Announcing the 2026 Sunset Best Product Awards
We’re looking for the coolest, most innovative products in the categories of home, kitchen, travel, wellness, and more.
Celebrating the best in modern Western living is what we’re all about at Sunset. That’s why we’re launching the Sunset Best Product Awards—to honor the most innovative, beautifully designed, and highly functional products shaping life in the West. From kitchen essentials and home decor to travel gear, outdoor tools, wellness tech, and smart-home innovation, these awards spotlight the pieces that make Western living smarter, easier, cleaner—and more joyful.
Judged by Sunset editors and contributors, these Awards focus on products that reflect the way our readers truly live—indoors, outdoors, on the road, and everywhere in between. If you’re a brand that meets this criteria, we invite you to enter! Entries open on January 20 and close on February 27. Go here to enter.
The winning products will be featured in the December 2026 issue of Sunset magazine, Sunset.com, in our newsletters, and on our social platforms. Here’s how to enter below.
The Categories
Submit your product into the category that fits best (we’ll recategorize if needed):
- Kitchen & Cooking Gear
- Home, Design & Decor
- Outdoor Living & Backyard
- Garden & Landscape Tools
- Travel, Luggage & On-the-Go
- Outdoor & Performance Apparel
- Wellness, Sleep & Self-Care
- Smart Home, Tech & Clean Living
- Sustainable Everyday Essentials
Brands may submit multiple products across any category.
Product Criteria
Eligible entries must meet three simple criteria:
- Under 50 lbs
- No professional installation required
- Fits in a real home setting for hands-on testing
What’s Allowed:
Products under 50 lbs that can be shipped and tested with no professional setup, including:
- Countertop appliances
- Kitchen tools, cookware, serveware, drinkware
- Table, task, and portable lighting
- Storage bins, boxes, organizers (no wall-installed systems)
- Travel gear: luggage, packs, totes, accessories
- Outdoor portable gear (chairs, stools, coolers, hammocks, fire pits)
- Home decor objects
- Textiles (throws, pillows, bedding accessories)
- Small home tech, audio, smart-home devices
- Cleaning tools and devices
- Wellness/sleep/recovery devices
- Gardening tools (hand tools only)
- Performance and outdoor apparel
What’s Not Allowed:
- Anything over 50 lbs
- Anything requiring professional installation
- Large grills/smokers exceeding 50 lbs
- Refrigerators, ovens, washers, dryers
- Mattresses
- Furniture (sofas, chairs, shelving, tables)
- Built-in lighting or fixtures
- Food, beverage products, or supplements
- Large garden structures (pergolas, raised beds requiring construction)
- Closet/garage/pantry systems requiring wall installation
How the Process Works
There are two stages to the entry process:
Stage 1: Initial Submission
Complete your entry on awards.sunset.com, where you’ll be able to provide a product description, other key details, and 1-3 product images. No samples are required.
Stage 2: Finalist Testing
Our editors and contributors will review all entries and select finalists. Finalists are contacted to provide product samples for hands-on testing. Samples will not be returned.
Entry Pricing and Important Dates to Know
Earlybird Entry (January 20 – January 27): $75
Standard Entry (January 28 – February 20): $125
Latecomer Entry (February 21 – February 27): $175
Any other questions? Email us at awards@sunset.com. We can’t wait to learn more about your products! Good luck!
