fence, at the bottom of your garden, or even on a shed. My panels sit on my conservatory roof, facing south, and they're wired in to an EcoFlow Stream microinverter that just connects to my household supply and stores energy in its batteries. It took me an afternoon to set up, and it constantly harvests free energy into my house, often leading to my smart meter reading "zero watts" for long stints.
I love the way AI works all the metrics out for you, I love the fact you can watch the outputs and inputs live on an app, but I really love the fact you could set one of these incredible systems up for around £1,000. It'll take a while to make that back, but you'll never tire of watching the savings clock up.
Shokz OpenDots One open-ear buds
I often review earbuds for my job but, here's the thing... I don't really like them. I don't find them very comfortable, I never seem to be able to stick them in my ears very well, and I really don't look forward to reviewing them.
However, I do get on quite well with clip-on earbuds. I prefer them to the over-ear type because I find them more comfortable and more secure. But the problem has always been audio quality.
And then the nice people at Shokz offered to send me a set of their new OpenDots One clip-on buds, and it was a revelation. Cards on the table, audiophiles still won't be happy, the audio quality isn't stellar, it never is with open-ear buds, but these perform far better than they strictly ought to, and their build quality is absolutely exquisite.
So they're comfy, easy to use, they sound great, they look great, and they're incredibly secure. They're everything I've always wanted clip-on open-ear buds to be. It's a shame they're quite expensive, but you do get what you pay for.
I honestly never thought a set of earbuds would go in my annual top 10 list, but these were a surprise, so they definitely deserve a place.
Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro mobile router
I tend to travel a lot. I have a motorhome and a boat, and I like to get out to product launches, car launches, and the occasional road trip when there's time. So having my own personal WiFi router is something of an essential.
There are plenty of hotspot-style portable routers out there, but the very best option has always been Netgear's Nighthawk series. I've been lucky enough to test all of them, and I was extremely lucky to test the new M7 Pro when it launched. And it simply blew me away.
Its speed is remarkable, it's a doddle to use, it supports more connected devices than I'll ever need it to, and it's so reliable. It's never missed a beat.
Everything about it is an improvement on the previous generations, from the speed and the connection technology to the user interface and the battery life.
It's honestly one of my favourite things, it goes everywhere with me and, when we're in deepest darkest Snowdonia, parked in a pub car park, I know I've got the best possible chance of being able to stream Clarkson's Farm.
It is a superb device and, while it might seem expensive, it's worth every penny.
Honor Magic V5 folding smartphone
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I've tested pretty much all the latest smartphones, and it's been nice to see some genuine innovation creeping in at last, after what seemed like an unflappable flatline over the last few years.
Foldable tech is part of the furniture now, and the interpretations are getting wilder by the day, but I'm still not sure any manufacturer is really getting it right.
There is one that comes close, though. Perhaps a rank outsider, but Honor really surprised me with their new Magic V5, a relatively affordable folding phone that simply feels, looks and works better than pretty much any competitor.
It's not without its flaws, but it's the only folding phone I've used for a long period, because it's so nice to live with.
I couldn't not include a smartphone in this list, given how much the tech has moved in in 2025, and I bet you wouldn't have expected me to pick an Honor foldable as my favourite, given some of the leviathan launches, but it's the one I've been most impressed with when approaching it from a completely neutral standpoint with no expectations.
Viofo A329S dashcam
Oh, so many dashcams. My wife always tells me I own too many cars, and she's right, but I simply don't have anywhere near enough to use all the dashcams I've been sent this year.
Some brands are definitely emerging as my favourites, though. A big shout out goes to Vantrue for producing some genuinely clever models this year, but from a consistency point of view, I'm going to go with Viofo this year. And I'm going to single out the A329S.
It might be fantastically expensive, but it's a fantastic performer. It has all the features you'd want from a flagship dashcam, it gives great footage, it's easy to use, it installs discreetly, and it's available with three channels.
There really isn't a lot to choose between the very best dashcams out there these days, so this was a tough choice, but I'm just a Viofo fan. And it’s the brand I've kept in my cars the longest for a reason.
Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum
Another thing I've been testing a lot in 2025 is robot vacuums. I always enjoy exploring the various models out there, with a varying list of features and options, and my house has never been more spotless.
You can spend hundreds and hundreds of pounds on a robot vacuum, and I've lived with some of the most expensive devices in the business, but the one that's stayed in my living room is the Dreame L40 Ultra. It is a premium robot at a premium price, but at just over £600 it's by no means violently expensive. In fact, it has all the features you should expect from a £1,000 vacuum.
Truth be told, there's not a lot to differentiate the top-tier robots, they all do a great job. But a combination of the cleaning capability, the ease of use, the reliability, and the clever addition of a security camera function just nudges this one over the line and makes it my favourite. It's terrific.
CTEK CS Free car charger
CTEK's big launch this year was a product it felt like I'd been waiting for for years.
I have a motorhome, and I like to keep the battery healthy. But I can't get a cable to it, so using a conventional charger isn't an option.
However, the CS Free is rechargeable. So it doesn't need to be powered. Its battery gives it enough life to give my motorhome battery a thorough top-up, and it's easy to just pop the CS Free back into the house, charge it up, and send it for another session after it's charged back up on USB-C.
Not only is it a 12v charger, it also works as a jump pack, and you can even use it as a massive power bank for charging any USB device.
I love its simplicity, I love its effectiveness, and I love the fact that it exists. CTEK deserves to sell these in huge numbers, and I'm sure they are doing.
Salter Digital Pet Food Scale
I got a bit of a telling-off from my vet at the start of the year. My labradoodle, Honey, had put on a few pounds. She was still happy and healthy, but she had to lose around 3kg which, on a 19kg dog, sounded like a bit of a mission.
Quite coincidentally, the nice people at Salter had just launched a dog bowl with a scale built in to it. I'm not sure they expect to sell truckloads of these, but for me, it seemed like a miracle device.
Obviously, I'd been able to portion out Honey's food using her regular bowl and a set of scales, but this wonderful gadget makes it so much easier. You just pop out a little panel, fill it with food, and stop when it reaches the correct weight. Then you pass it to the hungry hound.
It's estimated that around half of the dogs in the UK are overweight to some degree, so Salter might have a success on its hands.
And, speaking of success, Honey managed to lose the 3kg by the autumn. I now no longer fear the vet visits. Thank you Salter!
My overall favourite piece of consumer tech of 2025...
I've agonised over this, but I think I'm going to hand it to the EcoFlow Stream DIY solar system. With a highly commended badge going to Logitech's MX Master 4 mouse.
For a fraction of the price of a roof-top solar system, you can have panels, a battery, a microinverter, and a programmable interface powering your home.
My setup has already knocked money off my monthly electricity bill, despite me setting it up at the end of summer, and I absolutely love watching the wattage rise and fall as the sun hits the panels.
It's genuinely easy to fit - you might want to bring an electrician in to wire it to your household mains, but that's not a big job - and you can buy refurbished units for less than £500.
It makes sustainable energy affordable and, although it won't save you a fortune, you'll get to watch your smart meter drop to zero on sunny days. And that's absolutely priceless.
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