I’ve been TechRadar’s critiques editor for 18 months now. During that point, I’ve gotten to check some actually incredible devices throughout a variety of product classes. This 12 months particularly, I’ve tried out some actually thrilling tech, which is why I needed to share my private highlights with you.
From the very best wi-fi audio system you’ll be able to hear, the very best espresso machines for apprentice Americano brewers and cappuccino connoisseurs alike, to the very best drawing tablets for sketching up a storm, I’ve totally examined an actual vary of tech this 12 months. Now I wish to share a few of that have with you all.
If you are inquisitive about a few of the best devices from the previous 12 months, I’ve received the hands-on expertise to make private suggestions. So if you wish to know what the highest 5 devices I examined in 2025 are, learn on beneath.
Gaggia Classic E24 Evo Pro
As an inveterate caffeine addict, the one thing I care about more than anything when I’m using a coffee machine is reliable, repeatable results. And that’s why I loved using this machine.
If you prefer a machine that holds your hand every step of the way, though, this isn’t it. There are no automatic, bean-to-cup buttons or personalizable profiles here. And the milk steamer is anything but high-tech, requiring a bit of a knack to get consistently frothy results. But if what you’re looking for is a workman-like espresso machine that will help you bash out brilliant brews, this will definitely get you there.
TCL C8K
OK, hands up: I’ll admit I’m cheating a bit here. I didn’t technically test this TV; the actual TCL C8K review was carried out by my colleague James Davidson. But I do own it, which effectively means I’ve been testing it in real-world conditions for the past five weeks now.
I’ve never owned a TCL TV before this – previously, I would have gone straight for a big brand like Samsung or LG. But I’ll definitely always consider them in the future. This mini-LED marvel is just flat-out gorgeous. It’s seriously bright and offers very competent contrast, thanks to its 1,680 local dimming zones.
However, my favorite thing about it is the color reproduction. Honestly, feed it a movie or nature documentary, and the hues it produces are so vibrant they make the real world seem like a pale imitation. It can happily rival more premium TVs for richness, making it a pretty tempting purchase at a list price that runs from £1,599 / AU$2,495 for the 65-inch version.
That’s not to say I don’t have any reservations about it. The version of the Google TV OS it runs is missing at least one streaming service, while my phone is utterly unable to connect to it in AirPlay mode, which is a touch irritating. However, if you’re mostly worried about using the big streaming services and your main priority is getting the best picture performance for your buck, this definitely gets my thumbs up.
Oh and if you’re based in the US, don’t worry: the equivalent where you are, the TCL QM8K, is just as stellar and at the time of writing is available at Best Buy from just $1,499.99 (was $2,449.99).
Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch
A extra uncommon product class I’ve been testing out over the past 12 months is the very best digital picture frames. The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch is actually one in all my high picture body picks, following on from the equally stellar – when you’ll excuse the pun – Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame that I examined again in November 2024.
My pictures at all times regarded nice on the Pexar Starlight. While its pixel density is just a little decrease than its predecessor, the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame – 141 PPI in comparison with the latter’s 212 PPI – it nonetheless made my monochrome photographs look crisp and detailed. Colors are maybe a bit extra muted right here than on the smaller body, however they’re nonetheless fairly devoted, all issues thought of.
So it’s a robust performer, with a few caveats. Then why am I together with it on this listing of my finest gadgets I’ve reviewed this 12 months? Well, what lifts it into the top-tier class for me is the design.
It has beautiful, textured bevels that appear like mounting board and a wood-grain impact body. But essentially the most progressive ingredient is its rear-facing gentle, which lights up the wall behind it prefer it’s a portray in a gallery. I like how this makes the body really feel rather more built-in into your house decor, particularly within the evenings. All in all, it’s a severely gorgeous body with some groundbreaking options.
We Are Rewind GB-001
First off, that tape deck. It offers great-quality playback of both Type-1 and Type-2 cassettes. I tried it with an old tape that had been knocking around since the early 1990s and I was honestly impressed with how little wow or flutter there is, which is those pitch fluctuations you might remember from listening to some older tapes. Recording also offers very creditable quality – when I recorded an impromptu mixtape, I liked how there was just the right amount of old-school tape hiss without much degradation to the overall sound.
It’s a pretty nifty speaker in its own right, too. It offers both Bluetooth and Aux connectivity, a suitably epic 15-hour max battery life and VU meters that pump in time with the signal level of your music. Moreover, even though its mid-range is less expressive, it’ll submerge you in buckets of bass – perfect for breakers and skaters who want to relive their glory days or younger people falling in love with that tape hiss for the first time.
XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2
On top of being a tech nerd during my professional life, I’m also a bit of an amateur artist in my free time. Given that they combine two of my biggest passions, you won’t be surprised to hear that I’m a fan of graphics tablets. And probably the best I’ve tested this past year has been the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2.
First off, it comes with an extremely expansive 18.4-inch screen that makes sketching large-scale artworks a breeze. On top of this, the display is impressively bright, at an average of 250 nits, while simultaneously capable of serving up beautifully rich hues, offering 1.07 billion colors across its 99.8% sRGB, 96% Adobe RGB and 98% Display P3 color gamut.
The drawing experience is first-rate. I found both its more premium X3 Pro Roller Stylus and X3 Pro Slim Stylus to be wonderfully well-weighted, easy to pivot and spin as I drew strokes across the screen. And while their 16K pressure levels are probably overkill – being way more than most people can realistically detect – the styluses are remarkably responsive.
Finally, despite its enormous size and impressive performance, the XPPen is actually surprisingly affordable. Its original list price of $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99 was already pretty impressive, but at the time of writing this piece, it was available for $629.99 / £674.99 from Amazon, so it’s worth looking out for bargains.
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