Every article we've published, researched and ranked by our editorial team.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the better buy for most households thanks to its bigger, sharper screen, built-in Zigbee and Thread smart home hub, and stronger overall speaker quality, while the Google Nest Hub is the smarter pick for a bedroom or anyone who wants a camera-free display with Soli-powered sleep sensing.
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the better pick if you want the sharper, more polished app experience and don't mind paying for a subscription, while the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is the smarter buy for budget-conscious shoppers who want local storage and a cheaper subscription tier without giving up a wide head-to-toe view.
August and Schlage take opposite approaches to the smart lock problem. The Schlage Encode Plus is the stronger pick if you want the highest security rating and a lock built from the ground up to be smart, while the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) is the better call if you rent, want to keep your existing exterior hardware, or just want the simplest possible install.
Philips Hue vs Govee smart lights comes down to how much you value a polished, whole-home ecosystem versus a lower cost per bulb. The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 is the stronger long-term pick if you want reliable Zigbee mesh networking, precise color, and deep Apple HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant support. The Govee Smart Light Bulb A19 is the better call if you want vivid color and music sync on a tighter budget without buying a separate hub.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is the better buy for most households thanks to fuller sound, a built-in Zigbee and Thread hub, and the deepest smart home device support on the market, while the Google Nest Mini is the smarter pick if your home already runs on Google Assistant, Nest cameras, or Chromecast.
The Arlo Pro 5S is the better pick if you want the sharpest video and the most flexibility across smart home platforms, including Apple HomeKit, while the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus is the smarter buy for Alexa households that want lower upfront and subscription costs without giving up core features like color night vision and a built-in siren.
Kasa and TP-Link smart plugs are not two different companies, Kasa is TP-Link's own smart home brand. If you're really weighing Kasa against TP-Link's other line, the Kasa Smart Plug KP125M is the stronger pick for households already on Alexa or Google Home with accurate energy monitoring, while the Tapo P125M is the better choice for Matter and Apple Home users who want a cheaper entry point.
The iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is the better pick if you want the most reliable obstacle avoidance and a fully hands-off Auto-Fill mopping dock, while the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 wins for buyers who want strong self-emptying and mopping features without paying Roomba's premium price.
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the better pick if you want built-in room sensing and air quality tracking out of the box, while the Google Nest Learning Thermostat wins for households that want a thermostat that quietly builds its own schedule and fits a Google Home setup.
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the better pick for most households thanks to its taller head-to-toe video, longer battery life, and cheaper cloud plan, while the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) pulls ahead for Google Home households that want free person, package, and vehicle detection with three hours of local event history.
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is our top pick for large homes in 2026, with a 220-minute runtime, 4-floor mapping, and 10,000 Pa suction that hold up across big, multi-room layouts.
The Schlage Encode Plus is our top pick for a smart home smart lock in 2026. It pairs built-in Wi-Fi with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Home support, so it slots into almost any existing setup without an extra hub.
The Kasa Smart Plug Mini KP115 is our top smart plug for a space heater, pairing a full 15A/1800W rating with real-time energy monitoring and dependable Alexa and Google Home support.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) is our top pick for most nightstands, since it pairs a genuinely useful LED display with full Alexa support and a low cost of entry, while the Echo Spot and Echo Show 5 give you a nicer display for the rare shopper who wants to spend more.
The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 is our top pick for most bedrooms, since it combines the smoothest low-end dimming and the widest range of warm-to-cool color temperatures with the deepest scheduling options for a real wind-down routine.
The Google Nest Cam (Battery) is our top pick for most front doors, since it combines sharp video, reliable person alerts, and the deepest Google Home integration of any camera here.
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is our top pick for large homes, since it supports the most remote sensors of any major brand and pairs that with a built-in air quality monitor and voice assistant.
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is our top pick for a robot vacuum and mop combo in 2026, pairing 10,000Pa suction with a dock that washes its own mop pads in hot water and can refill and drain itself.
The Kwikset Halo Touch is our top fingerprint smart lock for 2026, pairing a fast, accurate scanner with built-in Wi-Fi and a strong security rating that most other biometric locks can't match.
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is our top video doorbell with head to toe view for most homes, its 1536p HD+ frame and 3D Motion Detection show a visitor's full body and any package at their feet, and wired power means no battery to recharge.
The TP-Link Kasa KP400 is our top pick for the best smart plug for outdoor use, its weatherproof housing, dual outlets, and no-hub setup cover what most households need for holiday lights, fountains, and patio gear.
The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is our top pick for video calls, thanks to a motorized base that rotates to keep you framed as you move around the room, something no other display on this list can match.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is our top pick for most Alexa households, since it delivers genuinely improved sound over older Dots, full smart home hub features, and an easy entry point into the Echo ecosystem at a low cost.
The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 is our top pick for most homes, since it turns eaves, patios, and rooflines into color-changing accent lighting without the recurring cost of holiday-only string lights.
The Arlo Pro 5S 2-Camera Kit is our top pick for most homes, since it pairs sharp 2K color night vision and reliable AI detection with the widest smart home compatibility of any system here.
The Google Nest Thermostat (2020) is our top pick for homes without a C-wire, since its power-stealing design works on most 24V systems without an adapter kit at the furnace.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) is our top pick for a self-emptying robot vacuum in 2026, pairing a 60-day self-empty base with obstacle avoidance that keeps it running unattended for weeks.
The Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi is our top smart lock for Airbnb in 2026, thanks to native Airbnb integration that auto-generates and deletes guest codes around each reservation without any manual work from the host.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is our top pick for cold weather, its always-on power supply sidesteps the battery drain that leaves wireless doorbells offline on the coldest days of winter.
The TP-Link Tapo P100 is our top budget smart plug pick, it's consistently among the cheapest reliable options on the market and covers the basics almost every household needs.
The Amazon Echo Show 15 is our top pick for most kitchens, thanks to its wall-mountable size, customizable widgets, and built-in Fire TV that turns it into a genuine family command center.
The Sonos Era 100 is our top pick for most shoppers chasing genuine sound quality, since it pairs a dual-tweeter design and Trueplay room tuning with multi-room flexibility, all without locking you into one voice assistant.
The Govee Envisual TV LED Backlight T2 is our top pick for most TVs, since its dual cameras track on-screen color across the whole width of the picture without requiring a separate HDMI sync box.
The eufy Security Indoor Cam E30 is our top pick for most pet owners, since it pairs 360-degree pan-tilt tracking and AI pet detection with local storage, so you're not stuck paying a subscription just to check on your dog.
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is our top pick for Google Home households, since it's built by Google itself and pairs with the Google Home app and Assistant with no workarounds needed.
The Roborock Saros 10R is our top robot vacuum for hardwood floors, pairing an ultra-thin body that reaches under furniture with hot-water mop washing that leaves floors streak-free.
The Schlage Encode Plus is our top smart lock with a keypad in 2026, pairing a reliable touchscreen with built-in Wi-Fi and a strong security rating that most other keypad locks can't match.
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is our top video doorbell for apartments in 2026, it mounts without drilling into anything, runs on a removable battery, and packs in Alexa support most renters already use.
The Kasa Smart Plug Mini KP115 is our top smart plug for energy monitoring, pairing accurate per-device wattage tracking with a low price and rock-solid Alexa and Google Home support.
The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 is our top pick for most Google Home households, since it pairs the deepest automation options and broadest ecosystem support with color quality that still leads the category.
The Ring Spotlight Cam Plus is our top pick for most homes, since it pairs proven motion detection and a built-in siren with the widest ecosystem of any camera on this list.
The Google Nest Thermostat (2020) is our top pick for renters, since it installs without tools, works on most 24V systems, and lets you swap the old thermostat back in when your lease ends.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is our top robot vacuum for pet hair in 2026, thanks to obstacle avoidance that steers around pet messes and a 60-day self-emptying base.
The Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch is our top smart lock for a front door in 2026, thanks to wide smart home support, a reliable keypad, and Matter compatibility.
The Kasa EP25 is our top smart plug for Alexa in 2026, fast, tiny, and a strong value in a multipack.
The Eufy Video Doorbell E340 is our top video doorbell without a subscription in 2026, dual cameras, 8GB of free built-in storage, and zero monthly fees.