Smart home devices can help you automate common household chores, keep track of different parts of your home, and control your various home technologies using voice assistants or mobile apps. Whether you want to make your lighting dimmable or save energy with a Smart Thermostat, consider us your guide to the smart home. We know a thing or two about smart doorbells, Smart Home Hubs, and other devices, and we’ve rounded up the best of the best for you below. The Black Friday deals are also here, so there are many ways to buy.
The best smart home devices
Amazon Echo (4th Generation)
Amazon’s fourth-generation Echo is still impressive a good year after its launch – and even if you pay the full price (You can often find it on sale if you’re on the lookout). Between its new ball-shaped profile, its powerful sound output and some avant-garde features, the Echo is still the king of the counter.
Google’s Nest Audio speaker, also launched in 2020, is a strong competitor with The Echo. Apple’s recent HomePod Mini plays well in Apple’s sandbox, but Amazon wins in two key categories: Its speaker is much more powerful, with a built-in Zigbee receiver and an Amazon Sidewalk Hub, which makes the connection of devices like light bulbs and locks much more transparent and reliable.
Meanwhile, Alexa and Google Assistant are pretty much on a par at the moment. While Amazon has more capabilities and support for more third-party devices for its voice assistant, Google Assistant’s numbers are also in the tens of thousands, which means that you really don’t miss anything important.
Google-Nest Mini
Google’s Nest smart mini speaker isn’t as powerful as the new Echo, but it’s a great budget option for Google users.
The audio quality of the Nest Mini is respectable considering its price and its profile. It also has a notch for wall mounting at the bottom if you are standing on it. An interesting presence detection method that uses the speaker and microphone to determine your proximity to the Nest Mini helps trigger LED indicators that help you better understand the otherwise hidden body volume controls.
Best smart display for Google Assistant
Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation)
Amazon may have introduced the Smart Display with The Echo Show, but Google has refined the concept with the Nest Hub (formerly Home Hub) both in terms of design and the way it uses its voice assistant. Now there is a second-generation model that will be released in 2021, with a lower price and more features.
Best smart plug
TP-Link kasa Mini Smart Socket
We often refer to smart plugs as an entry point for anyone who wants to try a connected home device. They are inexpensive, they are easy to install and they perform a fairly simple function to understand by activating and deactivating remotely.