Chosen Gadget is supported by its audience. when you purchase through links on our sites. we may earn and affiliate commission. Learn more
These Devices will make your Life Easier
We’ve examined the top smart home gadgets to help you make your house smarter.
The finest smart home device allows you to automate your home so you never have to get up from your couch to dim the lights, turn up the heat, or even start your favourite TV show. Simply take out your phone and take in the pinnacle of what a modern home should be.
The greatest smart home devices can not only make life easier, but they can also help you save energy and money. If you forget to turn off the lights, heat, or coffee maker before leaving the house, you don’t have to leave them on full blast or make yourself late by reading back home. Instead, you’ll be able to turn them off from any location.
If you don’t always have your smartphone with you, the finest smart home devices let you operate them with your voice as well as your cell phone. To ensure that your home systems can be altered with a quick command, all you need is one of the top smart speakers or smart displays with a compatible voice-assistant built-in.
Smart home devices can also be programmed to function together, even if they’re from different manufacturers, ensuring that a warm, inviting ambience can be produced at a predetermined time or with just one tap. This may also be done on a budget, as the best smart lights and smart plugs are currently among the most affordable smart home gadgets on the market.
Smart Home devices can also aid in the protection of your home. The best video doorbells, home security cameras, and smart locks allow you to keep an eye on your property while also automatically locking it if motion is detected.
Even when you’ve limited down the types of systems you want to control, there’s a lot of variety when it comes to smart home gadgets, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed. However, we’ve put the most popular and largest model to the test to help you figure out which smart home devices are right for you.
1. Philips Hue
The most effective smart lights
Pros
- Easy to install
- Large selection of bulbs, lamps, and external lights
- Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit integration
Cons
- Charger sold separately
- A bit heavy and bulky
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit
Installation: DIY
Hub required: Yes
The Philips Hue is the greatest smart light bulb on the market, and it’s the easiest way to get started with your smart home. Simple to install – simply replace your existing bulbs with smart Hue bulbs – or choose from Hue’s wide range of LED table and floor lamps, indoor and outdoor wall lights, ceiling pendants, light strips, and even light bars, all of which are responsive and come in a variety of colours and effects.
We discovered a variety of customised scheduling possibilities throughout our testing – for example, rather than waiting for sunrise, we were able to configure exterior lights to turn on at dusk and turn off at 2am.
If you want to control your lights when you’re away from home, you’ll need the Philips Bridge, which acts as a hub for your lights and has Bluetooth built-in.
2. Amazon Echo Studio
The best smart speaker overall
Pros
- Amazing Dolby Atmos sound
- Less expensive than Apple/Google speakers
- New Alexa features
Cons
- New Alexa features
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Alexa
Installation: DIY
Hub required: No
We gave smart speakers a pass in the audio department for years because we assumed there was no possible way for a speaker to be smart and sound nice at the same time. Until we discovered the Amazon Echo Studio, that is.
Amazon has created its greatest speaker ever in the Echo Studio. It’s a big speaker with a lot of smart home and assistant features, as well as smart audio considerations. Its 3D audio effects, at their best, infuse new life into your favourite tunes, and that’s before you consider its potential to link to your Amazon Fire TV devices for even more immersive sound.
The Echo Studio also functions as a ZigBee hub, allowing it to connect to thousands of smart home items right out of the box, making it an excellent choice for a smart home.
3. Arlo Pro 4
The most effective home security camera
Pros
- Day and night clear, comprehensive footage
- Alexa and Google Assistant integration
- Automatic zooming and motion tracking
Cons
- Limited utility without a subscription
- HomeKit support necessitates the purchase of an additional hub
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit (with hub)
Installation: DIY
Hub required: Only for HomeKit support
It’s simple to see why Arlo is such a popular choice among home security enthusiasts. Sure, unlike the more expensive Arlo Ultra and Arlo Ultra 2, the Arlo Pro 4 doesn’t offer a 4K resolution, but the quality is still a rather outstanding 2K, which will be detailed enough for most.
It’s the first Arlo Pro camera to connect to your Wi-Fi directly, so it doesn’t come with a base station, making it more economical. While it includes Alexa and Google Assistant integration, you’ll need the base station if you want to use Home Kit.
It recorded crisp, detailed footage in color both during the day and at night, due to the built-in illumination, which, like the built-in alarm, helps dissuade attackers. There’s also motion tracking and automated zooming, therefore any activity is not only detected but also followed.Â
4. Eve Energy
The best smart plug (Keeps track of your energy usage)
Pros
- Excellent energy monitoring
- Compatible with Apple HomeKit
- Thread support
Cons
- No compatibility for Alexa or Google Assistant
- Expensive in comparison to the competition
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Siri via HomeKit
Installation: DIYHub required: Yes
A smart plug is a must-have for any smart home; it’s one of the simplest methods to automate your home. The Eve Energy smart plug, on the other hand, offers more than just a way to control items that are plugged into it. It’s also a way to keep track of your energy usage and get estimates for how much it will cost to power various devices in your home. This is ideal if you’re wanting to save money while also becoming more environmentally conscientious.
The smart plug uses Bluetooth, but if you have an Apple TV or a HomePod Mini, you’ll be able to use Thread, which is a wireless technology embedded into the plug. Thread, which is more stable than Wi-Fi, aids in the elimination of smart home device failures. The smart plug, however, only works with HomeKit and will not operate with Alexa or Google Assistant.
It was successful in a test and offers plenty of handy features such as the ability to set schedules, making it our pick of the smart plug market.Â
5. Eufy Video Doorbell 2K
The best video doorbell based on Performance and everyone’s budget
Pros
- There is no need for a monthly subscription
- Battery operated option +4:3 ratio at 2K resolution
Cons
- Some downtime for recharging
- No support for Apple's HomeKit
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice integration: Alexa and Google Assistant
Hub required: Only for automations
Installation: DIY
If you’re looking for the best video doorbell, the Eufy Video Doorbell 2K is our recommendation, as it finds the perfect blend of price, reliability, and performance.
It took clear, detailed footage both during the day and at night during our tests, with a 4:3 ratio that allows you to see practically the whole length of someone approaching your door. What’s the best part? It can be utilised without a subscription because video can be kept on the supplied base station’s 16GB of memory. Eufy estimates that this will last about two weeks
If you’re renting a place and can’t remove the old doorbell that’s already there, the battery-powered doorbell is a good option – it works wirelessly with the help of a hub that connects to your router, and you can simply throw it on any outdoor surface and have it work for up to six months at a time.
The battery isn’t swappable, so the doorbell will be out of commission when it has to be recharged, and HomeKit functionality isn’t available.
6. Google Nest Hub Max
The best smart display
Pros
- Excellent screen
- Good, music-friendly speaker
- Neat design
Cons
- No Netflix support
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Google Assistant
Hub required: No
Installation: DIY
The Google Nest Hub Max is a larger version of the Google Nest Hub, a smart speaker with a screen that was previously known as the Google Home Hub. It also contains a front-facing camera and can be used as a smart home camera by connecting to Google’s Nest network. Based on our experience, this aspect of the Google Nest Hub Max may use some improvement.
The Google Nest Hub Max can also manage and control hundreds of smart home devices from a variety of manufacturers, such as smart lighting, thermostats, and smart plugs, eliminating the need to utilise several apps.
It has enough volume to function as a little hi-fi, Google Assistant is quick, and the huge screen allows you to view YouTube while cooking.
Despite some minor difficulties at launch, the Google Nest Hub Max is still a terrific smart display, a great smart speaker, and a fun way to pass the time while waiting for your onions to cook.
7. Nest Learning Thermostat
Energy and money saving Smart Thermostat
Pros
- Elegant design
- Easy to use
- Intelligent schedule adjustment +
Cons
- There is no zonal control -It is not compatible with Apple HomeKit
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Google Assistant
Installation: Professional
Hub required: Yes
Nest was one of the first firms to incorporate machine learning into home heating and cooling, and it has since been dubbed the greatest smart thermostat maker. The greatest smart thermostat you can buy right now, in our opinion.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is easy to use and looks lovely. In our tests, it intelligently altered our heating schedule based on how long it took our home to heat up and cool down, saving us energy and money.
The Nest Learning Thermostat works with Google Assistant, but it doesn’t support HomeKit, and it doesn’t offer zonal control, which allows you to regulate the temperature of each room separately, unlike many other smart thermostats. However, for most people, this will be plenty.
8. August Smart Lock Pro
Bulky and pricey, but definitely worth the money in the end
Pros
- Easy setup
- Responsive and powerful
- Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit integration
Cons
- Bulky
- Expensive in comparison to other smart home devices
SPECIFICATIONS
Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit
Installation: DIY
Hub required: No
The August Smart Lock Pro is one of the simplest smart locks to install, but it’s packed with features that make it the best smart lock on the market right now.
It attaches to your current deadbolt and allows you (or your landlord) to keep using your old key while gaining the benefits of a smarter lock. We found it responsive and strong in our tests, and we couldn’t go around it in any way. The addition of Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit integration only adds to why this is our top pick.
It’s huge and pricey compared to most other smart home solutions, but it’s well worth the money for those wishing to beef up their smart security.
How do we put smart home devices to the test?
To determine the finest smart home gadgets, we look at how easy they are to set up and use. When we’re at home and away from our home, we score how responsive they are to orders through smartphones and voice assistants.
When building home automations, we also consider how well they connect with other smart home devices, as well as the additional kit needed to perform the smart features we demand. We also look at the style to see if it fits in with the rest of your home or sticks out like a sore thumb.
When purchasing smart home gadgets, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Before you go out and buy smart home gadgets, decide which voice assistant you’ll use to handle your smart home: Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s HomeKit. Because not all smart devices operate with all voice assistants, if you have a preference or already have one of these voice assistants in your house, such as a smart display or smart speaker, make sure any smart home gadgets you consider buying work with it.
Whether you already have other smart home devices in your home, you’ll need to see if any new products will function with them to establish automations – for example, do your devices support Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, ZigBee, or Z-Wave? Our guide to what to think about when creating your smart home should be able to assist you in choosing the right smart home system for you.
Consider installation, and whether you can install them yourself, such as smart light bulbs, or whether you’ll need a professional to come to your home, such as smart thermostats or smart electrical outlets.
Finally, determine whether you need to purchase a smart home hub to connect the gadgets, or if any smart speakers or smart displays you currently have in your home can suffice. Online services like IFTTT, on the other hand, can make some compatible devices work together to accomplish specific automations without the use of a hub.
