Here at Tom's Guide, we review and test out the best smart home devices throughout the year. From the best smart lights to smart thermostats , these connected gadgets are rapidly evolving thanks to advanced sensors and AI learning capabilities that identify your habits. This helps them automatically create a more convenient and connected living space.
You can see this in something as simple as the way the best robot vacuums study your environment and suggest cleaning schedules. On the other hand, a smart thermostat or motion sensor adjusts climate and lighting when you enter or leave a room. Meanwhile, the rise of universal protocol Matter connects each device seamlessly so they're easy to control and talk regardless of brand. With all of these advancements, we're not far off from the ambient, self-serving smart home of the future.
More than nifty controls or personalization, we're close to the always-anticipating smart home that's ready to meet your needs before you even know you have them. Here’s a room-by-room look at how you can use smart home technology in your house today and where it will likely go in the future.
Living Room: Your central entertainment and control hub
(Image credit: Daybetter)
Smart TVs and Entertainment Systems
With Google, LG, and Samsung's latest TVs moonlighting as smart home hubs, you’ll find these big ultra-high-definition panels useful beyond shows and games. AI-driven recommendation engines like those found on the new Google TV experience will curate personalized content to save you time on picking out what to watch. Meanwhile, you can check the status of laundry or a meal in the oven at a glance. Even better: you can pull up security camera feeds on the fly and have live picture-in-picture views pop up on the screen when someone rings your video doorbell. The streaming devices below to add smart home controls to your existing TVs.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: was $59 now $39 @ Amazon The Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers incredible performance and faster app load times. With support for tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, it's perfect for users with advanced routers and fast internet speeds. If you want a Fire TV streaming device, this is the one to get and it's never been cheaper. View Deal
Chromecast with Google TV: $49 @ Amazon All the Chromecast really needed, if you ask us, was a remote and some apps. And the 4K Chromecast with Google TV delivered those two standards. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Dolby Atmos (via passthrough HDMI), so your shows and movies will look and sound great. View Deal
Smart speakers and displays
Voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into our daily routines, controlling everything from lighting and temperature to the content on your TV. Now, they're more versatile with built-in sensors that can trigger smart home automations when a room's temperature or occupancy changes. In the future, more smart speakers will provide immersive sound experiences that adapt to the room's acoustics, much like the Apple HomePod or Bose’s smart soundbars do today. On the other hand, smart displays feature cameras for surveillance and video calls while pulling up visual information on the fly.
Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) with multi-color smart light: was $169 now $104 @ Amazon The Echo Show 8 is one of the best smart displays in terms of bang for your buck. Its sharp 13MP lens has a wide-angle lens that can center you when you're on video calls. Combine this with speedy performance, improved speakers and a dedicated Zigbee smart home hub and you have our favorite smart display Amazon has made at a great value. View Deal
Apple HomePod 2: $299 @ BestBuy Packed with room-filling sound and sensors, the Apple HomePod 2 is also one of the best smart home hubs for Apple users. You can tap Siri to command different HomeKit-enabled gadgets at home while the built-in Matter support lets you connect different devices to your smart home. View Deal
Augmented & Virtual Reality entertainment
AR and VR headsets like today’s Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 will change how we interact with our living spaces. These can help you create a massive private virtual theater, immersive gaming experiences, and even host virtual social gatherings in simulated spaces. If you don't want to cut off your real-world surroundings, their AR cameras overlay digital avatars and objects atop your current environment. We're not too far off from the meetings in sci-fi movies where counsel members meet in the same room via hologram thanks to mixed reality.
Meta Quest 3 (128GB): now $499 @ Amazon The Quest 3 packs peak performance and a stellar mixed reality experience — all at its cheapest ever price for Prime Day this year. The 4K+ Infinite Display makes for a gorgeous presentation of the library of 500+ apps and games (powered by the latest Snapdragon XR platform), while controllers and hand-tracking give you the versatility of interaction. View Deal
Kitchen: Wine & dine easier while keeping an eye on your cooks
(Image credit: Samsung)
Smarter appliances
Many modern appliances have built-in screens to keep track of notes or entertainment, but this basic functionality is just the start. Samsung’s latest Bespoke fridges show off the power of AI to monitor contents, suggest recipes based on available ingredients, and automatically order groceries. Smart ovens and stoves feature precise temperature controls, voice activation, and the ability to follow recipes step-by-step based on information sent over from the fridge. That way, these advanced cooking appliances can take the work out of baking for you.
LG MyColor Fridge: was $3200 now $2699 at Home Depot Load up all 29 cubic feet of storage space with tons of food while customizing your fridge to meet your needs and stand out from the crowd. View Deal
AI-powered cooking
AI assistants can help plan meals based on dietary preferences and nutritional needs. They can also suggest dishes based on what ingredients are available in the kitchen. You can plan meals based on what’s going bad first and sort through suggestions to maximize your dollar and reduce food waste.
Once you have a recipe you can send it over to your smart appliances to have them free up your time for other activities while cooking for you. The BriskIt AI Origin 580 smart grill is a great example of an appliance that already does this using its Vera generative AI system. Smart temperature probes adjust cook temperatures at different stages so all you have to do is pull and season the meat when you get a notification.
BriskIt 580 Origin AI Grill: now $899 @ Amazon The Brisk It Origin 580 AI is the best smart grill out there. This pellet grill takes all the stress out of cooking, using smart temperature probes and AI-generated recipes to automatically adjust temperatures and times while guiding you through every step of the process. View Deal
Bedroom: Rest and recover in your customized sanctuary
(Image credit: Samsung)
Automated light and climate control
Smart lighting systems like those from Phillips Hue and LIFX can mimic natural sunlight or skies to give your bedroom some atmosphere and help regulate your circadian rhythm before bed or waking up. Smart thermostats ensure bedroom climates remain at the ideal temperature for sleeping without wasting energy. Google’s Nest Smart Learning Thermostat is a great example of this as it monitors your habits to keep your climate to your preferences on its own.
You can use devices like air purifiers, white noise machines, and aromatherapy diffusers to create a more soothing environment for rest and relaxation. Smart humidifiers can ensure the proper amount of moisture is in the air to help you sleep lighter and cooler, while air purifiers remove pollutants to breathe easier. Amazon’s smart indoor air quality monitor is a cheap way to check your levels.
Kasa Full Color Smart Bulbs (4-Pack): was $39 now $27 @ Amazon These customizable bulbs pump out plenty of light and can display more than 16 million colors. Just pair them with your network and you can link them up with Alexa and Google Assistant for routines or voice commands. I use mine as a DIY sunrise alarm clock, scheduling them to brighten to wake me up in the morning and gradually dimming down slowly after sunset to kickstart my sleep routine. View Deal
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen): was $249 now $189 @ Amazon Google makes one of our favorite smart thermostats for its ability to learn your climate habits and optimize your system on the fly. It even offers energy monitoring and HVAC system health assessments to inform you of any issues. View Deal
Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor: now $69 @ Amazon Keep an eye on indoor air quality in an easy-to-understand score. This gadget sucks in air to break down humidity, harmful particles, and temperature to rate the quality of your environment. You can use it to kick off routines like turning on your Alexa-enabled devices such as air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and fans when the indoor air quality drops too low. In my Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor review , I found that it's sensitive enough to detect even the most subtle changes in the air such as when my dog uses a wee-wee pad or someone's vaping in the room. View Deal
Smart mattresses and sleep tracking systems
Smart mattresses like those made popular by SleepNumber are equipped with sensors that monitor sleep patterns, adjust firmness, and even adjust temperature. You don't need a fancy bed to get a detailed health report. Sleep trackers provide insights into your sleep quality with advanced sensors that identify patterns, monitor your breathing, and measure heart rate. Information from the tracker is then sent to an accompanying app and used to figure out your sleep stages — like light, deep and REM sleep. Withings' excellent Sleep Tracking Pad does this right now and slips under your mattress without disrupting your current setup.
Withings Sleep Tracking Pad: was $129 now $123 @ Amazon Place this smart mat under your mattress to unobtrusively track breathing, sleep cycles, heart rate, and detect snores. You don't need to wear any equipment or point a monitoring device your way to get sleep insights. View Deal
Bathroom: Spa and health oasis
(Image credit: Future)
Vital monitoring
Smart scales, toilets, and other bathroom fixtures will track health metrics such as weight, body composition, hydration levels, and more, providing valuable data to help maintain wellness. I'm looking forward to Withings' upcoming U-Scan urine tracker (currently pending FDA approval), which sits in your toilet to monitor cycles, nutrition, and water. This immediately provides a snapshot of your body’s biomarkers and detects if anything is off balance to give you actionable advice to improve your health.
Withings Body Smart Scale: $99 @ Amazon The Body Smart is perfect for measuring your body composition. It links seamlessly with over 100 health apps, which gives it high usability, and wraps everything up into a nice little app for you to peruse. It also has eyes closed mode, so if you don't want to see weight, and only want to see your health stats, that's no problem. View Deal
Smart showers and mirrors
You can customize water temperature, pressure, and lighting settings, to step into the perfect bathing experience without touching a knob. Kohler's new Anthem+ digital panel provides smart shower controls, but in future iterations, AI could tell it your preferred temperatures and times. Smart bathtubs going forward may include more advanced hydrotherapy and massage functions.
Meanwhile, smart mirrors equipped with touchscreens, cameras, and internet connectivity can analyze your face to provide personalized skincare advice, display news and weather updates, and even act as virtual fitness trainers.
Himirror Slide: $189 @ Amazon This smart makeup mirror monitors your skin condition, lets you try on makeup using AR technology before you apply it, and plays videos on a second screen. It's trained to analyze pores, fine lines, dark circles, wrinkles, and blemishes so you can track progress over time. View Deal
Backyard: Automated outdoor living space
(Image credit: C-Seed)
Outdoor entertainment
Smart outdoor lighting systems will adjust color or brightness based on natural light levels, creating the perfect ambiance for hosting evenings in the yard. With now 4K or even 8K outdoor TVs, weather-resistant speakers, and projectors you can turn your backyard into a full-blown entertainment hub. This is perfect for movie nights, sports events, and parties. Smart home app controls and voice commands make controlling your setup effortless.
LIFX Smart Outdoor String Lights: $129 @ Home Depot Give your deck or patio some festive smart lighting for a chill atmosphere and improved visibility. These vivid bulbs produce some of the most vibrant colors to throw hues all over the yard. Their universal Matter support means they work across all major smart home platforms including Alexa, HomeKit, and Google for voice control and automations. View Deal
Furrion Aurora 55" 4K Outdoor TV: was $2,299 now $1,799 @ Amazon As its namesake suggests, the Furrion Partial Sun Outdoor TV is designed for use in sunny outdoor living areas, such as a patio, deck, or yard. The screen is shielded with XtremeShield IK08-rated tempered glass to protect against scratches and impacts. It's also IP54-rated, which means it can withstand UV rays, rain, dust, humidity, and extreme operating temperatures. View Deal
Automated Lawn Care
Robotic lawn mowers will maintain the lawn with precision, cutting grass to your desired length and navigating around obstacles like flowerbeds. Meanwhile, smart irrigation systems will monitor soil moisture and weather conditions to optimize watering schedules for greener lawns and gardens while conserving water. Your phone’s cameras and sensors will use AI to monitor the growth of your garden, identify plant types and alert you to any issues with plants or pests.
Navimow i110N Robot Lawnmower: now $1299 @ Amazon This battery-powered robot lawnmower automatically cuts your yard on a diagonal with sharp attention to detail. You can twist the manual blade height dial to switch your cutting blade between 50-90mm. Use the Navimow app to send it out on demand or via a schedule to keep your property looking fresh each day. View Deal
Smart exterior security
Advanced security cameras with multi-point motion sensors and onboard AI can watch out for threats before they even reach your home while cutting down on false alerts. SimpliSafe uses AI on its outdoor security cameras to determine real-time threats and sends footage of any suspicious activity to live agents who can ward off trespassers or dispatch help.
The best smart locks let you send codes to friends or family running chores like watering a plant or feeding your cat. If you need to let a service provider you can simply unlock the door for them from across the country. Plus you can get a log of activity when a door opens or closes and if its left ajar. This eliminates the worry of wondering if you left the door unlocked.
Wyze Cam v4: now $35 @ Amazon If you want the most advanced security camera on a budget the Wyze Cam v4 can't be beat. The loud siren and bright spotlight is powerful enough to deter trespassers. But should you need to monitor your space the onboard AI automatically zooms in on and follow a subject as they move around your property. If you pay for the Cam Unlimited subscription you get live agent monitoring, facial recognition, and can use AI to search for clips using text search. View Deal
eufy Video Smart Lock E330: was $279 now $189 @ Amazon This battery-powered video smart lock lets you remotely lock or unlock your door no matter where you are. You can see guests as they approach your door and its built-in doorbell button sends a notification to your phone and smart speaker or display. In addition to a built-in fingerprint scanner and keypad, you can unlock the door with the Eufy app, voice commands, and even physical keys. View Deal
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