Several years ago, the promise of smart home was just that — a “promise.” Now, hooking up your household with the best home automation system is very much a reality. Not only that, setting up smart home gadgets is also super easy once you acquire the right tools.
A smart home, in the general sense, means a “connected” home. And for your house to be smart, it needs smart home gadgets, of course. Because there’s been a smart home boom in the last couple of years, most elements inside and outside the house, like lights, garage doors, thermostats, now have smart home variants. If not, there are accessories that turn “dumb” house fixtures into ones that can communicate with each other via a “hub.” This allows users to them to control them remotely. It also paves the way for devices to be part of an automation system.
Each smart home is different depending on your preferences. And how connected you want your house to be. But in general, a smart home lets you access, control, and change house functions at any moment’s notice from the comfort of your, say, bedroom.
Want to see your porch’s CCTV video feed on your tablet? You can. Want to turn off the lights but you’re too tired to get up from your bed? Easy — and you don’t even have to move an inch, just say it. Want your phone to automatically turn off its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you scramble out the door? That’s possible, too.
As you can see, smart home gadgets are about more than just convenience. They also give you a chance to intuitively take charge of your entire household. Smart home gadgets can also aid in saving energy, knowing when someone is attempting to break in, or alerting you to all sorts of potential emergencies.
The best part is these gadgets are getting cheaper and easier to acquire over time. Below are some of the best smart home gadgets we could find. Some are must-haves — you can’t really call your house a smart home without them. Some are cool, but skippable — they’re nice to have, but you can probably live without them. But each is useful in its own way.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are constantly updating this list as new smart home products get announced or released, so it might be a good idea to bookmark this page.
Best Smart Home Gadgets
Let’s start with something simple and easy. The Amazon Echo, second-generation to be exact, is a great choice if you’re just starting, and it can help plunge you deeper into what makes a “connected” home. It’s like the what the Swiss Army Knife is to the world of everyday carry — an awesome starting point that will lead you other, more complex smart home gadgets.
The Amazon Echo is a smart speaker that features a digital voice assistant called Alexa, which you invoke by simply saying, “Alexa.” It does a lot of things, and we put it on top of this list because you can integrate it with a lot of the stuff elsewhere in this list. Keep reading to see what we mean.
Want to change the thermostat without actually touching it? The ecobee4 Smart Thermostat does that, and it’s got Alexa built-in so no worries if you don’t already own an Amazon Echo. When you place it in a room, it’ll detect the occupancy and temperature automatically and adjust settings for your utmost comfort. There’s some setup involved, but this takes just 30 minutes and the instructions are fairly easy to follow.
There’s a companion app that lets you control the temperature from anywhere. Just take out your phone if you’re feeling a little cold and apply your preferred settings.
Like the Amazon Echo, the Samsung SmartThings hub is one of the holy grail items in smart home gadgets. It acts like a “hub” to which all your other wireless smart home accessories can connect, and thus be controlled. You can pair it with lightbulbs, speakers, doors, and cameras, from over 40 partner brands.
Then you can teach it automation tricks. You can, for instance, tell it to close all the lights and or turn the thermostat up when you say, “Goodnight.” It’s got 24/7 monitoring so you can be up to date about all the activities in your smart home, which is a really cool feature if there’s something fishy going on at your house. You can also connect it to Google Assistant for voice control.
This is what we mean when we say turning your home into a smart one is super easy these days. You don’t necessarily have to buy smart home products off that bat. Your existing ones can be controlled or monitored through other ways. One of which is by using TP-Link’s Kasa Smart WiFi Plug Mini. This goes on top of your outlet so it can control whatever electronic device is plugged in. It literally converts your outlet into a smart outlet. Works with Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Amazon Alexa, so whatever device you have is good to go. It also supports scheduling, so you can set lights off time at whatever hour you prefer.
Open and close your garage door from anywhere using the MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener Chamberlain. You can get timely alerts whenever your garage door is opened or closed, so you’ll know if your teenager had snuck out in the middle of the night.
It’s compatible with most garage door brands made after 1993 that have standard safety sensors, so that’s a pretty wide coverage. Pairing the device with Google Assistant requires a fee, though. Even still, it’s one of the best smart home gadgets you can buy, especially if you have people always coming and going through your garage.
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro works with Amazon Alexa to send announcements to your Echo-compatible device whenever someone presses the doorbell outside or motion is detected. It allows you to hear and see visitors with two-way talk, which means better overall security against potential break-ins.
You can use your tablet or PC to talk to and view people on the other side of the door. The only downside is that it requires hardware installation since it needs to be connected to existing doorbell wires.
The device works with iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows 10. It supports up to 1080p video feeds so you’ll see with great clarity who’s trying to get in. And should it get stolen, Ring says it’ll give you a replacement completely free of charge.
The Amazon Cloud Cam is a security camera made by Amazon itself, so it’s naturally compatible with Alexa. With it, you can stay on top of what’s happening inside or outside thanks to the 1080p Full HD camera. You can watch, download, and share the last 24 hours of motion-detected video clips free of charge, too. And when the Cloud Cam detects and records activity, it will tell you. Then you can open the companion app and see what it captured.
It also features two-way audio so you can communicate with whoever is on the other side. And because it supports Alexa, you can ask it to display the feed to your, say, Amazon Fire TV, if you have one.
If you want more pizazz when it comes to home lighting, LIFX’s Mini Color Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb is a great choice. Like many others in this list, it works natively with Amazon Alexa. If you’d rather use Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant, that works, too.
This light bulb screws in just like any traditional one. Once that’s done, simply download the app, connect it to Wi-Fi, and you’re all set. You don’t even need a hub for this, either. You can dim the light, change its color, and turn it on or off just with a few taps. It touts an output of 800 lumens, equivalent to a 60W traditional incandescent bulb, but only uses 9W of energy.
home no matter how many safeguards you put up. August’s second-generation Smart Lock is great because it works with Alexa and you can access it using your smartphone. You can unlock the door for guests even when you’re out of town — just give them a virtual key and they’re good to go.
You’ll be able to keep track of who’s coming and going thanks to a 24/7 activity because each user gets their own unique virtual key. And the device automatically locks your door once you’re out, so no more second-guessing on the way to work.
The Arlo Pro is a wireless home security camera system that’s a tad bit more feature-packed than the Amazon Cloud Cam. This rechargeable system features night vision, a siren, HD video, two-way audio, and a wall mount so you can install it even in the most finicky of places.
This particular package includes one camera kit, but you can order additional cameras if you need more. Place them indoors, outdoors, or anywhere you want security footage of. And of course, it works with Alexa and a number of others assistants and hubs. You get seven days of free cloud recordings, too, which is plenty enough.
If you don’t like the TP-Link option elsewhere in this list, the Wemo Mini Smart Plug is a great choice, too, and does much of the same thing. It connects to your Wi-Fi and acts as a controller for your non-smart home electronics. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, by the way.
At $35 a pop, you can grab several of these babies and plug them in different places of your home. It’s the one of the best smart home devices you can buy for its simplicity and ease of use. You can stack two mini smart plugs together for added convenience, as well. Voice control, scheduling, randomizing lights to make it seem there’s someone inside Home Alone-style — you get all these.
Like the others mentioned above, this Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch also works with Amazon Alexa. So you can tell your Echo device to schedule, dim, and control all the lights in the household provided they’re all smart home compatible. The device can automatically adjust with changing seasons and Daylight Savings Time, too.
There’s a Pico remote included if you prefer not barking voice commands, and if you can’t find it, you can just download the free companion app and take it from there. These are also pretty easy to install, and they don’t require a neutral wire so they’ll work even in older homes.
This is the Nest Protect, an industrial-grade smoke sensor that you can silence remotely using your phone. It tests itself automatically, lasts up to 10 years, and best of all, tells you if there’s something wrong with the air and even alerts your phone for potential emergencies.
The Nest Protect can sense both smoke and a room’s carbon monoxide levels, potentially saving you from life-threatening disasters. It comes in wired and battery versions, but don’t worry, as they’re both easy to install. Pair it with an Android phone, iPhone, and even an iPad and breath easy knowing this thing will watch your home for you.
Here’s one that might come in handy: a water leak sensor from D-Link, which will automatically send you notifications if it detects any water-related anomalies inside the house. It also comes with a built-in alarm that goes up to 70 decibels, and a LED light that blinks red when water is detected. Water damage is one of the costliest in home repair, and this will prevent you from ever reaching that point.
You can download the companion app on mobile to unlock extra features, particularly home automation tricks. You can pair it with other mydlink home automation products or any IFTTT enabled device.
This Amazon Alexa-enabled robot vacuum is pretty much self-explanatory. It connects via Wi-Fi and the companion Neato app to clean your floors, and you can command it to do just that wherever you may be. It’s got a D-shape design with CornerClever technology to clean close to walls and corners, and it’s powered by a long-lasting lithium-ion battery.
It’s a robot so it’s got to be smart: this thing features what’s called LaserSmart mapping and navigation, with real-time object detection technology to veer out of obstacles automatically. If you’re at the office, set it to Eco mode for a slow, quiet cleanup. If you’re having a party stat, turn on Turbo mode to get rid of mess fast.
The Sonos Play:1 is, like the Amazon Echo, a smart speaker, and because it’s from Sonos, the audio quality is phenomenal, unlike on other choices. You can pair it with an Echo or a Dot and use voice commands for various music playback controls. It’s also got Alexa built-in, can be set in multiple orientations, and is wall mount compatible. This is a heftier purchase than the Echo, for sure, but what you’re paying for is the premium sound quality, and if you’re a music junkie, the few extra bucks are well worth spending.
For a snazzy living room setup, put lights behind your TV set, more specifically CPLID’s cheap and easy to set up LED lights. There are various options here depending on the size of your TV, but the widest it can cover is an 82-inch set.
Not only does LED lighting look pretty cool, it also helps relieve eye strain and fatigue. If you’re just going to binge-watch a show, why not do it in style and comfort? It can sync with your TV, too, so it’s on the instant your TV powers up.
This Touchscreen Deadbolt from Schlage Lock Company is great because it works with Amazon Alexa, and not so great because it requires a hub. But if you already have a hub setup, then this shouldn’t be a problem. The Schlage Z-Wave Connect Camelot helps you stay secure indoors with 30 personalized codes at a time and a built-in alarm with three alert settings. It’s compatible with Z-wave technology if you’re big on automation, and with this, you can unlock your door remotely via the web or your smartphone. Best of all, it’s BHMA/ANSI Grade 1 certified, which is the highest residential rating, by the way.
VINTAR’s LED toilet night light is perfect for kids who are too afraid to venture out into the corridors off their homes just to do their numbers ones in the middle of the night. And if they’re a bit groggy from slumber, perfect — this tool detects motion and automatically lights up the bathroom when it senses you there. You get 16 colors and a 170-degree radius, which is plenty and a pretty wide coverage. There are five brightness levels, giving your toilet bowl the perfect level of illumination. And it will fit all kinds of toilets thanks to its bendable PVC neck.
If you really want to automate your home down to the blinds, consider getting this, a blinds smart controller from HELLO AXIS. Not only are they easy to install (set it up in just five minutes), it will help you save time, energy, and money. It’s compatible with any windows, shade, or blinds with a cord loop or beaded chain, be it plastic or metal.
You can also download a companion app and shut or open your blinds with just a tap. Scheduling when blinds open and close is also possible, and it works with other ZigBee-powered smart home devices for automation.
If you can walk off to do other errands while washing laundry, this is a great way to make sure you’re up to speed on all laundry-related alerts. SmartDry sends you notifications when you dryer has stopped, when clothes are dry, or if delicates are getting too hot. There’s a companion app for iOS and Android that lets you check in on your clothes so everything is done completely wireless. SmartDry should work with any electric or gas clothes dryer. Setup is super easy, and yes, it works with Amazon Alexa.
B.One’s Eazy Universal Remote allows you to streamline all your infrared remotes and support Wi-Fi devices and bundle them into a single mobile app for easier control, access, and navigation. No more looking for those pesky remotes. And it works with Alexa for home automation, so you can say, “Alexa, turn on Movie” and it’ll power on your TV, fire up the Blu-Ray player, dim the lights, and adjust your temperature. If you’re not into any of that automation shtick, it’s still a great purchase if you’re done dealing with remotes.
This indoor and outdoor ceiling fan, from Unwired Home, comes with a so-called SkyPlug for you can mount it, plug, then play it instantly. You get three matte black blaes and a three-speed remote control that you can mount on a wall for convenient access. The LED light in the middle is dimmable and comes with a matte opal glass shade for a bit of moodiness. Unlike most smart home devices in this list, its design veers toward traditional, perfect if you’re not too keen on sleek, metallic aesthetics. Should it malfunction, you’re covered with a lifetime motor warranty.
Moen’s Digital Shower Controller is perfect if you want a wall-mount compatible smart home device inside your bathroom. With it, you can be more precise on how you want to trigger the waterworks, including by voice, by phone, or via the inbuilt controllers.
It comes with Moen’s M-PACT common valve system, making it flexible and easy to update without the need to replace plumbing. You can pair it with two outlets to control power, temperature, and preset selection. And yes, like most of the smart home gadgets in this list, it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa.
If you already have an Arlo Audio Doorbell, this one’s a great add-on. You can plug it in, add it to your Arlo account, and get instant doorbell press alerts when someone presses the doorbell. You can adjust the volume, put it on silent, and play with a variety of sounds. It’s also got a Smart Siren that is triggered based on motion or sound, altering you whenever someone’s nearby even if they don’t the doorbell. The downside is you need to have an Arlo Base Station and the aforementioned doorbell already installed, otherwise it’s pretty much useless.
The Echo Show is like an Amazon Echo, but with a display. You get the same convenience and power of Alexa, but here you’ll be able to see it. It’s perfect for the kitchen, especially if you can’t follow recipes via voice alone. It’s also perfect for your bedroom for a quick glance at today’s weather, breaking news, and events lined up.
The 10.1-inch HD screen is vibrant, clear, and crisp. As for the sound, you get premium ones courtesy of Dolby. It’s also a one-stop for home automation as it supports Zigbee devices, although you’ll need a separate Zigbee hub for that.
This Smart Oil Gauge from Connected Consumer Fuel helps you monitor your heating oil tank directly from your smartphone. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the office or at launch somewhere — you don’t have to rush to the basement just to check your tank; a simple tap will do.
This device will also warn you if it’s time to order oil so you don’t get nasty surprises while on the road. More than that, it could also help you conserve energy by providing usage stats. It works with most tanks, including standard steel 138, 220, 240, 275, 330 (vertical or horizontal), 500 gallon tanks, and more.
Just one of many hubs feature in this list, the Wink Hub 2 works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to give you convenient, fast, and efficient access to all compatible devices. You can pair your doorbells, smart lights, locks, thermostats, and all sorts of sensors for a truly connected smart home. And you can use the companion app from anywhere to control your devices. The app features shortcuts so you can turn multiple devices on or off with just a single tap. It’s compatible with over 400 smart home gadgets and supports Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kidde, and Lutron Clear Connect.
Know what’s happening inside your home and keep loved ones safe with the iSmartAlarm iCamera KEEP Pro. With a resolution of 1080p, it can record with extreme clarity so can actually see whatever it picks up and not just dull, grainy footage. It the sound of carbon and smoke alarm sirens and begins recording if it senses danger. Plus, there’s also motion detection, so it records whenever it senses abnormal movement. With two-way audio, night vision, and up to 8X digital zoom, it’s a great rival to the Amazon Cloud Cam.
If a member of the family is big on cooking, give them Anova Culinary’s Sous Vide Precision Cooker since it’ll help them perfect meals. It’s the perfect hands-off kitchen appliance for hands-off cooking of vegetables, meat, and much more thanks to consistent control and precision.
With it, the family’s designated chef can cook meals perfectly each time. No dry edges or rare centers. No juices or flavor escaping. Just simple, perfect, and tender meals always. And because it’s a smart home device, you can control it using your smartphone and it sends you notification when the food’s ready.
If you’re on a diet, you know counting calories is a huge component of it. With Perfect Company’s Wireless Perfect Bake Pro Smart Kitchen Scale, you will never go beyond your maximum calories and macros for the day.
Just place a bowl on the scale, pour your food, and stop when the virtual bown on screen fills up. It also auto-scales recipes for number of servings and different cake pan sizes and shapes. Here’s the best part: you can tell it what ingredients you have on hand, and it’ll tell you what recipes you can make from them. Neat.
If you want a no-frills but powerful smart oven but can’t afford Samsung’s excellent but super expensive options, get this instead. It’s Amazon’s AmazonBasics Microwave, which allows you to do anything you would with a microwave — only easier, and way smarter. Just ask Alexa and you can start cooking.
If it’s movie night and you forgot to re-order popcorn, that’s easy. Just use the built-in Amazon Dash technology to fill up your popcorn stash. The microwave features 10 power levels, a kitchen timer, a child lock, and of course, a turntable.
iRobot’s Braava Jet 240 Superior Robot Mop is an excellent choice because it comes with what the company calls Precision Jet Spray, which uses vibrating and cleaning heads to deal with dirts and stains on your floor.
Most robot vacuums fail at cleaning hard to reach places, but this one can make faintly accessible areas spic and span, including under and around your toilet, corners, below cabinets, and around objects or furniture. It’s super easy to use — just add a pad, press, and it’ll start cleaning. It even automatically selects the appropriate cleaning mode depending on the jet pad type. Slick.
So, a smart scale doesn’t seem like a must-have smart home gadget, but Qardio’s Qardio Base2 WiFi Smart Scale and Body Analyzer makes a great case for buying one. Seriously, who knew scales could be this informative? Not only does it show your current weight, it also calculates BMI and tracks changes in your body composition, including fat, muscle, water, and bone percentage. And for the ladies reading this — this smart scale offers a special “pregnancy mode” that lets you track your maternity journey. It also auto-detects users, with up to eight profiles available. Just step on it and it knows who it is.
There are smart lights, microwaves, scales, and garage doors, so why not make tables, smart, too? More than a piece of furniture, this one from Sierra Modern Home has a built-in 360-degree speaker, a Qi-based wireless charging station, and touch controls. With a modern design, it doesn’t scream “I’m a smart home” product immediately, a nice aberration from the more high-tech and minimalist fares mostly available in the market. If you’re out of juice, the table features two USB parts stealthily hidden somewhere on the side so you can recharge instantly and without much hassle. And should it err, you have a whole year’s worth of warranty and money back guarantee to fall back on.
Get rid of air pollutants with the Hathaspace Smart True HEPA Air Purifier. Say goodbye to dust mites, mold spores, bacteria, odors, allergens, and even pet dander. It uses a six-in-one air filter system kills invisible particles particles you can’t see, combined with a true HEPA filter that collects 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. It’s also got a UV-C light that can kill even smaller viruses or bacteria. Its automatic mode ensures you get consistent air flow, using an advanced air quality sensor system to monitor air and adjust the fan in real-time. This one is pretty beastly, so don’t worry if you have a large room.
Before you know it, you’re bored by your super plain and drab-looking lights. When that happens, it’s good to have Smartika’s smart LED wall light, an Alexa-enabled fixture that allows you to create scenes, set the mood, dim the lights, set up fencing, and even insert it into your home automation system. It’s best used with a hub, but it works even without one, thankfully. It looks great with the clear frosted glass and waterproof design, is energy and cost efficient, and is perfect not only in your living room but also in kitchens, backyards, the foyer, and hallways.
This Google Assistant-powered Home Hub works with over Nest and over 5,000 smart home gadgets so it’s perfect if you’re big on automation. If you’re using just for checking the weather and your commute every weather, that’s fine, too.
It comes with Google’s slew of services such as Calendar, Commute, Reminders, and more, all accessible directly from within the home screen. You can also listen to music on various music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube. It’s an incessantly useful tool, and with Google Assistant, asking for all sorts of information is always only one voice command away.
Up your lighting game with the Eve Flare, a sphere-shaped, portable smart LED lamp that connects to your smartphone so you can control ambience, mood, and brightness. You can install it in your backyards for a moody open-air movie night, and don’t worry if it rains, as this thing’s water resistant. It supports wireless charging, as well, and lasts up to six hours each fill. It comes with a carry-and-hang handle so it’s easy to take with you wherever you may go. It’s also one of the few smart home gadgets in this list that supports Apple HomeKit.
If you have the diligence to set it up, it’s worth it once you what kinds of interplay between music and light the Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit can perform. This device is a frivolous purchase, frankly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. It turns your favorite songs into an alluring display of different lights, adding drama and mood inside any room. It’s got a Rhythm Upgrade Module included with built-in sound sensors to automatically pick up audio. You can use the companion app on mobile to customize colors and animations, and if you want, you can also take advantage of voice control, as well.
If you have the diligence to set it up, it’s worth it once you what kinds of interplay between music and light the Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit can perform. This device is a frivolous purchase, frankly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. It turns your favorite songs into an alluring display of different lights, adding drama and mood inside any room. It’s got a Rhythm Upgrade Module included with built-in sound sensors to automatically pick up audio. You can use the companion app on mobile to customize colors and animations, and if you want, you can also take advantage of voice control, as well.
Make movie nights more cinematic with LG’s Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector. It supports up to 1080p resolution. It won’t hold a candle to your 4K TV, surely, but it’s bright, vivid, and crisp. It’s tiny but packs a punch: put it just 17 inches from a wall to get inches of bright projection. The things lights up to 1,500 lumens and boasts a laser lamp life of 20,000 hours. You shouldn’t have to Netflix and Chill using a cramped screen. Get this to see movies the way they’re supposed to be seen — larger than life.
If you have an old car, chances are it’s got no GPS onboard. If you want to be able to track your ride, this one is the next best thing. The GPS Optimus Tracker 2.0 is a per-month subscription service that offers position reports for east and fast tracking. There’s a companion app for iOS and Android to help you keep an eye on people closest to you, including family and friends. It’s rechargeable and lasts up to two weeks on a single fill. It also provides constant notifications so you can always keep track if your loved one arrives safely at their destination.
This certainly belongs to the more expensive side of the smart home gadgets spectrum, but it might be worth your money if you’re sick of manually tending to your lawn.
The AUTOMOWER 315X, from Husqvarna, gives you full control of your lawn mower directly from your smartphone. You can start, stop, and park it remotely with just a tap. There’s also a GPS system onboard so you know where your lawn mower is at all times. This is great because you can specify where the guard wires and boundaries are. When it’s mowed a particular location, it will adjust accordingly to deal with the rest still uncovered.
There are moments when you want to maintain ample care of your lawn but for some reason can’t go outside. That’s where the Rachio 3 Wi-Fi Smart Lawn Sprinkler comes in handy, letting you remotely tend to your garden or yard with using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. You can also use a connected home system and run zones directly from the controller itself.
Schedules can be set, as well, and you can input pertinent information like plant types and sun exposure to let Rachio automatically water the lawn sufficiently. And it uses satellite, radar, and weather station data to predict storms, extreme winds, and snow to alert you.
The ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch has a built-in motion-detector, ambient light sensors, and Alexa so you can customize your home lighting down to your exact preferences. The great thing about this smart switch is that unlike other options, Alexa is built right in. So you can just go ahead and ask command it to turn the lights on or off, control other smart home gadgets, play music, hear the news, and all sorts of stuff. That’s an incredible feature for something that costs only $80. You can even pair it with other compatible ecobee products to set up a robust home automation system.
If you’ve got a particularly nasty water leak situation at home, best to call the plumber as soon as possible. And once it’s fixed, get the Fibaro Z-Wave Flood Sensor so when a leak occurs again, you’re always one step ahead.
You can download the companion app and receive alerts when there’s a leak. You can even set it up to trigger certain lights, activate specific scenes, or even turn on sirens if there’s a threat. It’s built for longevity thanks to three built-in 24K plated gold telescoping mechanisms, ensuring it’s making contact on uneven surfaces and never corrodes.
You can buy ecobee’s smart thermostat or go for Honeywell’s Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, which is cheaper but still useful and highly convenient. One caveat, though: this won’t work without a C-Wire. But if you’ve got that covered, it’s a pretty stellar smart home product, and it’s compatible with Siri and Alexa. You can set the temperature based on schedule or you can let it do the setting itself. It’ll send you push notifications when it’s time for a filter change or there’s an extreme temperature incoming. It also adapts to its environment and learns overtime how much time is needed to chill up a room.
The difference between this and other options in this list is the addition of a fingerprint sensor. You can never be too careful, right? ZKTeco Electronic Smart Lock will only let in confirmed users, and it keeps track of who’s coming and going and exactly when they arrived or left. It’s also got a timezone unlock feature so you can let in unauthorized folks, such as housekeepers, babysitters, or cleaners. The only downside is that this isn’t waterproof, so careful on that front if you’re eyeing this option.
If you want the convenience of Amazon Alexa and excellent sound quality tied to Bose’s name, get its Home Speaker 500, which features Alexa voice control and, at the same time, wall-to-wall stereo sound. And since it supports Wi-Fi, you can access a number of streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and even Audible to play any song or book via voice commands. Underneath that gorgeous shell sits an eight-microphone array that hears you even if the music is loud or you’re across the room. All you have to do is speak — the Bose Home Speaker 500 is ready to listen.
