The 2025 Tech of the year
It’s been a bumper year of smart innovations and even smarter gear. This is our 2025 hitlist of the greatest appliances, accessories and next-level tools that are worthy of your hard-earned Randelas.
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WORK
Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 G1 Aura Edition
Looking for an ultralight, endlessly portable laptop? This wafer-thin powerhouse packs a high-speed processor and ensemble of similarly powerful parts but that’s to be expected at this pricepoint. The real magic is found in its AI virtual sensor which lets you pair up your phone with a quick tap, giving you instant access to all your files (and more).
Marshall Major IV
Old-school cool meets futureproof audio chops for a listening experience that’ll enhance your workday playlists. You might know Marshall from their range of guitar amps that make regular appearances on stadium stages worldwide, and that signature sound is captured flawlessly by these cans’ custom-tuned dynamic drivers. Bonus: a single charge nets you 80-plus hours of wireless playtime
Logitech MX Master 3S
An ergonomic design gives you a comfy grip that’ll take the pressure off of your wrist, while the whisper-quiet buttons make it an ideal accessory if you’re sharing your WFH space. Throw in a 8 000 DPI sensor for pinpoint clicking, and you’ve got the perfect wireless mouse for any purpose. (Yes, even gaming.)
Trojan Walking Pad Treadmill
Getting in steps while you’re stuck in Zoom meetings is 2025’s top tech innovation. And Trojan’s deskside stroller is one of our favourites. It’s a low-profile treadmill that’s foldable (for easy stashing) and your new antidote for WFH lazing. Pair with a standing desk and you’ll have no trouble closing rings.
Anker Powerhouse 757
We’ve had our longest reprieve from power outages since load shedding began, but that doesn’t mean you can ditch the backup plans. This is your contingency – a suped-up cell that sports up to nine ports for simultaneous charging of all your important tech. It’s also portable, giving you a way to power-up even when you’re off the grid.
TRAIN
Hyperice Venom Go
Target tight muscles on the move with this portable recovery tool. Apply the pad like a salve and choose from nine different combos of heat and vibration to soothe soreness. The only catch is each stick-on pad only lasts for 20 applications, so make sure you budget for an annual restock
HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro
Just released, we had some hands-on time before with the company’s latest flagship smartwatch just before its big launch. This new-fangled iteration squeezes in a host of fitness features tailormade for cycling, golf and deepsea diving (just to name a few). Throw in the latest wearable innovations and you’ve got a workout warrior with endless lifestyle applications.
JBL Endurance Peak 3
Fifty hours of battery life; dust- and water-resistant; and capable of pumping out bone-rattling levels of bass – this is peak listening. TwistLock tech keeps these glued to your ears during strenuous sessions and Ambient Aware will let you stay tuned to your surroundings. Your training never sounded this good.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
The perfect gear if you’re wedded to your training insights. This sleek band houses a stacked toolkit of tracking tech feeding you digits on your sleep, energy and more. Perfect if you’re searching for stats minus the extra screens.
Tacx FLUX S Smart Trainer
This turns your trusty bike into an indoor elliptical, but it’s not just a conversion kit. The FLUX will track your performance and syncs up to apps like Zwift and Tacx Training where you can compete on leaderboards for pedal-powered motivation. It can even simulate inclines to dial up the intensity.
LIVE
Ninja CREAMi
It’s all over TikTok so you’d be forgiven for thinking this ice cream maker is just a fad. But once you figure out you can whip up protein-loaded alternatives to your freezer favourites with just a couple of ingredients, this starts to look like the perfect fix. It turns just about anything into soft serve, sorbet or milkshakes.
LG B4
Boasting infinite contrast for crisp visuals with dark blacks and bright whites, this was our hands-down favourite centrepiece for those all-important couch potato hours. The sleek TV leverages an alpha 8 AI Processor to refine your visuals for even more eye candy when you ramp up the resolution.
Dyson TP10
High pollution makes urban air tough to swallow. This sleek purifier removes 99.95% of particles for easy breathing while sifting out bad odours, too. Plus, it’ll also help lower your indoor temps making it a cool customer that’ll keep you comfortable and healthy in equal measure.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni
Robot vacuums have come a long way from the clankers that struggled with pet hair and navigating around furniture. The Deebot is about as close as you’ll get to ‘set it and forget it’, leveraging next-gen AI to sidestep obstacles with ease. Heavy-duty suction and high-speed scrubbing will keep your floors spotless, and this nifty bot auto-washes, dries and empties without any need for human intervention.
Hatch Restore 3
Being roused by the iPhone equivalent of an air raid siren is a shortcut to instant stress. The Restore sidesteps the high-decibel drama by simulating the sunrise to gently nudge you from your slumber. However, this isn’t a one-trick alarm clock; it also features personalised sleep coaching and a variety of soothing sounds to help you snooze better.
PLAY
Nintendo Switch 2
It’s the next iteration of Nintendo’s most successful step since the Gameboy, and this new portable device sports more juice, nifty features and titles to give you high-fidelity gaming on the move. We’ll spare you the specs, there are only two words that actually matter: Mario Kart.
Pioneer DJ DDJ-200 DJ Controller
These days it feels like everyone and their cousin (who’s on the brink of making it big, honestly) is dabbling with DJ’ing. While we won’t promise that you’ll headline Wonderland, these beefy decks will give your playlist packed-dancefloor vibes with some fun creative expression thrown into the mix.
Roland V-Drums TD-02K
Thrash the drums like you always dreamed of when you were a tyke, but without bothering the fam’ (or your next door neighbours). This “e-kit” sports near-silent pads and can be connected to headphones (for private practice) or an amp (when it’s time to show off your new drum solo).
Nikon Laser Range Finder Prostaff 1000
The perfect swing can help you find the green, but great info will make sure you’re striking true every time you tee up. This no-fuss range finder gives you accurate measurements up to 910-metres, taking the guesswork out of your club selection and – hopefully – helping you finally topple that course record.
instax Fujifilm Mini Evo
Hybrid cameras give you instant prints like those old-school Kodaks but also let you store your snaps for the ‘gram. This one doesn’t just draw on the best of the now-extinct hipsters’ machinations but also sports advanced light sensitivity and exposure compensation settings for picture-perfect shooting. Retro practical is what we call it.