Best Smart Home Devices for 2018

Last modified on October 19th, 2018 at 2:56 pm

Created on: January 5, 2018 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ Smart Home

Amazon Echo (2017)

Best smart speaker

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
Alexa’s new flagship smart speaker is better than the first one — and it costs a lot less, too.



Amazon Cloud Cam

Best indoor security camera

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The Amazon Cloud Cam’s crisp 1080p HD live feed, prompt motion notifications and free 24-hour clip storage set a new value standard for indoor home security cameras.



Lifx Mini Wi-Fi Smart Bulb

Best color-changing smart bulbs

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The Lifx Mini puts out plenty of light, and offers all of the colors, features, and integrations that you get with standard-size Lifx bulbs at a lower cost.



Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit

Best White LED smart bulbs

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit lets you enjoy all of the benefits of Hue’s well-connected platform and, for just $15 each, you can add extras to your set up. The bulbs are also pretty good looking and have easy-to-use smart controls.



Ecobee4

Best smart thermostat

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The Ecobee4 has a responsive display, a remote sensor and tons of smart integrations, including a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker. It is unmatched on the market.



August Smart Lock, HomeKit-enabled

Best retrofit smart lock

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
August’s Smart Lock adds smarts to the deadbolt you already have. Its simple interface, integration with HomeKit, and reliability earned it an Editor’s Choice.



Nest Hello

Best smart doorbell

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
Nest’s Hello video doorbell looks great and works consistently well. Its optional facial recognition feature and advanced integrations with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Google Home speakers set this smart buzzer above the rest.



Netgear Arlo Pro

Best outdoor security camera

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
Netgear’s Arlo Pro works indoors and outdoors, you get seven days of free event-based cloud storage and its rechargeable battery is supposed to last for up to six months.



Belkin WeMo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug

Best smart plug

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
With full Alexa and Google Home compatibility, the $35 Belkin WeMo Mini is a great smart-home starter gadget.



Lutron Caseta In-Wall Wireless Smart Light…

Best in-wall switches

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
Lutron’s are the best-performing, most fully-featured smart switches currently available, and well worth the money if you’re serious about connected lighting.



Nest Protect (second generation)

A new Nest device to Protect what matters most

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
Nest Labs leans into its strengths with this follow-up to its famously recalled connected smoke and CO detector.



D-Link Wi-Fi Water Sensor

Best smart flood sensor

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The D-Link sensor plugs into the wall, so you don’t need batteries. Plus, it works using Wi-Fi, so it will send your phone push notifications without the extra expense of a smart home hub.



Neato Botvac Connected Robot Vacuum

Best robot vacuum

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
The Neato Botvac Connected boasts the best performance of any bot vac we’ve tested. It’s not cheap, but with the price comes an intuitive app with remote control. Who doesn’t want that?



Lutron Serena Remote Controlled Shades

Best smart home shades

Editors’ Rating : 8.5 –
Design : 8.5 – Features : 9 – Performance : 9 – Sound qual. : 7.5 –
If you’re looking for smart shades with a lot of features and flexibility, Lutron’s Serena Shades are the best bet. You can schedule them, control them remotely via an app, and even use Siri to open or close them. Just be ready for a big investment.



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