Kaden Hihyo Magazine’s 200th Issue Unveils “2026 First Half Best Buy” Selections
Kaden Hihyo, the home appliance purchase guide known for its honest, expert-led product testing, has released its July 2026 issue, celebrating its 200th publication. This milestone issue features the highly anticipated “2026 First Half Best Buy” awards, presenting over 100 outstanding products identified through extensive testing.
The 2026 year has reached its midpoint, and Kaden Hihyo has been diligently testing a wide array of home appliances since January. This special feature compiles the best products discovered during the first half of the year, including high-cost performance items that offer great value. The editorial team has specially selected Grand Prix winners and the top 20 items to highlight.
Grand Prix Winners
Shokz “OpenFit Pro”
Winning the top spot in the “while-listening” earphone category, the Shokz “OpenFit Pro” is praised for its exceptional sound quality. Experts noted its rich low-frequency response, which is often lacking in open-ear designs, along with a wide, immersive soundstage. It also features a rare “Focus Mode” for noise reduction in noisy environments and supports Dolby Atmos, making it a strong recommendation for listening-focused users.
DJI “ROMO P”
Launched in March by drone manufacturer DJI, the “ROMO P” robot vacuum stands out with its striking skeleton design and top-tier performance, matching last year’s annual best-buy, Dreamy. Its maintainability is also excellent, featuring automatic mop washing, automatic dust collection, and easy disposal with paper dust bags, demonstrating a high level of completeness as a robot vacuum cleaner.
Dreamy “Aqua10 Ultra Roller”
Dreamy’s product, which was selected as a best-buy in the December issue of the magazine last year, began general sales in April this year. While its suction power was slightly less than DJI’s, it scored highly in other aspects, showing almost no weaknesses. Its functions demonstrate solid performance across the board.
First Half BEST20 Selections
Apple “MacBook Neo”
This affordable Mac starts at under 100,000 yen for the 256GB base model without Touch ID. While there are performance limitations, the body quality, keyboard, and trackpad maintain Apple’s signature craftsmanship. It is surprisingly functional for everyday tasks, unless heavy tasks like 4K video editing are required, making it an excellent first choice for children, students, or new professionals.
Anker Japan “Soundcore Nebula P1i”
Despite being a projector priced under 50,000 yen, this unit achieves a sufficient sense of spaciousness by allowing adjustment of the vertical angle of its speakers to direct sound optimally. Its features, including automatic keystone correction and built-in Google TV, also meet expectations.
EarFun “EarFunClip 2”
This cost-effective earphone supports the high-resolution LDAC codec, earning high praise for its high-definition, quality sound. Unique features like a
