With technology advancing in leaps and bounds, it’s become easier than ever to control appliances and lights around the house, even if you’re not home. From video doorbells to smart thermostats, lights and speakers, we’ve gotten on board with accessories and devices that make life a little bit more convenient (not to mention safer).
To get you started on modernizing your own home, we’ve come up with this list of the best of the best smart devices. Whether you’re looking to control your lights when you’re not at home, monitor for smoke or carbon monoxide, or just make your day go easier with a streaming video display and virtual assistant combo, we’ve got the right smart home device for you.
1. The Amazon Echo remains a fantastic combination of speaker, smart home hub and virtual assistant, with the latest model sporting a brand-new look and improved audio.
>> Buy the Amazon Echo for $99.99 on Amazon
2. We’ve become addicted to smart light bulbs that you can turn on and off from anywhere in or outside the home, and Philips’ LED bulbs feature comfortable warm-white illumination.
>> Buy the Philips Hue Smart 60W LED Bulbs for $29.97 on Amazon
3. Create heating and cooling programs to maximize your energy savings with this ecobee smart thermostat. It connects with assistants like Alexa and Siri for use as a smart speaker.
>> Buy the ecobee New Smart Thermostat for $249.99 on Amazon
4. With two powerful floodlights and color night vision, this Ring floodlight cam detects visitors (and intruders) with ease.
>> Buy the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus for $199.99 on Amazon
5. Manage lights and other appliances with this set of smart plugs from Kasa, which can be controlled by Alexa or a mobile app.
>> Buy the Kasa Smart Plug Mini for $49.99 on Amazon
6. Control the Yoolax motorized blackout shades using the included remote or use voice commands on Alexa to raise and lower them.
>> Buy the Yoolax Motorized Blinds for $139.99 on Amazon
7. Give your backyard or patio a festive atmosphere with these sets of string lights from Govee —you can designate a different color for every individual bulb!
>> Buy the Govee Smart Outdoor String Lights for $99.99 on Amazon
8. Make sure you’re in the know when your home has smoke or carbon monoxide with this Google Nest smoke detector, which provides audio and phone alerts as well as emergency lighting.
>> Buy the Google Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector for $149.99 on Amazon
9. This meross smart garage door opener is compatible with home assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa and can open your garage door for friends and family even when you’re away.
>> Buy the meross Smart Garage Door Opener for $49.99 on Amazon
10. Give your lawn the exact amount of water it needs with this Rachio smart hose attachment, which controls and schedules water flow from your phone or from a smart speaker.
>> Buy the Rachio Smart Hose Timer with WiFi Hub for Outdoor Watering for $99.99 on Amazon
11. The Amazon Echo Show 10 features HD video and directional sound and can also synch up with Alexa to control your home devices or play music and streaming video.
>> Buy the Amazon Echo Show 10 (newest model) for $249.99 on Amazon
12. The LEVOIT air purifier can clean rooms of up to 900 square feet and can be controlled via phone or via voice command through an Alexa or Google Assistant hub.
