IHA Names 2026 Global Innovation Award Winners at Inspired Home Show

Twelve products spanning everything from garlic presses to reverse-osmosis travel water purifiers walked away with Global Honoree status at the International Housewares Association's 2026 Global Innovation Awards gala, held during The Inspired Home Show at Chicago's McCormick Place.

"We're pleased to recognize these innovative brands and offer another platform to elevate outstanding new products for the home," said Derek Miller, IHA president and CEO. "We know that consumers today are craving innovative solutions, while also injecting connection, joy and wellness into their daily lives."

The winners were selected through a two-round judging process. An independent panel of designers, retailers, and buyers from 15 organizations, including Arizona State University, Pampered Chef, Cook's Warehouse, the National Building Museum, and Leon & Lulu, narrowed each of the 12 product categories to five finalists in February. A second round earlier in the show week determined the single Global Honoree per category.

The full list of 2026 product design honorees: Brabantia USA took Bath + Personal Care for its Steam & Ironing Board D at 135 x 45 cm. Gleener Inc. won Cleaning with the Swift Plus. Brod & Taylor claimed Cook + Bakeware with Bread Proofing Bannetons. Cribsi Inc. won Home Décor + Gifts with the Luna Lantern. Deli, Inc. took Home Organization + Storage with its Stacking Tool Organizer. DREO won Household + Home Electrics with the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S. JURA Inc. claimed Kitchen Electrics with the JURA C9 Piano Inox. DK Household Brands Corp. won Kitchen Hand Tools + Cutlery with the Susi 4 Garlic Press. Prepara took Kitchenware with the Berry Pod. Bluevua.com won Luggage, Travel Goods + Accessories with the Ropot R/O Water Purifier for Travel. PawsPik won Pet Products with the CeramiFlow Ceramic Battery-Operated Pet Water Fountain. Vacane Home Concepts, Inc. rounded out the list in Tabletop with the Bento Box Large.

Five retailers earned Global Honoree status in the parallel Retail Excellence program. The honorees, selected from a pool of 31 national winners by a global jury of four retail and visual merchandising experts and seven editors and publishers of co-sponsoring housewares trade publications, are: Kabinett of Australia, Kitchen Center of Chile, Casa Cuesta of the Dominican Republic, SCHÄFFER of Germany, and The Culinary Institute of America's Marketplace at Copia in the United States.

Winning products were on display in a dedicated gia showcase in the Grand Concourse Lobby of the North Building, with additional visibility in New Product Showcases in both the North and South Buildings. The Inspired Home Show drew more than 2,000 unique brands across four expos, Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, Wired + Well, and International Sourcing, with U.S.-based attendees representing more than 100,000 retail locations and $64 billion in buying power.