10 New Home Gadgets That Made Me Say, “Wait, That’s Actually Genius”

We love a home-focused trade show at Apartment Therapy. They’re amazing for learning about new makers and brands, or just spotting the biggest decorating trends. The first show of the year that’s on my radar? The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is all about gadgets that run the gamut from large and small home appliances, to televisions, computers, app-enabled devices, and much, much more. 

Held earlier this week in Las Vegas, CES always delivers in terms of the hottest new tech you’re going to want for your home. Here’s what caught our eye and earned Apartment Therapy’s “Best in Show” seal — and what you should look for coming to market this year (if it’s not available already).

The GE Profile 27.9 Cu. Ft. Smart 4-Door French-Door Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant might be the world’s most smartest fridge, thanks to its assistant-like functionality, from a first-of-its-kind, built-in Scan-to-List barcode scanner, which can add things to your grocery list using a scanner, to its crisper drawer’s built-in cameras, which notify you on the freshness of your produce. It can even suggest recipes based on what’s inside — hello, sous-chef!

We’re big fans of the Birdbuddy Pro smart bird feeder (and camera) at AT (read a full review of why it’s a great gift for any nature lover in your life). So hearing the brand announced a new-and-improved flagship version 2.0 — as well as a Birdbuddy Mini 2 model — had us very intrigued. Both harness the power of AI to identify species even more accurately as they fly up to your feeder, and they’re capable of capturing images and videos for your enjoyment. 

Though the Birdbuddy 2 ($199) got a complete redesign as well, we’re really loving the new Mini for its compact, small-space friendly size and even more accessible price point ($129). Connectivity and power management have also been improved, too. Both should be available midyear at the latest.

Smart photo frames aren’t new, but the Arzopa D14 offers a lot of bang for the buck (it’s currently on promo for $10 off at $129.99). It comes with preset WiFi so those who are less tech-savvy can instantly get it up and running — and an unlimited number of users can share snaps — and even 2-minute videos with sound! — from all around the globe. Everything is managed in the Arzopa app, with free cloud storage for your files. Even the look is simple but stunning — we love the sleek champagne gold frame. 

Buy: Arzopa D14, $139.99

DREO consistently delivers great heating and cooling solutions at fairly affordable prices. So it’s no surprise the brand is taking on the viral misting fan trend with an indoor tower model that promises to make a room feel instantly cooler by up to 10°F. That’s all due to its built-in water tank, which delivers a mess-free ultrafine mist for up to 7 hours without refilling. Combine that with 12 fan speeds, four cooling modes, and four humidity levels, and those very warm summer days hopefully won’t leave you as flustered. Here’s to hoping it drops online before June!

Every year Govee trots out a new assortment of smart lighting solutions, and the Floor Lamp 3 caught our attention this year. This piece looks like a modern art sculpture, and it can also provide a sunshine-mimicking glow — or super vibey lighting to provide a fun, mood-enhancing backdrop for a gallery wall or a movie marathon. One of these would be great in a living room or den. 

You can check out earlier models on the Govee website now, but the Floor Lamp 3’s color- and white-light rendering capabilities, as well as its ambience and adaptiveness, will be well worth the wait.

It’s not that the concept behind washer/dryer combos isn’t a great one — who doesn’t want to save space in a home and have one less thing to do (moving your laundry from the washer to the dryer)? It’s that drying time with combos typically lags, meaning it can take forever to do a single load of laundry. But that’s not the case with the SIGNATURE 29” WashCombo with AIDD2.0 from LG. It promises to wash and dry 10 pounds of laundry in just 90 minutes — about a half-hour less than any of its previous models. Now we’re talking about saving space and time, which just might make this machine a laundry day game-changer. This model should start shipping soon. 

Its first-ever foray into the cordless stick vacuum category, Bosch’s Unlimited Series hits all the high notes with its state-of-the-art MicroClean technology, which promises to remove 99.9% of dust particles down to 0.3 microns — basically all the flecks and specks you can’t even see! The machines do this by packing powerful suction, sure, but sensor-based feedback is key, too. As you run the vac over the surface, an interior sensor searches for dust, and an LED ring on the exterior of the vacuum literally illuminates when an area is thoroughly dirt-free, signaling that you can move on to the next spot. The machine works on a variety of surfaces, making it super-versatile.

Other cool features? The dust box has a compressor for less frequent (but very easy) emptying, and the flexible form offering (on the Unlimited 10, pictured here) means you don’t have to bend down to get to those hard-to-reach areas. The difference between models also comes down to batteries and runtime, but both versions offer quick charge batteries and good battery life on the whole. These vacuums are available for preorder and start at $499. 

Buy: Bosch Unlimited 10 Cordless Stick Vacuum, From $599

With its negative pressure air duct system, the Dreame Furcatch Air Purifier FP10 aims to capture pet hair and dander long before it ever settles into the furniture and finishes in your house. If that is brilliant enough, it also boasts a rotating primary filter that rotates 360° to actively remove dust and debris that’s midair. A sealed antibacterial dust box means disposal without messy dust bags, and while an advanced activated carbon cuts down on those musty, pet smells. It sounds like a winner for dog and cat owners alike. 

I was impressed with the price point and technology behind Lutron’s Caséta smart window shade introductions at CES in 2025. So I was thrilled to see the brand launch similarly priced wood blinds on the same platform for this year’s show. 

Made of American basswood, they come in both white-painted and walnut-stained finishes and can be mounted in several different ways. You can expect the same great functionality as the shades: opening and closing with the push of a button, the sound of your voice, or a quick tap in an app. They can be customized for your home or apartment’s window sizes, and installation is easy, since they’re battery-operated. What’s special about them versus the shades? They feature a Natural Light Optimization (NLO) setting that automatically tilts them throughout the day as the sun moves, bringing natural light into the home when and where you want it. It’s pretty great automation for the cost, $429 for each window up to 48 inches wide and 80 inches tall.  

Buy: Lutron Caséta Smart Wood Blinds, $429.00

If scrolling keeps you up into the wee hours of night — because you always have to have your phone (and alarm) bedside — The Dreamie might be for you, particularly if you use your phone to wind down with podcasts or ambient noise.

Smart phones present a unique challenge for quality sleep: It’s all too easy to start doomscrolling when your device has to be bedside, either because you use yours as an alarm or to wind down with a podcast or white noise. That’s where The Dreamie comes in. It’s the ideal sleep assistant insofar as it functions as a clock, alarm, light, and sleep environment enhancer without the temptation of social media and the internet at your fingertips. 

The device is not cheap, but the idea is to unplug without forgoing your ideal sleep routine, whether that includes white noise, listening to a podcast, or using light to wind down. The Dreamie can also wake you up to gradual noise and sound every morning — can give you bedtime cues and remember your set schedules. It also gives off just enough light to read, if that’s how you catch your z’s. Sounds way better than counting sheep to me!

Buy: The Dreamie, $249.99