
Google has another card to play, which you can read below. Most of the time you'll ask a smart speaker for the weather, to set a timer and maybe have it play a song or two. Google Assistant does a better job at mimicking natural conversation flow, but the difference isn't really that noticeable in your day-to-day interaction with each speaker. While Amazon boasts about more skills and support for more third-party devices for its voice assistant, the numbers for Google Assistant also land in the tens of thousands, meaning you really don't miss out on anything significant either way. Meanwhile, Alexa and Google Assistant are pretty much at parity right now. Google's Nest Audio speaker, which also launched in 2020, is a solid competitor with the Echo, and Apple's recent HomePod Mini plays well in the Apple sandbox, but Amazon wins out in two key categories: Its speaker is far more powerful - the bass is particularly impressive - and it features a built-in Zigbee receiver and Amazon Sidewalk Hub that make connecting devices like lightbulbs and locks much more seamless and reliable. Between its new sphere-like profile, powerful sound output and a few forward-looking features, the Echo is still king of the countertop.
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Best smart home devicesĪmazon's fourth-gen Echo is still impressive well over a year after its initial launch - and even if you pay its full $100 price (you can often find it on sale if you keep an eye out). Without further ado, here are the best of the best smart home devices you can buy right now.
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We regularly update this list as we review new products. If you're looking for more options for lighting or locks, you'll find a list of our favorite products if you'd like to see a broader selection. In each subcategory section, we've also added a link to the best list for that particular product type. For that, please refer to our platform-based lists linked below: What this list is not is a road map for a single, coherent smart home installation (you won't get far trying to pair an Amazon smart speaker with a Google smart display). If you want to know the best smart thermostat or the best smart lighting kit, regardless of which voice platforms support them, we have you covered. Our list focuses narrowly on the best product in each smart home subcategory. Be sure to check out our reviews of Apple's HomePod Mini, Google's Nest Audio and Nest Doorbell with battery, Amazon's fourth-gen Echo speaker and Echo Show 15, and we'll update this list as new products launch.

Many, but not all, of the products on our list of the best smart home devices will work with multiple voice assistants.īefore you dive into our picks for the best smart home devices, keep in mind that Amazon, Google and Apple have each released a new set of smart home speakers in the past few years.

They offer a convenient way for family members or roommates to interact with the various devices without having to manage basic access within each app. Voice assistants can be a great starting point for building a do-it-yourself smart home.
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Or you may be thinking about how to build on what you already own, like an Alexa- or Google Assistant-powered smart speaker, or even Siri and Apple's HomeKit smart home service. You might just need one gadget to address a particular issue, like a smart plug to put a lamp on a schedule.

Picking the right devices can be complicated. And in that same time, homes have transformed into smarter, more helpful spaces, complete with Wi-Fi-connected lightbulbs, speakers, video doorbells, security cameras and more. More and more of us are working from home these days - or at least spending a lot more time there than a few years ago.
