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The Best Smart Phone Devices of 2017
Home automation is exactly what it sounds like: automating the ability to control items around the house—from window shades to pet feeders—with a simple push of a button (or a voice command). Some activities, like setting up a lamp to turn on and off at your whim, are simple and relatively inexpensive. Others, like advanced surveillance cameras, may require a more serious investment of time and money.
There are many smart home product categories, so you can control everything from lights and temperature to locks and security in your home. Here's a rundown of the best products we've tested for every room of the house.
Hubs & Controllers
The Echo is a Bluetooth speaker powered by Alexa, Amazon's handy voice assistant. Alexa works with a number of smart home devices directly, as well as with If This Then That (IFTTT) to control plenty of others via "recipes" you can create yourself. It'll take some work, but you can use Alexa to control most of the gadgets in your house by the sound of your voice. If you already have a favorite speaker, the inexpensive Echo Dot can connect to it and add Alexa functionality. And if you want a touch screen to see search results and make video calls, check out the Echo Show.
Wink Hub 2
Wink Hub 2
Our current Editors' Choice for home automation hubs, the Wink Hub 2 works with devices that use Z-Wave, ZigBee, Lutron Clear Connect, Kidde, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. It is also for the future. That includes just about everything in the smart home spectrum, from Philips Hue lighting and the Netgear Arlo camera, to Google Home. It's the most reliable, widely supported hub we've tested.
Logitech Harmony Elite
Logitech Harmony Elite
Don't like talking and prefer controlling things the old fashioned way: by pushing buttons? The Logitech Harmony Elite is the ultimate universal remote for a reason: it controls a lot more than just TV and stereo. The pricey unit connects with the included Harmony Home Hub to control other Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, or infrared devices in your house.
When we reviewed the Netgear Arlo back in 2015, we loved that it was completely wireless, weatherproof, and easy to install, but were disappointed that it lacked any audio capabilities. The Netgear Arlo Pro not only adds two-way audio, it offers sound-triggered recording. Other new features include rechargeable batteries, a base station with a loud siren, and USB connectivity for storing video locally on a USB drive. You don't need to pay a pricey subscription to view recordings that are stored in the cloud, and its wireless capabilities give you much more flexibility when deciding where to place your cameras than most competitors.
LG Smart Security Wireless Camera LHC5200WI (With ADT Canopy)
LG Smart Security Wireless Camera LHC5200WI (With ADT Canopy)
Indoor Wi-Fi security cameras offer a cost-effective way to keep tabs on your home while you're away, but unless they're paired with a comprehensive security system, it's up to you to monitor activities and call the authorities in the event of a break-in. Enter the LG Smart Security Wireless Camera, an indoor Wi-Fi camera that offers 24/7 monitoring via ADT's Canopy service. This camera is ideal for renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners who want the benefit of professional monitoring without having to commit to a contract or pay for professional installation.
Tend Secure Lynx Indoor
Tend Secure Lynx Indoor
The Tend Secure Lynx Indoor is proof that good things do indeed come in small packages. This pint-sized home surveillance camera not only delivers colorful 1080p video and sharp night vision, it's chock-full of features including motion triggered-notifications and recordings, two-way audio, free cloud storage, and facial recognition technology. All this, plus a $60 price tag, make it our top pick for affordable home surveillance cameras.
Nest Cam Outdoor
Nest Cam Outdoor
The Nest Cam Outdoor is essentially the same camera as its popular indoor model, but with a weatherproof enclosure and power cord. Otherwise it's pretty much identical in features—it uses Wi-Fi to send a full-time video signal (up to 1080p) you can monitor via the Web or mobile apps. It also provides alerts for motion (in zones you set) or audio. Pay for the Nest Aware subscription and you'll get days of video stored online that turn into clips you can watch whenever you like.
Check out The Best Home Security Cameras for more.
Locks and Home Security Systems
August Smart Lock HomeKit Enabled
HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock
The big names in door locks have smart home options, but they haven't pulled it off as well as upstart August. Its easy-to-install, Apple HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock mounts over your existing deadbolt switch to provide connectivity for your door. It speaks via Bluetooth to your smartphone, granting quick access to you or guests. The latest version integrates tightly with Apple devices, but still has support from other services like IFTTT.
See The Best Smart Locks for more.
ADT Pulse
ADT Pulse+Video
If you're looking for a mature provider when it comes to smart home security, you've probably heard of ADT. While ADT Pulse is certainly much more expensive than a DIY system, it offers capabilities those systems simply can't, including 24/7 monitoring and customer support. It's the most complete, full-featured home security system we've tested, and doubles as an automation platform for your other smart home devices.
Abode Home Security Starter Kit
Abode Home Security Starter Kit
If you prefer a DIY approach to smartening up your home security, check out the Abode Home Security Starter Kit. Abode finds the sweet spot between a basic self-monitored DIY security system and a professionally installed and monitored solution. The system is easy to install and can be paired with dozens of Z-Wave and ZigBee smart home products including door locks, lights, and smart switches, as well as Nest devices, to provide whole house coverage. It also supports Amazon Alexa voice commands and IFTTT recipes.
See The Best Smart Home Security Systems for more.
Heating and Cooling
Nest 3rd gen
The Nest Learning Thermostat has built-in Wi-Fi so you can remotely control the temperature from phone, tablet, or PC. This latest generation also has a larger display and a few more sensors than its predecessors, in addition to geofencing support and a furnace monitor.
For more, see Nest Tips to Help You Take Control of Your Smart Home.
Ecobee3 Smart WiFi Thermostat
As nice as the Nest is, it's not our only top pick. The Ecobee3 Smart WiFi Thermostat is another stylish device you can control remotely. It's not dependent on just monitoring home temperature from one spot—it checks multiple sensors in multiple rooms.
Hisense 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With Wi-Fi
Hisense 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With Wi-Fi
Available exclusively at Lowe's and designed for small to medium spaces, the Hisense 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With Wi-Fi can be controlled using your smartphone and easily moved from room to room. At $369 it's a bit more expensive than most similarly powered non-connected portable air conditioners, and it doesn't work with other smart home devices. But it's very quiet, easy to install, and does a great job of cooling. And it stays connected to your Wi-Fi network much more reliably than other options we've tested.
Lighting
Philips Hue Bulbs
Want complete wireless supremacy over the lights in your home? The Philips Hue line delivers with bulbs that let you control not only the intensity of the light, but also the color. It can get pricey, to be sure, but the Hue ecosystem has been around long enough that it works with just about every other system out there, from Alexa, to IFTTT, to Siri (using the Philips Hue Bridge 2.0). Not interested in colorful lights but still want that incredible granular control over an all-white bulb? Philips has the Hue White coming in at an almost bargain price, at least for smart bulbs.
Check out The Best Smart Light Bulbs for more connected lighting options.
Cooking
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Wi-Fi
Anova Wi-Fi
If you're interested in sous vide cooking—where food sealed in plastic is immersed in a hot bath to cook to perfection—you need an immersion circulator to get started. The Anova Culinary Precision Cooker uses Wi-Fi connectivity so you control it from anywhere, even when you're not home. A big dial lets you set the desired temperature to within a tenth of a degree, display shows the set and current water temperature, and an app keeps you notified of the cooking process every step of the way. It makes cooking sous vide as simple as can be.
For a different approach to sous vide cooking that doesn't use water, check out the Cinder Grill.
Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker with SmartChef Technology
Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker with SmartChef Technology
When it comes to smoking ribs or other meats in the backyard, you've typically got two choices, charcoal or gas, and neither is perfect. It's possible that the Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker is, since you control the temp remotely, using apps for iOS or Android. You just wait for the app to tell you when the food is ready. Inside there is 725 square inches of cooking space on four chrome racks that are easy to clean. Fill the smoker box with wood chips and it will work for nearly seven hours without a refill.
Check out The Best Gadgets for High-Tech Grilling for more.
June Intelligent Oven
June Intelligent Oven
The June is a smart countertop oven that comes with an array of high-tech features including Wi-Fi, a camera, and artificial intelligence that allow it to weigh, monitor, and cook just about anything without requiring much input from you at all. All you have to do is pop in what you want to eat, wait until the oven asks if the food is indeed what it thinks it is, select how you'd like it cooked, and let it do its thing. The results are spectacular for fish, meat, vegetables, and even Eggo waffles.
Perfect Bake Pro
Perfect Bake Pro
The Perfect Bake Pro takes out the guess work and risk when baking. It's a baking scale connected to an app to help newbies (and seasoned bakers alike) get everything just right when it comes to kitchen chemistry. Just follow the app as the scale measures everything you add. As long as you can tell salt from sugar, you're probably going to be just fine.
See The Best Smart Kitchen Appliances for more connected cooking gear.
Cleaning
Eufy RoboVac 11
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With high-end models going for as much as $1,000, robot vacuums aren't exactly an expense that's easy to justify. So it's a pleasant surprise that the Eufy RoboVac 11 is a quiet, efficient robotic vacuum cleaner that costs just $219.99, an absolute bargain by market standards. It lacks the Wi-Fi connectivity you find in pricier bots, and you'll occasionally need to rescue it from tricky-to-navigate areas, but when it comes to cleaning, the RoboVac 11 does its job quite well. If you don't need a lot of bells and whistles, it delivers strong bang for your buck.
iRobot Roomba 690
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Roomba is practically synonymous with robot vacuums, but what many people don't know is that there isn't just one definitive model. The line spans from the $375 Roomba 690 to the $900 Roomba 980. The $700 Roomba 960 falls somewhere in the middle, though obviously its price puts its closer to the high end. It shares many of the same features with the top-of-the-line 980—like a camera for navigation, a smartphone app with detailed cleaning reports and maps, and Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control—but comes with only one virtual wall and has a slightly less powerful motor. That makes it a stronger value in our eyes, and our Editors' Choice for high-end robot vacuums.
iRobot Braava Jet 240
A vacuuming robot isn't enough these days. Don't you want your floors mopped clean as well? iRobot's relatively inexpensive Braava Jet 240 will do exactly that. It's small, quiet, and perfect for apartment dwellers without a lot of floor space or time to clean it when they get home. It sprays a jet of water to clean deep, and can even do damp sweeping, like a Swiffer.
Read The Best Robot Vacuums for more.
Health and Fitness
QardioBase Smart Scale
QardioBase
Using technology at home to make you healthier just makes good sense. For tracking fat, BMI, water, muscle mass, bone composition, and even pregnancy, look no further than the QardioBase Smart Scale. It shares the info it reads with a smartphone app for your easy access. Plus, it just looks great.
See The Best Smart Bathroom Scales for more.
Outdoor
Polaris 9650iQ
Polaris 9650iQ Sport
When we first tested robotic pool cleaners, the Polaris 9550 Sport took top honors thanks to its superb cleaning performance, easy-to-clean debris canister, and multiple programming options. The new Polaris 9650iQ Sport brings more of the same, only this time it offers Wi-Fi connectivity and a useful mobile app that lets you control the cleaner from your smartphone. It's expensive at $1,499, but if you'd rather spend more time swimming in your pool than you do cleaning it, it's worth every penny.
Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller Generation 2
Rachio Smart Sprinkler Generation 2
The second-gen Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller gives you control over eight or 16 zones depending on the unit you get, with a master valve terminal for systems that have one. It won't water the lawn if it's raining, and you can turn it on and off remotely with your phone. Plus, it integrates with lots of other services and devices like Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Samsung SmartThings.
Robomow RS622
Robomow RS622 profile
Robot lawn mowers don't come cheap, but they definitely come in handy. Check out the Robomow RS622 or one of its siblings for different sized lawns. This model is good for handling up to 23,000 square feet—once you go through the process of setting up a perimeter to let the mower go on its automated cutting pattern. Its dual two-season cutting blades spin at 4,000 rpm, mulching grass back into the soil so there's no need for cleaning up or dumping bags of grass.
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