The Best Smart Home Products to Start With

There are so many smart home products out there, and all of them offer big advantages for homeowners and renters who are looking for more utility out of their devices.

Of course, if you’re just dipping your toes in the water for the first time, it can be hard to know where to start. Many smart home systems are interconnected, meaning that various devices integrate with each other for added features and benefits. But it’s also possible to design a fully functional system of separate smart home products, each of them bringing to the table their own features for intelligent whole-home solutions in the realm of security, energy use, and convenience. It’s enough to send anyone down an endless Google rabbit hole.

For smart home newbies, the best bet is usually to start with one or two devices and then build up from there. And to get the ball rolling, we’ve gathered information on today’s top smart home products—including advice on how to choose what works best for your needs.

Smart Speakers

Couldn’t we all use a personal assistant? Smart home assistants have grown sharply in popularity—and in functionality—over the past few years, and are often the first type of device that people invest in. And to get the most out of them, you need a smart speaker that’s compatible with your AI-assistant of choice, and that offers superior sound quality.

Here’s some of what’s available:

Amazon Echo – $99.99

Pros: Affordable iteration in the Amazon Echo line, with good sound quality at a lower price point.
Cons: Missing some features of other Amazon Echo products, including built-in hub and temperature sensor.

Apple HomePod – $349

Pros: Good sound quality and sleek, streamlined design.
Cons: Only works with Siri.

Google Home Max – $399

Pros: Exceptional audio performance and can be integrated as part of a whole-home audio system.
Cons: Heavy, and not meant to be portable.

Sonos One – $199

Pros: Multi-room audio capabilities and can pair with various AI assistants.
Cons: Unlike other Sonos speakers, there is no Bluetooth connectivity.

Smart Doorbells

Think of a smart doorbell like caller ID for your front door. These devices allow you to see and talk to people standing outside your entrance, and can be connected to smart door locks for complete control over who’s coming in and out. They also offer added front door security, since you always have insight on who’s coming and going.

Here’s some of what’s available:

Arlo Video Doorbell – $130.99

Pros: Easy installation and a wide-view angle
Cons: Requires monthly subscription for some features.

Eufy Video Doorbell – $159.99

Pros: High-resolution video and smart motion detection capabilities.
Cons: Doesn’t integrate with other Eufy or third-party smart home products.

Nest Hello – $229

Pros: Face recognition and motion and sound detection.
Cons: Many features require monthly Nest Aware subscription.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro – $119.99

Pros: On-demand streaming and support for IFTTT and Alexa voice commands.
Cons: Costs extra to access recorded video.

Smart Door Locks

Smart door locks pair with your smartphone to allow you to lock and unlock your front door no matter where you are. Control access to your home while also getting the convenience of keyless entry—plus an easy way to let in your dog walker, in-laws, or anyone else who needs occasional access.

Here’s some of what’s available:

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock – $249

Pros: Can integrate with IFTTT, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and other smart home systems.
Cons: Limited battery life.

Nest x Yale Lock – $246.99

Pros: Easy installation and provides you with a timeline of who has locked and unlocked the door.
Cons: No voice activation or IFTTT integration capabilities.

SimpliSafe Smart Lock – $99

Pros: Very affordable and uses existing lock hardware.
Cons: Requires SimpliSafe security system and many features also require a monthly subscription.

Wyze Lock – $108

Pros: Low price point and easy to install.
Cons: Doesn’t integrate with other Wyze or third-party smart home products.

Smart Thermostats

One of the best smart home advancements has got to be smart thermostats, which help regulate heating and cooling in your home for added energy efficiency and lower monthly bills. Control your home’s temperature right from your phone, and consider upgrading to a self-programmable iteration, which modifies temperatures throughout the day depending on what areas of your home are or aren’t being used.

Here’s some of what’s available:

EcoBee 4 – $329.99

Pros: Remote wireless sensor regulates hot and cold spots in a room and device is compatible with other connected smart home products.
Cons: Voice control feature can get spotty.

Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat with Sensor – $199.99

Pros: Dual-band wifi for more reliable connectivity and compatible with Alexa, Cortana, and Google voice commands.
Cons: Doesn’t integrate with other Honeywell smart home products or Apple HomeKit.

Lux Kono Smart Thermostat – $69.99

Pros: Super affordable and works with HomeKit and other voice platforms.
Cons: Can’t integrate device with other smart home products.

Nest Learning Thermostat – $249

Pros: Ten temperature sensors plus humidity and activity sensors plus built-in auto scheduling.
Cons: No remote wireless sensors and interface takes some work to master.

Smart Home Security

Home security has come a long way since the days of whole-home wired systems with costly long-term contracts. Today’s smart home security products are either wireless or minimally wired, and many function without monthly plans. You also have the option of taking your system with you when you move, instead of having to leave it behind.

Here’s some of what’s available:

Abode Iota – $299

Pros: Easy to install, free cloud storage, and professional monitoring available.
Cons: Additional components sold separately instead of in one kit.

Nest Secure Alarm Starter Pack – $399

Pros: Easy to install and includes multi-purpose motion sensors.
Cons: Doesn’t work with certain third-party smart home products, including IFTTT and Alexa.

Ring Alarm Security Kit – $199

Pros: Able to effectively self-monitor or pay low monthly cost for professional monitoring.
Cons: Base package doesn’t include all features, such as two-way audio.

SimpliSafe Home Security System – $229 to $489

Pros: No long-term contract and low-cost monthly monitoring fees.
Cons: Doesn’t offer facial recognition and camera doesn’t offer the best resolution.

Choosing Smart Home Products

The products above are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s available, but all of them are good choices for anyone who’s just getting started in building out a smart home. Beyond these devices, there are also lots of other options for bringing more intelligence to your home, including:

    • Smart lighting
    • Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
    • Smart power strips and outlets
    • Smart vacuums

    So how do you choose? Here are some quick tips for selecting the smart home devices that are a good fit for your home and what you’re trying to achieve.

    Consider compatibility. If you have a whole-home system in mind, you’ll need to be sure that all of your smart home products are compatible. Start with a device that offers flexibility in terms of product integration and then build out from there. To make it easy, you may just want to stick with one product suite, such as the pre-designed whole home systems from companies like Nest and SimpliSafe.

    Don’t forget your AI. Can’t live without Alexa, Siri, or another assistant? Be sure that any device you choose integrates with that specific platform. You’d be surprised how much variance there is out there in terms of which assistants are able to function with which devices.

    Put together a big-picture budget. When it comes to how much you spend on your devices, consider both the initial cost for purchase as well as the cost for maintenance. Are there monthly subscription fees? Contracts? Installation fees? All of these need to be kept in mind when you’re determining how much you want to spend in total on your system.

    The world of products for a more intelligently-designed home is getting bigger by the day. So whether you’re looking for convenience, security, or just fun with futuristic tech, you have plenty of options—and many more on the way. As a bonus, many of these products are as beneficial for renters as they are for homeowners, since wireless connectivity allows you to enjoy smart features without having to install any sort of major, permanent systems.

    Learn more about available smart home devices here, and consider taking a gradual approach to updates, picking and choosing items as needed until you end up with a system that runs the gamut for you with compatibility and functions. With so many options out there, you should have no trouble finding devices that match your budget, your lifestyle, and your home.