CES 2026: The weirdest tech we saw

CES 2026 has been full of big announcements — advances in the chips that power AI, major product launches, and more — but the Vegas tech convention is also known as a haven for weird tech.

We here at Mashable are lovers of weird tech and odd gadgets, and, thankfully, CES 2026 has not disappointed thus far. We've got folks on the ground in Vegas scoping out everything odd on the showroom floor — here are six of the weirdest and most fun things we've seen.

Check out the full list of Best of CES 2026 finalists, as selected by CNET Group, here.

Teeth music

Ever wondered how your music...tastes? Well, you can now find out...kind of. The Lollipop Star is a device that plays music through your teeth. The company sells $9 lollipops that use bone conduction to play music into your inner ear, while you also get a sugar fix.

For less than a ten-spot, you can buy your favorite song and have a little novelty treat. Not a bad deal.

Brain-sensing headphones

Neurable showed off headphones at CES that measure how fast you think. The idea is that gamers, especially, could track their reaction times and thought processes. Using this data, the company has developed a system that should help you focus better. Mashable's Chance Townsend tested it out and found it pretty cool.

"The feeling afterward was quite pleasant, all things considered," Townsend wrote. "Everything on screen felt slightly slower, but I was reacting more quickly."

Headphones that twist into speakers

In a bit of old-school gadgetry, new audio brand TDM debuted headphones that can twist into a speaker at CES 2026. It's a neat idea — go from private listening to sharing with one physical movement.

A vibrating chef's knife

Mashable's Haley Henschel tested Seattle Ultrasonics' C-200 UltraSonic Chef's Knife, which vibrates as you use it to make cutting easier. Though the vibrations are nearly indetectable to the naked eye, the movement helps slice more easily.

Wrote Henschel:

"I had no trouble getting it to cut paper-thin pieces of tomato with a light touch. Seattle Ultrasonics' rep likened it to riding a bike versus pedaling an e-bike in that it makes your experience more effortless."

The $399 knife could prove useful for many home chefs, especially those with disabilities or physical limitations.

Panda companion bots

In a bit of strange-but-sweet tech, Mind With Heart Robotics showed off its AI-powered panda An'An. The idea is the fuzzy little guy will be an interactive companion for elderly folks with cognitive decline or kids working on social skills.

The AI soulmate

Chinese company Lepro displayed its Ami device at CES 2026, a desktop OLED screen that houses an AI "soulmate" to keep you company. And that is not sat...at all.

The company pitched the Ami as a companion that would be empathetic and connect with its users on a deper level. Giving an AI companion a physical form is certainly an interesting choice.

Wrote Mashable's Chance Townsend:

"Most AI companions today live where everything else already lives: your phone, your browser, your notifications. They blur into the same infinite scroll that's already exhausting us. Lepro Ami, by contrast, asks for a dedicated spot on your desk. It doesn’t follow you everywhere. You have to choose to keep it around."

CES is always good for some truly wonderful and strange tech — thankfully, 2026 delivered in both regards.

Want to see more of the best in weird tech at CES 2026? The finalists for the Best of CES 2026 awards have been announced. See the nominees and learn when the winners will be announced.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.