Ready for a Smart Upgrade? These Are the Hottest Home Gadgets Right Now

What exactly makes a home device smart? It all starts with its ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, allowing you to interact remotely with it using a smartphone app or voice commands via your preferred virtual assistant. These handy products will save you time that you’re currently wasting on tasks like searching for your remote control and making trips to a wall switch to turn on the lights (yup, that’s an outdated activity now), adjusting the temperature in your space, or checking if you locked the door, to name a few tasks.

The bottom line? Smart home devices undoubtedly make your daily routine more convenient. We constantly evaluate connected appliances in various product categories and price points — from surge protectors to air purifiers — to determine the best worth buying.

What to Consider

Wi-Fi Is Important

And thankfully, it's commonly available in almost all home appliance categories, so you're guaranteed to discover a product for your exact needs. Whether you're shopping for big-ticket appliances such as a dishwasher and a refrigerator, or are in the market for a smaller smart device like a security camera or a lock, this is an important bit to look out for.

Virtual Assistant Compatibility

Most of today's connected home products are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Apple HomeKit-capable gadgets, on the other hand, support Siri voice commands. The virtual assistants allow you to turn connected appliances on and off, control their operation, etc. Be sure to check that a product is compatible with your preferred one before ordering.

To integrate them with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you will need to access their respective apps to complete the quick and easy process. When it comes to setting up an Apple HomeKit appliance, you need a home hub, and a HomePod mini, an iPad, or an Apple TV is ideal for this task. Typically for Apple products, the setup process is as effortless as it gets.

Of course, to get the best experience with your gadgets, you should also consider a smart speaker with your favorite virtual assistant on board. If you don't already own one, this guide will help you find a great one for your home and budget.

Matter and Thread

These smart home protocols are the industry's latest and most futureproof. Matter is especially important, as compatible connected devices offer compatibility with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant voice commands. Eliminating the need to install third-party apps to set up compatible products is another awesome bit you should know about Matter.

The latest Amazon Alexa and Google Home speakers, the Apple HomePod, and the Apple TV 4K support Matter. If you don't already own one of these products, budget accordingly to get started with Matter.

Thread is a connectivity standard that allows devices to link together in a mesh network. Such a setup will result in smoother, more secure connectivity for your smart home setup because the compatible devices won't need to connect to Wi-Fi directly to work.

A Thread Border Router is necessary to create the above setup, and thankfully, plenty of products can double as one. Some of the most notable ones include the Apple HomePod and HomePod mini, the Apple TV 4K with 128GB of storage, and the Nest Wi-Fi Pro, among others.

We've selected useful smart home devices you'll love to have in your home through our extensive research and real-life testing. Find one (or a few) products to level up your home from our top picks below!