The best smart home devices to automate your abode in 2024
We’ve picked out the smart home devices to transform your humble abode into Tony Stark's AI-infused bachelor pad
Looking for the best smart home devices? We don't blame you. If there’s one recent techy innovation that we recommend you stop and take a look at, it's smart home devices. The industry has moved on leaps and bounds since we were first introduced to robotic vacuum cleaners and video doorbells ripped straight from the Blade Runner playbook.
Take time to check what’s on offer now and you’ll notice smart door locks that come with James Bond-proof digital keypads, speakers that can directly replace any soundbars you have under your TV, and tablets that can display cookery channels for you to watch along with as you rustle up some gourmet dinner.
Basically, anything in your home outside of your boring, non-sentient microwave is connected to your Wi-Fi and can be controlled using just your voice, whether you need to adjust the volume of your playlists, set the right lighting ambience or check to see who’s at your front door without having to leave your sofa.
So how do you start building your new smart, interconnected home? There’s a lot to consider, and not all of it is worth your time, but luckily for you, we've tested all the best smart home gadgets around to find the pick of the bunch.
Start small with your smart home
Before you go rewiring your home to accommodate as many AI-powered assistants as you can purchase, keep in mind that it’s better to slowly grow your smart home, upgrading lights and speakers based on what you need. We recommend dipping your toe in with a smart speaker, a set of light bulbs, or a smart plug to get you used to the idea of barking orders at the likes of Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa. That way you can appreciate their myriad delights without burning a gargantuan hole in your pocket.
Are you team Alexa, Google or Apple?
Just like Windows and the Apple Mac, or the iPhone and Android, there are a number of tech giants all vying for control of your home. Amazon's Alexa is the prevailing standard so far, with the majority of new gadgets playing nice with the voice assistant. Trailing behind Alexa are Google's Assistant and Apple's Homekit. You’ll want to grab a gadget that’s already compatible with the gear you already have, such as Apple’s HomePod Mini if you have an iPhone. How can you be sure your new device will work with your existing gadgetry? Check its box for the necessary logo or check its online retail listing.
Don't be afraid to call in a pro
While setting up a lot of smart home kits is as easy as plugging it in and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi, other gadgets demand a bit more DIY know-how. Equipment such as a smart thermostat, doorbell and outdoor security camera often require this kind of work, so you can pay for a professional installation as part of purchasing these gadgets. Unless you're an especially proficient electrician, it's worth shelling out the extra.
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Best smart home devices 2024…
1/13Best video doorbell: eufy Security Video Doorbell E340
Although there are great options available from both Ring and Google's Nest, we're big fans of eufy’s latest effort as a super-convenient upgrade to your home security. Featuring super-sharp 2K video, direct-to-mobile video calls, and two-way audio so you can communicate quickly with anyone approaching your door, this wire-free device is easy to install without any electrical expertise (though it also supports a wired mode for even more convenience). Better yet, it’s got a second lower camera which covers the ground near your door, letting you view packages with ease as well, with colour night vision serving up crisp details even in low light.
But wait, there’s more. You’ll also find lights at the top and rear of the doorbell itself, which automatically turn on to light up the wall as you approach your door, providing more security and better vision. Throw in the fact that there’s local storage with no subscription required (huzzah!), and you’ve got yourself one of the best smart home devices around. £160. At amazon.co.uk
2/13Best smart home hub: Amazon Echo Show 15 (with bundled remote)
The humble flipbook calendar has served the unorganised for many years, but Amazon’s Echo Show 15 is here to put your tired paper schedule to rest while handling a multitude of other tasks at once. It's a stretched-out 15.5-inch HD smart display tablet that can be stuck to a wall or placed on a kitchen countertop to give you all your notifications, alerts, and notes at a glance. £300
£210189. At amazon.co.uk
3/13Best smart thermostat: tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat Starter Kit
With energy prices continuing to batter budgets, there’s never been a better time to invest in a smart heating system. But while most smart thermostats merely let you turn your heating on and off remotely, tado’s kit goes one further by letting you replace the individual valves on your radiators with smart ones. Once set up, you can individually control each radiator, letting you save energy by turning off/lowering the heat in rooms that aren’t being used. Compatible with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Siri, and IFTTT. How’s that for convenience? £200. At amazon.co.uk
4/13Best smart speaker: Amazon Echo Dot with clock (5th Gen)
The spherical version of Amazon’s smart speaker will make for a great addition to your smart home collection, offering beefier sound than the smaller Echo Pop, with the added benefit of a built-in display which can serve up information like the time. As with all Alexa smart speakers, you can do all manner of useful things, like manage your podcasts and playlists on Spotify, or adjust settings on the rest of your various smart devices through voice control. Welcome to the future (read: present)
£65£32. At amazon.co.uk
5/13Best smart lightbulb: Philips Hue
The best known smart lighting brand still wins out for the sheer variety of Hue bulbs and lamps available, bolstered by their ability to work with every major smart home platform. Ikea’s Tradfri bulbs (available for £15) are a cheaper alternative, but it's the genuine personality that Hue adds to your home that makes it so endearing, and all with the touch of a button or a quick shout-out to Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. Since not everyone will want to dive straight into the purple mood-lighting deep-end, a Starter Pack that includes white bulbs and a central router hub for connectivity is your best bet. From £80. amazon.co.uk, argos.co.uk and philips-hue.co.uk
6/13Best soundbar: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
The latest Sonos soundbar is not only more compact than its predecessor, while still making TV audio crystal clear, but it can also double as an Alexa or Google Assistant general-purpose speaker. Have a few other Sonos speakers at home already? The Beam can link to these for multi-room playback or a surround-sound home theatre experience. From £379. At sonos.com and amazon.co.uk
7/13Best outdoor smart security camera: Arlo Ultra
Arlo has plenty of security cameras to help protect the home (like the smart doorbell above), but only the Ultra offers users 4K HDR recording quality, an integrated spotlight, 12x optical zoom, night vision and two-way audio in a wire-free package. Detection alerts can be tailored to your preferences and sent directly to your phone, with these clips able to be stored in the cloud if you have an Arlo Smart Plan, which starts at £3.49 per month. From
£630£379. At amazon.co.uk and arlo.com
8/13Best robot vacuum: eufy X9 Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner
One of the best robot vacuum cleaners we've ever tested, the Clean X9 Pro is quick, reliable, powerful, and trustworthy enough to be left unattended to work its magic. Featuring eufy's clever iPath laser system, it can map out your entire home near-instantly as it moves around, avoiding obstacles and happily trundling over rugs and thresholds without bother. Not only that, but it can also mop your floors with 1kg of pressure, and can switch between mopping and vacuuming automatically by detecting the surface that it’s on.
If that wasn’t enough, the included charging station (which it diligently returns to on its own) not only keeps the battery topped up, but also empties the dirty water while washing the mop heads as well. With Alexa and Google Assistant smarts thrown in, it’s one of the top robot vacuum offerings money can buy. £900. At amazon.co.uk
9/13Best smart lock: August smart lock Pro
Yep, even your door handle has a brain now. This great smart lock replaces your existing deadbolt on the inside of your door, offering fearsome protection should you need it. You can share permanent or temporary access to friends and family members if they need to check in on the pets while you’re on holiday, and you’ll be able to schedule locking and unlocking to specific times or control it all from your phone or with a voice command. It will also recognise when you’re nearby and unlock automatically, which is great when you’re coming home from a big shop carrying every single bag in one go.
£265£255. At amazon.co.uk
10/13Best cheap smart speaker: Amazon Echo Pop
The Echo Pop is one of the most stylish smart speakers around, with a compact size and minimalist design to help it blend in with its surroundings. Available in a range of neutral to funky colours, it’s the perfect smart speaker accessory for your bedside table or kitchen counter. Naturally, it’s got Alexa smarts built-in, and it actually does a decent job with music, considering its size and price. If you spot one on offer during events like Black Friday, then don’t hesitate to pull the trigger, as the discounts for the Echo Pop tend to be very generous indeed.
£45£18. At amazon.co.uk
11/13Best smart camera: Ring Stick Up Battery
With night vision, HD video capture, two-way talk and motion-activated notifications, the latest Ring camera is the ideal all-rounder for your home security system needs. You can move it around the house (or outside, since it has a weatherproof design) and you don’t have to worry about plugging it in, since the Stick Up Battery simply comes with a rechargeable battery pack. £90. At amazon.co.uk
12/13Best smart fan: Dyson Hot+Cool Formaldehyde
Naturally, you want your next fan to ably heat and cool the air around you without making a ruckus in the process. That's an absolute given. Since we've all been spending so much time at home of late, the next step on those abilities is air-sensing tech that will analyse the particles around you and ensure they're of ‘livable’ quality. That's the added X factor that Dyson's latest Hot+Cool purifier delivers via a HEPA 13 filter that can remove 99.95 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns including extra harmful stuff like formaldehyde. £700 £550. At dyson.co.uk
13/13Best smart plug: Eve Energy
Want to turn anything into a smart device? Transform your regular “dumb” lamps, speakers, or pretty much anything else into a connected gadget with this smart plug that can be controlled via Siri or a smartphone app. Schedule your lights to come on at a particular time of the evening or manage the volume of your speakers with the power of the spoken word. £40. At amazon.co.uk
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