Announcing the T3 Awards 2021 shortlist: it's the biggest T3 Awards ever!

Here's who is in the running to pick up a coveted T3 Award this year

T3 Awards 2021
(Image credit: Future)

Ever since its inception T3 has focussed on revealing the best technology products to help you live a smarter life and the annual T3 Awards have played a major part in that. And today we are delighted to be able to announce the shortlist for the T3 Awards 2021.

T3 will be 25 years' old in September, and this is the 15th year of the T3 Awards (what on earth were we doing for the 10 years prior to that? Step up, T3 of the past!) Anyway, to celebrate those milestones, the T3 Awards 2021 are bigger than ever before – there are more categories and the range of products covered is even wider.

The winners of the T3 Awards 2021 will be announced throughout the week of Monday 7 June and will appear in issue 322 of T3 magazine on sale Wednesday 9 June.

We've now reached an important stage in the T3 Awards process. The public nominations process has now closed, we've picked out the strongest contenders from hundreds of entries and we've added a load more of our own, including the best stuff announced since the 2020 T3 Awards as well as products that have scored highly in our reviews and buying guides. You can see the shortlisted entries below.

The next step is for the T3 judging panel to choose the winners. As well as announcing the winners in all our key areas – tech, AV, home and garden, watches, travel, outdoors, auto, style, wellness and fitness – we'll also be handing out awards in our headline categories. So in our awards week in June, you'll know who's been crowned the greatest gadget, brand, retailer, the best gadget under £100 / $100, the tech innovation of the year and who has picked up the sustainability award.

Also for 2021, given that so many of us have been working from home, we've introduced a brand new category called WFH Heroes where we'll be recognising the people, products and services that have helped make life easier over the last 12 months. Awards include Personality Of The Year, Courier Firm Of The Year, Best WFH Mood Lifter, Best Home Office Accessory and more. Winners of these special awards will also be announced in June.

Until then, read on for the nominations for the T3 Awards 2021. Please note that due to product release schedules and a rush of last-minute nominations, some shortlists below can still be considered as works in progress, with more nominees to follow (though none will be removed), as we test additional products.

And the nominations are...

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Brand Of The Year

Adidas, Apple, Bowflex, Disney, Dyson, Samsung, Sky, Volkswagen

Retailer Of The Year

Amazon, AO.com, Currys, eSpares, Halfords, Pure Electric, Screwfix, Wiggle

Tech Innovation Award

AirPop Active+ Smart Facemask, Apple M1 chip, Bowflex SelectTech 2080 barbell, DJI FPV drone, Insta360 GO 2, PlayStation 5, Samsung MICRO LED

Best Gadget Under £100 / $100

Amazon Echo (4th gen), Apple AirTag, Fitbit Ace 3, Huawei Band 4, JBL Tune 660NC, QP6650/30 Philips OneBlade Pro Face + Body, Razer Blackshark V2, Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen), Roku Express 4K

Gadget Of The Year

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2021), Bowers & Wilkins PI7, DJI Air 2S, Insta360 GO 2, LG G1, OnePlus 9 Pro, PlayStation 5, Samsung QN900A

Sustainability Award

IKEA, Finisterre, Fjällräven Samlaren collection, Gillette, GoPro, Tado Smart Radiator Thermostat V3+, Vango Earth Collection

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Soundbar or Soundbase

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage, Philips Fidelio B97, Polk React, Samsung HW-Q800A, Yamaha SR-C20A

Best Wireless Speaker

Apple HomePod Mini, Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII, Bang & Olufsen Beosound Level, Marshall Stanmore II, Naim Mu-so 2

Best Portable Speaker

Bang & Olufsen A1 v2, JBL Xtreme 3, JBL Charge 5, Marshall Emberton, Sonos Roam, Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2

Best DAC

Amazon Echo Link, Audiolab 6000N, iFi xDSD, Sonos Port, Yamaha WXAD-10

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Protein Powder or Snack

Barebells Vegan Protein Bar, Dioxyme Grass-fed Ultra Whey Protein, Grenade Carb Killa High Protein Bar, Huel Black Edition, Naked Nutrition Naked Mass

Best Workout Shoes

Inov-8 BARE-XF 210 V3, Nike Metcon 6, Reebok Nano X, Under Armour TriBase Reign 3, Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III

Best Running Shoes

Adidas 4DFWD, ASICS Metaracer, Brooks Hyperion Tempo, Hoka One One Mach 4, New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11, Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit, Saucony Kinvara 12

Best Home Weights

Bowflex SelectTech 2080 Barbell with Curl Bar, Eleiko Training Kettlebell, Mirafit Rubber Dumbbells, NordicTrack Select-A-Weight 55 Lb. Dumbbell Set, ONNIT Primal Kettlebell

Best Home Gym Equipment

Bowflex Treadmill 22, Mirafit Heavy Duty 260kg FID Weight Bench, NordicTrack RW900 Smart Rower, Peloton Bike+, Wattbike Atom (2nd Gen)

Best Fitness Tracker

Amazfit GTS 2e, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Luxe, Garmin Venu Sq, Huawei Band 6, Withings ScanWatch

Best Running Watch

COROS Pace 2, Fitbit Versa 3, Garmin Forerunner 245, Garmin Forerunner 745, Polar Vantage V2, Suunto 7

Best Fitness Headphones

Anker Soundcore Spirit X2, Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats Pro, Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats, Bose Sport Earbuds, Jaybird Vista 2

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Gaming Headset

Asus ROG Delta S, Audeze Penrose, Creative SXFI Gamer, HyperX Cloud Stinger S, JBL Quantum One, Logitech G Pro X Wireless Lightspeed, LucidSound LS50X, Razer BlackShark V2, SteelSeries Arctis 7P/7X Wireless

Best Gaming Mouse

Asus ROG Gladius II Core, Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Champion Series, HyperX Pulsefire Haste, Mad Catz R.A.T. DWS, Razer DeathAdder V2, Roccat Burst Pro

Best Gaming Keyboard

Asus TUF Gaming K3, Corsair K100 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Glorious GMMK Gaming Keyboard, HyperX Alloy Elite 2, Logitech G915 TKL, Razer BlackWidow V3, Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro, Whirlwind FX Element

Best Gaming Monitor

Acer Predator XB3, Asus ROG Swift PG329Q, BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710, BenQ EX2780Q, Dell Curved Gaming Monitor S2721HGF, HP Omen 27i, Lenovo Legion Y44W-10, LG UltraGear 34GN850, Philips 346B1C, Samsung Odyssey G9

Best Gaming Chair

AndaSeat T-Pro 2, BraZen Phantom Elite, Noblechairs Epic Series Real Leather, Razer Iskur, SecretLab Titan SoftWeave

Best Gaming Accessory

Marseille mClassic, Razer Kiyo Pro, Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S, Seagate FireCuda Gaming Dock, SecretLab MAGNUS Metal Desk, Thrustmaster eSwap X Pro Controller

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Lawnmower

Bosch CityMower 18, Cobra MX3440V, Greenworks GD60LM46SP, GTech Cordless Lawn Mower 2.0, Kärcher LMO 18-36 Cordless Lawn Mower, STIHL RMA 448 VC

Best Barbecue

Char-Broil Kamander Kamado, CharBroil Kettleman, Char-Broil Professional Pro S2, Traeger Ironwood 650, Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5750

Best Outdoor Lighting

Atlas Solar Powered Outdoor Spotlights, John Lewis Festoon Outdoor Line Lights, John Lewis Strom, Philips Hue Lily, Nordlux Vejers Outdoor Wall Lantern, Solar Centre Lumify

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Sat Nav

Beeline Moto, Garmin DriveSmart 65 with Amazon Alexa, Mio MiVue Drive 65 LM, TomTom GO Camper, TomTom GO Discover

Best Dashcam

Garmin Dash Cam 66W, Garmin Dash Cam Mini, Mio MiVue 866, Nextbase 622GW, Thinkware U1000 4K UHD Dash Cam

Best Road Bike

Boardman SLR 8.0 Disc, Canyon Aeroad CF SL Disc 8.0, Ribble Endurance AL Disc, Specialized Tarmac SL7, Specialized Roubaix Sport

Best Electric Bike

Canyon Grail:ON, Canyon Roadlite:ON, GoCycle G4i, Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0, VanMoof S3

Best Electric Scooter

8tev B12 Classic, Bird One, Carrera impel is-1, Ninebot Segway E45E, Pure Air Pro (2nd Generation), Xiaomi Mi Pro 2, Walberg The-Urban xH1

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Headphones

Apple AirPods Max, Bowers & Wilkins PI7, Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, Focal Clear MG, Grado SR325e, Sony WH-1000XM4

Best Wired Headphones

Grado SR325e, Focal Clear MG, L Acoustics Contour XO, Meze Audio Rai Solo, Sennheiser IE 300

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones

Apple AirPods Max, Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX, Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, Bowers & Wilkins PI7, Philips Fidelio L3, Shure Aonic 50, Sony WH-1000XM4

Best True Wireless Headphones

Bowers & Wilkins PI7, Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch, Master & Dynamic MW08, Panasonic RZ-S500W, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Grado GT220

Best Value Headphones

AKG Y400, Beats Flex, Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, House of Marley Champion True Wireless Earbuds, Huawei Freebuds 4i, JBL Tune 660NC, JAM Audio True Wireless Athlete

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Air Purifier

Blueair Classic 480i, Blueair HealthProtect 7470i, Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Formaldehyde, Meaco MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76x5, Philips Series 3000i Connected AC3033/30

Best Fridge Freezer

This shortlist is in progress

Best Oven

This shortlist is in progress

Best Dishwasher

This shortlist is in progress

Best Vacuum Cleaner

Dyson V11 Absolute, Dyson V15 Detect, Halo Capsule, Samsung Jet 90 Pro, Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT, Vax OnePWR Blade 4

Best Washing Machine

This shortlist is in progress

Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Ecovacs Deebot N8 Pro+, Eufy BoostIQ Robovac 30C, iRobot Roomba i3+, Roborock S6 MaxV, Roborock S7

Best Mattress

Brook + Wilde Elite, Emma Original, Eve Premium Hybrid, Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, Silentnight Studio Original, Simba Hybrid Luxe, Simba Hybrid Pro

Best Duvet

Panda Cloud Duvet, Scooms Hungarian Goose Down Duvet, Silentnight Airmax, Simba Hybrid Duvet with Stratos

Best Pillow

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow, REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel, Scooms Hungarian Goose Down Pillow, Simba Hybrid Pillow with Stratos

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Air Fryer

Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer, Philips Airfryer XXL, Sage the Combi Wave 3 in 1, Tefal YV970840 Actifry Genius XL 2in1, Wilko 4L Air Fryer

Best Kettle

KitchenAid Variable Temperature kettle 5KEK1722, Russell Hobbs Colours Plus Kettle, Russell Hobbs K65 Anniversary, Smeg KLF03, Sage Smart Kettle

Best Toaster

Dualit Newgen, Russell Hobbs Legacy, Sage The Smart Toast, Smeg TSF01, Wolf 2-slice Toaster

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Drone – sponsored by Wiggle

DJI Air 2S, DJI FPV, DJI Mini 2, PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard, Ryze Tello

Best Waterproof Jacket – sponsored by Wiggle

Berghaus Sky Hiker, Finisterre Stormbird, Helly Hansen Odin Mountain Infinity Shell, Jack Wolfskin Eagle Peak, Keela Stratus

Best Action Camera – sponsored by Wiggle

DJI Osmo Action, GoPro HERO 8 Black, GoPro HERO 9 Black, Insta360 GO 2

Best Tent – sponsored by Wiggle

Coleman Meadowood BlackOut, Lichfield Eagle Air 6, Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 2, Vango F10 Project Hydrogen, Vango Joro 450 tent

Best Walking Shoes – sponsored by Wiggle

Columbia Trailstorm Waterproof walking shoe, Inov-8 Roclite 315 GTX, Merrell MQM Flex 2 GTX, Salomon X Ultra 4

Best Hiking Boots – sponsored by Wiggle

Arc'teryx Acrux TR GTX, Hoka One One TenNine Hike GTX, Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX, Jack Wolfskin Wilderness Lite, Scarpa R-Evo GTX, Vivobarefoot Tracker Forest ESC

Best Camera – sponsored by Wiggle

Canon EOS R6, Fujifilm X-E4, Nikon Z5, Panasonic Lumix S5, Sony A7C

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Smart Lighting

Philips Hue, Nanoleaf Essentials, Innr, TP-Link Kasa, LIFX

Best Smart Security

Arlo Essential Indoor Camera, Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera, Ring Video Doorbell, (2nd gen), TP-Link Kasa KC115, TP-Link Tapo C100

Best Smart Energy Product

Hive Radiator Valves, Tado Smart AC Control, TCP Smart Electric Radiator, TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim Energy Monitoring KP115

Best Home Networking Tech

Eero Mesh WiFi, Google Nest Wifi, Netgear Orbi WiFi 6, TP-Link Deco P9, TP-Link Deco X60

Best Smart Speaker

Amazon Echo Show 10, Bang & Olufsen Beosound Balance, Apple HomePod Mini Amazon Echo (4th gen), Google Nest Audio, Audio Pro G10

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Electric Toothbrush

Foreo Issa 2, Philips Sonicare Diamondclean 9000, Philips Sonicare Diamondclean Smart Sonic, Oral-B Genius 9000, Oral-B IO9, Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900

Best Shaver

Braun Series 9, Braun Series 7, Panasonic ES-LV97, Philips Series 7000, Philips Shaver Series 9000 Prestige, Wahl AquaBlade 10-in-1

Best Winter Jacket

Fjallraven Samlaren Jacket 1a M, Keela Talus Jacket, Montane Anti-Freeze Down Jacket, Musto X Land Rover Welded Thermo Jacket, Shackleton Antarctic Protector Parka, Storm Salute Commute Jacket

Best Watch

Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Elite, Grand Seiko SLGH005 'White Birch', IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43, Panerai Luminor Marina eSteel, Rado True Square x Tej Chauhan, Rolex Explorer II, Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic, TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, Tissot PRX, Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Phone

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Google Pixel 5, Huawei Mate 40 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Sony Xperia 1 II, Xiaomi Mi 11

Best Video Streaming Service

Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus

Best Value Phone

Apple iPhone SE (2020), Google Pixel 4a 5G, Nokia 3.4, OnePlus Nord, Poco F2 Pro, Realme 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite, Vivo Y70

Best Laptop

Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020), Asus VivoBook S15, Asus ZenBook Duo 14, Dell XPS 13 (9310), HP Spectre X360 (2021), Lenovo Yoga Slim 7, LG Gram 17 (2021), Razer Book 13, Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 5G

Best Gaming Laptop

Acer Predator Triton 500, Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, Dell G5 15 5500, Gigabyte Aorus 15G, HP Omen 15, MSI GE66 Raider

Best 4K Monitor

BenQ EW3280U, Dell P2721Q, Dell UltraSharp U4320Q, HP Z27, LG 27UL850, Philips Brilliance 329P1H, Samsung M70A Smart Monitor

Best 5G Phone

Apple iPhone 12, Moto G 5G Plus, OnePlus Nord N10 5G, Oppo Find X3 Pro 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21, TCL 20 Pro 5G

Best Smartwatch

Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6, Fitbit Sense, Garmin Venu 2, Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, TAG Heuer Connected

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

This section is in progress as we are still testing sets, and so shortlists for the following categories will be announced shortly: Best TV, Best 8K TV, Best OLED TV, Best Gaming TV, Best Mid-range TV, Best Value TV

T3 Awards 2021

(Image credit: Future)

In June we will also be announcing the following WFH Heroes:

Personality Of The Year

Courier Firm Of The Year

Best Desk

Best Office Chair

Best Webcam

Best Home Office Computer

Best Home Office Accessory

Best Coffee Machine

Best WFH Mood Lifter

Best Working From Home Innovation

Best Video Chat App

Best Motivator

Best VPN

Congratulations to everyone who made it onto the shortlists. The winners will be announced during the week commencing Monday 7 June.

Paul Douglas
Global Digital Editorial Strategy Director, Future

Paul Douglas is Global Digital Editorial Strategy Director at Future and has worked in publishing for over 25 years. He worked in print for over 10 years on various computing titles including .net magazine and the Official Windows Magazine before moving to TechRadar.com in 2008, eventually becoming Global Editor-in-Chief for the brand, overseeing teams in the US, UK and Australia. Following that, Paul has been Global Editor-in-Chief of BikeRadar and T3 (not at the same time) and later Content Director working on T3, TechRadar and Tom's Guide. In 2021, Paul also worked on the launches of FitandWell.com and PetsRadar.