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2025 Home of the Future Awards: 25 products that’ll improve your everyday life
We've selected the best innovations to make your home more comfortable, affordable, and livable. The post 2025 Home of the Future Awards: 25 products that’ll improve your everyday life appeared first on Popular Science.
At the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, an exhibit called The Home of Tomorrow laid out a vision of a futuristic living space. It included outlandish predictions including personal helicopter pads, but it also foreshadowed central air conditioning, automatic dishwashers, and other innovations that have become integral parts of modern life. As we envision the home of the future, it’s easy to get caught up in sci-fi-inspired predictions of fully autonomous homes serviced by robotic butlers and disembodied virtual assistants that remove the humanity from our living spaces. Here at Popular Science, we reject that vision.
For the inaugural Home of the Future Awards, we have selected 25 products that augment life at home by making it more efficient, affordable, accessible, and—ultimately—more enjoyable. We test, preview, and evaluate hundreds of products per year and these products deserve a chance to cohabitate with you and the people who matter to you.
Traeger Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle
A flat top grill is one of the most versatile ways to cook just about anything from pancakes to burgers, but temperature control is key. Traeger equipped its flagship griddle with a duo (or trio if you go with the Flat Rock 3) of U-shaped burners to provide consistent flame all the way to the edges of the cooking area. A barrier of HeatShield insulation between burners creates two distinct cooking zones so it’ll sear burgers on one side and gently toast buns on the other.
De’Longhi De’Longhi Rivelia espresso machine
There isn’t a drink on the local coffee shop’s menu that this automated machine can’t create with a single tap. The built-in conical grinder pulls beans from interchangeable hoppers on top of the machine. It pulls milk and water from removable reservoirs to craft everything from simple espresso shots to elaborate lattes. Custom profiles store user preferences like drink size and strength. Plus, the system offers clear guidance on how and when the machine needs a thorough cleaning. With the price of a Venti latte pushing $8 with tip, it will pay for itself in a hurry.
Bluetti Bluetti Apex 300
This might be the most versatile portable power station yet. On its own, it stores 2,765 kWh juice and outputs 3,840 kW of power. Chaining units together, however, expands overall capacity all the way up to 58 kWh and output to 11.52 kW. That’s enough to power a typical house for several days. When connected. to a home’s main electrical panel, it acts as an uninterruptible power source that kicks with with nearly zero latency as soon as the grid goes down. Plus, the industry-first 12 kW bypass allows it to intelligently charge a full-sized EV for improved overall efficiency.
Brisk It Brisk It Vera AI Grill
Some barbecue die-hards call pellet cooking “easy mode” and we agree, but we see it as a good thing. Brisk It’s AI-powered cookers guide outdoor chefs through every step of the process, starting with recipe creation. The companion app suggests ideal ingredients and prep for specific dishes. Once the meat hits the cooking surface, the grill monitors and adjusts the temperature in real time for the ideal cook. Over time, the AI learns your specific tastes and preferences so it knows what flavors, cooking styles, and even prep times you prefer. A charcoal grill could never.
Biolite Backup by BioLite
Backup generators typically require costly professional installation, but BioLite’s solution makes DIY setup exceedingly simple. The battery panels are just 2.8 inches thick, so they’re easy to hide or mount on the wall like you would a TV. Rather than hooking into an electrical panel, Backup plugs into a standard outlet and passes electricity through to your appliances. When the grid goes out, the power banks immediately kick in to keep plugged in devices running without interruption. The internal capacity provides between 30 and 60 hours of operation on a charge, which is typically plenty since the majority of power outages last less than 12 hours.
Tushy Aura by Tushy
Until science makes the seashell system from 1993 Sly Stallone Sci-Fi classic, Demolition Man into a reality, this is the most luxurious toilet setup around. Both the lid and seat open and close automatically for touch-free operation. The seat, bidet water, and air dryer are all heated for maximum comfort. A smart controller allows users to tweak settings and monitor them with an integrated screen. You’ll know the seat is the right temperature before you even sit down. It offers all the benefits of a truly high-end luxury toilet and it’s easy to install without hiring a professional.
Skylight Skylight Calendar Max
This 27-inch wall-mounted touchscreen is designed to keep families on track. It integrates with all the common calendar platforms, including Apple, Google, Outlook, and even Yahoo!. The Cal Max goes beyond simple calendar reminders. The Chore Chart feature reminds each member of the family (or roommates) of their pending tasks. It even has built-in meal planning and list-making functionality to create an organizational hub. The simple benefit of never forgetting garbage day ever again is enough to earn our approval.
Ikea Ikea BÄSINGEN series
You won’t find any electronics in Ikea’s accessibility-oriented furniture line. These extremely affordable products rely on sturdy construction and thoughtful design to make everyday tasks more accessible. The extra-thick towel bars and toilet paper holders screw directly into studs to provide easy-to-grip supports. The step stools have built-in rails for added stability. Even the anthracite shower chair is light enough to easily move, but strong enough to support larger bodies. These are the type of products that typically command a premium at medical supply stores.
Lovesac LoveSac Reclining Seat
Recliners and reclining sofas can’t typically sit flush against a wall because they need room to lean back. LoveSac built the Reclining Seat for its Sactional modular couches on a sliding base that allows it to recline without extending backwards. It moves up and down in a smooth motion with almost no effort. The sturdy base ensures that it won’t slide backwards during the transition so there’s no worry about getting stuck or damaging the wall behind the couch.
Samsung Samsung Frame Pro TV
The original Samsung Frame’s exceptionally glare-resistant screen, abundant frame options, and access to famous artworks have made it a perennial favorite with interior designer. But, it has never wowed cinephiles. The new Frame Pro adds MiniLED backlighting and Samsung QLED tech to provide a brighter picture with more contrast and better color accuracy. It can now compete in picture quality with much less elegant displays. Samsung’s Wireless One Connect box separates the TV’s ports from the panel for easy and clean installation just about anywhere.
Seegrills Seegrills Perfecta Grill
This AI-powered grill bombards steaks, chicken, burger, vegetables, or whatever else enters the cooking chamber with infrared heat. It constantly monitors doneness and environmental variables and temperature in order to cook food as quickly as possible. Burgers and steaks take as little as 90 seconds while chicken goes from raw to perfect in roughly 2.5 minutes. A built-in ARM processor allows the grill to learn your specific preferences over time so its performance improves with use. If you want to make a change to the process, punch it in via the built-in 7-inch touchscreen control panel.
Govee Govee Outdoor Lamp Post Light
A 54-LED array broken up into six independent zones can throw customizable light up to 32 feet in every direction. It offers a huge assortment of colors, as well as a range of white-ish light from 2700K warm incandescent to 6500K sunlight. This smart lamp post can stand freely on its own or permanently install in an outdoor space. It has an IP66 ruggedness rating, so it’s fully waterproof and its F1 UV rating indicates that it won’t crumble with long-term sun exposure. Once in place, it takes commands from a companion app or any of the major virtual assistants, just like an interior smart bulb.
Grovemade Grovemade Desk
At first glance, this looks like the kind of minimalist desk that shuns fancy features and creature comforts. That’s the point. This convertible standing desk comes equipped with a remote that stores two customizable positions and shifts with a single button press. A built-in six-plug power strip stays totally hidden, but allows easy access from the front. The ventilated, wedge-shaped drawer allows your laptop to sit out of sight on a merino wool cushion while connected to an external monitor. Oak, maple, and walnut surface options will last many years longer than a pressboard desk from a big box store.
Ooni Ooni Halo Pro Mixer
Lots of products include the word “pro” in their title, but this stand mixer uses the same spiral mixing technology found in high-end bakeries and pizza shops. Unlike a traditional home stand mixer, the Halo Pro’s bowl spins along with the dough hook. This compound movement helps the dough develop better gluten networks for better taste and texture. It also offers unmatched control, with a total of 58 speed settings between 60 and 1,000 RPM. While it excels at dough, it can also whip, mix, beat, and just about any combination of ingredients thrown at it.
EF EcoFlow EF EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable AC
Sometimes home is on the road. This cooler-sized device offers both heating and cooling without the grid. A built-in LFP battery array powers a total of 6,100 BTU of cooling power and 6,800 BTU of heating power allow it to quickly dial in the temperature in a space up to 180 square feet. It typically takes just 15 minutes to move the temperature up to 15 degrees in either direction depending on environmental variables. With the optional battery pack, it can provide up to eight hours of comfort. And, since the battery is rated for 4,000 cycles, it can stand up to daily use.
Blueai EF EcoFlow Wave 3 Portable AC
Typical humidifiers disperse minerals, dust, and other undesirable particles into the air that settles around the home in the form of annoying residue. Blueair’s humidifier employs an anti-microbial wick filter under the outer grate to catch those possible pollutants before they can escape. The system works with basic tap water so it doesn’t require a costly supply of distilled H20. And despite its compact 14.6-inch x 9.4-inch stature, it can treat the air in a space up to 500 square feet.
Dreo Dreo Smart Air Conditioner
Air conditioning relies on condensation to cool, which means moisture issues are always a concern. Dreo created a unique system that recycles water back to the condenser to create a continuous cooling cycle without the need for draining. As a result, this 10,000 BTU air conditioner can also act as a dehumidifier as well as a fan. A companion app monitors and controls the device, which operates at less than 45 dB thanks to Dreo’s patented noise-isolated compressor. It’s easy to install and blends into just about any decor thanks to its minimalist look.
GE GE Ultrafast Combo Washer and Dryer
Combination washer dryers often add hours to each load when compared to separate machines. GE designed its Airflow drying system to substantially cut that time and increase overall efficiency. Once the wash cycle is done, a turbine pumps a powerful stream of warm air into the chamber from above to pull moisture from the garments. The washing and drying process takes about two hours start to finish and can accommodate everything from bulky blankets to delicate clothing that typically requires air-drying.
Aura Aura Frames Aspen
Most photo frames—even the digital ones—offer a 3:2 or 5:4 aspect ratio, which made sense before the age of camera phones. Most smartphones shoot 4:3 photos natively, which means typical frames have to crop part of each image. Aura’s Aspen frame offers a 12-inch HD display with a 1600 x 1200 resolution so images shot on a phone camera will appear just as you captured them. The Aspen works in both vertical and horizontal orientations and it doesn’t require a subscription to store and display photos from the cloud. Whirlpool
Whirlpool Slimtech Insulation
Typical refrigerators and freezers rely on polyurethane foam for insulation. It works, but it’s chunky and requires thick panels to provide optimal performance. Whirlpool’s SlimTech insulation is based on a material with a powdery structure that’s vacuum sealed into the door and sides of the appliance. The resulting panels are up to 66 percent thinner than their foam-stuffed counterparts. Once the fridge reaches its end of life, Whirlpool plans to put systems in place so the insulation material can be harvested and re-used rather than heading for the landfill.
Dyson Dyson Wash G1
By now you know about Dyson’s vacuums, but this cleaner is designed for deep cleaning on hard floors. The WashG1 avoids dispersing unpleasant odors by eschewing suction altogether. Instead, it relies on a pair of counter-rotating rollers wrapped in high-density microfiber cloth to scrub tough messes. A rigid extraction edge pulls the dirty water out of the rollers and funnels it into an easy-to-empty container while a fine filter grabs solid debris. It’s about as elegant a system as you could ask for when it comes to cleaning up spilled grape juice.
Aqara Aqara Light Switch H2
Use smart devices long enough and you’ll occasionally miss the simplicity of a basic light switch. Aqara’s H2 switches integrate with the popular Thread and Zigbee smart home solutions and don’t require a neutral wire to install. That makes them unusually easy to integrate into legacy systems. Once in place, you can set up complex automations that happen at the press of a button. Plus, the Power-Off Memory mode remembers the status of your devices when there’s a power outage and restores everything right back to the way it was as soon as the juice comes back on.
Gozney 
This gas-powered pizza oven will feel at home in your backyard, but when it’s time to hit the road, the burly built-in handles make it easy to grab and go. This portable oven is basically the size and weight of a cooler, so it’s easy to chuck in a trunk or camper. But, it includes Gozney’s high-end components, including the lateral gas burner, which mimics the effect of a traditional wood-fired flame. The rugged steel and aluminum shell houses efficient insulation, which allows it to heat up in just 15 minutes and, more importantly, cool down in as little as 20 minutes. That means no sitting around waiting for it to chill before packing up the camp.
Bison Bison Level.Up Adjustable Deck Pedestal Joist Support System
Concrete footers are a tried and tested way to support a ground-level deck. But, the process of pouring them can be finicky and time consuming. Bison’s system supports the deck with a series of independent, adjustable pedestals that disperse the weight across the surface of the ground. Each pedestal supports up to 70 pounds and adjusts to accommodate natural slopes. If the ground shifts over time, the pedestals offer flexibility for adjustments whereas rigid concrete can’t.
Vornado Vornado AXL Fan with Vertical Airwave Oscillation
Oscillating fans typically swing back and forth across the room, but Vornado’s Airwave vertical oscillation moves with purpose. It pulls cool air that sits near the floor of the room and brings it upward to bring down the overall temperature in the space. The 40-degree motorized tilt happens subtly and quietly. A pair of blowers powered by efficient DC brushless motors help keep the noise down. Plus, the flat, horizontal shape makes it easy to integrate into any space, especially compared to chunky box fans.
The post 2025 Home of the Future Awards: 25 products that’ll improve your everyday life appeared first on Popular Science.
