BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details. Prices have been on the rise over the last several years. But there are certain products where competition has ramped up, leading to wins for the consumer with prices dropping (or staying around the same) while the core technology improves. The often-cited example for this principle is televisions. The manufacturing process is now more efficient and components of modern TVs are more inexpensive, which, combined with rampant competition, has led to worthwhile models being available for less than $400. That’s similar to what they went for in the 1970s (not adjusting for inflation).  As consumer electronics become more prevalent and more products become a part of our regular usage habits, like the television had over many decades, more products are going through this same life cycle. This was on display at CES, where newcomers to the market jockeyed for attention, making once-novel products seem less so, with options across the price spectrum in areas that recently had just one player setting the market. Shop this article: Homedics Therapist Select Compact Percussion Massager, RENPHO​​​​​​​ Eyeris 3 and Approach R50 Top gadgets becoming cheaper Massagers Jacob Palmer/BestReviews Launched in 2016, the Theragun was the first massage gun to hit the market. What’s followed is an impressive story of a brand gaining significant traction as its landmark product continues to improve. Year after year, different Theragun models are ranked among BestReviews’ favorites for gifts. But what started as a noisy device that cost hundreds of dollars has since evolved into the Theragun Relief, which costs $149 and is quiet enough to be used next to a sleeping partner. It’s a no-frills option that competes with the dozens of low-cost competitors that now flood the market. The difference is, the Relief has the patented triangle-shaped handle that allows Theragun users to give themselves a deep back massage without assistance. But if that matters less to you, there are serviceable entry-level models — like this one from Homemedics — that go for as low as $50.  Another brand pushing Therabody, the makers of the Theragun, to find efficiencies and lower prices is Renpho, which has an impressive array of products for relaxation — including a budget massage gun. Renpho was one of the first to make eye massagers, starting with the Eyeris 1 in 2019. Since then, it’s become a competitive space on its own, with Therabody rolling out a heated eye massager called SmartGoggles. Therabody has the brand name, so its pricing is higher, but Renpho anchored the price point on the lower end with their original model, and their latest, the Eyeris 3, regularly goes on sale for as low as $62.99. Golf launch monitors Jacob Palmer/BestReviews Having a personal golf launch monitor was once exclusive to the obscenely rich. It simply wasn’t something someone in the consumer market could access. But during the pandemic, the technology gained popularity as shoppers looked to have everything available to them in their homes. However, the fact remained that a setup cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. A couple of brands, Foresight and Trackman, became the leaders in the space and capitalized as more golfers looked to build setups in their garages, basements and ADUs. Those brands featured high-end products with all of the data golfers would need to improve their game while also featuring hundreds of virtual courses you can play from the comfort of your own home. It’s exciting technology that makes the game easier to master, even if you live in cold climates. Recently, two brands have emerged in making it more accessible, and if the trend continues, more golfers will be bringing these units to the driving range and out to their net setup in the backyard. The first is Garmin, which is no stranger to selling lower-priced launch monitors. Its Approach R10 is a $600 model that is as limited as its price. But the brand believes it has found its Goldilocks option with the Approach R50. Coming in at $5,000, it allows you to play courses directly on the unit and captures the data through built-in cameras, giving you swing path, spin rate, carry distance, etc. That balance of performance and price is unprecedented — especially because it doesn’t require a costly gaming computer to run the system, like many of its competitors. Another brand driving down the price of this technology is Uneekor, a massive player in South Korea that is looking to expand in the U.S. market. For less than $3,000, you can get an Eye Mini Lite, which requires a gaming computer to run but has all the features that make Uneekor stand out — including their latency-free software, which reduces the lag between hitting the shot and watching it on the screen. It’s the closest thing to real golf we’ve seen from a simulator. If you want to take a step up, consider the Eye Mini, which is popular with backyard golfers and can be run with an iPad.  Uneekor also offers full packages that include an enclosure, projector and hitting mats in addition to the launch monitor. Packages are less than $10,000 — which is about half the cost of the recent price for Foresight’s Sim in a Box (which is also recently more affordable).  E-bikes Jacob Palmer/BestReviews E-bikes aren’t a new concept. Basically, as long as bikes and motors were a thing, innovators have been trying to bring them together, going all the way back to the 19th century. What is new, however, is the prevalence of high-powered, battery-driven models that come with all kinds of features that make you feel like you’re riding on something from the future. The concept has expanded in type, with mountain bikes and cargo bikes gaining prevalence while road bikes and commuters become even sleeker and faster. While the product type has grown exponentially, the quality of product has also gotten cheaper. At CES, there were several models that were priced at what, in the recent past, was considered just above entry level (roughly $1,400 to $2,500). E-bike maker Himiway boasted 12 models, from foldable to all-terrain fat bikes to models for kids. The tech on these bikes included sleek front handlebar computers and smart brake lights as well as components that are more fundamental — like mid-drive motors that previously would have been unthinkable for that price range.  Segway, a brand that became famous for its line of “human transporters,” launched two bikes that each featured 88 or more miles of range. Their Xyber model, which can go 112 miles, is an absurdly long value, indicating how far the technology has come for this category of product. The most shocking part for longtime watchers of the space? Its introductory price is less than $3,000. Segway’s models are on the higher end of the spectrum now, and look more like motorcycles. If you want something with a traditional aesthetic, there’s Vanpowers, which has the City Vanture; this looks like a standard bike, weighs just 34 pounds (earlier popular models of e-bikes weighed more than twice that) and costs $1,399, more than half of what early adopters expected to pay.  Bluetooth speakers The first Bluetooth speaker was sold in 2000. It was expensive and ineffective and models cost from $100 to $200 ($180 to $365 adjusted for 2025 inflation). Now you can find solid models that outperformed those original iterations for less than $40. It’s so prevalent that RadioShack is attempting a comeback by selling Bluetooth speakers. The firm that purchased the previously bankrupt brand and all of its IP decided that starting with entry-level audio equipment, like a Bluetooth speaker, was a comfortable way to cash in on how recognizable the brand is and consumers’ willingness to opt for a RadioShack product when looking for something basic. Bluetooth speakers represent an area where the technology is basically settled — the questions are constant: How much money are you willing to spend? How much battery life do you need? Is sound quality important to you? Do you care if it lasts you years and is waterproof or do you view it as disposable?  As with all of the items covered here, you can pay as much as you want for these products that now have a wide price range. You can even get a Bluetooth speaker from Treblab that costs $1,400. Headphones Jacob Palmer/BestReviews Apple Airpods represent the principle of this roundup more than almost anything else: Are you willing to pay a premium for a recognizable product, like headphones, or are you willing to take a risk to save some money on a probably-as-good product? The perfect example of a brand that knows how to create solid products at market-resetting prices is JLab, and they have done it again. They had three new products at CES to show off: the over-ear, high-end competitor Epic Lux ($199.99), the on-ear Go Lux ($49.99) and the in-ear noise-canceling Go Pop ($29.99).  Once again, they’re at incredible prices, despite having the core tech to compete with the big names. At BestReviews, we’ve long maintained that JLab is the epitome of a hidden-gem brand: The price is as low as it gets, but the products perform like what you would expect from the bigger names. I asked their director of marketing how they do it, and he said it was due to their superior understanding of the manufacturing process and that they look to pass those savings to the consumer instead of gouging and clawing for every cent like the bigger names do. Robot vacuums View this post on Instagram A post shared by BestReviews (@bestreviews) Robot vacuums gained relevance in the U.S. market in 2002 with the first Roomba model made by iRobot, then a plucky startup out of MIT. Now, Roomba is still the most recognizable name in the industry, but they have more competitors than they ever could have imagined. You couldn’t throw a stone in certain segments of CES exhibitors without bouncing it off of a robot-vacuum maker. There are so many robot-vacuum makers in the industry right now that one of the more impressive, inventive companies to give a presentation at CES, Neakasa, started as a robot-vacuum maker, realized the space was too crowded and pivoted to making pet-grooming vacuums and vacuum-powered handheld steamers.  The technology is mature enough that no one has a true competitive moat around the core offering. It’s a robot that vacuums your carpet. Some have better cameras. Some claim smarter AI informing the routing of your home. Some invest in the suction power and capacity and design of its dustbin. But at the end of the day, most are just looking for a robot to do the chores for them. If that describes you, we recommend looking into options like Mova, which has models priced as low as $139, Tapo for a $219 vacuum/mop option or, finally, the Eureka E20, which offers self-emptying functionality for less than $350. I could keep going for another thousand words naming brands and the slight tweaks they have and how low their prices are going. Of course, if you want the high end of the spectrum, there’s no shortage of that as well — like the line from Roborock or this $26,000-plus beast available on Amazon. So maybe it isn’t just a matter of prices going lower; the price range is also widening to better serve the deal seekers and the uber-rich alike. Ultimately, the modern consumer has a choice with basically all of these product types. You can go with the name brand, the originator and likely spend a premium for the fact that it’s recognizable. Or save some money with one of the dozens of newcomers who are looking to siphon some of the market share. And there’s always a third choice: Pay for the premium product, like what we see from Roborock, encouraging true innovation and investment into engineering. But do it at your own risk that you may be just a few short years away from that innovation getting more affordable and widespread.  Jacob Palmer is the Senior Director of Content Operations for BestReviews.