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With more than hundreds of millions of compatible devices, Alexa is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive smart home ecosystems available today. While you have likely heard of using Alexa in Eco-speaker form (“Alexa, what’s the weather today?”), you might not know that Alexa is now built into plenty of other smart products, including thermostats and TVs. Are becoming more and more common in homes these days, and if you want to get one too, you'll want to get the best smart speaker for you. The process of buying a new smart speaker can seem a little intimidating since there are so many options that vary in price, size and audio quality, each one with its own voice assistant.
The Spark Grill is another excellent option that relies on convenient compressed charcoal panel. With the ability to track your sleep in addition to all of the voice control capacity of the original, the second-generation Nest Hub smart display is an ideal bedside companion for Google Assistant users. The Cosori Smart 5.8-Quart Air Fryer crisps up fresh and frozen foods in a flash, with little to no added oil, and works with an app and voice commands.
Cove Home Security System
Where most smart speakers are content to listen to a voice command now and then and pump out a little music to keep the kids happy, the Sonos One smart speaker doesn’t settle for mediocrity. This smart speaker comes from a brand known for its speakers, so you can rest assured you’re going to get sound that blows the many $30-$40 smart speakers on the market out of the water. At $200, it may be expensive, but it can actually serve as part of a stereo or surround sound setup, and it has a lot going on that justifies the price. The Wyze Plug Outdoor is a weatherproof dual-outlet smart plug that offers phone and voice control, energy reporting, and lots of integration with third-party devices for just $12. The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 is a smart surge protector with six outlets you can independently control via your phone or voice.
Plenty of smart lock models are available, including keyless no-touch locks, touch-screen locks, combination keyed and touchpad locks, and locks you can open via a biometric fingerprint reader. Monitoring for professionally installed systems tends to be more expensive. I’m PCMag’s executive editor of reviews, steering our coverage to make sure we're testing the products you're interested in buying and telling you whether they're worth it. I previously managed the consumer electronics reviews team, and before that I covered mobile, smart home, and wearable technology for PCMag and Gigaom. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. The plug-and-play assembly allows you to slip the August lock directly onto your existing deadbolt, meaning you won’t have to pull apart any of your existing door lock’s hardware.
Our favorite smart switch so you can turn off the lights from bed
So if you've ever wanted to bundle your PlayStation 4, Sonos or Netflix, and basic TV controls with the rest of your smart home, you can do it. It doesn't quite have the simplicity and ease-of-use of some of the other options here, but it definitely suits tinkerers who want to take more control over what their smart home gadgets are busy doing. You can also use IFTTT as an extra add-on to whatever major smart home platform you've chosen. The smart home systems listed above are the ones that you're most likely to encounter as you seek out kit for your connected abode, but they are by no means the only players in the game. One of the more recent features to show off the power of Google Assistant is translation on the Nest Hub devices. The best idea is to size up your home and the number of doors/windows you want to cover, and go from there.
The Hydrow is more expensive, but it's one of the most luxurious smart rowing machines you can buy, combining top-of-the-line equipment with live streaming workouts. Our favorite connected bathroom tech can even help you earn an A+ at your next dentist visit. The Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected costs as much as a cleaning, but it's the best smart toothbrush you can buy, offering a useful app with guided brushing and a built-in timer. Once you settle on a recipe, the top smart kitchen appliances can help you with every step of the cooking process. The Anova Precision Oven lets you bake, roast, slow cook, sous vide, and steam food to perfection, making it one the smartest countertop ovens you can buy.
Wink Hub
The MYX II, a more affordable alternative, emphasizes personalized heart rate zone training. Instilling good oral hygiene habits in kids can sometimes feel like pulling teeth, but the Colgate Magik can help with that. Designed for children five to 10 years old, the Magik is a manual toothbrush that works with an augmented reality smartphone app that turns a twice-daily chore into a fun game. As they brush, children work to scrub away Cavity Monsters and earn diamonds that can be used to unlock fun, Snapchat-like AR face masks and new worlds. The third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat stands out for its ability to program itself. During your first week of use, it learns your heating and cooling preferences throughout the day and night, then automatically sets up a personalized schedule.
After upgrading, you'll never have to get up off the couch to flip the light switch again. Beyond offering greater convenience than traditional bulbs, smart lights use less energy and last longer, so they can save you money in the long run. For those times you want to check whether it's a delivery person or an unwanted solicitor knocking on your door, a video doorbell will let you see who's there without getting up from the couch. Beyond this convenience, video doorbells can serve as the first line of defense against property theft, home invasion, and porch pirates.
Brilliant Smart Dimmer Switch ($69.99 — available in Q1
If you prefer Alexa, our favorite smart display for the bedroom is the second-generation Echo Show 5. It won't track your sleep, but it features a camera for video calls and remote home monitoring. After the CDC announced new stay-at-home orders, many people found themselves adopting reformed schedules, adding daily to-do lists and learning to work from home.
An option for those who want to define everything about their smart home system and have deep pockets. IFTTT isn't really a fully-fledged smart home platform but can connect smart home devices together. It works using 'Applets' made up of triggers ("if this") that then result in actions ("then that") – if it's 9am, switch on the smart home lights, for example. Available for a number of years, these web-connected controllers use Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave to control the smart home gear in your home, including Nest products.
The Nanit Pro Complete Monitoring System requires deep pockets, but it's among the best smart baby monitors we've tested, especially for first-time and/or nervous parents. It records your baby's sleep and wake times down to the minute, which can help you narrow down a bedtime for your little cherub. It can also alert you if your baby stops breathing to preempt the possibility of sudden infant death syndrome.
These smaller speakers won't blow you away, but it's a nice extra feature. You'll be able to set up the speakers in your Google Home app and tell Google which speaker is right and which is left. If you'd like to learn each one's pros and cons, and decide on a smart home device by platform.
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