The Best Smart Home Devices that are Worth it
We love the best smart home devices. We are always attracted to clever gadgets that make our lives easier. Fancy doodads that do something a little bit better than that old thingamajig you’ve got. We want upgrades; after all, we are growing and changing, so why should we still have the same things we started out with?
And what better upgrade is there for the home than the best smart home devices? A bulb that lights up to acknowledge you. A robot vacuum that mills about your living room while you’re at work looking for dirt. A doorbell camera that watches everyone that comes near your house.
Add enough of the best smart home devices, and your house comes alive; it may even talk to you. The best smart home devices can make your life so much easier, and better yet, in 2022, smart home technology is more accessible than ever before. And so, for you, we’ve compiled a list of smart home devices that are worth it:
1. A Smart Speaker is one of the Best Smart Home Devices for control over everything
A smart speaker/voice assistant allows you to use only your voice to access many of the best smart home devices. A smart speaker on its own can listen to your commands and perform basic functions like playing music, giving weather updates, setting timers/alarms, and so on.
Connect the smart speaker to the best smart home devices, and you have a whole new set of possible home automation actions available to you. “OK, Google, set the temperature to 70 degrees” or “Alexa, dim the lights to 45 percent.”
Your preferred voice assistant – either Google Assistant/Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri – should dictate which speaker you get. We recommend the Sonos One, which supports both Google Assistant and Alexa while offering superior audio quality. It is also compact; therefore, space won’t be an issue.
The noteworthy competition includes Google Nest and Echo Studio, which are also excellent. Apple’s Homepod Mini is the only speaker compatible with Siri. Furthermore, Apple’s offering has fewer other compatible smart home devices.
As for cost, the Sonos One and Amazon Echo retail for around $200. However, if you have only $100, you can sacrifice some features and buy the Amazon Echo or Google’s Nest. This might be even more compelling for deal seekers who want the best smart home devices.
2. A Smart Display
This offers the same voice assistant features as the smart speaker but with the addition of a touch screen from which you can view news, recipes, CCTV camera footage, and touch control over some of the best smart home devices. The drawback will be reduced sound quality, but you can use a smart display in conjunction with a smart speaker to overcome this.
Consider the $130 Amazon Echo Show 8, which we think offers the best combination of size and versatility.
3. Smart Lights are perhaps the Easiest Best Smart Home Devices to get you started
Smart lights can be controlled remotely; turned off or on, dimmed, or their color temperature adjusted. Never again will you get up to switch off the lights or grope in the dark for the switch. You can even put in some lighting routines – for example; the lights can go on and off at certain times during the day to dissuade burglars.
Our recommendation is the budget Cync Full Color Direct Connect Smart LED Bulb by GE for $24. We like it because it is cheaper, and you only need to screw it in, connect it with the app, and your home is a tiny bit smarter. Easily one of the best smart home devices just for its price.
4. Smart lighting for the Outdoors
Why stop at indoor lighting? A well-lit home feels warm and secure. A smartly lit one will make you feel special. Lights with motion detection will light up when they detect movement, aiding visibility and bathing intruders in lights. The best smart home devices don’t leave you blind at night.
For a comprehensive feature set, invest in Ring’s Smart Lighting System or an alternative. At $24.99, it includes features such as; start recording if a smart light senses movement or having a group of lights turn on when motion is detected.
The Best Smart Home Devices offer Better, More Nuanced Security Features
- Smart locks – With one of these, you can have the confidence of knowing your house is locked even miles away. Plus, you get keyless entry with your smartphone/key fob and guest access control (let someone in remotely)
- Smart Doorbell Cameras – Look for features such as crisp 1080p footage, motion detection (AI-enabled versions can identify animals, people, packages), two-way audio so you can speak to and hear who’s on the other side.
- Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras – Have eyes over your whole house. For outdoor cameras, you want one that is rugged and waterproof with great video quality and good viewing angles.
- A Professionally Monitored Smart Security System – This service integrates the best smart home devices with a subscription service that monitors your home when you are away. It is the ultimate in-home security.
Conclusion
The best smart home devices work together to create an efficient, fun, secure, easy live in the home. They are not meant to work alone but in conjunction to make a smart home ecosystem.
