Assembling the list of products for the HuffPost Shopping Awards is one of the most rewarding things we do all year. Reliving stories that we loved writing — and that, more importantly, our readers devoured — fires up our synapses with memories of products that really deliver on their promises.
For example: That cozy cotton sweater that three people wore to the office on the same day, when winter on the East Coast was at its absolute cruelest. And who can forget the French pharmacy cream that actually helped our beauty reporter tackle her stubborn eczema? And what about the palm-sized screen time device that made one reporter’s “brain feel different”? (In, like, a good way.)
These products — and many more — worked so hard for the people who bought them that we decided to give them awards this year. And if you missed the seven HuffPost Shopping Awards stories that we just published — dedicated to the reader-favorite categories of home, beauty, wellness, clothing, pets, skin care and tech — and want to get up to speed on the winning assortment, buckle up, because we’ve compiled every single product in this story, organized by the categories listed above.
Ahead, see the 74 (!) products that we deemed worthy of a gold medal in 2026.
Wellness
TheraBreath whitening toothpaste: This "may put your dentist out of work"
If you haven't heard about TheraBreath's widely beloved toothpastes, just know the line may put your dentist out of work (we're only sort of kidding). That line includes a whitening toothpaste, sold in a two-pack, which is peroxide-free and works to eliminate bad breath and whiten your teeth at the same time.
According to the brand, you can see significant results in as little as one week with twice-daily brushing. The toothpaste is minty fresh and made in the USA. While we admit it's far pricier than a lot of toothpaste out there, this is one that seems to be more than worth the extra cost (and can potentially help you save on expensive whitening treatments, as one reviewer pointed out).
HuffPost Shopping contributor Alex Aronson got to test out this whitening toothpaste early, and wrote, "Even as someone who drinks teeth-staining beverages (like coffee and red wine), I did notice a brighter, whiter smile. The biggest win, though, was the flavor: not overpowering like some toothpastes, and no stinging or tingling, just a clean, fresh feeling that lasted."
NewYorkBiology tea tree foot cream: This affordable, game-changing cream for cracked heels and foot fungus
Last summer, we stumbled upon this tea tree oil foot cream, which can address dryness, cracking and itchiness of the feet due to foot fungus, athlete's foot and more — all for just $10 at full price (though HuffPost readers also understandably flock to this "magic" product when there's a sale).
In previous reporting about a different foot fungus product, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Angela Brimhall confirmed to HuffPost that tea tree oil, this cream's main ingredient, has antiseptic and antifungal properties. The cream's formula also contains nourishing ingredients like glycerin, aloe vera and spearmint oil, while remaining free of alcohol, parabens and sulfates. (For those who want to shop American-made products wherever they can, this cream is also made in the United States.)
The ingredients apparently do their job well, and fast. Reviewers of the cream report results after just a couple of applications. "I can’t believe how well this cream has transformed my feet,” a reviewer wrote. "I struggled with dry, scaly, cracked feet for years...This stuff truly truly works. You will see a huge difference within a few applications."
Venus Visage pain-free teeth whitening pens: They're saving people hundreds of dollars in office treatments
Earlier this year, Flores wrote about how this nondescript pair of pens saved her loads of money on in-office whitening treatments after some very well-known whitening strips had let her down in terms of both performance and increased tooth sensitivity.
"After the first morning of application using the pre-filled brush-tipped pen, I felt as though my teeth lightened at least half a shade and looked more luminous overall. And after sporadic use over the next month or so, I noticed surface stains continued to lighten, even in areas like around my gumline and between my teeth, where my staining is typically the most stubborn and where whitening strips have the hardest time reaching," Flores said.
Above all, the Venus Visage formula seems to be miraculously free from discomfort. This is most likely due to a difference in active ingredients. The Venus Visage pens contain carbamide peroxide rather than hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down more slowly over time, releasing the whitening agent gradually, thus causing less sensitivity. And according to some studies, carbamide peroxide may be just as effective as hydrogen peroxide when more applications are performed.
For Venus Visage users who claimed to be even more diligent with application than Flores was, the results were even more pronounced. “I had noticed more coffee stains on my teeth, so I wanted a faster [and] cheaper solution and this did wonders,” one Amazon customer wrote. But this is just one promising review of many who claim that these pens actually deliver on their whitening promise.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-neck pillow: A big-name memory foam pillow that is, in fact, worth all the hype
In the winter of last year, we were curious to know if the pillow designs from Tempur-Pedic — a brand with household name status and arguably the blueprint for all memory foam goods — were really deserving of their upstanding reputation (and cost). Our inquiry revealed that the responsive, NASA-developed viscoelastic memory foam (which the brand calls Tempur-Material) and supportive constructions were, in fact, worthy enough of a HuffPost Shopping Award after Ben Gruen, lead chiropractor for New York City’s Move Well MD and member of the American Chiropractic Association, that pillows help support neutral alignment of the neck.
“I myself have been sleeping with different Tempur-Pedic [pillows] for decades,” Gruen previously told HuffPost in an email exchange.
One standout in the Tempur-Pedic pillow lineup ended up being this contoured neck pillow for back and side sleepers, made from an extra-firm version of the Tempur-Material, yet still precisely adaptive to factors like body weight and shape. Available in three sizes to best serve your specific anatomy and sleep positioning, this ergonomic pillow is meant to follow the natural curve of the head and neck to offer proper alignment and support and, like most of Tempur-Pedic's pillow offerings, it comes with a removable and machine-washable knit cover.
Allclair essential oil inhaler: It's the official safety blanket for frequently nauseous people
This magical and non-medicated stick caught the attention of HuffPost readers when senior shopping writer Tessa Flores documented her experience with the Allclair inhaler as someone who frequently experiences nausea caused by a combination of motion sickness, medication and a general sensitivity to smells or foods. Flores said that she relies on this frequently whenever a wave of sickness hits and after just a couple of inhales, the fresh and medicinal vapor makes the uncomfortable sensation dissipate.
Conveniently packaged like a lip balm and dual-ended to feature the inhaler component on one end and an oil dropper on the other (great for rubbing under the nose), the Allclair is non-medicated and fast-acting. It contains a blend of oils like lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus, along with camphor, menthol and borneol — an organic compound often found in rosemary.
In that same story, Flores asked experts why this drug-free inhaler was so effective and, according to Stanford Healthcare’s clinical associate professor of medicine, Irene Sonu, herbal ingredients, such as peppermint or ginger, interact with key receptors involved in the sensation of nausea.
Mary Ruth's liquid morning multivitamin: It actually tastes good makes hair noticeably thicker and fuller
While supplements and vitamins are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, the promising claims that come with this powerful liquid vitamin by Mary Ruth's are impressive to say the least ("It’s the only thing I’ve tried that has consistently made my hair grow after experiencing all-over hair loss from stress and weight loss," one Amazon reviewer wrote).
These endorsements happen to extend beyond just what shoppers write. Mary Ruth's fruity-tasting supplement, which available in 15-ounce and 30-ounce sizes, is also adored by more than just a couple of members in our newsroom, including editorial director of life and commerce, Kristen Aiken, who said she appreciates how it replaces a regular multivitamin, which she would get lazy about taking.
It contains biotin, a B vitamin that’s often linked to hair, skin and nail growth and folate, to help your body make new cells. It also contains a unique blend of biotin and silicon (“inositol-stabilized arginine silicate”) that’s intended to enhance blood flow.
According to Aiken, she noticed a difference in hair growth at around the five-month mark that only impacted the hair on her head, not any unwanted areas, thankfully. Be sure to consult with your doctor before taking this.
Dr. Plotka's Mouthwatchers brushes: These HuffPost writer-approved flossing toothbrushes for supreme oral care come at a wallet-friendly price
Former HuffPost Shopping writer Haley Zovickian first expressed her interest in Mouthwatchers' flossing toothbrushes during Amazon Prime Day 2024, unknowingly starting a trend among HuffPost readers for years to come — each time a major sale rolls around, these things fly off the shelves, and for good reason.
The Mouthwatchers brushes are manual toothbrushes, which may have slightly gone out of style with the immense popularity of electric toothbrushes, but these brushes have gained their own fans because they still do the hard work for you. The bristles are designed to be dual-layered, with an ultra-thin top layer that better reaches tight spaces for a deeper overall clean (hence why they're called flossing toothbrushes). Plus, at $10 for a two-pack, you'll likely never find electric toothbrush prices this low.
Zovickian, who tested them out herself, said the brushes made a noticeable difference in her dental hygiene. "Within about a week of switching from a regular brush to this one, my previously coffee-stained teeth looked markedly whiter, my plaque was less visible and my gums looked healthier," she wrote. "My mouth also feels remarkably cleaner, a result that reviewers echo. I can’t help but feel that this model is toothbrushing the way it should be."
Penetrex Daily Joint & Muscle Care cream: A concentrated "miracle" for pain relief
With close to 100,000 ratings, the Penetrex recovery cream is possibly one of the most impressively-reviewed pain-relief topicals on Amazon that features a concentrated blend of natural ingredients. It first caught our attention when we reported on over-the-counter solutions for plantar fasciitis, then continued to make a name for itself when it became the top-clicked item by HuffPost readers in every subsequent story in which it was featured.
The magic inside this non-greasy and sensitive skin-friendly formula is arnica and vitamin B6, which soothe sore and achy muscles without the burning or freezing sensation of other numbing creams. It also contains Boswellia serrata, a natural inflammatory compound that can be particularly helpful in reducing joint stiffness and general pain.
Though there are far too many enthusiastic Penetrex testimonials to count, one Amazon reviewer who now has 10 pins in their wrist after breaking it in 2015 said they experience frequent pain.
"I am so thankful to have found Penetrex. When my hand or wrist starts hurting, I rub in a small amount of Penetrex and the pain goes away. I have not timed how long it takes. I just know if I want the pain to stop, I use Penetrex and not long after, I realize the pain is gone," they claimed.
HuffPost readers can get 25% off this and a few other sizes and bundles of the brand's bestselling joint and muscle cream with code RBC7ES54. You can enter the code at checkout, or the discount will be automatically applied when you follow this link.
Forme Power Bra: A posture-correcting bra worn by Taylor Swift
We're not in the business of recommending products simply because they have celebrity endorsements, but Liza Egbogah, a chiropractor, osteopath and myofascial release specialist, previously told HuffPost that posture bras could be a worthy purchase for those looking to improve their posture. "As you wear posture-friendly apparel, your muscles and fascia will adapt to support you correctly," Egbogah said.
That led us to seek out posture-correcting bras and shirts, one of which is the viral Forme Power Bra. Swift was seen sporting the Power Bra during rehearsals for the physically demanding "Eras" Tour.
The Power Bra uses tensile fabrics to not only provide instant alignment, but also to engage your spine and shoulder's muscle memory to help you self-correct over time for lasting better posture. Multiple reviewers mention significant differences in their pain levels and how using the bra has helped them with years-old aches. (If the Power bra isn't for you, Forme offers a customized online assessment to help you choose the right posture product for your body.)
The Power Bra comes in eight colors and sizes XS-3XL. It’s a splurge, but you'll be pleased to know that the bra is HSA/FSA-eligible.
Even better? Forme is offering HuffPost readers an exclusive 15% discount with code HP15.
Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush: A dentist-recommended option ... and a budget-friendly option, the Oral-B iO3 Limited
The Oral-B iO Series 9 toothbrush has been recommended numerous times to HuffPost by dentists. For a 2025 story on dentist-recommended oral care products, New York-based dentist Dr. Bronwyn Hagan said, "My favorite feature of the iO toothbrushes is their ability to tell you whether you are brushing too hard, too soft, or just right," she says. "I was shocked by how hard I myself was brushing when I first started using it, and now I love seeing it light up green for 'just right.'"
New York City-based dentist Dr. Angela Abernathy is also a fan of the iO brushes, particularly Series 9, as she explained in a previous story. "They also have timers that make sure you are brushing for at least two minutes," she said. "One other thing I like about the iO is that there is an app you can download to sync with your phone and evaluate your brushing over time. I especially highlight this feature for my patients."
Finally, orthodontist Dr. Erin Fraundorf, who is based in St. Louis, Missouri, recommended the Series 9 in February for a HuffPost story about solutions for bad breath. She said the brush "delivers a professional-like clean at home that makes you feel like you just got your teeth cleaned at the dentist."
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative that provides similar value, the Oral-B iO3 Limited features a similar pressure sensor and timer (it lacks the higher-tech app insights of the Series 9, and comes with two fewer brush heads) and has been popular with HuffPost readers.
Tech
The Brick: The only reliable thing that will get you off social media
Smartphones: essential to daily life, but so damn distracting. If you find yourself scrolling through brainrot and swiping endlessly on social media, the Brick may be your answer to inner peace — or at least lower your ScreenTime.
The Brick is a small magnetic tile that acts as a physical lock for distracting apps. After setting it up with its companion app, you simply tap your phone on the Brick to “Brick” your device and block selected apps, then tap again to “Unbrick” it.
Unlike built-in app limits on your phone, which you can easily bypass with a few taps, the Brick adds a layer of real-world friction. To regain access, you actually have to walk over and touch your phone to the tile. Set it up and place it somewhere out of sight, and suddenly opening Instagram or TikTok isn’t quite so simple.
The Brick helped senior reporter Monica Torres win back her focus, attention and time — and she's still using it today. (I know because I asked.) In her review back in February, she wrote, “I am happy to report that after more than a month of use, my brain feels different. I expected the strict enforcement of a Brick to change me — but even I was surprised by how much it did.”
At the end of her review, she reports that her average phone screen time dropped 62% compared to the week prior. If that isn't high endorsement for a tech product that delivers, then I don't know what is.
@kevvvincortez Another @HuffPost Shopping Award-winning product for Tech: @GetBrick. This thing helped me curb my worst habits and decrease my overall screen time. Read more about it at HuffPost!!!!! #tech #productreview #fyp
♬ original sound - Kevin Cortez