The best smart home devices in 2024

The best smart home devices can raise your home's IQ, from security cameras and Wi-Fi locks to cutting edge light bulbs.

The best smart home devices can make your home more comfortable, safer, and easier to control. In some cases, these connected products can even help you save money.

Whether you're looking to turn your lights on from your smartphone, stream music to a smart speaker using Alexa (or Google Assistant), lock your doors remotely or automatically vacuum your floors without lifting a finger, the best smart home devices streamline your routine for complete convenience.  

The number of smart home brands is constantly growing. Meanwhile, the universal Matter smart home protocol lets devices talk to each other regardless of platform. Still, not all smart home devices are as reliable or as smart as they claim. We've tested dozens of offerings across all different categories, from the best home security cameras to the best smart light bulbs. If an app or your voice can control a device, we’re here to help you decide if it fits your needs. 

Best for most:

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) review - 5/5

The best for most people

Control your smart home, get information, and make calls using just your voice with the best-sounding version of the Echo Dot yet. A new time display and built-in temperature sensors adds even more layers of home automation functionality to the little smart speaker.

Best Smart home controller

Amazon Echo Hub review -4.5/5

No other smart display makes it easier to control all of your connected smart home gadgets. The Echo Hub's always-on screen shows individual device controls, live security camera feeds, and status of your home at all times so you can quickly manage your smart home from one place. 

Best Smart Thermostat review - 4/5

Ecobee Smart Thermostat

The Ecobee has Alexa built-in, but you can also connect it directly to Siri, so you can use its microphone and speaker directly with Apple's assistant. It has a built-in air quality monitor and comes with remote sensors with excellent range and battery life.

The name says it all: this is an Echo Dot with a clever LED clock built in its face. However, this seemingly simple addition adds a ton of functionality to the Echo Dot, making an even better smart home companion. In fact, we wish more smart home companies took Amazon's cue and make minor — yet effective — enhancements to already excellent devices.

More than just the time, though, the Echo Dot with Clock's display can also show you the current temperature, song titles, and answers to math equations. It functions as a timer, too. It has an ambient sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display based on the lightning of its surrounding environment, as well as a built-in temperature sensor that can trigger Alexa routines. The Echo Dot with Clock costs $10 more than the Echo Dot, but based on our experience, we think it's a worthwhile upgrade for those who want to know the time without having to ask Alexa. Truly the only downgrade is that it doesn't have the 3.5mm audio out port found on the previous Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen).

Sourced from Tom’s guide ‍