The 15 Best Smart Home Devices That You Can Buy

Introduction

I’ve been a smart home enthusiast for over ten years. I remember the first time I connected my lights to the internet, and it was like magic. Nowadays, people are just as excited about smart home devices as I was back then. But deciding which ones to buy can get overwhelming pretty quickly—there are so many options out there! We’ve rounded up six of our favorites that we think every home should have:

Amazon Echo Dot

If you’re looking for a smart home device that can do it all and then some, look no further than the Amazon Echo Dot. This little puck-shaped speaker packs some serious power: It uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, provide information and more. You can even use it in conjunction with other Alexa-enabled devices like Fire TV or an Amazon Fire tablet to control your television with just your voice (or ask it who won last night’s game). The Echo Dot can hear you from across the room–and even when music is playing–thanks to seven microphones that use beamforming technology for directional listening capabilities.

One of our favorite features of this device is its ability to connect directly with other smart home products like Nest thermostats or Hue light bulbs so that once those items are set up on your Wi-Fi network, they’ll automatically work together without any additional configuration required on your part! Plus if something goes wrong during setup (which happens occasionally), there are helpful prompts throughout each step so that users know exactly what needs doing next before moving forward

Amazon Echo Show

The Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker with a screen. It can do everything the normal Echo can do, plus it has a screen. The screen allows you to see the weather, news headlines and more–and if you have an internet connection and WiFi at home, you can even use it for video calls and video streaming.

The Echo Show comes in two colors: black or white (which looks like Chalk). There’s also an optional wood veneer cover that gives your device an antique look while keeping its internal components safe from dust or other damage over time.

Samsung SmartThings Hub

Samsung SmartThings Hub is a central hub for all of your smart home devices. You can use it to control, monitor and automate the devices in your home from one app.

The Samsung SmartThings Hub allows you to connect up to 100 different smart devices, which means that you can have everything from lights, locks and thermostats working together as an integrated system. You’ll also be able to monitor what’s happening at home remotely through the app or by asking Alexa or Google Assistant (if you have an Amazon Echo).

Google Home Mini

The Google Home Mini is a smaller version of the original Google Home. It’s about half the size, but it has all the same features as its big brother (and some new ones). The Mini also has excellent voice recognition and can answer questions about weather, sports scores, traffic conditions and more. You can use it to control smart home devices like lights or thermostats in your house–or even just play music from Spotify or Pandora on demand!

The best thing about this product is how easy it is to use: just say “OK Google” followed by whatever question or command you want answered or performed right away without having to open an app first! If you’re looking for something small enough that won’t take up too much space in your bedroom while still being able to do everything else a normal-sized Echo would do then this might be worth checking out; however since there aren’t any interchangeable covers available yet we wouldn’t recommend buying one now unless price isn’t really an issue for you because otherwise we think there are better options out there (like getting two Echoes instead).

Google Nest Hub

The Google Nest Hub is a smart display with a seven-inch touchscreen that can be used to make video calls, play games and more. It’s also a smart home hub that works with Google Assistant. The device comes in Chalk or Charcoal colors and has an aluminum backplate with rounded corners for easy carrying around your home.

While the screen isn’t as large as some other options on this list (it’s really only about one inch larger than the average smartphone), it does have excellent sound quality thanks to four speakers built into its body along with two far-field microphones for picking up voice commands from across the room without having to shout at your device over said loud music playing in the background while trying not get distracted by anything else happening around you at any given moment during your daily routine – which often includes tasks like cooking dinner while simultaneously cleaning up after yourself after finishing eating said meal because who has time anymore?

Sengled Element Color Light Bulb Starter Kit, White, 2 A19 60W Equivalent 5 Pack

The Sengled Element Color Light Bulb Starter Kit, White, 2 A19 60W Equivalent 5 Pack is a great smart home device to start with. It includes two 60W equivalent smart light bulbs that can be controlled using your phone or voice assistant. The bulbs are dimmable and have 16 million colors so you can match the mood of your space. The starter kit also comes with a hub that allows you to connect all of your home lights through one app (compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant). This is an easy way to get started with smart lighting without having to replace all of your bulbs at once!

TP-Link Smart WiFi Plug HS105, Control Your Electronics from Anywhere with Your Cell Phone or Tablet, Works with Alexa and the Google Assistant (HS105)

This smart plug allows you to control electronics from anywhere with your smartphone or tablet. It works with Alexa, the Google Assistant, IFTTT and more.

It also has a built-in energy monitor so you can see how much energy you’re using in real time. If you have multiple TP-Link Smart Plugs around your house (or even just one), then this feature is great for keeping track of them all at once!

You can use the HS105 as part of a variety of home automation systems: Apple HomeKit; Samsung SmartThings; Logitech Harmony Home Hub; Nest Learning Thermostat & Nest Protect smoke alarm; Wink Connected Home Hub

WeMo Insight Switch, Wi-Fi Enabled, Monitor Energy Use and Save Money on Bills, Works with Alexa (WEMO-INSIGHT-SWITCH)

The WeMo Insight Switch, Wi-Fi Enabled, Monitor Energy Use and Save Money on Bills, Works with Alexa (WEMO-INSIGHT-SWITCH) is a smart device that allows you to monitor your energy usage from anywhere. You can set up schedules or rules for when it should turn off or on. For example, if you have a lamp on your porch that stays lit all night long, this switch will automatically turn it off after dark so that nobody trips over it in the dark. Or maybe there’s something in your house that needs to stay plugged in all day but not at night–the WeMo Insight Switch can help with that too!

You can also set up alerts for when certain appliances use more electricity than usual; this way if someone accidentally leaves something running overnight (or even worse: forgets about it), they’ll know right away so they don’t get charged extra fees by their power company! And finally–and most importantly–you’ll save money because now instead of leaving everything plugged in 24/7/365 days per year just “in case” someone might need access later down the road (which nobody ever does), now only things like lights get turned on when needed instead wasting precious resources all day long just sitting idle while costing us money every month since no one ever uses them anyway…

Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat with Built-In Alexa Voice Service – With Room Sensors (3rd Gen), Room Sensor Included (RTH6100WF)

The Ecobee4 is the first smart thermostat to work with all of the big home automation platforms: Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and IFTTT. It also works with Wink and SmartThings–and has an optional room sensor that can measure temperature in other rooms around your house.

The Ecobee4 is compatible with Amazon Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers (as well as other Alexa-powered devices), which means you can control your heating and cooling system by voice alone.

Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat – 2nd Generation – Includes Hue Bridge Integration, For Use With Alexa (LYRIC T5 WIRELESS THERMOSTAT)

Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat – 2nd Generation – Includes Hue Bridge Integration, For Use With Alexa (LYRIC T5 WIRELESS THERMOSTAT)

This smart thermostat is compatible with HomeKit and Alexa, so you can control it right from your phone or smart speaker. It also comes with several other integrations: Google Assistant, IFTTT and Wink are all supported by this unit. The Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat will work with Nest if you want to use it in conjunction with that ecosystem as well–or even if you don’t! You’ll just need an adapter cable from Amazon for $16 before setting up your new system at home.

Conclusion

And there you have it! The 15 best smart home devices that you can buy right now. If you’re looking to get started with Alexa or Google Assistant, we recommend either the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Home Mini. Both are affordable and easy to use, but they also offer plenty of power if you decide later on that you want something more advanced (like an Echo Show or Google Nest Hub).