The best smart home devices in 2022
The best smart home devices can make your home more automated, safer and cleaner. In some cases, these connected products can even help you save money.
Whether you're looking to turn your lights on from your smartphone, stream music to a speaker using Alexa (or Google Assistant or Siri,) lock your doors remotely or vacuum your floors without lifting a finger, the best smart home devices provide complete convenience.
Reasons to buy
+Affordable +Useful LED display+Sounds good for the price+Seamless Alexa integrationReasons to avoid
-Microphones could be betterThe name says it all: This is an Echo Dot with a clever LED clock built in its face. However, this seemingly simple addition adds a ton of functionality to the Echo Dot, making an even better smart home companion. In fact, we wish more smart home companies took Amazon's cue and make minor —yet effective — enhancements to already excellent devices.
More than just the time, though, the Echo Dot with Clock's display can also show you the current temperature, and also functions as a timer. It also has an ambient sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display based on the lightning of its surrounding environment. The Echo Dot with Clock costs $10 more than the Echo Dot, but is a worthwhile upgrade for those who want to know the time without having to ask Alexa.
Read our full Amazon Echo Dot with Clock review.
2. Arlo Q
Excellent video coupled with a generous free storage plan, and lots of features.
Specifications
Size: 6 x 4.9 x 4.5 inchesResolution: 1080pField of View: 130 degreesWorks with: Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTTCloud storage: 7 days free; longer plans start at $10/month.Reasons to buy
+Intuitive, flexible scheduling+Excellent video quality+Generous free cloud planReasons to avoid
-Single-user mobile app-Difficult Custom Mode setupThe Arlo Q's 1080p camera boasts excellent quality video, both day and night, has accurate motion detection sensors, and a flexible scheduling feature. Best of all, though, is that you get a week's worth of video storage for free, so you can review your footage several days out in case you’ve misplaced something or need to check back for some other reason. As such, the Arlo Q is our leading contender among thebest home security cameras.
The square-shaped Arlo Q needs to be plugged into a power outlet and isn't waterproof, but it's the best camera for monitoring the interior of your house or apartment. Although if you want to store videos over a longer period, you'll want to consider subscribing to one of the Arlo cloud storage plans. They start at $3 per month for a single camera.
Read our full Arlo Q review.
3. Ecobee SmartThermostat
Our favorite smart thermostat has Alexa built in, but its real power lies in its remote sensors.
Specifications
Size: 4.3 x 4.3 x 1 inchWireless: 802.11 Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5GHz), BluetoothWorks with: Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, SmartThings, IFTTTReasons to buy
+Better speaker+Full Alexa support+Works with SpotifyReasons to avoid
-Large-Big bezelThe fifth-generation Ecobee SmartThermostat has everything we liked about its predecessor, the Ecobee4, such as Alexa built in, a slick touchscreen interface and a remote sensor that helps ensure all the rooms of your house are getting heated or cooled properly. But the newest version has a better speaker so you can actually use it to play music, all of Alexa's features (including Drop-In and messaging), and Spotify integration. The remote sensor has a longer battery life and better range, too.
Its audio can’t compete with the Echo Dot in terms of quality, but the Ecobee is aclever means of equipping a room with Alexa without plugging in another smart speaker. Not only is the Ecobee one of the best smart home devices you can buy, it’s our leading choice of all thebest smart thermostats, too.
Read our full Ecobee SmartThermostat review.
4. Philips Hue White A19 Starter Kit
These lights work with just about every other smart home system out there.
Specifications
Bulb type: A19Wireless: ZigbeeWorks with: Alexa, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, SmartThings, Google Home, NestReasons to buy
+Comprehensive app+Works with a ton of smart-home systems+DimmableReasons to avoid
-Requires hub-Light color not tunablePhilips Hue White starter kit includes two bulbs and a hub to connect them to other smart home devices. While you can't change these bulbs' colors, you can adjust their brightness (up to 800 lumens), and add up to 50 to a single hub. Philips' bulbs also work with a wide range of smart home systems, including Alexa, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, Google Home, and Nest.
Philips Hue lights also have an app, Philips Hue Sync, which lets users synchronize their smart bulbs with multimedia content on their Mac or Windows PC. For example, you can set your lights to flash and change color in time with music, video and movies being played on your computer.Users can also modify the color schemes and themes to suit their tastes. For $30 more, you can upgrade your starter kit to include 4 bulbs instead of 2.
Read our full Philips Hue White Starter Kit review.
5. August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
Works with Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and seamlessly integrates with security systems
Specifications
Lock type: DeadboltSize: 3 inches x 1.7 inches Works with: HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, Z-Wave, Nest, IFTTTWireless: 2.4GHz Wi-FiReasons to buy
+Smaller size+Wi-Fi built in+Easy to use+Works with lots of smart home devicesReasons to avoid
-Keypad sold separatelyThere wasn't much to improve on in our August Smart Lock Pro review, but the company went ahead and tweaked its original to make it smaller and easier to use. As our new top pick among the best smart locks, the the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is 45 percent more compact than its predecessor, so it looks less obvious on your door. It also has Wi-Fi built in, so you can skip the August Connect bridge for linking your lock to your home network.
Everything we enjoyed about the August Pro is still here: An easy installation process, features such as DoorSense (which lets you know if your door has been left open), and compatibility all the leading smart home systems, from Alexa to Google Assistant to Xfinity. And, the August Wi-Fi lets you keep the keys from your existing deadbolt.
Read our full August Wi-Fi Smart Lock review.
6. Nest Hello
Excellent video quality and facial recognition make this our favorite video doorbell.
Specifications
Video Resolution: 1600 x 1200Field of View: 160 degreesWorks with: Google AssistantSize: 4.6 x 1.7 x 1 inchWired/Battery: wiredStarting Storage Fee: $50/year for 5 days videoReasons to buy
+Great video quality+Google Assistant integration+Flexible scheduling+Facial recognitionReasons to avoid
-Uses a lot of bandwidth to upload videoThe Nest Hello has the highest recording quality of any of thebest video doorbells, making it one of the best smart home devices overall. Its microphone and speaker are exceptional, too. Nest's camera can recognize faces, and even announce them when they come to your door. When you have a smart lock, too, this feature also works for letting people you trust into your home, even when you’re not around to let them in.
While it needs a hardwired connection, it continuously records video, so you'll never miss an event. You can also set up specific zones, so you'll only be notified when a person or object appears in that area of the frame. While you'll need to subscribe to the Nest Aware service (starting at $5/month) to get all of its features, they're worth it. Checking in on your door is also one of the best Google Assistant commands right now.
Read our full Nest Hello review.
7. Wemo WiFi Smart Plug
This smart plug is simple to use and works with all of the major smart assistants.
Specifications
Size: 1.3 x 2.0 x 1.8 inchesWorks With: Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, IFTTTElectrical rating: 120V~/15A/60Hz/1800WReasons to buy
+Improved footprint+Physical control button+Works with Alexa, Google Home and HomeKitReasons to avoid
-Not compatible with 5Ghz Wi-FiThe $25 Wemo WiFi Smart Plug is one of the best smart home devices and our top choice among the best smart plugs. It's more compact than competing options out there, even its predecessor the Wemo Mini. And while it doesn't have energy monitoring like some other smart plugs, the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug does work with all the major smart assistants.
This smart plug has a physical switch, so if you don’t want to use your voice or an app to turn your appliance on or off, you can click the switch on the Wemo. It also has a clever Away mode. which can make it seem like you’re home even when you’re not by turning a lamp on intermittently.
Read our full Wemo WiFi Smart Plug review.
8. Nest Protect
This smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector lets you know where the danger is, and can turn on your lights to help you get out.
Specifications
Size: : 5.3 x 5.3 x 1.5 inchesDetects: Smoke, carbon monoxideWorks with: Nest, Google Home, Philips Hue, IFTTT, Alexa, Wink, LutronHardwired/battery: Yes/YesReasons to buy
+Detects smoke, carbon monoxide+Spoken alerts+Links to other smart-home devicesReasons to avoid
-ExpensiveThe Nest Protect is the top choice among the best smart smoke detectors. When it picks up on something in the air, it sounds an alarm and lets you know what room in your home triggered the alert. Plus an LED ring on the bottom of the alarm changes color in case of an emergency, giving you and the people you live with a visual cue.
What we like most about the Nest Protect is how well it integrates with some of the best smart home devices. When you use smart home routines, your smart smoke alarm can automatically turn on your lights, making it easier for you to get out of your house. However, these routines only work for those who have converted their Nest account to a Google Assistant account. It also does not natively work with Alexa.
Read our full Nest Protect review.
9. Samsung SmartThings
Makes connecting and automating smart home devices very easy.
Specifications
Size: 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inchesWireless: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-FiReasons to buy
+Wi-Fi makes installing this hub easier+Allows for more automation than other hubs+Works with Zigbee and Z-Wave devicesReasons to avoid
-Still missing Nest integration-Difficult to upgrade from older hubIf you have a wide variety of smart home gadgets, you'll need a central system to integrate and control them all. While it has its imperfections, we found the Samsung SmartThings hub to be the best of the lot. It works with a wide range of devices and now has Wi-Fi built in, so you don't need to plug it into your router; this makes it easier to place in your house for the best connection to all your smart home devices.
Because the SmartThings hub has both Zigbee and Z-Wave antennas, you can pair it with several of the best smart home devices. Using the companion app, you can arrange dozens of scenes and automations. It also has a comprehensive home monitoring component, which can send you an alarm, record video, turn on lights, play sounds, and unlock your doors in the event of an emergency.
Read our full Samsung SmartThings review.
10. Chamberlain MyQ
An easy interface makes this a low-stress garage door opener.
Specifications
Works With: Nest, SmartThings, Xfinity Home, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, IFTTTWireless: 802.11 Wi-FiReasons to buy
+Simple physical setup requirements+Simple app interface+Works with Google Assistant and Apple HomeKitReasons to avoid
-Doesn't work with Alexa-Requires subscription to use Google AssistantIf you're looking for the best smart garage door opener, look no further than the Chamberlain MyQ. It includes a sensor for your garage door as well as a hub that connects to your Wi-Fi network. When you send a command using your smartphone, it is relayed to the hub, which then goes to the sensor that activates your garage door. The MyQ app, available for Android and iOS devices, lets you check to see if your door is open, and then close — or open — it remotely.
MyQ will work with most brands of garage door openers made after 1993 that have standard safety sensors, according to Chamberlain. Currently, MyQ works with Nest, SmartThings and Xfinity Home smart home systems. The one thing it doesn't do, though, is work with Alexa.
Read our full Chamberlain MyQ review.
11. Shark Ion R85
Best Robot vacuum for keeping your floors clean with limited effort
Specifications
Cleaning Performance: 94%Pet Hair Score (Out of 100): 88Avg. Cleaning Time (H:M:S): 1:01:57Loudness (Decibels): 59.2Bin Size: 625 mlSmart Home Connectivity: Alexa, Google AssistantSize: 12.8 x 12.5 x 3.4 inchesWeight: 5.1 poundsReasons to buy
+Great pet-hair performance+Dustbin is super easy to clean+Easy app setup and notificationsReasons to avoid
-Can get stuck on thick carpetThe Shark Ion R85 is one of the best robot vacuums because of how well it picks up pet hair, dirt and other random debris around the home with a minimum of fuss. While it took about an hour on average to finish a run while testing, it was much more thorough than all other robot vacuums. Our advice? Start it up, then leave the house to do some chores.The R85's dustbin was also very easy to empty — not a given with many robot vacuums — and you can purchase its charging base with an optional stick vacuum.
We liked the notifications we received from the Shark Ion 85, as well as the ability to control it from our smartphone. It works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, too, meaning you can incorporate into your smart home routines or use your voice to initiate cleaning.
Read our full Shark Ion R85 robot vacuum review.
How to choose the best smart home devices for you
Choosing the best smart home devices is different for every shopper. Most of the decision comes down which smart home platform you prefer - you’ll want to buy devices that are compatible with your voice assistant so you can create routines or control your gadgets hands-free.
You have three main choices: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant/Home, and Apple HomeKit/Siri. To help you get started, we have guides onhow to use Alexa andhow to use Google Assistant, as well as anAlexa vs Google Assistant vs Siri face off.
Alexa generally comes out on top, as it works with the most smart home devices, and has the most third-party skills. However, Google Assistant can do some things that Alexa can't—such as control Chromecast TVs—and it's rapidly being built into a number of third-party devices in conjunction with its Works With Nest program. HomeKit’s availability is also growing, and could be the right platform for you if you use Siri often on your iPhone or iPad.
How we test the best smart home devices
All of the best smart home devices above are top picks within respective categories. We compare and contrast each gadget to similar options, taking variables like price, ease-of-setup, voice assistant compatibility and appearance into account. For example, the third-generation Amazon Echo is our favorite smart speaker overall because it has the best sound for the value, and represents its category on this list. The same goes for the Arlo Q and fifth-generation Ecobee.
That said, there are a number of excellent options within each category that are not featured on this list. If you’re looking for more buying choices, we have individual pages that detail all the best smart lights, smart doorbells, smart security cameras and more we’d consider reliable purchases for your growing smart home.
Check each of them out for more in-depth testing information for every category of smart home devices you should consider for boosting your home’s IQ.
