Smart home devices
- Home
- Smart home devices
The Best Smart Thermostat
by Roy Furchgott
Smart thermostats like our pick, the Ecobee Premium, can make your home’s HVAC more energy efficient without sacrificing your comfort.
The Best Smart Doorbell Camera
by Rachel Cericola
A smart doorbell camera allows you to see who’s on the other side of your front door so you can screen visitors and package deliveries—even if you aren’t home.
The Best Indoor Security Camera
by Rachel Cericola
Security cameras keep a watchful eye on all your prized possessions—not only your stuff, but family and pets, too—and send an alert when motion is detected.
Seeing the Light: When to Use a Smart Bulb, Switch, or Plug
by Rachel Cericola
Smart lighting is easy. Picking out the best smart lighting for your needs isn’t. We show you when it’s best to choose smart bulbs, plugs, or in-wall switches.
6 Easy Smart Home Essentials for Renters
by Rachel Cericola
You don’t need to own your house to enjoy the magic and convenience of smart-home devices. These affordable devices allow any renter to smarten their place up.
The Best Outdoor Security Camera
by Rachel Cericola
An outdoor security camera can alert you to prowlers, package deliveries, and visitors, as well as animals in your trash and things that go bump in the night.
The Best In-Wall Smart Outlet
by Rachel Cericola
An in-wall smart outlet replaces a traditional electrical outlet and makes automation a permanent part of your home. Our pick is the Geeni Current+Charge.
Google Assistant Smart-Home Starter Kit
by Grant Clauser
If your smart speaker is a Google Home, here are the best devices that work with it.
The Best Smart Security Devices to Make Your New Home Feel Safe
by Rachel Cericola
New homeowners quickly discover that they also have new worries. These smart security devices provide peace of mind whether you’re home or away.
The Best Smart Home Devices to Help Aging in Place
by Rachel Cericola
Smart-home devices can make it easier for you to help an older loved one age safely and securely in their own home.
Got $15? You Can Have a Smart Home.
by Rachel Cericola
Smart devices are terrific problem solvers, and they’re no longer exotic, expensive, or complex. This low-cost collection makes it easy to make life more convenient.
Smart Home for Apartments and Renters
by Grant Clauser
These smart-home devices don’t need permanent installation, so you can take them with you when you move.
These 6 Gadgets Make Life Easier and More Energy Efficient
by Jon Chase
Smart devices make life more convenient, but many also make it easy to conserve energy and water use, too.
The Best Smart Strip Lights
by Rachel Cericola
Smart strip lights are flexible lengths of controllable LEDs that provide decorative lighting throughout your home. Here are the four sets we recommend.
The Best Smart Locks
by Jon Chase
A smart lock lets you go key-free and control your door remotely. Our pick, the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, isn’t the smartest lock, but it is sturdy, simple, and reliable.
The Best Smart LED Light Bulbs
by Megan Wollerton
These smart devices can transform the ambiance and comfort levels of any space in the time it takes to open an app and screw in a light bulb.
Why We’re Pausing Our Recommendation of Wyze Smart Home Devices
by Rachel Cericola and Jon Chase
Wyze doesn’t seem to understand its responsibility to customer security and privacy. We won’t review Wyze smart devices until it learns to do better.
The Best In-Wall Smart Light Switch and Dimmer
by Rachel Cericola
A smart dimmer works like a regular switch but makes it easy to put lights on a schedule, automate them with other devices, and control them remotely.
The Best Smart Plugs
by Rachel Cericola
A smart plug boosts the IQ of un-brainy devices like lamps, fans, or string lights, letting you schedule or control them by app or voice commands.
The Best Home Security System
by Rachel Cericola
A good home security system should make it easy to find peace of mind. It can alert you to an open door or window, frighten away prowlers, and call for help.
The Best Smart Garage Door Opener Controller
by Megan Wollerton
A smart garage-door opener controller provides remote control and alerts you whenever your garage opens or closes. Some can open automatically when you get home.
The Best Smart Water-Leak Detector
by Rachel Cericola
A smart water-leak detector can alert you to small plumbing leaks before they turn into big, expensive nightmares.
The Best Smart Smoke Alarm
by Roy Furchgott
Smart smoke alarms are pricey, but unlike traditional ones, they can alert you to a problem even when you’re not home. The Google Nest Protect is our pick.
The Best Smart Assistive Devices for People With Disabilities
by Rachel Cericola
For anyone with disabilities or mobility challenges, smart devices can be profoundly empowering and can enable more independent living.
Turns Out the Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder Is Terrific. Here’s Why, Plus Two Other Options.
by Rachel Cericola
Delight the bird voyeur in your life with a smart feeder that captures close-up videos and photos and can even identify what species visit.
The Best Security Cameras for Your Home
by Rachel Cericola
Wi-Fi security cameras can help protect your family and possessions. We’ve reviewed and picked the best models for every area of your home.
The Best Smart Home Devices for Apple HomeKit and Siri
by Jon Chase
HomeKit is a straightforward smart-home system for anyone who uses Apple devices. Here’s how it works and our pick of the best compatible smart devices.
How Wirecutter Vets the Security and Privacy of Smart Home Devices
by Rachel Cericola
Worry that your smart-home devices may be acting sneaky? So do we. Our reviews dig into privacy and security so you can feel better about our recommendations.
The Best Smart Sensors for Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home
by Eric Chiu
These tiny devices are smart home helpers. They detect and alert you about motion, temperature, or open or closed doors and windows—and they can tell other smart devices to act.
The Best Smart Sprinkler Timer
by Megan Wollerton
A smart sprinkler timer transforms a regular home irrigation system into an automated one that optimizes water usage and better ensures the health of your greenery.
The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
by Nena Farrell and Signe Brewster
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) and Google Nest Hub Max are the best smart displays. They have big screens for video chat, TV, or recipes, and great speakers, too.
The Best Google Nest Smart Speakers
by Nena Farrell
The Google Nest line of smart speakers makes it easy to access music, audio, trivia, and in some cases video, all by voice commands to Google Assistant.
Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Lifestyle Picks of 2023
by Wirecutter Staff
Here are some of the most popular home and lifestyle Wirecutter picks from 2023.
I Cheated on My Clock Radio With an Echo Dot. I’m Never Going Back.
by Jon Chase
A balky clock radio was killing our morning wake-up mojo. An Echo Dot with a clock was the replacement that solved our woes.
We've Been Reviewing Smart Thermostats for Years. A Nest Thermostat Has Always Been One of Our Favorites.
by Grant Clauser
Nest thermostats are the gateway to smart-home life.
The Cure for Stolen Packages Is Here, If Only Delivery People Would Use It
by Rachel Cericola
Smart delivery boxes keep packages safe and alert you when they arrive. But in our testing, we found that they’re useful only if the delivery person uses them.