The 29 Smart Home Devices Truly Worth Buying This Year

Updated: Jun 02 2024

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Upgrade your home to a smart home today. With the latest consumer-friendly technology, it’s easier than ever to install and program smart lighting, speakers, security cameras, video doorbells, thermostats, vacuum cleaners, and much more. These devices will enhance your life in ways you can’t even imagine. By choosing the best smart devices from trusted brands, you can transform your home into a smart home in less than a day. That’s why we’ve curated this list of the most recommended and best-selling smart devices available today. As smart home enthusiasts, we’ve personally tested and highly recommend each product on this list.

Here are some smart home basics you need to know. A strong internet connection and a high-quality router are essential for any smart home, as they support all the new devices on your network. The goal of smart home devices is to automate your daily life: lights that turn on when you wake up, thermostats that adjust based on occupancy, and security cameras that alert you to intruders are just a few examples of the conveniences you’ll soon find indispensable. Always choose trusted name-brand smart home devices. While knockoff brands might be cheaper, they often compromise on usability, privacy, and reliability. For a seamless smart home upgrade, invest in trusted brands.

Don’t forget to check out our work from home essentials list for other tech devices that make working from home easier and more enjoyable.

#1

Axis Smart Blinds Conversion Kit

Axis transforms your existing window coverings into smart ones. By replacing the current hardware on your blinds with Axis’s motorized, battery-operated, WiFi-connected controller, you can easily upgrade your home. It integrates with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to set schedules for your blinds and control them with voice commands.

$250.00

#2

August Smart Keyless Doorlock

August’s smart door lock eliminates the need for physical keys. With Bluetooth and the paired app, you can lock, unlock, and monitor the status of your front door at any time. It’s also perfect for providing temporary access to your home without the need for a physical key.

$102.00

#3

4-in-1 Wireless Charging Station

If you’re a smart home enthusiast, you likely have numerous devices. This 4-in-1 wireless charging station offers the most streamlined solution for recharging all your devices in one convenient location.

$32.74

#4

Amazon Astro Household Robot

Give the family dog a break and let Astro take over. This household robot from Amazon patrols your home to ensure safety, helps you keep a loving eye on aging loved ones, entertains your dog, and much more. Astro is the perfect 21st-century companion!

$1599.99

#5

Black+Decker Bev Cocktail Machine

Craft cocktails at the touch of a button? Yes, please! With the Bev, you can easily whip up something great. This machine draws from your choice of five liquor bottles and works with mixers and pods (similar to those used in a Keurig). It can create beverages in four different sizes to suit your preference.

$199.00

#6

Philips Hue Light Strip

The versatility of Philips Hue light strips makes them essential for any smart home. With 16 million colors to choose from, these strips can be cut to any size and adhered almost anywhere in your home. Use them behind your TV for ambient lighting, under your bed as a modern night light, or beneath your kitchen cabinets for extra illumination—the possibilities are as endless as the color combinations.

$125.99

#7

Tiny AI-Powered Autonomous Mobile Robot

This tiny tank will keep your home safer than your dog. AI-controlled and compatible with Amazon Alexa’s voice commands, it recognizes people and pets in your home and keeps a vigilant eye out for anything unusual.

$186.00

#8

Amazon Smart Oven

Now even your oven can be smart. Amazon’s Smart Oven is a 4-in-1 convection oven, microwave, air fryer, and food warmer in one compact package. It features over 30 built-in cooking presets, and is voice controlled through any Alexa Echo device.

$249.99

#9

Sierra Smart Wireless Essential Oil Diffuser

If you have smart door locks, cameras, and light bulbs, why not add a smart essential oil diffuser to your collection? This 5-star rated diffuser seamlessly integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, allowing you to create a relaxing and soothing atmosphere in your home with ease.

$39.95

#10

Wyze Sense Contact Sensors

These contact sensors offer numerous useful applications, functioning by detecting the connection point between two sensors. Users continuously discover various use case ideas for these contact sensors, but they are particularly useful for receiving notifications when a door is opened or closed.

$19.99

#11

Wyze 1080P Security Camera

While we generally advise against opting for budget equipment, Wyze is an exception to the rule. Their compact 1080p security cameras are incredibly affordable, and their paired app is extremely user-friendly. If you’re on a budget, this is the must-have WiFi security camera to buy.

$49.99

#12

Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip

Kasa’s smart power strip enables you to control each individual outlet independently and monitor electricity usage. It seamlessly integrates with Alexa and Google Nest, and you can customize it with various routines or control it with your voice.

$49.99

#13

Lutron Caseta Smart Light Switch Kit

A simpler and more budget-friendly approach to achieving smart lighting in your home is to make your light switches smart instead of replacing all your lights. Lutron’s Caseta ecosystem offers just that—by replacing your existing light switches with Lutron’s, you can easily program them to turn on or off at specific times or control them with Alexa.

$162.99

#14

Philips Hue Smart Motion Sensor

Philips motion sensors are the ideal accessory for customizing your home with routines. For instance, you could set up your bathroom lights to turn on at a low level if the motion sensor detects movement after midnight. The options for customization are truly limitless.

$54.99

#15

Chamberlain Smart Garage Door Opener

No smart home would be complete without the ability to open your garage door with a simple voice command. Chamberlain’s smart garage door opener allows you to operate it using traditional buttons and remotes, while also integrating seamlessly with Alexa and its own app. This enables you to control it remotely and check its open/close status at any time.

$298.00

#16

Husqvarna Smart Robot Lawn Mower

Keeping your yard pristine is a breeze with Husqvarna’s smart robot lawn mower. Guided by hidden boundary wires, it can mow your lawn rain or shine and will autonomously return to its home station to recharge for the next scheduled cut. While Husqvarna is a reputable brand, it’s worth noting that robot lawn mowers aren’t as advanced as indoor robot vacuum cleaners. Therefore, unless you have a very large and challenging-to-maintain yard, we wouldn’t strongly recommend this investment at the moment. It’s likely that better hardware and software will be available soon.

$2286.43

#17

Tile Bluetooth Lost Stuff Finder

Tile is the ultimate solution for ensuring you never lose your keys, phone, wallet, or purse—or practically anything else, for that matter. Using Bluetooth technology, it helps you locate your misplaced items with a loud audible beep until they’re found. Tile has also introduced an adhesive version that you can affix to nearly anything for added convenience.

$109.40

#18

Philips Hue Smart Color Light Bulbs

While the Philips Hue ecosystem may come with a higher price tag, it’s undeniably valuable. These smart light bulbs serve as the entry point to transforming your home into a smart one. Once you experience the convenience and versatility they offer, you’ll likely find yourself expanding your smart home setup with other devices on the list. It’s a journey worth taking—we guarantee it.

$49.97

#19

Google Nest Smart Thermostat

While there are numerous WiFi smart thermostats available, none match the elegance and intuitive design of the Nest thermostat. With its variety of beautiful finishes, it stands out as a stylish addition to any home. Additionally, its programming capabilities allow for endless schedules and functionality, making it a top choice for energy-saving features.

$185.00

#20

Ring Smart Home Alarm Kit

Choosing Ring over a traditional company like ADT offers several advantages. With Ring, there are no multi-year contracts, giving you more flexibility. You can easily install the alarm system yourself to customize it to your exact needs—it operates on batteries and requires no wiring. Plus, you can avoid the hassle of pushy salesmen and feel confident that you’re not being overcharged. Additionally, having your alarm system and cameras all within the same Ring app adds convenience and seamless integration.

$199.99

#21

Roomba i7 Self-Cleaning Smart Robot Vacuum

The Roomba i7 distinguishes itself from the competition, including other Roomba models, by introducing self-cleaning capabilities, a first in the lineup. Additionally, it boasts home mapping functionality, enabling it to efficiently navigate and clean your home. You can also utilize the map to instruct the Roomba to clean specific areas or rooms as needed.

$649.00

#22

Kasa Smart Outdoor Plug

Don’t overlook the exterior of your home! Kasa’s smart outdoor plug provides convenient control and scheduling options for any outdoor device. For instance, you can program your exterior patio lights to turn on automatically every night at 7 pm. At the time of writing this article, Kasa stands out as the only trusted brand offering a smart outdoor plug, making them our top recommendation over lesser-known private label brands.

$29.00

#23

Google WiFi Mesh Network Routers

Google’s WiFi Router kit receives high praise for its ability to provide comprehensive home coverage, eliminating WiFi dead zones. Its ease of installation and intuitive user interface are also standout features. Additionally, the dedicated app allows you to monitor your internet speed, set up parental controls, track devices on your network, and much more, enhancing the overall user experience.

$144.49

#24

Amazon Smart Plug

We recommend Amazon’s smart plug for its seamless integration with the Alexa platform. In addition to this, it offers the standard smart functionality expected from a smart plug. While other trusted brands like Kasa or Wemo are available, opting for Amazon’s smart plug in this instance keeps everything within Alexa’s ecosystem, making setup and management even more straightforward.

$24.99

#25

Arlo Ultra 4K Wireless Outdoor Camera

The Arlo Ultra delivers stunning 4K high-definition footage in any weather condition. Connecting via your home’s WiFi, it operates on a rechargeable battery, eliminating the need for any electrical or network wiring—a truly hassle-free solution.

$549.00

#26

Amazon Echo Show

A voice-controlled hub is indispensable for any smart home. While there are numerous Alexa devices available, we recommend the Echo Show as your primary smart home controller due to its combination of a large screen and impressive speakers. If the Echo Show is beyond your budget, we highly recommend opting for the smaller yet similarly equipped Echo Show 5. Both devices offer a comprehensive smart home control experience.

$229.99

#27

Sonos Beam Smart TV Sound Bar

The Sonos Beam transcends being just a TV soundbar. It seamlessly connects to your TV, smartphone, or Alexa (with built-in Alexa capabilities, eliminating the need for an additional Alexa device if you don’t already own one), enhancing your TV’s audio quality and allowing you to stream music from your preferred music streaming service.

$475.00

#28

Alexa Fire TV Cube

The Fire TV Cube elevates your TV experience with the integration of Alexa. Say goodbye to the need for a remote, as you can perform various actions such as turning your TV on/off, changing channels, and more, all with voice commands. Additionally, the Fire TV Cube functions as a standard Alexa hub, allowing you to control all your other smart home devices, including smart lighting, cameras, and more, directly through Alexa commands.

$119.99

#29

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Ring has transformed the doorbell industry and remains a top choice for smart video doorbells. With Ring, you’ll receive alerts directly to your phone whenever someone is at your door, and you can customize motion settings to ensure that only relevant events trigger alerts—no more alerts from passing squirrels! Depending on your home setup, you can choose between the wired or battery-operated version of the Ring doorbell.

$199.00

#30

Ring Exterior Floodlight Camera

Since most homes are already pre-wired and equipped with floodlights, replacing them with a Ring floodlight camera shouldn’t pose too many challenges. With the Ring floodlight camera, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of a standard floodlight, along with motion detection, two-way talk, and even an alarm that you can activate to deter intruders. We recommend Ring over Nest primarily due to Ring’s more affordable and less bandwidth-intensive platform.

$179.99

#31

Roku Streaming Stick+

Roku’s streaming stick is the easiest way to make your TV smart. This tiny thumb drive looking hardware plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and provides access to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Spotify, HBO, Prime Video, etc. – just about every major channel can be found within the Roku ecosystem.

$51.99

#32

Amazon Alexa Echo Plus

The Echo Plus strikes a perfect balance, being compact enough to be discreetly placed anywhere, yet equipped with impressive hardware, including a 0.8″ tweeter and 3″ woofer, to deliver immersive, room-filling sound. If you’re not in need of a screen, the Echo Plus is the ideal Alexa device to invest in for an exceptional audio experience.

$149.99