Early adopters who got into smart home products when the category first began emerging can’t imagine life without connected gadgets. But many people are intimidated by this relatively new category of devices, and they’ve stayed away as a result. If you’re looking to dip a toe in the water but you’re not sure where to begin, we’ll show you three fantastic smart home devices to get you started!
Best smart thermostat: Nest Learning Thermostat
A smart thermostat is the perfect place to begin because it’s a product that literally pays for itself. The Nest Learning Thermostat in particular learns from your patterns and monitors your presence so it can constantly make adjustments to your heating and AC systems. You end up saving hundreds of dollars each year on your energy bill as a result… and it’s also pretty cool to be able to adjust the temperature in your home right from your smartphone or tablet.
Best smart lighting: Philips Hue
Smart LED light bulbs are also great for smart home newbies because they’re so versatile but they’re also easy to install. If you can screw in a light bulb, you can install a smart light… literally. The Philips Hue A19 LED Smart Bulb Starter Kit is a great way to get a feel for what Philips Hue has to offer. It includes two color bulbs and a hub, so you can control them with the Hue app or even with your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant integration.
Best home security camera: Wyze Cam Pan
People in search of a home security camera that checks every conceivable box but still manages to be affordable will find that the Wyze Cam Pan is the best option currently available. For a fraction of what big-name brands charge for a normal 1080p security cam, the Wyze Cam Pan adds the ability to pan and zoom remotely from the app, and the camera can be set to automatically track movement and record video. Despite the shockingly low price point, the Wyze Cam Pan includes an unprecedented 14 days of cloud storage for free.
More options:
- Echo Dot. Control all your smart home devices using nothing but your voice with Amazon’s most compact Alexa smart speaker.
- All-New Echo Plus. The high-quality sound makes this is a great option for people who want an Alexa speaker to stream music in addition controlling their smart home gadgets.
- Arlo Pro Wireless Home Security Camera System. The most robust features and the best quality video you’ll find in a wireless camera.
- Tend Insights Lynx Indoor 2. An affordable home security camera with advanced facial recognition features.
- Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell. This is the doorbell of the future, allowing you to see who’s at your door from anywhere in the world.
