For more than two decades, CNET editors have poked, prodded, tested, retested, taken apart, intentionally dropped and stayed up all night to play with the new products and services that promise to change the way we live and work.
In 2022, our team of experts found 81 products and services in seven categories we believe are worth celebrating – and most important, are worth honoring with a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. From the smartphones, laptops and tablets we use daily to stay in touch and find out what’s happening around us, to the routers, monitors and other nuts-and-bolts gear that make our digital ecosystems work, we continue to rely on tech to make sure we’re communicating, collaborating and engaging as easily and effectively as we can.
We also did deep dives to find the best TVs, Bluetooth speakers, kitchen gear including blenders and toasters, robot vacuums, software and online services, from VPN services to keep your data private and safe to language services as many of us started traveling again, far and wide.
The result of all that work has led to our picks for the CNET Editors’ Choice Awards – which we’re honoring this year with a new badge that we’ll use to identify those standouts in our reviews, Best Lists, product comparison and other stories across our site.
Our mission, as always, is to help you navigate our changing world, whether you’re looking for top-of-the-line gear or more affordable options. And we back up these choices with extensive tips, explainers and how-to guides from our team that we hope will help you get the most out of the products and services you choose to buy. Note that products and services were tested in 2022 to help guide you as you decide which gear to add to your life in 2023.
One other note: In terms of innovation, 2022 was overall a modest year, with an emphasis on evolving products to make them better rather than blowing up new categories. Even so, we were happy to find four products that we thought pushed the envelope and were worth another CNET editors’ award – our Innovation Award, which recognizes tech that brings new and noteworthy ideas to the market. Check out our list below.
We’re happy to continue CNET’s tradition of rewarding products that offer the best combination of performance, design and value. We’d love to hear about your favorites, too. Find CNET on your favorite social media channel and tell us what you think.
Phones, smartwatches, headphones
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Google Pixel 6A
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Apple AirPods Pro 2
iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Google Pixel Watch
Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch Ultra
Garmin Venue 2 Plus
Withings ScanWatch Horizon
Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
Computers
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
MacBook Air M2
Dell XPS 8950 Desktop
HP Chromebase AiO 22
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus
Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7, 14-inch)
iPad Air 2022
Gaming
See the Innovation Awards below for more.
Meta Quest 2
Nintendo Switch OLED
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
GeForce Now
Apple Arcade
Home entertainment
HBO Max
Spotify
TCL 6 Series TV (2022)
Disney Plus
Epson Home Cinema 5050UB projector
Netflix
YouTube TV
Chromecast with Google TV 4K
Roku Express 4K Plus
BenQ CineHome HT2050A projector
Anker Nebula Mars II Pro projector
Roku Streambar
Soundcore by Anker Motion Boom Plus
Software and services
Duolingo
Bitwarden
Procreate
Zoom
ExpressVPN
Home
Arlo Pro 4
Apple HomePod Mini
D-Link EaglePro AI Range Extender
TP-Link RE605X
Eero 6 Plus
TP-Link Archer AX21
Dyson V15 Detect
Tineco a11 hero
Roomba s9
Roborock S7
Ninja Air Fryer
Panasonic Flashxpress Toaster
Ninja Twisti Blender
Asus RT-AX86U
SimpliSafe
Wyze Video Doorbell Pro
Amazon Smart Thermostat
TP Link Deco W7200 Mesh Router
Ring Alarm Pro
Wyze Home Monitoring
Xfinity Home Security
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Wellness
Tonal
Lululemon Align High-Rise 6-inch Shorts with pockets
Layla Hybrid Mattress
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
Bear Original Mattress
Zero Water
EveryPlate
Sunbasket
Mosaic Foods
Fresh N Lean
HungryRoot
Innovation Award 2022
Recognizing products that bring new and noteworthy ideas to the market.
Steam Deck
Panic Playdate
HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Sony Xperia 1 IV