Best Deals on Smart Home Devices

The Ecobee Home Security Solution earns high marks in our lab tests for its strong data security and its ability to resist hacks. The system breaks the mold of your typical home security system, as it doesn’t have a base station, a keypad, key fobs, a menu of specialized sensors, battery backup, or cellular backup. Instead, the system relies on the Ecobee Smart Camera or an Ecobee smart thermostat (not included in this kit), in concert with Ecobee’s motion and contact sensors. The system requires a minimum $5-per-month fee to function that also adds other features, such as 30 days of cloud video storage, smoke alarm detection, smartphone app controls, and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Apple Home/Siri. A $10-per-month plan adds professional monitoring.

The SimpliSafe security system receives high ratings across the board, with the only exception being its less-than-ideal data privacy (a common result for a majority of systems we’ve tested). Of course, the system also works with SimpliSafe’s security cameras, the CR-tested SimpliSafe Doorbell Pro SS3 video doorbell, and the brand’s smart lock.

SimpliSafe offers three optional subscription plans. The Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings plan ($10 per month) adds voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, 30 days of cloud video storage for up to five cameras, and arming reminders. The Standard Monitoring plan ($20 per month) lacks the features of the Self-Monitoring plan but adds professional monitoring and cellular backup. The Fast Protect plan ($30 per month) gives you all the features of both the Self-Monitoring and Standard Monitoring plans, plus video alarm verification and cloud video storage for up to 10 cameras total. Additional contact sensors and motion sensors cost $15 and $30, respectively.

The Ecobee Smart Camera offers decent video quality, but truly shines in our tests for data security, response time of alerts, and smart features. Those features include voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Apple Home/Siri, monitoring zones, person alerts, and geofencing. The only downside is that the camera requires a $5 per month subscription to function, though that plan also includes 30 days of cloud video storage. The camera can also be turned into a full-fledged home security system if you add Ecobee contact and motion sensors to it.

The Eufy Cam 2C Pro is a bit unusual in that Eufy at minimum makes you buy a two-camera kit, making it better suited to shoppers looking for a multicamera system. In our tests, it performs well across the board, especially with its array of smart features. Its only flaw is its middling data privacy, but that’s a common issue for the majority of cameras in our ratings. The Eufy Cam 2C Pro packs a ton of features, including person detection, facial recognition, a built-in spotlight, monitoring zones, a siren, two-way audio, 16 gigabytes of memory for local video storage (there’s no SD card slot for expandable storage), and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, and Google Home/Assistant.

The TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor KC420WS provides impeccable video quality, speedy alerts, and strong data security in our tests. Its many features include two-way audio, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, monitoring zones, person alerts, a built-in siren, color night vision, and local video storage when you insert a microSD card (not included). Using the on-page coupon, this camera is on sale for 33 percent off its list price, for the lowest price we’ve seen since Prime Day in July.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart KL125 smart bulb offers the best deal of the 10 smart lightbulbs we evaluated. It retails for $15 per bulb and has a great array of colors and dimming performance that come close to the pricier Philips Hue. The bulb also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for voice and/or app control.

The Meross Outdoor Smart Plug MSS620BHK receives great scores across our user experience tests, in part because of its quick account creation process and easy scheduling features. It is also the only outdoor plug in our recent evaluation that works with all four major smart home systems. As a drawback, it lacks energy monitoring. Each outlet can be controlled independently from the Meross app. It’s on sale for the same low price we saw during the holiday shopping season.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Outdoor Plug EP40 is among the best outdoor smart plugs you can buy. It’s fairly easy to set up and even easier to use, based on our expert evaluations. You can control both outlets on the plug independently, and it offers voice/app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings.

The August Smart Lock is a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior thumb-turn side of your home’ deadbolt. (The benefit of this solution? You can keep your current house keys and let the exterior side of the deadbolt continue to match your front door’s knob or handleset.) This August model does quite well in our tests, especially when it comes to its ease of connectivity and many convenience features. Those features include auto-lock, auto-unlock, an access log to track who comes and goes, and electronic keys for guests. However, this deal doesn’t include the August Connect WiFi Bridge, $79, which adds remote control via the August app and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Interested in a smart lock but don’t like hubs and dongles? The August WiFi Smart Lock is one of a growing number of smart locks that connect directly to WiFi, with no hub needed. It’s also a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior side of your deadbolt, so you can keep your existing keys. It performs quite well in our tests, including those for ease of remote access and convenience. Features include auto-locking and unlocking, voice and app control (via Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings), access logs, electronic keys, and a door sensor.

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat has been around for a while, but it’s still one of the top models in our ratings, thanks to its impeccable automation skills. It also offers a ton of smart features, including an occupancy sensor, geofencing, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. One note: If your current thermostat lacks a C-wire, you might also need Google’s wiring adapter to complete installation. It’s sold separately for $25 at Amazon, Google, and Walmart.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced is one of the company’s newer smart thermostats. It performs well in our tests for manual operation and offers an array of smart features, but it’s not as proficient at learning your routine and making adjustments automatically. It features a new radar-based occupancy sensor and works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for voice and app control. It doesn’t come with one of Ecobee’s wireless temperature sensors (called SmartSensors), but you can buy them separately in a two-pack for $100 at Best Buy and Ecobee.

The Eufy T8200 video doorbell is an all-around great option, with strong scores for video quality, response time, and smart features in our tests. Those features include 4 gigabytes of internal memory to save recordings (no monthly fees here), monitoring zones, person detection, voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and the ability to leave recorded messages for visitors. 

This doorbell is on sale for just $8 more than its all-time low price, making now a great time to buy.

The Google Nest Video Doorbell (Battery) offers impressive data security, speedy response times, and decent video quality in our lab tests. It’s also one of few video doorbells to give you monitoring zones, object recognition (of people, packages, animals, and vehicles), and 3 free hours of cloud video storage without a monthly subscription. The doorbell works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and it has the option to be wired to a doorbell circuit for continuous power. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as facial recognition) require a Google Nest Aware subscription.

The Google Nest Cam with Floodlight is one of the best security cameras in our ratings. It receives an excellent score for its video quality, as well as strong scores for data security and response time. It also receives midlevel scores for data privacy (beating out the other floodlights on this list) and its array of smart features. Those features include monitoring zones to control what areas in front of the camera trigger recording, app/voice control (via Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings), and free object detection for people, animals, and vehicles. That last feature is a big deal, as most competitors charge you a subscription for it. With a Nest Aware subscription, you’ll also get cloud video storage, e911 to easily call police to your home even if you’re out of town, and facial recognition.

The Wyze Cam Floodlight is really just a Wyze Cam v3 mounted to a pair of floodlights and three motion sensors, but it manages to perform just as well as floodlight cams that cost more than double. In our tests, the Wyze Cam Floodlight receives an excellent score for its video quality, strong scores for data security and response time, and a decent score for its smart features. However, it receives an unfavorable rating for data privacy, a common issue in this product category. This Wyze model features a siren, color night vision (even when the floodlights are turned off), local video storage thanks to its microSD card slot, monitoring zones, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant.

If you hate that sinking feeling when you drive away and then wonder whether you remembered to shut your garage door, you might want to consider giving it an upgrade with a Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control. This budget-friendly little gadget, discounted by 45 percent, connects to your garage door motor and allows you to remotely open and close your door, see its open/close status, and schedule it to automatically close if it’s left open. While this device doesn’t really work with smart home systems (such as Amazon Alexa or Apple Home), it does work with the Amazon Key and Walmart+ InHome in-garage delivery services, which allow Amazon and Walmart drivers to leave packages in your garage to keep them safe from porch pirates.

The Meross MSG100 Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener was the best smart garage door opener controller in our at-home evaluation. It was relatively easy to set up and install, and it worked flawlessly with all of the major smart home systems (Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings). This Meross smart garage door opener isn’t quite as cheap as it was during last year’s holiday sales, but it’s still selling for a good price.

If you want to monitor a handful of trouble spots in your home, the X-Sense Wi-Fi Water Leak Detector SWS54 provides the best bang for your buck. You get a hub with a siren and three wireless sensors you can place throughout your home. The sensors are unique in that they can detect both water on the ground and water that drips and lands on top of them, making them great for monitoring exposed pipes. The individual sensors have their own sirens, allowing you to easily figure out which sensor is going off without checking the X-Sense app.

The Eve Water Guard may be a good choice if you’re an Apple household, as it currently only works with the Apple Home (formerly HomeKit) smart home system. This means you’ll need an Apple TV or HomePod to act as a hub. When it comes to detecting water, the Eve Water Guard works well. It detects water in about 1 second, which triggers its siren and sends you a smartphone alert.  The device plugs into an outlet for constant power and comes with a 6.5-foot-long (extendable) water-sensing cable that you run from the detector along floors and/or around pipes. You can also buy a 6.5-foot-long cable extension for $20 to increase its reach.

The Rachio Smart Hose Timer Starter Kit is at a small discount right now, but it was recently under $160, so if you don’t need it right away, it might be smart to wait until July and see if the price improves. This kit offers a polished app experience, responsive controls to manually water your yard, and a straightforward, albeit long, setup process. That might not sound like much, but it’s a tall order for smart hose timers, most of which can be buggy and use apps that look like they shipped with the very first iPhone. The Rachio hose timer doesn’t work with any smart home systems at this time, but if you simply want a hose timer that’s easy to use and intelligently waters your yard, the Rachio is a great choice.