Thousands of readers bought these 10 useful tools and gadgets (No. 5 gets weird) - ZDNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. ZDNET experts put every product through rigorous testing and research to curate the best options for you. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn Our Process From Bluetooth trackers to (checks notes) a smart insect bite healer, these are the top gadgets our readers have actually purchased in 2026 so far. Article updated on April 30, 2026, 1:51 pm EDT We’re nearly halfway through 2026, which has us at ZDNET looking back at some of our favorite products we’ve tested this year — and ones that beat out top models in our lab testing. But what about our readers’ favorites? We gathered data on all the products our readers bought the most this year through links in ZDNET reviews, buying guides, deal posts, and other content on our site. The following are the most popular items purchased by thousands of people, listed by the number purchased in 2026 so far (note that your privacy is protected; we only have access to aggregate data from our user base, and there is no way for us to identify individual people’s purchases). Here are the most popular prod