Best Smart Home Devices

Buying guide for Best smart home devices

We haven’t quite achieved Jetsons-style houses in the sky, but the breadth of smart home devices on the market brings us closer every day. Using voice control, automation, and Internet of Things remote control, smart home devices allow you to optimize and control your appliances and electronics even from thousands of miles away. Gone are the days of leaving for work wondering if you left the door unlocked or arriving home from a two-week vacation to discover that the air conditioner has been running the whole time.

There’s a smart home device for almost every household need and nuisance. Almost one-third of homes currently use smart products, and it’s predicted that over half of homes will be equipped with smart products by 2022. But how do you know where to start when shopping for one of these complex products? And how do you make sure all your smart home devices work well together?

At BestReviews, we make even the toughest purchasing decisions easy with our thoroughly researched recommendations and in-depth shopping guides. For everything you need to know about smart home devices before you buy, just keep reading.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term for interconnected devices like smart home devices that can communicate and send data to each other.

What are smart home devices?

A smart home device runs on an automated system, enabling it to react to changes in its environment on its own. A smart product allows you to control and monitor your home remotely through an app. Some smart devices are remote-controlled and some are voice-controlled – and some are both.

Smart home devices have the ability to learn your daily routines by detecting and memorizing your usage patterns and responding accordingly. For example, a smart home device can learn to adjust your home’s lighting at the same time every day. Smart home devices can also automatically adjust your home’s temperature, lock and unlock doors, and even change the tilt of your home’s blinds.

Smart home devices send you email and text alerts through an app, and many keep track of your house’s stats and produce power usage reports.

We evaluate an array of smart home devices to find those that best allow you to optimize and control your appliances and electronics, even when you’re miles away.

We appreciate smart devices that increase accessibility, and our readers do, too. In our research, we compare both voice-activated and remote-controlled devices.

We research and compare smart devices to find those with the best connectivity and minimal technical difficulties.

To find the most versatile smart devices on the market, our team performs deep-dive research to discover products that are compatible with most smart hubs.

Some smart devices double as WiFi routers. We compare these products in order to find the ones with the best internet connectivity.

Our researchers consider products that are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple iOS to find the best smart devices for every voice assistant.

Smart bulbs are among the newest smart innovations on the market. We consider them alongside smart speakers, hubs, and other devices to ascertain their usefulness.

We appreciate smart speakers with high-quality sound. When applicable, our team compares smart home devices on the basis of audio quality.

Some devices are controlled by voice commands. We compare the reliability of that function to find gadgets that perform reliably and without glitches.

To grant our readers an opportunity for the most hands-off experience possible, our researchers compare smart devices based on their ability to learn a user’s daily routine.

Why use smart home devices?

Maybe you’re wondering why you would bother installing a bunch of high-tech equipment in your home. We get it. Manually-operated homes have worked fine up until this point, haven’t they?

But smart home devices are about making your house and life more efficient, helping you cut the amount of power you use or the time and effort you expend on daily tasks. You can access all of the world’s information with a voice command, and you can stop worrying about locks, lights, and thermostats with a smart home device.

Smart security systems allow you to feel safer in your home and can simplify dog-walking and house-sitting routines. Plus, using this fancy tech is actually better for the environment because it allows you to control your power usage.

What is a smart home hub?

A hub is a piece of hardware or software that connects your smart home devices to your network and other devices. When you’re shopping for smart home products, you’ll notice that some come with their own hubs, while others need to be paired with a central hub.

You can think of a smart home hub as a kind of digital house manager. You can set up your hub to allow your smart home devices to communicate with one another and respond together to stimuli, like a smart thermostat and smart light switches that adjust the temperature and lights in your home together according to input from sensors.

Hubs usually connect directly to your router or via WiFi, and you can access the hub through an app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. That said, you can run some smart home devices without a hub, so it isn’t a necessary purchase if you aren’t ready to commit to having a fully smart home.

Compatibility for smart home devices

There are about 29 million smart home devices in the United States. That’s a lot of products and opportunities for innovation, but all these different devices aren’t always compatible with one another.

Some smart home devices pair with Amazon Alexa, while others use Google Assistant. Some use Android, while others have iOS apps. If you have your eye on a smart home device that you’re only somewhat confident will be compatible with your other smart products, make sure to carefully review the seller’s return policy.

Prices for smart home devices

The cost of smart home products varies depending on the device’s function, aesthetic, and level of technology. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to more than $1,000.

Inexpensive

At $30 to $40, smart plugs and light switches are the least expensive smart home devices, and many people buy multiples of each. In the $40 to $80 range, you’ll find mini personal assistant devices, as well as smart light bulbs and small gadgets.

Mid-range

Between $100 and $250, you can find smart smoke detectors, automated blind systems, and some camera systems. Most smart locks, security systems, high-tech cameras, and full smart lighting systems cost between $250 and $450.

Expensive

Complete, top-of-the-line home automation systems offering end-to-end solutions, including a smart hub, multi-room control panels, smart thermostats, cameras, and blinds, can cost $1,000 and up.

If you have pets, remember that Fido and Fluffy can trigger motion sensors on your smart home devices. You might not be too thrilled every time your cat walks by the motion-activated light in the middle of the night.

FAQ

Q. Should I worry about the security and safety of using smart home devices?

A. Although it definitely isn’t a widespread issue, there has been research and discussion around the possibility of hackers breaking into smart locks. Your smart smoke detector or light switch is unlikely to interest a crook, but it’s still a good idea to practice common sense. Use different secure passwords for your products, and update the firmware on your smart home devices to make sure they’re running the latest security.

Q. Can I install my smart home devices myself?

A. Depending on the complexity of the system or product, many smart home devices can be easily installed, only requiring tasks like unscrewing bolts. For larger, more comprehensive smart home devices (or if you just don’t want to take on the hassle), hire a professional for installation.

Q. How do smart home devices affect a home’s value?

A. Many home buyers are willing to spend more for homes equipped with smart home devices. A recent survey found that almost 75% of millennial homeowners would spend $1,500 or more to make their homes smart. Updating your home’s tech with smart home devices can be just as important as renovating that outdated bathroom.