Home LivingSmart Home3 essential smart home products for beginnersIf you’re looking to turn your house into a smart home, these are the best three places to startWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart Home3 essential smart home products for beginnersIf you’re looking to turn your house into a smart home, these are the best three places to startWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
If you’re looking to turn your house into a smart home, these are the best three places to start
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Amazon)
(Image credit: Amazon)
But where do you start? With so many different products on the market, it can be tough to know what you need. Fortunately, it’s easy to start small. Today, I’m collating a handful of the best options for kicking off your smart home.
One quick note before we start though. When you’re looking at smart home products, you’ll likely come across something calledMatter. That’s a new universal communication standard for smart home devices – think of it like how early phones all used SMS, regardless of brand. If something is Matter compatible, you’ll be good to use it with whatever system you run your home on.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into some products.
1. Smart Speaker
If there’s one smart home device you probably already own, it’s asmart speaker. Classic models like theAmazon Echoand theGoogle Nest Minihave become mainstays in most modern homes, proving digital assistance and audio playback.
If you do already have one – great! You can jump ahead to point two. If not, it’s well worth investing in one. They’re relatively inexpensive, and can be really useful. For example, mine is used as an alarm clock, and can also give updates on the weather for the day.
And, if nothing else, it’s a simple solution for adding music to the room.
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2. Video Doorbell
If the smart speaker is the device you’re most likely to already own, avideo doorbellis a close second. These have surged in popularity in recent years, as the double whammy of security and anytime access have proved popular.
Users can be notified on their phone when someone is at the door. That means you can respond even if you’re in another room, or out and about. Plus, if you’re somewhere where you might not have traditionally heard the bell, you’ll still get notified.
Again, there are a number of options here. The Ring Video Doorbell and Nest Doorbell are both great choices. There are also options for wired and wireless options across the industry – the latter is perfect for those who are less DIY inclined!
3. Smart Plugs
The process of building a smart home can feel daunting. For some, that could be because of the amount of ‘dumb’ devices in the home. Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Smart plugsallow you to turn just about anything into a smart product. Simply plug the device into the smart plug, and that into the socket, for controllable automation over just about anything.
You could automate thekettleto turn on when you get home, so it’s ready for a cuppa when you get to the kitchen. Or, use it to turn on or off lamps that don’t have smart functionality. The options really are endless.
Today’s best beginner smart home productsAmazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all pricesGoogle Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all pricesRing Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best beginner smart home productsAmazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all pricesGoogle Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all pricesRing Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best beginner smart home productsAmazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all pricesGoogle Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all pricesRing Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best beginner smart home products
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all pricesGoogle Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all pricesRing Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)$49.99ViewSee all prices
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
$49.99View
$49.99
$49.99
See all prices
Google Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all prices
Google Nest Mini$44.99ViewSee all prices
Google Nest Mini
Google Nest Mini
$44.99View
$44.99
$44.99
See all prices
Ring Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all prices
Ring Video Doorbell 4$219.99$159.99ViewSee all prices
Ring Video Doorbell 4
Ring Video Doorbell 4
$219.99$159.99View
$219.99$159.99
$159.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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