Home » Guide The Smart Home Compendium: The 80 best smart home devices to take your home from dumb to smart GuideReviews The Smart Home Compendium: The 80 best smart home devices to take your home from dumb to smart

This year smart home devices hit mainstream. Amazon Echo and Google Home devices are now all over the place and more and more customers are recognizing the benefits of smart lights, thermostats and appliances. This isn’t just for geeks anymore. And with that we are seeing absolutes explosion of high quality, innovative smart home devices that can pretty much automate anything in your life. We have gone and waded the through all of these and chosen our favorite in each category, 80 to be exact. That’s right, we have a list of 80 awesome smart home gadgets that will take your home from dumb to smart. Keep an eye out for the 🏆 icon which are products that have won our editor’s choice award for best smart home gadgets.

Why these are the best smart home devices

We looked at devices that are highly compatible with common smart home protocols and also considered design and general usability in our decision to crown each category winner. Use the quick navigation below to quickly jump to each smart home category.

Audio devices

1. 🏆 The best smart assistant speaker: Google Home

This was a very close one. Right now there are two major players in the smart home assistant space: Google and Amazon. Right now we have to give the nod to the original Google Home for our vote for best smart assistant speaker. Not only has Google matched Amazon in terms of smart home control (this was not the case a year ago) but the Google Assistant technology packed inside is simply better than Alexa. It is better at answering basic queries and the realism to its answers is unparalleled. If you want something even smaller consider the Google Home Mini. Of course, if you are already invested in the Amazon ecosystem with Fire TV devices or other Amazon devices, then the Amazon Echo is the smart choice for you. And if you need something with a little more oomph, then you should look at the Google Home Max which adds audiophile level audio and substantial bass response.

Google Home Big help is here with Google Home. It���s powered by the Google Assistant, so you can ask it questions and tell it to do things. Just start with ���Ok Google��� to get answers ... out of stock $ 99.00 $ 129.00 Buy this item

2. The best smart assistant speaker (with screen): Amazon Echo Show

There is a new category of smart home assistant that is really exciting. This is one where you actually have a screen to view search results or even cue up video from Netflix or your security cameras with a simple voice command. Right now the best one the market is the Amazon Echo Show. We will have to revisit this next year when Google starts rolling out voice assistants with screens with their hardware partners. But right now you can’t do any better than the Amazon Echo Show.

Echo Show - Black Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things. Watch video flash briefings, Amazon Video content, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, and more. All hands-free-just ask. 4 used from $59.65

Free shipping

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am out of stock $ 229.99 Buy this item

3. The best smart ear buds: Bragi Dash Pro

This is a somewhat new category. Its basically wireless earbuds that have smart home control built-in. The Bragi Dash Pro is by far the best implementation of this right now. Decent battery life mixed with really intuitive touch/swipe controls and the addition of Amazon Alexa built-in make these our top pick for best smart ear buds.

4. The best smart home audio system: Chromecast Audio

Doing something right doesn’t mean it needs to be expensive. That’s why we think Chromecast Audio is the best smart home audio system. Sure, you need to already have amplifiers and speakers, but if all you need is an intuitive way to connect all of this to your smart home, you can’t go wrong with buying a few Chromecast Audio devices. They integrate seamlessly with Google Home and work incredibly well from both iOS and Android devices.

Google Chromecast Audio What is Chromecast Audio?Chromecast Audio is a small media streaming device that plugs into the AUX input of your speaker,making your speaker WiFi enabled. Use your iPhone, iPad, ... out of stock $ 35.00 Buy this item

5. The best smart shower audio system: Kohler Moxie

This is a bit of a weird one but it totally makes sense when you think about it. Kohler has made an excellent shower head that also integrates a bluetooth speaker so you can rock out to some tunes while in the shower. The in-shower smart home category is growing but right now this is the most recommended smart audio shower head.

Security systems and cameras

6. The best all around smart home security system: Nest Secure

We had a hard time with deciding this one. The Abode smart security system is very excellent as well but we had to give the nod to Nest here. Their Nest Secure security system is a game changer in terms of technology. Their door sensors double as motion detectors and path lighting and their base station sounds more like you are dealing with a human being than a beeping security system. Lastly, Nest makes it super easy to give neighbors and family access with their small smart tags that you just swipe over the base station. Couple that with the fact that this system integrates wonderfully with the rest of Nest’s smart home ecosystem and you have a real winner.

Nest Secure Alarm System Starter Pack Most security systems are designed around intruders. But you’re not an intruder. Nest Secure is easy to live with. And it’s only tough when you need it to be. You can arm and ... in stock $ 399.00 Buy this item

7. The best indoor security camera: Amazon Cloud Cam

We were really tempted to give the win to the Nest Cam IQ, but the Amazon Cloud Cam offers very similar features for less investment. With 24 hours of free cloud storage, the Cloud Cam is an excellent inexpensive entry-level security camera that integrates nicely with Alexa. If you need the extra artificial intelligence and familiar face detection consider the upgrade to the Nest Cam IQ.

Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera, Works with Alexa Stay connected 24/7 - Catch activities as they happen in 1080p Full HD. Watch, download, and share the last 24 hours of motion alert video clips for free.

Notifications - Get notified when Cloud Cam sees activity. Check in anytime or watch motion clips on the Cloud Cam mobile app or at cloudcam.amazon.com. 3 used from $68.18

Free shipping

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am out of stock $ 119.99 Buy this item

8. 🏆 The best outdoor security camera: Nest Cam IQ Outdoor

There is nothing better on the market than Nest’s excellent IQ Outdoor camera. This builds on everything Nest did right with the indoor version last year, including crystal clear two-way audio and the ability to recognize familiar faces based on integrated Google AI. It is also one of the most durable cameras on the market with the best weatherproofing and temperature rating in the industry. Particularly if you live in a cold climate (Canada or the Northern United States) the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor blows away the competition. If you need something wireless then consider the Arlo Pro 2.

Nest Labs Cam IQ Outdoor Security Camera, White Nest Cam IQ is a seriously sharp outdoor security camera. It has brains to tell you when it sees a person and Supersight to show you an extra clear close-up tracking shot of who’s ... in stock $ 399.99 Buy this item

9. The best smart door lock: Kwikset Kevo

Smart locks are very popular nowadays but many of them try to reinvent the wheel. For example, the Next x Yale lock doesn’t allow you to use a key at all. What happens when the lock is out of batteries? The Kwikset Kevo is a very attractive choice because it (1) looks like a regular deadbolt and (2) functions with a simple tap as opposed to needing you to constantly enter a code or use an app. For renters that don’t want to modify their door, consider the August Pro smart lock.

10. The best outdoor smart security lights: Ring Floodlight Cam

Suprisingly, the best floodlight in the smart home space is also a really great security camera. The Ring Floodlight Cam has enough integrations with other services so you will be able to trigger indoor lights or a number of other things. But its the brightness of the floodlights that really works for us. It will be interesting to see what Amazon does with this product since they recently bought out Ring.

11. The best smart smoke/carbon monoxide detector: Nest Protect

The Nest Protect has long been the choice for smart smoke detectors. Its deep integration with Nest and other ecosystems allows it to be very flexible and the addition of things like its path lighting system and easy on the ears verbal announcements make it our pick for best smart smoke/carbon monoxide alarm. The best part is that these units go on sale all of the time, so keep on eye on Amazon to see if there is a deal going on so you can pick up 2 or 3 of these.

12. 🏆 The best smart video doorbell camera: Nest Hello

Up until six months ago we would have gone with the Ring Pro. However, a new king is in town. The Nest Hello tops the ring in pretty much every way. Its build quality, image quality and smart features are simply better. The Nest Hello can even connect in with your Google Homes to announce when familiar people ring the doorbell. We think that pretty much every home should install a Nest Hello.

Nest - Hello Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Interact with visitors at your door by using this Nest Hello video doorbell. Its built-in HD camera with night vision lets you see people from your smartphone, and its HD Talk and ... $ 229.99 Buy this item

13. The best motion sensor: EcoLink Z-wave Plus Motion Detector

This is a great motion sensor for those of you that have a smart home hub. Since it uses Z-Wave Plus, you do need a hub to be able to control it. With a solid five year battery life, the ability to ignore pets and some of the most consistently high reviews among smart home users, this is a winner. If you don’t have a smart home hub consider the D-Link motion sensor which connects on regular old wifi.

14. The best smart padlock: Master Lock 4400D

We’re not talking about a lock for your front door. This is basically a lock like what you had in school but it can be opened with bluetooth from your phone when you are near. You can also unlock it with the integrated keypad. The lock itself works great and the glowing orb in the middle changes color based on the lock’s status. One of the coolest things with this lock is a tamper alert. So if someone tries to open your lock you will get a push notification on your phone. Overall this is a really useful smart home item.

Thermostats and other sensors

15. 🏆 The best smart thermostat: Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation

This is one of the original amazing smart home products. Now on version 3, the Nest Learning Thermostatnot only looks great on your wall, but it simplifies the process of cooling and heating your home. It also is great for saving energy and gaining insight into how much energy you waste on a daily basis. It can automate temperatures so when you are at work you aren’t unnecessarily over heating or cooling your home and then it can ramp the temperature as you approach home. This is a must have smart home device!

Nest (T3007ES) Learning Thermostat, Easy Temperature Control for Every Room in Your House, Stainless Steel (Third Generation), Works with Alexa Works with Alexa for voice control (Alexa device sold separately).

SAVE ENERGY WITH NEST: Nest introduces the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat. With four beautiful colors to choose from and an easy to read display, this thermostat will help make your home not only smart but energy efficient. With just a few manual adjustments, the Nest Thermostat can learn your habits and start to save you money by automatically adjusting the temperature. 35 used from $175.00

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am in stock $ 212.00 $ 249.00 Buy this item

16. The best smart water leak detector: D-Link DCH-S160 mydlink Wi-Fi Water Sensor

Water is your home’s worst enemy. So if you are worried about your washing machine or dishwasher flooding your house, a water leak sensor is a really handy device. The D-Link water sensor connects to wifi and includes an integrated water sensor cable and a loud alarm. So if it detects water it will start its alarm immediately but it can also send you a push notification. It can also connect to IFTTT to do things like sending you an SMS or flash your smart lights when a leak is detected.

17. The best smart presence detector: Aotec Multisensor 6

What if you could learn a lot about a specific location in your house? You’ve heard of basic motion sensors, but what about a multi-presence detector. This is where the Aotec Multisensor 6 excels. This is a little puck that runs on batteries and can report on: motion, vibration, temperature, humidity, ambient light, and UV light. That’s six different measurements in one small Z-Wave device. Program this sensor to detect earthquakes or just close your blinds when it gets dark… It is that flexible. Of course you’ll have to have a Z-Wave smart home hub like Samsung SmartThings or Wink to use this device.

18. The best smart siren: Aotec smart siren

We could have included this in the security section above, but sirens can be used for all kinds of purposes. Water leakage? A burglar? A goal scored by your favorite hockey team? The sky is the limit with the Aotec smart siren. It plugs into the all and also has a battery backup if the power grid goes down. In our experience it is plenty loud and should be able to act as both a security alarm or an alarm for something a bit less urgent as well. Like the presence detector above, this is a Z-Wave device that will require a Z-Wave compatible smart home hub.

19. The best water shutoff valve: EcoNet smart water valve

A water leak detector is one thing, but what if you want to go the extra mile and actually program your system to shut itself off in the event of a leak? Well, the EcoNet smart water valve is your new best friend. Basically this is a little motor that fits over your existing water valve and can be programmed to close the valve if your system detects a leak. This could save your thousands of dollars in repairs!

20. The best smart radon detector: AirThings radon detector

Radon is becoming a major issue in many homes with basements. This odorless gas can be carcinogenic and you often don’t even know you have it until it is too late. There are cheap radon detection kits you can get from the hardware store but these have to be sent to a lab to give your results. AirThings has changed that with their connected radon detector that gives you results in real-time via their mobile app. So if you think your home may be in a location susceptible to radon, check out AirThings.

21. The best smart air quality monitor: Awair

The Awair connected smart air quality monitor is a beautifully designed device on the outside. But it also packs a lot of technology on board. It can measure temperature, humidity, CO2, harmful airborne chemicals, and dust levels. The Awair app gives you actionable recommendations based on the measurements in your home in order to improve the air quality in your home.

22. The best smart air purifier: GermGuardian WiFi Smart Air Purifier

The GermGuardian is a very versatile air purifier. Like Awair above, this system measures your home for particulate, allergens, germs and odors. However, this is also an actual air purifier so it can take steps to remove these toxins from the air. The on-board HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles in the air including things like pet dander, pollen, and dust. It also has an on-board UV light which literally kills bacteria and germs. You can also integrate this unit with Alexa for voice control.

Smart Lighting

23. 🏆 The best smart color-changing light bulb: LIFX A19 color changing bulb

LIFX is as dead simple as it gets when it comes to smart lighting. It doesn’t need a hub, connects via wifi, and has some of the brightest and deepest color in the industry. We like the LIFX bulbs because their app is very intuitive and it connects with almost everything under the sun. From Google Assistant and Amazon Echo, to compatibility with Nest products and IFTTT, these lights definitely play well with others. Couple this with the fact that the LIFX A19 bulb works really well with LIFX’s whole line of other lights, including under the counter lights, and you have the best stand alone color-changing light bulbs around.

24. The best white light bulb: Cree Connected dimmable LED bulb

This Alexa-compatible white light bulb is a great mix of quality and affordability. When you need to replace several light bulbs in your house with smart bulbs, you don’t want to break the bank. And the Cree Connected bulbs hit this sweet spot. You can connect these bulbs directly via wifi or through a zigbee bridge like Philips Hue. This means that these are a great way to expand your Hue system if you don’t want the official bulbs. Overall, these are probably our most recommended white dimmable smart bulbs.

25. The best smart light switch: GE Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Dimmer Switch

This smart light switch is the direction you want to go if you want to have regular wall control for your lights, but also retain all of the convenience of having smart home connected lights. You can automate these Z-Wave+ light switches with your smart home system but can also simply use the switches like a normal light switch. Best of all, these GE switches are affordable, making it easier to shell out the dough for several locations in you smart home. Since it uses Z-Wave+ technology to connect, you will need to have a smart home hub like Samsung SmartThings or Wink. Overall, we think this is the best smart light switch for the functionality and price.

26. The best smart light switch without a smart home hub: Lutron Caseta

If you don’t own a smart home hub like SmartThings or Wink then you need to be looking for a light switch that works without a hub. This is about as compatible as you will get with a smar switch since it is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. Lastly, it is one of the most responsive systems out there with very little delay between pushing the switch buttons and seeing the lights change. The advantage of a smart switch like this is you can use any lightbulb on your system just like you did before. This just adds and smart “guts” to the system to be able to automate your lights. This particular bundle includes what Lutron calls a PICO remote which allows you to control your lights from anywhere in the house.

27. The best smart strip lighting for under cabinet lighting: LIFX Z

To add to your basic smart light bulbs, LIFX has their smart strip lighting called the LIFX Z. This plastic light LED strip sticks to the bottom of your cupboards (or really anywhere that needs light strips) and connects to your smart home via wifi. We have seen some stunning applications of this product to behind TV’s to give some ambient multi-color lighting. Philips Hue also offers light strips that are basically on par wit the LIFX Z but these require a Philips Hue bridge in order to work. Either way, these are excellent ways to add under the cupboard/counter lighting to your home.

28. The best smart bulb for pot lights or recessed lighting: Philips Hue BR30

Philips Hue currently makes the best recessed lighting bulb in their BR30 bulbs. These mimic basically everything we love about the main Philips Hue A19 bulbs but fit snugly in your overhead pot lights. These bulbs include the functionality to do dimmable white light and color lighting to add some ambiance to your smart home. Keep in mind that your will need a Philips Hue bridge in order to connect with bulb to your system.

29. The best decorative smart lighting: LIFX Tile

This is a bit of a weird one. If you already have some smart lighting, consider the LIFX Tile as an aesthetic addon that will add an extra bit of oomph into your smart lighting system. This lighting system can create incredibly colorful dynamic color tiles that can show different colors in 64 different zones in each of 5 tiles per pack. This allows you to make some truly unique lighting accents on these tiles. As with all LIFX lights,

30. The best smart motion sensor light bulb: SUNMEG Motion Sensor Light Bulb

Sometimes you just need a light bulb to turn on when you enter the room. Sure, if you have a good security camera or motion sensor you can program this to turn on your lights. But if you are short on budget or just want something super simple, you want a simple lightbulb that can plug into a normal socket that will detect motion and turn on. This is exactly what the Sunmeg bulb does. Simple but effective. I personally use one of these in more storage room in my basement so I don’t need to reach from the switch which is across the room.

31. The best outdoor path lighting: Sylvania Gardenspot Outdoor path lighting

For outdoor use, the Sylvania Gardenspot system is an excellent path lighting solution for an outdoor path, garden or backyard. These kits allow you to mount lights to paths, driveways or any other outdoor spot that you need path lighting. These are zigbee lights that run off a central zigbee lighting hub like SmartThings or Wink. Overall these are the most flexible path lights out there right now as they integrate directly with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

32. The best infrared enhanced light bulb: LIFX+ A19

Most good security cameras come with night vision which detects infrared and gives you a black and white image even in pitch dark environments. But in many cases the infrared floodlight on the camera itself does not adequately light up your home with sufficient detail. This is where an infrared enhanced smart light bulb comes into play. The LIFX+ A19 is identical to the regular LIFX color changing light bulb but add infrared support. This means that as soon as your room gets dark the bulb switches from visible light to infrared and aids your security camera in flooding your room with infrared. I use this with my Nestcam IQ and it has significantly increased the level of detail in the image at night.

Smart plugs and power

33. 🏆 The best smart plug: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini

Smart plugs can give even old devices smart guts to bring them into your smart home setup. So if you have an old lamp you can simply plug into into your smart plug and then control it with your smart phone or smart voice assistant of choice. Our overall favorite smart plug is without a doubt the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini. This plug does exactly what you want it to do. It turns on and off with a touch of the app, with a schedule or with the sound of your voice in conjunction with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The best thing about this plus is that it is thin enough not to block two outlets when it is being used. If you need a simple but effective smart home plus look no further than the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini.

34. The best smart power strip: HLT Wifi Smart Power Strip

This is basically just a power strip (or power bar) that has compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT. It packs 4 AC outlets and 2 USB which can all be controlled separately in the app. It can also schedule different outlets in groups for easy automation.

Smart kitchen devices

35. The best smart coffee maker: Behmor Connected

There are a few connected smart coffee makers on the market but many of them suffer from either unreliable operation or terrible tasting coffee. But there is a shining light in the smart coffee maker industry. This is the Behmor Connected, which is a smart coffee maker that has full integration with a mobile app and Amazon Alexa. It allows you to adjust the pre-soak time, temperature or even save your favorite brew presets. And the best part? It makes a damn good cup of coffee. Its also a very attractive smart coffee maker with a very nice looking carafe and non-complicated interface.

Behmor Connected Customizable Temperature Control Coffee Maker, Compatible with Alexa Customizable, temperature control coffee maker with phone app for easy, remote operation that allows you to control brewing temperature, pre-soak time and altitude for precision brewing

Integrated with Amazon Alexa - all you need is your voice to make a morning cup of coffee; World's first Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certified smart brewer 2 used from $275.00

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am out of stock $ 299.98 Buy this item

36. The best smart refrigerator: Samsung Family Hub

Appliances are finally being released that are viable smart home devices. It took them a while, with some real terrible attempts at smart fridges in the past, but the Samsung Family Hub has changed that. With a full 21.5 inch Android-based touchscreen on the front, Samsung has made a truly smart fridge complete with some truly useful apps such as leaving virtual notes on the fridge for family members. The appliance also features a very useful inside camera that keeps an inventory of what you have in stock. While there is not voice control yet, the Samsung Family Hub does fully integrate into Samsung SmartThings for some deeper smart home control. Overall this is the most useful smart home refrigerator on the market.

37. 🏆 The best smart slow cooker: Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo

Slow cookers have always been one of the most useful kitchen appliances I have owned. You set them and forget them and come home to a nice home made meal. But now slow cookers have become even more useful with the addition of smart home features. These connected smart home slow cookers are my new favorite thing. The Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo is a 6 or 8 quart slow cooker that also integrates directly into the WeMo ecosystem. This allows you to adjust the temperature or switch heating modes from a distance. Want to do more? Well, connect the unit to IFTTT and set the unit to automate with other triggers. So yo could feasibly make the slow cooker switch to warm mode when your phone enters a specific geofenced area. Or switch the slow cooker on when you get to work. This is like living in the future folks…

Crock-Pot Wemo Smart Wifi-Enabled Slow Cooker, 6-Quart, Stainless Steel Adjust cook time & temperature using the WeMo Application

Can be controlled via the WeMo Application or directly on the unit

Connected product solution delivers enhanced control, convenience and a peace of mind 1 used from $299.99

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am out of stock $ 399.95 Buy this item

38. The best smart purchase order button: Amazon Dash Button

Alright, this isn’t just for the kitchen but we see it as one of the most kitchen-oriented devices on the market. This little smart button allows you simply click the physical button and it will immediately order the programmed item (batteries, paper towel, toilet paper, peanut butter) from Amazon on your account. This is pretty basic, but it can make ordering basic kitchen basics a snap.

39. The best smart Sous vide cooker: Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Once you’ve had a sous vide-cooked steak, you’ll never go back to normal grilled steak. And Anova has made a truly great smart sous vide cooker. Aside from being a very customizable precision cooker, Anova adds support for their connected app which allows you to adjust temperature settings from a distance but also receive cooking push notifications on your smart phone. The device connects via both Bluetooth and wifi to give you additional control over your delicious steak dinner.

40. The best smart kitchen scale: Drop scale

The Drop smart connected scale is way more than a simple scale. This device not only operates as a scale to measure ingredients and connect to their mobile app. It also offers a huge archive of simple recipes that connect with the scale hardware. The Drop allows you then to scale these recipes to larger versions or smaller and the app walks you through the quantities of ingredients. Bring your iPad into your kitchen with the Drop app and start cooking with this amazing little smart kitchen scale.

41. The best smart oven: June Oven

It isn’t cheap, but the June Oven is a revelation in the smart kitchen. Its so good in fact that it is almost always sold out on the June website. June makes two different versions of their awesome convection oven. One is the original and is a large-ish table top oven that is like a large toaster oven. But they have also just launched a full-on slide in wall oven too. The internals on both are top notch and are probably even over-engineered. And the smart home features are mind boggling. The ovens use an internal HD camera that literally connects to a super powerful NVIDIA GPU for processing the food you put in the oven. It then recognizes the food you want to cook and adpats its settings accordingly. And it works! The oven also has an internal platinum temperature sensor and thermometer which measures the temperature of the food very accurately. The supported iOS app allows you to adjust the temperature as well as get cooking notifications and download over the air updates to the oven. This oven is basically like a little powerful computer that makes you dinner…

42. The best smart dishwasher: Bosch SHEM78WH5N

Bosch is the undisputed champion of dishwashers. Go ahead, ask your home handyman what they recommend. They will likely just say “Pick up a Bosch!” And it just so happens that some of the best dishwashers from Bosch include their excellent Home Connect technology. Home Connect can send you a notification on your phone when your load is done, let you know if there is a leak occurring, or let you know when you need to top up on rinse aid.

43. The best smart kettle: Smarter Electric iKettle

Sure, you could just get a very basic kettle and a smart plug, but in most cases modern kettles actually won’t work well with a smart plug that requires you to push a button to activate it. The Smarter Electric iKettle connects to wifi so you can control it from a distance. It also has full Alexa and Google Assistant support. It can even connect to IFTTT to connect to thousands of other smart home devices. Want to wake up to water boiling? You can do that!

44. The best smart rice cooker: Xiaomi Mijia Induction Heating IH Smart Electric Rice Cooker

Oh man, I wish I knew about rice cookers 20 years ago. Xiaomi has improved on an already super helpful product by giving it some smart home innards. You can use the Mijia app to turn on the rice cooker at the perfect time from anywhere. You can also scan your rice package to the app so the rice cooker applies the perfect settings to make your rice perfectly. This thing is super awesome!

45. The best smart pressure cooker: Instant Pot Ultra

Instant Pot has taken the kitchen by storm. And they have recently added some much needed smart home integration to their excellent pressure cooker. Not only does the Instant Pot Ultra have on-board smarts that adjust the unit during cooking based on the program that you choose, but it also packs full Amazon Alexa support which walks you through guided cooking instructions.

Smart bedroom devices

46. The best smart mattress (smart bed): Eight Sleep Saturn+ Smart Mattress

You spend so much time asleep in your life that you may as well get one that gives you the information you need to make the most out of your sleep. The Eight Sleep Saturn+ Smart Mattress integrates a bunch of smart technology into their mattress topper that: tracks your sleep stages, tracks your heart rate and tracks your respiratory rate. This means that the mattress can give you information about when you enter and exit REM stages during the night. But get ready for it, the mattress has temperature control! You can warm up your mattress on a cold winter night. And on top of that, all of these features work in two distinct zones on the mattress so you can have different settings and tracking for you and your partner. The Eight Sleep Saturn+ also integrates with a crazy number of smart home devices to create some truly useful automations. For example. the mattress can slowly dim your Philips Hue as you crawl into bed. Or the Eight Sleep connects to your Nest Thermostat so it can adjust the mattress temperature based on the ambient room temperature for ideal sleeping conditions. You can even integrate several smart activity trackers with the Eight Sleep System to share your sleep data across your smart activity devices. Not enough? The Eight Sleep connects with IFTTT to connect to thousands more smart home devices. I have to say, this is one of the most impressive smart home devices I have ever seen.

47. The best smart white noise machine: Nightingale

Nightingale is a very interesting smart home product. It is basically a pair of smart devices that plug directly into outlets in your bedroom. These devices then emit a soothing sound that Nightingale calls a “sound blanket” that is intended to mask any indoor or outdoor noises that may cause you to not fall asleep. Think of these sound blankets as a much more advanced version of white noise that is specifically tuned to your environment thanks to the placement of the two devices. Nightingale also connects to many other smart home products such as Ring, Nest, Phillips Hue, and IFTTT to set up innovative automations. Nightingale also connects to Amazon Alexa for voice control. All around, Nightingale is the current king of smart home white noise systems.

48. The best smart sleep pad: Nokia Sleep

This is a smart home category you probably didn’t know you needed. Nokia Sleep is a discrete pad that you put on your bed which can track a wide-array of sleep-related stats. From heart rate tracking to snore detection and sleep cycle analysis, Nokia Sleep has all of the smarts inside to be able to actually give you actionable information that you can use to improve your sleep. Over time the Nokia Sleep actually tailors a sleep assessment for you and walks you through a “sleep coaching” system to help you make easy changes to your sleep routine. Speaking of sleep routine, Nokia Sleep connects directly to IFTTT to allow you to do all kinds of cool stuff. For example, you can make your smart light bulbs slowly ramp down in brightness when you lie down after a specific time. Or you can have the thermostat turn to a specific temperature when you step out of bed in the morning. You can even ask Alexa about your sleep stats. The options are practically endless and this makes the Nokia Sleep one of the better sleep related smart home products available. Who know you needed a smart sleep pad?

49. The best smart blinds (window shades): Somfy Roller Shades

We’ve all seen movies where people are awoken by their blinds slowly opening in the morning to let the sun flow into their room. Well, this is actually a very possible reality now that smart homes are becoming the norm. Somfy is a company that has been in this space for a while now and they make one of the most reliable systems on the market. Basically with Somfy you are buying a smart shade motor that runs the shades. You can buy a wide array of types of blinds from Somfy and all connect into their Somfy MyLink app which allows you to control the blinds from anywhere. They also connect with Control4, Crestron and Savant smart home systems for extensive automation. If you want something a little less reliable, but more compatible, check out the Lutron Serena system.

50. The best smart sleep tracker: Fitbit Alta HR

Fitbit is still the world leader in fitness trackers, but their game has also stepped up in terms of sleep tracking. Sure, it still does all of the great fitness related stuff that Fitbit is known for, but their app also now allows owners of their Fitbit Alta HR and Fitbit Charge 2 to track their sleep cycles. Sure, it may not be as seemless as the Nokia Sleep, but the movement sensing data can often be even better with a device that literally sits on your wrist. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and is able to transfer useful data about how sound your sleep has been. Right now you can’t find a better sleep tracker than the Fitibit Alta HR.

51. 🏆 The best smart baby monitor: Arlo Baby

Netgear’s Arlo has been a leader in smart home cameras for several years now. But they also pack a punch with their excellent Arlo Baby baby monitor. This baby monitor is not only an awesome 1080p camera, but it also packs in a wide array of sensors and other features. It can play lullabies or white noise to soothe your baby to sleep and you can even record your own voice for it to play when it is bed time. This would be perfect for someone that is overseas and not able to tuck their baby in. It also features very good motion detection, crying detection, exceptional night vision and the ability to shine a colored light in the room. Not enough? Well the Arlo Baby also functions as a sensor for temperature, humidity, and air quality. And to top it off, this baby monitor integrates nicely with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa as well as IFTTT and Stringify for more complicated automation routines. Overall, the feature set and smart home integrations included in the Arlo Baby put it heads and shoulders above anything else on the market.

52. The best smart pillow: ZEEQ smart pillow

Why didn’t someone think of this years ago? The ZEEQ smart pillow packs in an array of motion sensors to track your sleep cycles and sync them with the ZEEQ app on iOS and Android. Here where it really gets awesome though… When you start snoring above a certain noise level, you can program the ZEEQ to vibrate lightly to signal to you to change sleeping positions. And it actually works! I snore pretty heavily some nights and have benefited from being nudged by ZEEQ. This same vibrating motor is used to gently wake you up at the optimal time based on your sleep cycle. But this pillow also functions as a pair of headphones! That’s right, you can use the ZEEQ pillow to listen to music, audiobooks, sleep meditations, you name it. The audio can work on a sleep timer as well so you can gently fall asleep to audio without worrying that it will play all night. On top of all of this, it supports IFTTT so you can setup some really crazy automations. My favorite is automatically locking the door and turning off your smart lights when you fall asleep. As far as smart pillows go, ZEEQ is the very best available.

53. The best smart sleep earbuds: Bose sleepbuds

For those that really have trouble getting to and staying asleep, sleep earphones are a great option. The Bose Sleepbuds are probably the best truly wireless earbud style sleep earphones on the market. They use their patented noise cancelling technology in these earbuds to help you fall asleep. They can also play soothing sounds to get you to sleep faster. The case that comes with the buds offers an additional full charge for the sleepbuds but a full charge actually lasts a full 16 hours. Not bad for a fully wireless system.

Smart garden and garage

54. The best smart gardening kit: Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 Indoor Gardening Kit

I live in an apartment and don’t have a tonne of room for gardening. So that’s where the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 comes in. This portable smart gardening kit gives you everything you need to grow a nice little crop of herbs, salad greens and flowers even in a dark area. This organic smart garden kit includes a water tank and a set of energy efficient LED’s that feed the included plant pods with simulated sunlight. Even in the winter time you can maintain a great little herb garden with this kit.

Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 Indoor Gardening Kit (Includes Plant Capsules), White GROW YOUR FAVORITE PLANTS ALL YEAR ROUND: Thanks to energy efficient LED grow lights our indoor gardening kits can grow your favorite culinary herbs, salad greens and flowers all year round without you having to worry about weather or lighting conditions. The Smart Garden 9 can grow up to nine different plants pods simultaneously and is the perfect addition to any kitchen counter, windowsill or living room. 1 used from $189.00

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Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am in stock $ 199.95 Buy this item

55. The best smart sprinkler system: Rachio 3 WiFi Smart Lawn Sprinkler Controller

The Rachio 3 is hands down the best smart sprinkler system for your smart home. This wifi controller comes in 8 and 16 zone models and provides an excellent system for giving your sprinkler system some smarts. For example, through the Rachio app you can set your plant types and sun exposure and it will automatically create sprinkler schedules perfect for your specific situation. This also means that it will only pump out exactly how much water as you need without over-watering and wasting water. The Rachio 3 also adjusts based on localized weather forecasts. Lastly, you can hook the Rachio 3 to your Amazon Alexa device or Google Assistant compatible speaker for voice commands as well as to other smart devices such as Nest products, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT. This is the real deal folks.

56. The best smart lawn mower: Worx WG794 Landroid robot lawn mower

I remember going to Disney World as a kid and seeing robotic lawn mowers at the World of Tomorrow. Well, that tomorrow is finally here for home owners. You too can have a handy robot sidekick mow your lawn for you while you’re sipping away on a beer. The Worx Landroid is the best reviewed robot lawn mower on the market for a reason. All you have to do is install a small boundary wire and then turn on the mower. Then it just does its thing. It has emergency theft alarms as well as a system for knowing when it is raining. If it does sense rain, it returns to its charging cradle. We were really impressed with how the Worx Landroid performed in small spaces. We have a small garden box and the Landroid easily manoeuvred around it, not missing any blades of grass. The mower will actually return to its charger when it is out of battery and then return to finish the job when it is all juiced up. This is about as automated as you can get with a yard appliance, and we love it!

57. The best smart weather station: Netatmo Weather Station

This unassuming device actually replaces some pretty hefty and complicated weather stations from years gone by. The Netatmo Weather Stations can measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, indoor CO2 concentration and also has a sound meter. The CO2 sensor is actually most useful when placing the station indoors. The whole system relies on sending your smart notifications on your phone when it detects things like rain in your garden. You can even ask Alexa how much it has rained today or you can setup automations like turning off your sprinkler system when it rains when it talks to other smart home products. One really cool feature is the ability to actually check other nearby Netatmo weather stations that people have made available publicly.

Netatmo Weather Station Indoor Outdoor with Wireless Outdoor Sensor, Compatible with Amazon Alexa UNDERSTAND YOUR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT: indoor / outdoor temperature, humidity, air quality, indoor noise levels, barometric pressure...

RECEIVE REAL-TIME NOTIFICATIONS: use your Weather Station to customise indoor and outdoor alerts and get notifications on your smartphone. Ventilation alerts will tell you when it's time to air out your home. One-piece aluminum body Free shipping

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am in stock $ 174.84 Buy this item

58. 🏆 The best smart garage door opener: Chamberlain MyQ

Get ready to give your garage door a 21st century facelift! Chamberlain currently makes the best smart garage door opener with their MyQ line of garage door openers that feature wifi connectivity. Either by buying a stand-alone Chamberlain MyQ garage door openeror by adding the MyQ addon to an existing compatible opener, you can control your garage door from a distance with their app. It can even be set to remind you if your garage door has been left open for a certain period of time in the evening or even auto close after a specified period of time open. No more accidentally left open garage doors! You can also integrate Google Home, Amazon Echo and IFTTT with the system for a small annual fee. We don’t love the subscription that is necessary here, but if you really need it, at least they give you the option.

Smart bathroom

59. The best smart shower: Moen U Shower Smart Home Connected Bathroom Controller

Let’s face it, bathroom technology has really lagged behind other smart home categories in the past decade. However, that is really starting to change. A great example is the Moen U Shower Smart Home Connected Bathroom Controller which is basically a super smart controller that will customize your shower experience while also saving your money on your water and gas bill. This wall mounted display controller is able to set custom presets that have individual temperature and timer settings which is great for people who have families with different shower habits. My favorite option is getting the shower running (and warming up) from the comfort of your bed. Add in the capability of doing this through Amazon Alexa and you have a smart shower system that can really make your mornings much more pleasant.

60. The best smart toothbrush: Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9750 toothbrush

Toothbrush technology is advancing everyday and Philips has a bit of a stranglehold on the top of the line consumer-grade smart toothbrushes. Not only is this one of the most satisfying toothbrushes to use on the market, but it packs in a lot of smart extras that make the price worth it. For example, the Sonicare will actually know which kind of brush head you attach and will automatically adjust its intensity and mode so it protects gums and cleans most thoroughly. The Sonicare app has this amazing feature which actually maps out where in your mouth you are missing spots or over-brushing in a handy visual map. The Sonicare 9750 toothbrush has an on-board sensor that will remind you to stop scrubbing your teeth with the brush and let the brush do the work. The app can also set and track oral health goals to make sure you are addressing problem areas in your brushing. Overall this is the most advanced toothbrush on the market that offers more smart features than Oral B or other brands.

61. The best smart bathroom mirror: Kohler Verdera Voice

To be honest, smart mirrors are often half baked in terms of design and functionality. Right now the best smart mirror is the Kohler Verdera Voice. This smart mirror looks like a normal bathroom mirror until you awake it with an Amazon Alexa command. That’s right, this mirror features Alexa as well as powerful stereo speakers that can read the news and play your favorite music. The system can adjust its lights on the front to the perfect brightness and even has a an automated motion activated night light feature. We’d say skip those lame Android-based smart mirrors in favor of this one which is much more natural to use with its Alexa integration.

62. The best smart bathroom scale: Nokia Body+ Scale

Smart scales are some of the more useful smart home devices for the bathroom. Although up until recently most smart scales have been pretty underwhelming. The Nokia Body+ smart scale is our top pick since it has a wide array of sensors that can measure: weight, body fat and water percentage, plus muscle and bone mass. It also has great software that integrates nutrition-analysis, weight trends as well as displays weather forecasts. Overall the build quality on this unit is far above anything from their competitors like FitBit and their software really is very good. This is the smart scale you have been waiting for.

63. The best waterproof Bluetooth speaker: JBL Clip 3

Sometimes you just need a simple solution to a problem. Want music in the shower? Well, pick up the excellent JBL Clip 2 which is perfect for hanging in the shower or in the bathroom to listen to music while you get ready in the morning. The Clip 3 adds a nice carabiner clip for attaching it to… well… anything. This means that this powerful little waterproof Bluetooth speaker can double as a great camping or hiking companion clipped to your bag.

Smart cleaning and laundry

64. 🏆 The best smart robot vacuum: Eufy RoboVac 11

Ever since Roomba came out with the world’s first automated vacuum people have been yearning for the perfect smart robot vacuum. This low profile vacuum can keep a charge for a whopping 1.5 hours and then automatically returns to its charging base just before it runs out of juice. It can even deal with uneven floors where there is hardwood which transitions onto a rug. This was always the drawback to previous robot vacuums. The best part? The price! The Eufy RoboVac 11 is way cheaper than a lot of other units on the market but actually offers on par feature or in many cases more features. Skip the Dyson and Roomba and go with this smart little affordable robot vacuum.

65. The best smart robot vacuum with Wifi: iRobot Roomba 980

For most people the Eufy RoboVac 11 is a perfect robot vacuum. But if you want to add some extra smart home features, you might want to consider the iRobot Roomba 980. This powerful little unit boasts Roomba’s most powerful motor but also integrates with wifi. This means you can control the unity from your smartphone, setting your schedule and cleaning mode from anywhere. You can even get handy notifications from the unit when it finishes a job. Lastly, the iRobot Roomba 980 can integrate with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can start it cleaning with just your voice. Very awesome indeed.

66. The best smart robot mop: iRobot Braava 380t Robot Mop

For many with hard floors, a smart vacuum just won’t do the job. That’s where robot mops come in. These aren’t quite as smart as the wifi connected robot vacuums, but they can be a life-saver for busy people with heavier cleaning needs on hard floors. Basically just push the button on the top of the unit and it will use its onboard navigation and water storage system to clean your home. It can stay charged for up to 90 minutes and will return to where it started once complete. You’re missing any smart voice assistant capability, but you’ll likely not need to mop as often as vacuum. But right now, this is the best in the business.

67. The best smart washer and dryer: Bosch 800 Series Home Connect

Bosch again! Seriously, their smart home appliances are both really solid as well as well thought out smart home products. Bosch allows you to select the type of clothes you are cleaning and it automatically recommends the proper cycles in the included app. You can also start or stop a load from a distance which can be handy. The Home Connect system also keeps track of your energy and water usage, allowing you to make some smart decisions about the type of cycle you use. This is sort of like the Nest of washer and dryer combos.

Smart pet devices

68. 🏆 The best smart pet feeder: PetNet SmartFeeder

Smart pet feeders have always been super clunky. Until now. PetNet combines slick design with truly useful features that allow you to feed your pet from anywhere as well as schedule feedings and track your pet’s health through a handy app. Simply enter a few bits of info about your cat or dog (age, weight, activity level) and the type of dry food you are using and the app will automatically recommend portion sizes to take the guessing work our of feeding your pet. The unit also connects to Amazon Alexa for voice control as well as Nest Cams to be able to be sent a short clip of your cat or dog eating to keep an eye on their eating habits. This is especially helpful if you are on vacation and want to confirm that your pet is eating. All of these smart features make PetNet the smartest and most capable smart pet feeder on the market.

Petnet SmartFeeder, Automatic Pet Feeder for Cats and Dogs, Compatible with Alexa 2017 new and improved SmartFeeder features include a stronger feeding wheel, better bowl connection

All purchases include an offer for a free SmartFeeder ramp, designed for kibbles that need help sliding into the bowl. (shipped from Petnet after product registration) 2 used from $129.45

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am out of stock $ 149.00 Buy this item

69. The best smart dog collar: Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor

Why should humans get all of the cool tech when it comes to activity trackers. Think of the Whistle 3 as the dog equivalent of a FitBit. It can track your pet using GPS/Wifi/cellular signal as well as track exercise activity for your dog. Its a small unit that attaches to the collar and pairs with the Whistle app that is also waterproof. You can even set geofenced areas that will send you a push notification if your dog enters them. How cool is that? If you have an escape artist dog or just want to track their exercise, the Whistle 3 is an excellent smart dog collar.

70. The best smart dog treat tosser: Furbo Dog Camera: Treat Tosser

This is a weird category, but people seem to love it! If you often work late but want to show your dog some love, the Furbo is where its at. This is basically a little security camera for your dog that includes an HD camera and two-way audio. So you can see and talk back to your dog. But the best part is the unit can fling treats with the push of a button in the Furbo app. It also includes smart bark detection so you can calm your dog down when they bark and can also be controlled with Amazon Alexa.

71. The best smart pet door: PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor

Pet doors are really convenient but are totally a security risk. Why put so much effort into a home security system but just leave essentially an unprotected hole in the side of your house. The PetSafe Electronic SmartDoor changes this by adding in some smarts which can detect your pet and then unlock the door as they approach. This is done with a little smart key that is attached to your pet’s collar. You can have up to 5 of these paired with the door so houses with multiple pets can use it. Overall its a very solid implementation for a very real security issue in the home of pet owners.

Smart home theatre and media

73. 🏆 The best smart television: LG OLED55B8P

First of all, don’t choose your TV based on smart features! Choose it for picture quality. I am a firm believer in just picking the best possible tV and then adding streaming capability and other smarts through other peripherals. After all, a good TV can last a decade. But in the case of the LG OLED55B8P the TV is both best in class picture quality but also packs a smart home punch. The OLED55B8P is LG’s middle of the line OLED that has amazingly accurate black levels and true to life HDR color. LED TVs aren’t even close here. But add on the fact that the B8 includes Google Assistant support and you have a great TV that can be controlled with your voice! This means that your TV can really be the hub of your smarthome media setup.

LG 55 Inches 4K Smart OLED TV OLED55B8PUA (2018) LG OLED TV with AI (Artificial Intelligence) ThinQ has the Google Assistant built in, so you can control compatible smart home devices using just your voice through the LG Magic Remote. Create a center for your smart home and beyond. Plus it works with Amazon Alexa devices (sold separately). 5 used from $974.49

Free shipping

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am in stock $ 1,199.95 Buy this item

74. 🏆 The best smart streaming box: NVIDIA Shield TV

NVIDIA has been king of the smart home streaming media box landscape for several years ago with their Android TV powered Shield TV. This box packs a full 4K HDR output and has been a fan favorite for streaming media in recent years. The interface is snappy, updates are regular, and NVIDIA has even integrated Google Assistant on the interface which is controlled through the included game controller. Lastly, if you are interested, you can buy an add-on dongle to essentially transform your Shield TV into a full SmartThings Hub to control the rest of your smart home.

75. The best smart home projector: Optoma UHD51A

If you’re into big picture in your theatre, then projectors are for you. Up until recently they haven’t really integrated into your smart home at all, but Optoma has broken that trend with their UHD51A. This projector has full 4K and HDR10 support that provide excellent picture for the money. But you can also control it directly with your voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This could be great for those of you that hide your equipment in another room. Setup a macro or routine with your assistant of choice and turn on and off your projector or switch inputs. Very awesome.

76. The best smart home remote control: Harmony Ultimate

Harmony is the undisputed champion of smart home remote controls for your theatre. The Harmony Ultimate hits it out of the park with the inclusion of their excellent Harmony Hub that can control hundreds if not thousands of items in your smart home. Basically anything with IR control can be controlled via RF through the Harmony Ultimate through the hub. This means you can easily hide your components in another room or in a cabinet and still sue your remote. The remote itself is excellent with a charging stand, color LCD screen and control for home theatre and lighting right on the face of the remote. Look no further, this is the remote you are looking for.

Smart home networking and hubs

77. The best smart home router: Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200

Your router is arguably the most important piece in your smart home setup. What good are a bunch of wifi devices without a great connection to the internet? Well, fear not with the Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200. This router is absolutely stacked. It includes 802.11ad, a super powerful quad core processor, 2.4 and 5GHz and enough settings to satisfy even the pickiest of networking nerds. There is a great app to control the router settings and even support to use it as a Plex media server. Lastly, the X10 AD7200 is fully compatible with Amazon Alexa.

78. 🏆 The best smart home mesh networking system: Google Wifi

Do you have spots in your house that get crummy wifi? Well, if your answer is yes, then you may need a mesh wifi system. And Google Wifiis currently the best mesh system out there. It includes three little white pucks that mesh together to cover your home with strong wifi signal. The advantage of Google Wifi is that it is dead simple. Pretty much anyone can set it up and control their network through the Google Wifi app. Set it and forget it and enjoy blazing fast wifi throughout your home.

79. The best smart home hub: Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub

Smart home products come in two major flavors. First are standard super common communication protocols like wifi and bluetooth. Then you have less common protocols like z-wave and zigbee. Many of the best smart home devices actually run on zigbee and z-wave and z-wave+. And they are usually also the most affordable! The catch is that you need to have a smart home hub in order to allow you to control these devices. And right now the most accessible and reliable smart home hub is the Samsung SmartThings hub. This will tie everything in your system together and make your smart home system a lot more easy to control.

Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub Your smart home needs a brain, so get started with a SmartThings Hub. It connects wirelessly with a wide range of smart devices and makes them work together

Add smart devices and put your home to work. Choose from a wide range of compatible devices, including lights, speakers, locks, thermostats, sensors, and more 2 used from $84.39

Last update was on: September 24, 2020 8:00 am in stock $ 125.27 Buy this item

80. The best smart 4K UHD Blu-ray player: Sony UBP-X800

The best way to consume disc-based media is through a 4K UHD Blu-ray player. And right now Sony is killing it with their UBP-X800 player. We’re talking full 4K support with support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dolby Atmos/DTS:X lossless audio formats. Furthermore, this player has really great menu speed and good streaming support for the best video apps out there. This makes this Sony player the best pick for your smart home theatre.

That’s it! These truly are our picks for the best smart home devices that you can buy today. Be sure to check out our reviews section to look even deeper into our favorites.