Important products aren’t always good or bad. Often, they fall somewhere in-between, all the while offering perspective on where a particular industry has found itself … and where it might be going.
This is the spirit driving the 12th annual GP100, Gear Patrol‘s mighty, end-of-year roundup collecting the year’s most relevant releases from tech, motoring, style and watches, outdoors and more.
This year, we also decided to do something we’ve never done in more than a decade of publishing the GP100: rank our winners, focusing on novelty, popularity and impact on culture at large.
You might not agree with our selections. You definitely won’t agree with the order. But maybe, just maybe, you might agree with us on this: products have never been so dynamic, exciting and downright important to our lives.
We will reveal the GP100 winners in batches of 20 over the course of this week. To stay on top of the countdown, bookmark the collection page. To see last year’s winners, follow this link.
80. A new analog film camera in decades
PentaxGP100 Winner
Pentax 17
Specs
| Camera | Half-frame 35mm film camera |
| Lens | HD Pentax HF 25mm (f/3.5) |
| Weight | 10.2 ounces |
Film photography is cool again, but you wouldn’t know it shopping for a camera. We haven’t seen a major brand release an analog film camera in literal decades.
The clock reset this year.
The Pentax 17 is a new half-frame 35mm film camera that captures vertically oriented photos that are 17mm (wide) x 24mm (tall). This allows it to capture twice as many photos per roll as a full-frame 35mm film camera, which makes the cost of film an easier pill to swallow.
Aside from the Pentax 17’s obvious vintage aesthetic, the camera feels like a throwback in most other ways. It has a fully-manual focus, a thumb winder to manually advance film and it even takes a CR2 battery (yes, the kind you have to replace) that should last for ten rolls of film.
Ultimately, for those serious about getting into film photography and don’t want to go the old school used camera route, the Pentax 17 is a new film camera that is genuinely good. And at $500, it’s not that expensive.
79. An innovative dive watch rethinks its purpose
Topper Fine JewelersGP100 Winner
Singer Reimagined Divetrack
Specs
| Case Size | 49mm |
| Movement | Singer Reimagined AgenGraphe automatic chronograph |
| Water Resistance | 300m |
The dive watch is arguably the most recognizable watch style there is. Since their invention in 1953, dive watches have measured elapsed time underwater via a rotating bezel. Now, 70 years later, someone has finally come up with another way.
Take a look at the Divetrack, and you’ll notice something strange: There’s no way to tell the time on the dial (time is read horizontally between the lugs). Instead, a unique chronograph from movement manufacture Agenhor literally takes center stage with centrally mounted hour, minute and seconds hands.
Activate the chrono at the start of your dive, and the central minute hand will clearly track your time underwater. The bezel is used exclusively to time your decompression stops on the way up rather than to measure elapsed time.
And the hour hand? It runs for 24 hours and tracks your full day of diving on the dial’s center scale. Restart the timer after your dive to activate the six-hour “chill” period recommended before getting in the water again. After the final dive of your trip, start the timer again to ensure you hit the 18 hours before it’s safe to “fly.”
Never before has a mechanical dive watch taken such a holistic approach to dive time.
78. What happens when an excellent accessory brand makes a desk
GrovemadeGP100 Winner
The Grovemade Desk
Specs
| Desktop Surface | 58 x 28 inches |
| Height Adjustable Range | 2.25 to 50.5 inches |
| Side Drawer Compartment | 11.5 x 11.25 inches |
Grovemade’s mission has always centered around melding natural materials with thoughtful design to make the tools we use for work and creativity more beautiful and functional.
Its first product was a case made of bamboo for the iPhone 3G, launched in 2009. Since then, the small, Portland-based business has steadily launched new products to address virtually every conceivable element found on modern-day desks. But it’s more or less avoided the most important one of all: the desk itself.
That finally changed this year with the brand’s quiet introduction of The Grovemade Desk.
Motorized standing desks abound today. Yet, shockingly, few offer assistance with neatly organizing the tech and tools that orbit most modern workstations. This is where Grovemade’s long-awaited solution laps the competition.
The desk’s standout feature is a massive, full-width drawer sculpted in an elegant wedge shape with a hidden handle, which blends seamlessly into the desk’s front facia and sides. A light pull reveals a narrow strip of machined cork pockets for smaller accessories like pens, Airpods, and paper clips.
Pulling the drawer further out reveals a row of larger compartments lined with merino wool for storing a laptop, even those connected to a monitor, thanks to integrated ventilation and other large items like notebooks and loose documents.
The desk also addresses the ubiquitous issue of cord management via a built-in, six-outlet surge protector with a custom 12-foot braided cord that sits in a dedicated channel below the desk surface.
Naturally, the desk is available in a range of three wood types: walnut, oak and maple, in both solid and plywood, all of which are designed to blend beautifully with other Grovemade accessories.
Grovemade calls it “the desk that’s almost too good to be true.” Given the other offerings in the standing desk market today, tidy workspace fans everywhere are sure to agree.
77. When AMOLED displays stop being optional
CorosGP100 Winner
Coros Pace Pro
Specs
| Battery Life | Up to 20 days |
| Display Size | 1.3 inches |
| Display | AMOLED always-on |
Coros is no stranger to the GP100. The powerful Pace 3 running watch made the list last year, thanks to its combination of dual-band GPS and a best-in-class battery life — all for a price that undercut the competition by a significant margin.
The Pace Pro has a similar trick up the sleeve: an AMOLED display, boasting a brightness of 1,500 nits. That might sound like a frivolous luxury for a running watch until you try reading one outdoors on a sunny day. Good luck with that glare …
For good measure, Coros also updated the processor, heart rate sensor, GPS antenna and band design on the Pace Pro, which comes in a handful of colors including black, gray and blue.
At $349, the watch is a significant jump from the Pace 3 of yesteryear. However, compared to other brands’ AMOLED watches that clock in at double or even triple the amount, it’s one feels well within reach.
76. An indispensable shell, made responsibly
Arc’teryxGP100 Winner
Arc’teryx (Revised) Beta Jacket
Specs
| Weight | 13.2 ounces |
| Safety | Embedded RECCO reflector |
| DWR | GORE‑TEX ePE membrane |
What do you do when a crowd-pleasing garment you’ve been producing for more than two decades no longer adheres to modern standards of sustainability?
That’s the question Arc’teryx had to ask itself about the Beta jacket, its incredibly versatile and popular shell. Introduced in 1998 to tackle a range of alpine adventures, it proved to be such a hit that the brand now sells more than a dozen items bearing the Beta nameplate.
Still, the ever-evolving flagship shell has had to reckon with the reality of PFCs and PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” integral to the jacket’s waterproofing that, we now know, threaten both human health and the environment.
Just as Patagonia has led the way in addressing this issue, so has its Great White North counterpart.
The (Revised) Beta Jacket boasts tough 80D face fabric and a Gore-Tex ePE (expanded polyethylene) membrane that’s PFC-free, providing the benefits of traditional DWR while lessening its impact.
It also offers all the other features fans love, including a comfy C-KNIT backer, adjustable StormHood, watertight front zipper, spacious pockets and articulated structure to ease movement from base to peak.
Bottom line: you get the same amazing jacket, minus the harm.
75. Chinos that wear just right
J.CrewGP100 Winner
J.Crew Broken-in Straight Chino Pant
Specs
| Cut | Straight leg |
| Fly | Zipper |
| Material | 100 percent cotton |
When you think about your favorite, most comfortable pair of pants, you’re likely not thinking of what they were like brand-new. New pants tend to be stiff and rigid, which is why the best bottoms are usually the ones that have the most wear.
The J.Crew Broken-in Straight Chino Pant, however, is about as close as you can get to a true middle ground.
With their 16-inch leg opening, the fit of these pants sits somewhere between the brand’s newer 770s and its Classic chinos. But what really sets these apart is their material makeup.
J.CrewThe newer 770s are made with elastane, offering immediate stretch at the cost of overall durability, while the broken-in chinos are made entirely with 8.5-ounce, 100-percent cotton twill.
But it gets even better: these pants come pre-washed, so they lack the stiffness of other brand-spanking-new pants and wear out of the store like a pair you’ve already spent time breaking in — hence the name.
Pair that with the timeless straight-leg cut, and J.Crew has done a masterful job of bringing back a classic. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say they’ve made a classic even better.
74. A minimalist makeover of a stalwart hi-fi speaker
KlipschGP100 Winner
Klipsch x Ojas kO-R1 Loudspeaker
Specs
| Dimensions | 16.5" x 28.125" x 13.0" |
| Enclosure | 13-ply Grade A Baltic Birch Plywood |
| Transducers | K-28-E 12” Woofer; K-706 HF Driver |
| Weight | 52 lbs |
Though the brand’s name is widely recognized in the realm of hi-fi sound, Klipsch isn’t exactly known for innovation. Its most well-known speakers were first built some eight decades ago, and the current iterations aren’t that different from the first ones to roll off the manufacturing line.
So it was pretty surprising to hear that Klipsch reached out to self-proclaimed “DIYer” Devon Turnball of Ojas to work on a project together. After all, Turnball’s projects are as bizarre as they are coveted.
That said, the results speak for themselves (no pun intended). The collaborative Klipsch x Ojas kO-R1 loudspeaker is the perfect blend of old and new, hijacking its style from the Klipsch Heresy — a model that dates back to the late 1950s — while getting an internal renovation courtesy of Turnball.
The novel speaker eschews its tweeter, changing the original three-transducer design to a twin — specifically, a K-28-E 12” Woofer and K-706 HF Driver. “There are a lot of compression drivers that have more than enough high-frequency extension,” Turnball says of his minimalist approach.
The whole thing is housed inside a Baltic birch plywood case (assembled using butt joints) on a KS-12 stand, topped with an adjustable sandcast aluminum horn developed by Turnball using a 3D printer.
It also includes a five-step high-frequency gain attenuator to tune the speaker to its surroundings, as well as anti-vibration feet for audiophiles who prefer to use it without the stand.
73. A class-leading GMT throws down the gauntlet
LonginesGP100 Winner
Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium
Specs
| Case Size | 39mm |
| Movement | Longines Cal. L844.4 automatic GMT |
| Water Resistance | 100m |
With its Spirit Zulu Time GMT, Longines has been speedrunning how to perfect a product.
In 2022, the brand debuted the original Spirit Zulu Time GMT: a stainless steel sports watch in 42mm with a bidirectional ceramic bezel, a clean and modern design and an exclusive new automatic movement with an independently adjustable hour hand that made it ideal for travel — all with a starting price under $3,000.
The Zulu Time received enthusiastic praise, but one consistent criticism was that it was too big at 42mm. Longines heard everyone’s complaints, and the following year, the brand launched the same watch in 39mm. This time, just about everyone was pleased with the result, but Longines wasn’t quite done.
This year, somehow, Longines made the Spirit Zulu Time even better. Still in 39mm, the brand released a version of the watch in ultrastrong Grade 5 titanium. Weighing half as much and with more of a tool watch aesthetic — accentuated by the partially matte black-and-gray ceramic bezel — the handsome Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is the most perfect example of a travel watch that started out nearly perfect to begin with.
At least until next year, anyway.
72. A clean-sheet take on an iconic adventure bike
BMWGP100 Winner
2025 BMW R GS 1300 Adventure
Beyond a mere evolution of engineering, the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure arrives on the scene as one of the most important bikes to be released in the segment.
A true companion for the adventurer, the BMW GS, or “Gelände/Straße” (terrain/road), is renowned among adventurists as the gold standard, turning cross-continental treks into playgrounds for hundreds of thousands of riders across millions of miles each year. A dual-purpose, do-it-all motorcycle, the newest iteration sees BMW’s most ambitious overhaul in the series’ history and a bold redefinition of the premium adventure touring motorcycle.
With a substantially redesigned 1300cc engine delivering 145 horsepower, the bike offers unprecedented power along with the remarkable refinement BMW Motorrad is known for. The increased displacement and newly advanced electronics represent an enduring commitment to push the boundaries of what an adventure motorcycle can achieve, both on-road and off.
Technologically, the 1300 GS is a marvel. Its adaptive ride modes, semi-active suspension and advanced traction control transform challenging situations and terrain from intimidating to exhilarating.
In other words, it’s a bike that doesn’t just traverse landscapes, it interprets them, responding with intuitive intelligence that allows the rider to be more in sync with the machine. Advanced or predictive response technology is a through line among many of the enthusiast vehicles in this year’s GP100, and the BMW GS is no exception.
Ergonomically reimagined, a new boxy gas tank has a myriad of mounting points, encouraging riders to load and head out for as long as possible. Lower available seat heights make it the most approachable, inclusive GSA to date, and improved wind protection and reduced weight render the most comfortable ever experienced on a BMW GS.
While featured to the gills, the new GSA isn’t about specifications. It’s about enabling riders to dream more ambitiously and venture out further — and a chance to both ride and write out new far-flung narratives.
71. A compact yet comprehensive backcountry kitchen
GerberGP100 Winner
Gerber ComplEat Cook Set
Specs
| Cooking vessel volume | Stock pot, 5.6 quarts; Sauté pan, 2.6 quarts |
| Weight | 10 pounds |
| Total pieces | 16 |
As badass as going ultralight may sound, the vast majority of us end up “roughing it” by cushier means: traditional car camping.
So when it comes to food, we don’t need some tiny titanium kit with just enough juice to boil water for instant coffee and a crummy dehydrated meal packet.
What we require are sturdy, reliable culinary tools that don’t take over the trunk yet can still effectively feed hangry campers. Enter Gerber’s 16-piece ComplEat Cook Set, loaded with smartly designed elements to make hot meals happen.
For cooking, you get two generously sized stalwarts: a stainless steel stock pot and sauté pan (with detachable handle), featuring 3-ply base construction for even heat distribution, preserved by a slim lid and basting dome lid.
For prepping and serving, there are four polypropylene plates of different colors, four dining bowls with grippable edges, a mixing bowl with volumetric markings and a silicone hot pad.
The whole collection effectively nests together in a tidy storage bag measuring 7.5 inches tall by 11 inches wide and weighing 10 pounds. No, it won’t go thru-hiking. But it will produce an outdoor feast the kids will be talking about for years to come.
70. A pellet grill loaded with next-gen smarts
WeberWeber Searwood XL 600 Pellet Grill
Specs
| Cooking Area | 972 square inches |
| Dimensions | 45.75" H x 50.50" W x 23.00" D |
| Fuel | Wood pellets |
| Temperature range | 180° to 600°F |
| Weight | 157.80 lbs |
The concept of grilling is relatively simple: build a fire, cook food over it and enjoy. But grilling like a master is a different prospect entirely. Years of work are required to learn how to control your grill and produce perfectly seared meats and veggies.
However, Weber’s Searwood pellet grills simplify the whole process. If it’s not completely idiot-proof, it’s not too far off.
That’s because the Searwoods — available in 600 and 600 XL options — are loaded with smart tech. This includes digital controls, a smartphone app, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and remote monitoring. They’re even equipped with “Rapid React” PID technology that automatically maintains your desired cooking temperature — even with the lid open.
Of course, none of that would matter if the grills couldn’t stand alone. Luckily, they can. They boast a temperature range of 180°F (for smoking) to 600°F (for searing). They boast “DirectFlame” cooking that nixes the diffuser over the flame (Weber claims this is a first for pellet grills). They even have a SmokeBoost setting to increase the smoky flavor of your food.
Weber is putting its best foot forward with these grills, which bodes well for the grill giant’s future.
69. Ultralight packing cubes with hidden EDC utility
Peak DesignGP100 Winner
Peak Design Ultralight Packing Cube
Specs
| Capacity | 0.8 – 10 liters |
| Material | Terra Shell 40D |
| Weight | 20 – 44 grams |
Packing cubes are hugely beneficial for travel purposes. They help keep your stuff organized and can even make better utilize of your suitcase’s capacity. However, they aren’t very useful outside of that.
Peak Design is looking to change that with its Ultralight Packing Cubes. And the way the brand has managed it is as simple as it is genius.
While they can function as normal packing cubes, their design includes strap tethers that can turn them into minimalist EDC slings (crossbody bags or fanny packs), increasing their utility twofold. Furthermore, each cube boasts two external carry strap pass-throughs to mount onto other luggage.
While that design addition alone makes these cubes worthy of major kudos, it’s just one of many. The bags are also available in two fabrics — a weatherproof and tear-resistant Terra Shell 50D and a stretchy mesh ideal for overpackers.
Plus, each bag weighs under 1.6 ounces (the lightest is only 0.7 oz), and they can be rolled up super small to store them better when they’re not in use.
68. A new poster child for the craft vodka movement
Weber RanchGP100 Winner
Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka
Specs
| Proof | 80 proof |
| Ingridients | 100 percent Blue Weber agave |
Despite the hype and attention that whiskey has garnered over the last decade, it may surprise some that vodka continues to be the top-selling spirit category in America by volume. In 2023, the spirit racked up $7.2 billion in US revenue, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The second highest revenue-generating category was Tequila and Mezcal, at $6.5 billion, which also happened to be the second fastest-growing category in the US last year.
Few people are also aware that in 2020, US vodka regulations changed significantly for the first time since 1949. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB as it’s known for short, updated the legal definition of vodka to allow the spirit to be “treated with up to two grams per liter of sugar and up to one gram per liter of citric acid.” Translation: the traditionally “neutral” spirit was finally allowed to have character.
For those reasons alone, the business case behind Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka makes total sense. Unlike traditional vodka crafted from wheat, corn, or potatoes, Weber Ranch vodka is made from 100 percent Blue Weber agave, named after French Botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber, who first cataloged the species in 1902.
Its unique production process starts with an initial distillation in Jalisco, Mexico. The spirit is then imported to Muenster, Texas, where it’s combined with water, further distilled in copper pots and column stills, and then finally filtered.
The result is a distinct and delicious vodka with faint tequila notes that’s unlike almost anything else on the market. (Crystal Head, a brand founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander, launched a blue agave-based vodka called Crystal Head Onyx in 2020.)
But Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka has a secret weapon that’s much more likely to make it a poster child for the craft vodka movement. Specifically, the label is the brainchild of Round 2 Spirits, founded by a host of former execs with extensive experience in the spirits industry, including, most notably, John Paul DeJoria.
Don’t know him? He’s a self-made billionaire who, among his many accomplishments, cofounded the hair product company Paul Mitchell and The Patrón Spirits Company, makers of some of the most well-known premium tequilas in the world.
67. Menswear’s puppet master steps in front of the curtain
Aaron LevineGP100 Winner
Aaron Levine Jump Pants
Even if you’ve never heard the name Aaron Levine, you know style. You might even own some of his designs.
For years, the Ralph Lauren alumnus has held the top creative post at numerous brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Madewell and Club Monaco. At long last, he’s decided to go it alone.
His eponymous fashion label, simply called Aaron Levine, launched at the end of this year with all the hallmarks of the designer’s vision for what makes an exceptional piece of menswear.
Take the Jump Pant, for example, an amalgamation of various military references, collected into a casual, easy-going pant made from best-in-class fabric sourced from Japan. It has a light sheen that helps it “wear dressier than you might expect,” the product page reads.
Like much of Levine’s career, it’s excellence might fly under the radar. You might not even notice it if you passed it on the street. But look closely, and you might spot something rather extraordinary hidden in the details.
66. A dive-watch holdout makes a big splash
ZenithZenith Defy Revival A3648
Specs
| Case Size | 37mm |
| Movement | Zenith Elite 670 automatic |
| Water Resistance | 600m |
For years, Zenith has had all the makings of a major luxury sports watch brand, except for one thing: a dive watch.
In 2024, Zenith finally rectified this glaring omission in its catalog in the most glorious way possible with a pair of brand-new divers. The first was the Defy Extreme Diver, a thoroughly modern diver with a clear familial relation to the rest of the brand’s modern Defy line. The other was, well, this.
A reissue of one Zenith’s original divers from the 1960s, the Defy Revival excels because of just how unexpected it is. The sharply angled eight-sided case and 14-sided bezel, the bright orange color, the high amounts of mirror polish, the diminutive 37mm case size, the whopping 600-meter water resistance … everything about this watch is just bizarre.
That’s what makes it great. No one today makes watches that look like this. Hell, hardly anyone made them back in 1969 when the original debuted. The fact that Zenith opted to release this as its first dive watch in decades says a lot about the brand’s daring attitude, and we ended up with the year’s most fun dive watch as a result.
65. A new digital notebook takes the crown
reMarkableGP100 Winner
ReMarkable Paper Pro
Specs
| Battery | Up to two weeks |
| Display | 11.8-inch Canvas Color display |
| Resolution | 2160 x 1620 (229 pixels per inch) |
Since the ReMarkable 2 was released four years ago, it’s been the go-to digital notebook for creatives craving the feel of writing with pen and paper. The tablet has a textured e-ink display and supports a stylus, making it great for taking notes, reviewing documents or editing papers. And it lacks social media apps or the ability to browse the web, so there are fewer distractions than with, say, an iPad.
Well, the Norwegian tech company’s newest tablet, the ReMarkable Paper Pro, is essentially a bigger and better version of the ReMarkable 2. And while the two tablets work very similarly, the Paper Pro has a few significant upgrades that feel, dare we say, remarkable.
The most notable of these features is the Paper Pro’s new color e-inch display — in fact, it’s the company’s first color tablet — which makes it even better for marking edits or organizing notes. Also, the colors are muted and neutral (not vibrant), which gives them more of an analog feel, like using a colored pencil instead of a pen or marker.
The Paper Pro also has built-in light that illuminates the screen so it’s easier to use at night or when in darker rooms. Its 11.8-inch display, compared to the reMarkable 2’s 10.3-inch, is significantly larger (and closer to the size of an actual piece of paper). Like its predecessor, it’s compatible with a folio keyboard for those who want a more modern note-taking method.
Like all good things, there’s a catch with the Paper Pro — it’s remarkably expensive. It costs $579, but that doesn’t include the folio keyboard or the better stylus (which has an eraser and costs an extra $50). So buying the Paper Pro comes down to how committed you are to buying a new gadget for old-school note-taking.
64. Hands-free footwear, ready for the trail
KizikGP100 Winner
Kizik Boulder Hiking Boots
Specs
| Materials | Nubuck leather and ballistic nylon upper; full-rubber outsole |
| Cushioning | Proprietary Arch Form insole |
| On/off tech | Hands-free Labs External Flex Arc |
In 2021, Nike made headlines — and the GP100 — with the Go FlyEase. Combining a bi-stable hinge in the sole and a rubber strap spanning its length, the sneaker could be donned and doffed without hands.
Behind the scenes? This shoe emerged from Nike’s partnership with Utah-based HandsFree Labs, parent company of its own sneaker start-up, Kizik.
Founded in 2017, Kizik has built a cult following by iterating on the innovation, offering dozens of options for adults and kids that let everyone — not only those with disabilities — put on shoes in seconds.
This fall, the brand reached out to a whole new market by introducing hiking boots, among which you’ll find one called the Boulder.
Featuring a durable ballistic nylon and nubuck leather upper, supportive midsole and grippy rubber outsole, the boots perform well and look great from trail to street.
The brand’s patented External Flex Arc delivers, compressing and then springing back to let you slide smoothly in and stay there until you deliberately step on the heels to slip out.
Making it easier for more people to boot up and experience the great outdoors? That’s a winning formula no matter your entry point.
63. One hugely ambitious, highly successful two-wheeled reboot
Indian MotorcycleGP100 Winner
2025 Indian Scout
Specs
| Engine | SpeedPlus 1250 V-Twin |
| Transmission | 6-speed, constant mesh / foot shift |
| Variants | 5, with 3 trim levels |
Rebooting a bestselling bike with 104 years of history that helped sextuple your market share (to 13 percent) since a 2015 re-introduction is challenging enough. Launching not one new version but five, well, you’re asking for a miracle.
And yet somehow, under design director Ola Stenegard’s watchful eye, Indian pretty much nailed it with May’s release of the 2025 Indian Scout family, a quintet of new models offering multiple trim levels to suit every rider and budget.
While it’s difficult to encapsulate in brief — we covered extensively upon launch and again once we’d ridden them all — the general improvements to the platform are huge for the brand and its fans.
All five bikes feature accessible seat heights (under 26 inches), user-friendly mid controls, steel tube frames and standard ABS. They also manage to shed 10 pounds while gaining strength: A new 1250cc liquid-cooled V-Twin engine delivers 11 percent more power and 14 percent more torque.
Four outta five deliver 105 ponies while the top-of-the-line 101 (which could probably crack the GP100 on its own) has been tuned up to 111. In our experience, every single family member delivers smiles for miles — at prices that won’t make you frown.
62. A fuss-free espresso maker that goes beyond espresso
BrevilleGP100 Winner
Breville Oracle Jet Espresso Machine
There are two ways for an espresso machine to improve upon what’s already out there.
It can offer more versatility than its fellow machines, usually by way of customizable settings or extraction methods. Or it can become more user-friendly, removing the fuss (and hopefully the mess) out of making espresso.
Breville’s Oracle Jet, paradoxically, is both.
For starters, it distinguishes itself with the ability to brew not just cold espresso but cold brew. And it does so in three minutes, as opposed to the usual 24 hours it takes your local coffee shop, thanks to a lower extraction temperature that helps to diminish any harsh, acidic notes.
To accomplish this, it swaps out the dual boiler heating system of other Breville machines for something called ThermoJet that can regulate the temperature exceptionally fast — and with astonishing accuracy.
The tradeoff is that it can’t brew coffee and steam milk simultaneously, however, the Oracle Jet more than makes up for it with other ease-of-use additions. These include a more responsive screen, fast-fill water tank and Auto MilQ steam wand, which automatically adjusts temps, thus taking even more guesswork out of one’s morning routine.
61. A lively off-grid connection powerful enough to save your life
GarminGP100 Winner
Garmin inReach Messenger Plus
Specs
| Weight | 4.1 ounces |
| Water rating | IPX7 |
| Subscription pricing | Starts at $15/month |
It’s practically an action movie trope: our hero defeats the baddies in a remote location, sends up a flare and embraces his or her costar as the credits roll.
In real survival situations, however, a light in the sky might not save you. According to mountain rescue experts, having extensive backcountry emergency details can hugely help a response team help you.
That’s where Garmin’s InReach Messenger Plus comes in. Dusting its predecessor, this powerful puck lets users send and receive photos, voice messages and longer texts (1,600 characters versus the original’s 160). Via Iridium Message Transport, files can be 300 times larger and, with a clear sky view, go through in a minute.
While this capability makes casual off-grid exchanges more colorful, it can dramatically boost your odds in dire circumstances.
You can clearly communicate with Garmin Response, the company’s SOS dispatch center, without racing against time, as the unit boasts 600 hours of battery life (in low power mode).
Even “dead,” you can connect it to a smartphone for just enough juice to send custom text messages via the app. While we sure hope it doesn’t come to that, the peace of mind alone is a real … plus.
You’ve reached the end of this section of the GP100, our countdown of the year’s most significant releases. Check out the collection page to see what else made the list or browse last year’s winners.