Once a fable, the smart home is now attainable for many. Though, since all homes are different, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for finding the best smart home devices. Our reviews of the latest smart thermostats, smart speakers, and security systems will help you figure out what’s right for you. And as smart assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, grow in capability, we put them to task to see just how helpful they are.
I just got review units of Amazon’s latest Alexa-powered smart speaker and will be putting them through their paces this weekend. Throw any questions you have about the newest (and cheapest) Echo at me in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to answer them in the review.
The M1 LED light strip is bright, colorful, and compatible with everything, thanks to Matter. But its flashiest features are only in Govee’s app.
The first Matter-over-Thread smart lighting line, Nanoleaf’s new lights promise a lot and mostly deliver.
The G4 is the first and only wireless smart doorbell to work with Apple Home. Its features are impressive, but it lacks some essentials.
Aqara’s Video Doorbell G4 launches on Amazon today in North America and Europe for the bargain price of $120, that’s $80 less than its closest HomeKit Secure Video-compatible competitor. Alongside Apple Home, the G4 works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Featuring dual power sources, 1080p video, 24/7 recording capability, locally stored facial recognition, and free cloud storage, this smart buzzer ticks a lot of boxes.
Look for our full review on the site later this week.
Tovala reinvents the TV dinner with its connected oven combined with a meal delivery service that cooks healthy, delicious meals in under 20 minutes. But as a smart oven, it’s a disappointment.
This dual-camera dash cam can detect break-ins when your car is parked and record every second of your time on the road. If you have a specific need for a device like this, it’s a good option. But integration with other Ring devices and Alexa is lacking.
The TP-Link Tapo is a perfectly good smart plug that’s among the first to work with Matter. It’s fast and easy to use with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or SmartThings. But when it comes to sharing it all starts to fall apart.
The newest SmartThings hub can also charge your smartphone and find your keys — plus it’s a Matter controller and Thread border router. But there’s no support for Z-Wave, and too many features are only for Galaxy phones.
Apple’s second take on the HomePod doesn’t stray far from the original, but it’s better all around.
This Echo Show on the wall is the fairest smart display of them all. Updates to support Fire TV, new widget options, and a better Photo Frame mode make the flagship Echo a winner.
The Philips Hue Festavia string lights look great and add a lot of fun to any holiday decor. They’re expensive, though, and only really worth it if you’ve bought into the Hue ecosystem.
We put these two self-sufficient smart home security cameras to the test
A cool but minor upgrade to an already excellent robot vacuum, iRobot’s Combo j7 adds a mop to the bot and is worth considering if you’ve got hardwood floors and lots of fluffy rugs. For everyone else, the regular j7 vacuum is still your best bet.
With dual cameras and dual motion detection, this camera catches it all — just not fast enough
For $20 a month, the service provides peace of mind, but many of its features should be free
7
Verge Score
A big upgrade over its predecessors, Google’s Nest Wifi Pro adds Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, bringing faster speeds, and improved reliability. It’s not a ‘Pro’ router — for top throughput, look elsewhere — but it packs a lot into an affordable package.
Home Key makes Level Home’s latest ‘invisible’ smart lock even more compelling for Apple users. And once it’s updated with Thread, it’ll be a strong option for everyone else too.
With better sound, faster responses, and more sensors, Amazon’s Echo Dot with Clock fifth-gen is more useful for your smart home and remains the best budget smart speaker you can buy.
Your Google Home app can now turns your lights off and your cameras on at 10PM each night; adjust the brightness of your lights when the TV turns on; or turn the bathroom light on when a motion sensor detects movement. And it’s not hard to set up — if you know how.
Easier to use and stable. But let’s check in again after a few months.
An almost worthy successor to the excellent Nest Hello, the new Nest Doorbell wired is faster, smarter, and sleeker and has better video quality. But spotty behavior on 2.4GHz networks lets it down.
The Tapo L930 has gradient RGB and tunable white light, and works with Apple Home, Google, and Alexa for under $50
A great smart door lock but just an okay video doorbell
Six charging methods with a seventh in the works
Yes, it looks as weird as it sounds, but it works well as a basic smart lock
The Tap Dial is a smooth way to control the Hue lights in several rooms
Leveling up your home theater experience
A souped-up smart button for Apple’s HomeKit smart home
The new Eve Motion sensor is speedy and stable as long as you keep Bluetooth at bay.
Switches, bulbs, plugs, remotes, bridges, and hubs — smart lighting can be complicated. We’ll help you get it sorted
While it’s not the robot we were looking for, Astro is rolling in the right direction.
Thermacell’s Liv keeps the biting bugs at bay until you step outside its zone of protection
The Premium and Enhanced models add style to Ecobee’s substance
The Eero Pro 6E is the company’s first 6GHz-capable router
This $1,550 robot can mop, vacuum, clean itself, and find you in your home
