These Are the Winners of the 2026 Sunset Best Product Awards
Just in time for the holidays, we tested the things that make life in the West work better—from kitchen, garden, and travel gear, to everyday comforts. Here are the standouts worth giving or keeping.
For our first annual Best Product Awards, Sunset editors tried the goods at home, on the road, and outdoors, paying attention to how they looked, felt, and held up in use. Some favorites are clever upgrades; others get the basics exactly right. Together they reflect the way we live now and the good design we’ll want to live with for years.
Kitchen and Cooking Gear
Crow Canyon Home Splatter Basin
This bright and happy bowl from Crow Canyon in its signature splatter pattern is an ultra-durable serving piece. Since it’s enamel, it can take a lot more abuse than ceramics or porcelain. And the size of the bowl makes it super versatile: Use it to serve big salads or pasta for a crowd, or even to chill wine bottles or cans.
STEELPORT SteelCore™ 18” x 12” Cutting Board
Possibly the lowest-profile, highest-style board we’ve used. Portland-based STEELPORT pairs end-grain walnut, handsome enough for serving charcuterie, with a steel core and a plastic-free recycled-paper composite reverse. It handles prep and presentation with equal ease.
ZLINE 5-Piece Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Set
This set, which also comes in matte-black, brings cast iron’s even heating and heat retention to a price below many heirloom brands. Two Dutch ovens with self-basting lids and a 10-inch skillet are oven- and broiler-safe to 500°F and work on gas, electric, and induction cooktops. Plus it’s free of PFOA, PFAS, and PTFE.
Tony Gemignani Ultimate Pizza Rolling Pin
If you’re serious about pizza at home, this is the only rolling pin you should be buying. The champion pizzaiolo from San Francisco designed this tool knowing exactly what works and what doesn’t. The weight and balance are engineered for even pressure, which means your dough stays consistent and your crust actually rises the way it should.
Home, Design, and Decor
Block Shop Textiles Key Cranberry Runner
A runner is one of the great unsung, high-impact, small-scale design flourishes. This cheerful one from Los Angeles’s iconic Block Shop adds color and charm in a hallway, in front of the kitchen counter, at the foot of a bed, or anywhere you want an instant style statement. Also available as a rug (shown).
Parachute Linen Box Quilt
Traditional quilts might not feel fluffy or have much padding, but this one has just the right amount without being as thick and bulky as a comforter. And much like Parachute’s other bedding and linens, it’s a piece that will get a lot of use throughout the years and still hold up.
Portola Paints Roman Clay
Portola Paints’ Roman Clay gives smooth interior walls a plaster-like finish with natural depth and movement. Applied by knife, the clay-based coating can read as stone, stucco, or marble depending on the color and technique, adding architectural character. What’s more it’s a true Western product that’s made in Los Angeles with no VOCs
Sunbrella Signature Indoor/Outdoor Throw
For something designed to withstand the elements, this throw is surprisingly soft and wonderfully substantial. It has the luxe feel of an indoor blanket, but with fade-, stain-, and mildew-resistant performance that makes it an easy—and elevated—choice for the patio.
Croft House Topanga Lounge Chair
Handcrafted to order in Los Angeles from high-design furniture maker Croft House, the Topanga Lounge Chair captures the easygoing architectural spirit of its namesake canyon. A solid-walnut frame of rhythmically turned dowels gives the clean, open silhouette warmth, texture, and movement.
Sustainable Everyday Essentials
Jungmaven Hemp Tees
Washington-based Jungmaven makes some of the softest, most sustainable T-shirts in the business. The durable, naturally odor-resistant hemp blends— both wool jersey and organic cotton—wear tough while looking relaxed and chill, with garment-dyed colors that develop subtle variations and a softer texture.
Outerknown Woolaroo Cocoon Jacket
Vintage-inspired blanket shirts have been the old faithful of coastal wardrobes for years, and this cocoon jacket is working its way into that same rotation. Now it’s wearable beachwear that actually keeps you warm after dawn patrol, at the farmers market, and everywhere in between. It’s the kind of piece that functions equally well wrapped around you at a bonfire or layered over a T-shirt for a coastal walk, and the wool breathes in a way most puffy jackets never will.
Outdoor Living and Backyard
LITO Outdoor Tablecloths American Picnic Gingham Waterproof Outdoor Tablecloth
This cheerful yellow gingham is an easy way to make everything from a backyard barbecue to a picnic in the great outdoors feel a little more special. Waterproof and easy to wipe clean, it brings a hit of retro charm to the table without adding much fuss—just fold it up and tuck it away when the gathering’s over.
Smart Home, Tech, and Clean Living
Wellness, Sleep, and Self-Care
Baloo Living Weighted Throw Blanket
In our testing Baloo’s Weighted Blanket noticeably reduced fatigue and chronic shoulder pain and fall-asleep times improved in less than one week. The blanket is 100 percent organic, free of synthetics, without the visible bulk of other weighted options on the market. Weighing 12 pounds, its lead-free glass beads allow it to drape uniformly from chin to toe.
SuperMouth Ultim8 SmartBrush System
This system can convert electric-toothbrush skeptics immediately, thanks to its oscillating head, self-sterilizing infrared charging station, and timed brushing sessions. Colored lights guide you to just the right pressure and turn brushing into a high-tech, ritualized moment of self-care.
Green Bee Botanicals Renew Repairing Serum
This plant-powered serum makes a compelling case for keeping a skincare routine simple. The lightweight blend targets the appearance of dark spots and blemishes while leaving skin looking clear, plump, and supple. Formulated by a botanist and chemist, it meets the Credo Clean Standard and is vegan, cruelty-free, and tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and processing chemicals. It feels like an eco-luxe spa treatment, but it’s easy enough to use every day.
Serta Nightstar Pillow
This pillow is perfectly plush without being that overstuffed cloud situation that goes flat by month three, and it makes sleeping through the night—instead of flipping to the cool side every hour—much easier. As anyone who’s had a bad night’s sleep at a hotel can attest, a great pillow is the kind of small upgrade that shouldn’t matter but absolutely does.
Tuft & Needle Classic Percale Sheet Set
You can’t go wrong with classic, breathable percale. There’s nothing like sliding into a bed with freshly washed, smooth, cool sheets, and this set gets the job done and then some. It feels both crisp and cozy-soft at the same time—a combination that can be hard to pull off. Plus, the price point is pretty good for the quality.
Garden and Landscape Tools
STIHL BGA 50
Gas-powered leaf blowers are smelly, noisy, and polluting. This rechargeable model from STIHL is a compact, quiet, and powerful alternative for cleaning up your yard. It’s an exceptionally refined, sturdy, and easy-to-use model, and it will have you happily sprucing up your yard whenever you get the chance.
Travel, Luggage, and On-the-Go
Nomadix Day Tripper Tote
Nomadix just added this to the lineup, and it’s bound to sell out. With functional elements like daisy-chain attachment points, heavy-duty rope handles, and smart pockets, you’d think it would be a clunky piece for gearheads. But the structure works as an everyday bag and looks right whether you’re heading to the beach or hauling groceries from the farmers market.
Cotopaxi Coraza
The built-in packing system is the real star here: Removable, washable liners keep everything organized, while the zipperless design means no more catching a favorite sweater in the teeth. Add wheels that roll like a dream, and this hard-sided roller makes weekend packing
feel remarkably effortless.
Pelican Aegis 4 Wheel Duffel
Pelican translates its trusted approach to protecting photography gear into a suitcase tough enough for real travel without feeling like a hard equipment case. The top-opening design fits neatly on a narrow hotel luggage rack, while polycarbonate and Cordura nylon provide structure, protection, and packing flexibility.
Erica Tanov Egon Weekender Bag
This capacious metallic weekender from iconic Bay Area designer Erica Tanov lets you access vacation vibes in an instant. Made from supple cowhide leather in a luminous platinum finish, it turns the practical two- or three-night bag into a genuine style statement. At 17 inches wide, with a cotton lining and simple, softly structured shape, it offers plenty of room without feeling like luggage.
Simond 500 Extend Duffel
This duffel is sleek enough that you don’t feel like you’re dragging a tactical bag through an airport, but waterproof and smart enough to handle whatever an outdoorsy person actually needs. The 40 to 60 liter expandable capacity means you’re not choosing between bringing everything and sacrificing gear.
Graco Ready2Roll Stroller Wagon
If the classic red wagon and a stroller had a baby, it would be the Graco Ready2Roll Stroller Wagon. It features two roomy seats that grow with your child, breathable mesh, shaded canopies, a snack-and-cup tray, a detachable storage basket, and plenty of built-in pockets. A 7-month-old tester had fun taking in the sights while safely and comfortably strapped in, with toys and stuffed animals occupying the other seat. The basket holds a smaller diaper bag, while the all-terrain wheels and rotating, adjustable handle make the wagon easy to maneuver and give it a smooth ride.
Outdoor Performance and Apparel
Patagonia Regulator Wetsuits
Patagonia’s line of high-performance wetsuits is best in class for both durability and sustainability, with a newly engineered zipper system that’s easier to operate and more durable. The Yulex rubber construction keeps you warm without the environmental weight of traditional neoprene. The lining is made of postconsumer recycled nylon from fishing nets, a first in the wetsuit industry and ideal for surfers looking to protect the oceans that make the sport possible.
Mountain Hardwear StretchDown Jacket
San Francisco offers the full gamut of puffer jackets, and rarely do they make a fashion statement. This version is actually cute, with a cropped silhouette that works equally well paired with denim for city strolls or hiking through alpine meadows. The stretch-panel construction gives you enough range that layering doesn’t feel like being wrapped in a burrito.
Teva Women’s Hurricane XLT3 Sandal
Consider this the all-around sandal to pack on every trip. The thick rubber outsole and reinforced nylon straps handle uneven terrain and forest trails, and make water crossings a breeze. The shoe’s aesthetic is clean and travel-ready, and this model showcases Teva’s moves toward sustainability, with 100 percent recycled polyester straps and 30 percent recycled EVA and rubber in the sole, making it an earth-friendly choice.
Columbia Sportswear Amaze Puff Hooded Jacket
Sometimes a puffy jacket can feel like it’s wearing you, rather than the other way around. But that’s not the case with Columbia’s Amaze Puff Hooded Jacket, which manages to be both lightweight and super warm. Thoughtful details include fleece-lined zippered hand pockets, a drawcord hem and thumbhole cuffs for extra insulation, removable interior straps so it can be easily carried, and a removable hood. The piece feels light and compact enough to pack in a carry-on without taking over the suitcase—and, most important, it avoids the Michelin Man effect.
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