Digital Trends Best of CES 2014 award finalists

When you have more than 3,200 exhibitors packed into 1.92 million square feet of sprawling convention space, picking “the best” of any one thing can be an overwhelming task. But that’s exactly the challenge Digital Trends’ expert editors took on as they tirelessly combed the show floor of CES 2014.

From staples like TVs and smartphones to the booming new market for fitness tech, we agonized over picking up to five products from every category to honor as finalists in the running for our Best of CES awards. And when the sun set down in the Nevada desert on day one of CES, we piled 18 cranky writers in an overstuffed meeting room and made them agree on the five most outstanding products across every category in the show, which will compete for Best in Show.

It wasn’t easy, but we distilled this year’s must-see products into one exclusive list – and it will only get more exclusive as we pick a single winner in every category on Wednesday evening. Who’s in the running? Check out the fierce competition, and make sure to check back for Digital Trends’ Best of CES award winners on Thursday.

Gaming

Sports and fitness

Smartphones

Tablets

Wearable tech

Mobile

Computing

Home video

Home audio

Headphones

Automotive

Photography

Cool tech

Home (combined kitchen, smart home and appliances)

Best in show