The best and worst of CES 2026

Meeting the President of CES, I think? This was after 4 hours of sleep and 8 miles of walking.

Overall, CES felt less revolutionary than ever, with exhibitors showing more and more of the same products. I found it fascinating that technology that recently felt incredibly unique and innovative has quickly become commoditized. A few examples that stood out include:

• Home power storage from companies like Jackery and Blue Yeti
• Humanoid robots of all shapes and sizes with questionable capabilities
• Robotic hands. Just hands. You can buy them now
• Autonomous lawnmowers galore

This isn’t a new trend, and we’ve seen other products like Bluetooth party speakers, robot vacuums, and e-bikes face a similar challenge. The products that succeed do so due to their superior marketing, customer support, and future product offerings. Putting on my sales cap for a moment: We can help with this stuff!

This robot hand could mirror any gesture you made. I’m still a child.

The best thing I saw at CES had to be the xTool laser cutter and welder. Their demo was perfect, and I spoke with multiple mechanical engineers who were equally excited and impressed. The cutting depth, speed, and weld quality were excellent. It’s on my short list of tools to get if I stumble upon an extra $15k.

Pretty good-looking weld!

The worst thing I saw at CES was Skateboard Penguin. It made me laugh a lot, mostly because it’s truly absurd, but also because it was already broken. It’s a perfect amalgamation of CES: robotic pets on a mobility device with AI from a no-name manufacturer in China with a terrible brand. I’ll probably buy one.

Skateboard Penguin contemplating its existence.

Downstairs at Eureka Park, things were as chaotic as ever. It’s the beating heart of the event and chock full of companies fighting for attention. It was phenomenal to see some of our clients and informal collective members exhibit and even better to see crowds and media chatting with them.

I helped to make this! Very proud of the Throne Team <3

I brought a counter with me, and clicked the button each time I saw a booth mention AI. At massive booths, I decided to click for each time I felt that AI was being referred to in a new context (AI toaster, check! AI upscaling on a TV, check!). My total count on day 1 at The Venetian was 121, and another 126 at the convention center. AI has its uses and some products truly benefit from it. Many don’t and shouldn’t exist. I can’t wait for this trend to die.

Day 1 and 2 counters. I definitely missed a few hundred.

I also found it fascinating how eager people were to try out prototype hardware that could do some serious harm without ever signing a waiver or asking questions. I saw long lines for testing exoskeletons, teeth-whitening lights, headphones that shock you, and massage chairs that use motors to lift your arms up and down. Self preservation instincts were pretty low! People queued in lines without even knowing what they were for. I personally saw a few exoskeletons glitch out, causing people to keep running even though they didn’t want to.

Zero self-preservation skills here.

While the trade show is the obvious attraction at CES, the best part is the after-hours events. Our party at the Punk Rock Museum kicked ass —  with a live band, tattoo artist, demos galore, and awesome attendees. I lost my voice within an hour and saw dozens of freelancers, clients, and friends. We were in “wedding mode” — getting a few minutes in with each guest before we had to say hi to a new one. It was awesome and overwhelming. The 3:30 a.m. bedtime was a regrettable decision, but I’m positive we’ll do that again next year.

Nichole from Level won the tiki drink lottery!

This year, we divided and conquered — attending parties and meals run by our friends at Spanner, Bochner Law, Tact PD, Keyshot, Baukunst, Misty West, Launchboom, Seacomp, and EverCurrent. These events are where the real magic happens and we can spend meaningful time chatting with folks with a good drink in hand. I like to use the analogy of camp friends here — folks I see once a year but can talk to like it was yesterday. This community is small and mighty, and I truly love it.

CES is chaos, it’s silly, and it’s amazing. I can’t wait for 2027!

informal is a freelance collective for the most talented independent professionals in hardware and hardtech. Whether you’re looking for a single contractor, a full-time employee, or an entire team of professionals to work on everything from product development to go-to-market, informal has the perfect collection of people for the job.