January can be a slower month for new tech releases. The shopping season is behind us, as is the insanity of new product releases to get announced at CES.
And yet, we're always busy working on reviewing unique, new gadgets to find the very best. So from affordable wireless earbuds to a posture training device, these are the best gadgets we reviewed in 2022.
Serious sound value
Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds
- Comfortable fit
- Excellent sound quality
- Very good noise-canceling
- Very good transparency
- Good call quality
- IPX4 water resistance
- No wireless charging
- No EQ or control customization
- No Bluetooth multipoint
- Require frequent fit adjustment
You may not have heard of Denon, but the over 100-year Japanese brand has become well-known in the hi-fi world in recent years.
The Denon AHC830NCW, however, are its first pair of wireless earbuds, and they've made quite a splash. Yes, they resemble Apple's AirPods, but don't call them knock-offs. Between the excellent sound quality and high-quality noise canceling, these feel like far from a debut attempt at one of the hottest tech categories in the past few years.
The $159 price, though, is what makes this such a sweet deal, especially considering some of the competition.
The ultimate stick vac
Dyson Outsize Absolute+
- Powerful
- Automatically adjustable suction
- Great array of tools and accessories included
- Bigger cleaning head for faster vacuuming
- Larger dustbin for less frequent emptying
- Laser sighting works wonders
- Heavier than average stick vac, particularly when used as a handheld
- Batteries take 4.5 hours to charge
- Expensive
Dyson has made a name for itself in the world of light, wireless, handheld vacuums, such as the V10 or V15. But the Outsize Absolute+ brings all that same tech to a larger stick vacuum, and the result is fantastic.
It's powerful when you need it but can just as easily go handheld. The system uses two specialized cleaning heads, including one that uses lasers to clean. You read that right. Lasers.
According to our review, "The laser does a mind-blowing job of lighting up seemingly invisible dirt, dust, and particles. The first time I used it, I’d already vacuumed the previous day and thought there’d be nothing for it to spot. Boy, was I wrong."
A master class in prebuilt gaming PCs
HP Omen 45L
- Excellent CPU cooling solution
- Tool-less design
- Upgradable with off-the-shelf parts
- Great gaming performance
- Doesn't get too loud
- Extra hard drive bays
- Limited number of USB ports
- No DDR5 option
- Bloatware is a little annoying
The problems with prebuilt desktop PCs are well-documented. And yet, with the ongoing GPU shortage, it's one of the only ways to upgrade your PC gaming experience.
The HP Omen 45L is one of the few we can wholeheartedly recommend. Not only is it beautifully designed and configured with the latest high-end parts, but it's also more easily upgradable than other prebuilts. The 45L model, in particular, adds an extra CPU cooling module up top known as the Cryo Chamber. It adds some extra height to the tower, but the result is supreme cooling that you rarely see in a prebuilt PC like this.
A posture trainer that delivers on promises
Upright Go S
- Super small
- Adhesive works surprisingly well
- Alerts you firmly but gently
- Does its job to keep you from slouching
- Easy to use discretely
- Additional adhesives cost about $1 each
- Battery life is short
Working remotely has done a number on most of our backs. If you really need some help remembering to consider your posture, there are a number of posture trainers out on the market, but the Upright Go S is the one to get.
It's a thumb-sized plastic bean that either sticks to your back using adhesives or connected to a lanyard. Through the use of sensors, gentle vibrations, and a helpful companion app, the Upright Go S encourages better posture throughout your day.
It might not sound all that pleasant, but if you're serious about correcting your posture, a gadget like the Upright Go S is exactly what you need.
Premium in all the right ways
Garmin Venu 2 Plus
- Rock-solid connectivity
- Phone calls and assistant
- Battery life
- Strong GPS
- A ton of data
- High price
- Unintuitive UI
- Missing some services
Garmin is known for its health-based smartwatches, but the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is more than just for fitness enthusiasts. It's also just a fantastic Apple Watch alternative. With its gorgeous AMOLED screen, support for phone calls and voice-activated assistants, and long battery life, it's every bit as premium and feature-rich.
Its target audience will always be fitness lovers, especially given the price, but Garmin has also made a great smartwatch with the Venu 2 Plus.
