When the first renderings of a supposed HomePod with a screen hit the interwebs, I was not a fan.  The look was pretty basic: a full-size HomePod with a circular display embedded in its top, which would have offered little more than, say, a couple lines of text and maybe an album cover, or perhaps a glance at the weather. Ugh.  Hoping for something a little more appealing, I asked Dall-E to draw up some “HomePod with a screen” designs, but they were all variations of a screen on top of the speaker or embedded in the side.  What I was really hoping for was a HomePod with an angled screen that was attached to—rather than embedded in—the body of the speaker, something like, I dunno… an old iMac G4?  Well, it could be that Cupertino is thinking along the same lines, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reporting that the first HomePod with a display may, indeed, boast a design inspired by that classic iMac G4 look.  To be clear, it doesn’t sound like the upcoming screen-equipped HomePod would have an arm like the iMac G4 did. That would likely come later, in the form of a pricier HomePod along the lines of Amazon’s third-gen Echo Show 10 with its motorized screen.  Instead, Apple’s first smart display could have a smaller screen the size of “two iPhones side by side” that’s “positioned at an angle on a small base, making it reminiscent of the circular bottom of the iMac G4 from a couple of decades ago,” Gurman writes. Even better, the new HomePod may be inexpensive enough to toss a few in your shopping cart for distribution around the house, Gurman adds.  While such a screen wouldn’t rival that of the Echo Show 10’s (or the iMac G4’s, for that matter), it would certainly be large enough to double as a small digital photo frame, as well as serve up basic smart home controls, à la StandBy mode for iOS. If the new HomePod supports Apple Intelligence, too (Gurman says it will), all the better.  Now that’s something I’d actually buy, perfect for replacing the aging Google Nest Hub Max in my kitchen that occasionally argues with the Siri-enabled HomePod sitting next to it.  That old Google display hangs around in our otherwise HomeKit-dominated household because it works great as a photo frame, but if an iMac G4-like HomePod arrived, well…. 

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Inexpensive, and very easy to use Extensive logging of multiple climate conditions Battery-powered, so no cable needed Cons Requires a SwitchBot hub SwitchBot’s hygrometer isn’t strictly required, but you’ll want one for outdoor readings Various persistent user interface bugs Our Verdict This battery-powered sensor doesn’t do a whole lot, but it’s an inexpensive way to get-at-a-glance temperature and humidity readings, with long-term reporting in the SwitchBot app. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: SwitchBot Meter Pro Retailer Price £34.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Today’s homeowners have a vast array of options when it comes to understanding indoor and outdoor climate conditions in their house. And thanks to SwitchBot, well, they’re getting one more, courtesy of the SwitchBot Meter Pro. There’s not much to the $30 device on the surface, but even if you don’t have any other smart home tech in place, it will provide some very basic functionality right out of the box. If you want to make it worth your while, however, you’ll need also a SwitchBot hub ($70 and required) and a SwitchBot Indoor/Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer ($15 but optional). On its own, the product bills itself as a “5-in-1” climate monitoring solution. It’s an awfully aggressive way to count features, as basically you’re getting two looks at temperature and humidity (one inside, one outside), a very basic weather forecast, and a time and date reading. A “comfort” indicator related to humidity—with options of “dry,” “comfort,” or “wet”—is also on tap. Barometric pressure is monitored, but it’s only reported by the app (not the display). A step-up model, the SwitchBot Meter Pro (CO2 Monitor) adds carbon dioxide reporting to the mix; it will run you $70. The SwitchBot Meter Pro is a low-cost, simple way to learn just a little more about your local environmental conditions All this information is presented on a 3.6-inch monochrome LCD screen. (The small band of color you see in the photo doesn’t change; it’s printed on top of the display.) It’s powered by two AA batteries which come pre-installed. To get started, you need only pull a plastic tab to engage the cells. You’ll want to also purchase SwitchBot’s indoor/outdoor thermometer-hygrometer ($15) to take full advantage of the Meter Pro.Christopher Null/Foundry As noted above, unless you’re only looking for a glorified thermometer, you really need the outdoor sensor and a SwitchBot hub to get much out of the Meter Pro. (The only function the unit has on its own is a button on the top, which switches the display from Fahrenheit to Celsius and back.) Fortunately, the weather ecosystem is easy to get configured in the SwitchBot mobile app if you already have a hub in place. You first onboard the Meter Pro to the app with a button press and a few taps on the screen, and then connect the outdoor sensor in much the same way. (The outdoor sensor has no display; it just works as a remote data relay.) This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home weather stations. With all the gear connected, you can finally get busy customizing things, although your options remain limited. Aside from basic parameters (Fahrenheit vs. Celsius, 12-hour or 24-hour time reporting), the primary setting available involves which temperature display you want larger and on top: indoor or outdoor. Additional settings let you specify what your preferred comfort levels are for both temperature and humidity, and any options you’d like for alerts. For the latter, you can configure both a flashing light and a chirping alarm if the temperature, humidity, dew point, and/or barometric pressure move outside the limits you set. Unfortunately, these alerts do not extend to the app, just the device itself. While the Meter Pro displays the basics, the SwitchBot app gives you access to more information if you’re a diehard weather nerd, including absolute humidity (instead of just relative humidity), the dew point, and the vapor-pressure deficit, which was something I also had to look up. All of this is logged by hour, day, week, month, and year and is displayed with easy-to-read graphs. The SwitchBot app reports current as well as historical temperature and humidity readings and a lot more. Christopher Null/Foundry The SwitchBot Meter Pro is a simple, inexpensive device, so I wasn’t surprised that it had its share of small bugs, including occasional trouble saving settings and weird errors telling me that the temperature units on my hub and the meter were not the same (they were), or that the time was out of sync (it wasn’t). As well, the weather forecast indicator never changed from “sunny,” even on a day that it rained. I had one final problem getting data to download from the outdoor sensor, even though I was well within range. While one-off readings were transmitted regularly to the Meter Pro, the sensor backed up with thousands of historical readings that I couldn’t access until I moved within a few yards of the device and downloaded them manually. None of these issues are dealbreakers, but collectively they do add up. Third-party connectivity is only available through the SwitchBot Hub, and depending on which model you have, it spans from Alexa to SmartThings to Matter and beyond. None of those features are integrated directly into the Meter Pro, however; nor is there much you can do with them once you do connect to another ecosystem. For example, on Alexa, a change in the ambient temperature measured by the Meter Pro can’t even be used to trigger a routine. With the Meter Pro, SwitchBot is hardly changing the game when it comes to weather monitoring, but if you’ve already bought in to the SwitchBot world, it’s a low-cost and simple way to give yourself just a little extra information about your environmental conditions. Stocking stuffer, anyone?

Whether you’re an aspiring meteorologist, a storm chaser, or the most casual of weather nerds, a DIY home weather station delivers the a great way to track Mother Nature. Smartphone weather apps often report outdated–or worse, inaccurate–data. And while your local forecaster is a better source, even their report is little more than a best guess, since they’re not in your backyard. Weather can change dramatically over just a few miles, and a home weather station will let you know exactly what’s happening right outside your door–because it is right outside your door. You can trust our weather station reviews because we’ve been testing and reviewing them since 2016. We’ve covered the gamut of products, from budget devices for casual observers to pro-grade weather stations that deliver scientific-level accuracy. We also evaluate how well each product can be integrated into the broader smart home. Our top picks are not only accurate weather reporters, they can also do things like turn on your smart lighting when it’s excessively cloudy or when the sun sets. When rain is forecast, integration with your smart irrigation system will ensure your sprinklers aren’t wasting water on your landscaping. Updated October 28, 2024: We’ve added a link to our SwitchBot Meter Pro review. Our top picks in home weather stations WeatherFlow Tempest — Best home weather station for most people Pros Accurate instrumentation (less so for rain) Super-quick setup Ready for smart home integration Outstanding lightning detection Cons Cannot be expanded Haptic rain sensor isn’t as accurate as some other solutions Best Prices Today: $339 at WeatherFlow£349 at Amazon Why we like the Tempest Weather System Every sensor in Weatherflow’s Tempest Weather System–temperature, humidity, wind, and rainfall–is integrated in a single housing. That makes it supremely easy to set up, and it costs considerably less than other high-quality systems. It uses IFTTT for smart home connectivity, which opens up a variety of possibilities. If you live in an area subject to lightning, this system has the most accurate lightning detection of any home weather station on the market. Who should buy the Tempest Weather System This home weather station packs a lot of value for the price and makes a great entry point for amateur meteorologists. And if you live in an area prone to severe weather, the lightning detection feature is a must-have. All that said, weather enthusiasts looking for greater precision in weather reporting should consider our runner-up pick, the Ambient Weather WS-5000. The KestrelMet 6000 is even better, but it’s also considerably more expensive. Read our full Tempest Weather System review Ambient Weather WS-5000 — Best home weather station for most people, runner-up Pros Great full-color console Impressive assortment of optional sensors Strong smart home connectivity (IFTTT, Alexa, and Google Assistant) Big improvements in barometer and rainfall reporting accuracy (compared to the less-expensive model WS-2902) Cons Cumbersome console setup Some sensors had to be reset to connect to the console Best Prices Today: $449.99 at Ambient Weather£749.98 at Amazon Why we like the Ambient Weather WS-5000 The Ambient Weather WS-5000 overcomes two of the Tempest Weather System’s minor shortcomings: accuracy and expandability. This system’s use of discrete components ensures higher accuracy, and it allows the buyer to expand and upgrade those components over time. Those two upsides, however, also lead to a steeper learning curve and a slightly higher price tag. Who should buy the Ambient Weather WS-5000 The Ambient Weather WS-5000 is for weather enthusiasts who want to the most accurate readings for the lowest price, and who don’t mind dealing the discrete components instead of an all-in-one device. While the retail price of this station has shot up $150 since launch, it remains the most accurate home weather station in the sub-$500 category. And because it’s compatible with Ambient’s full line of optional sensors, you can expand and customize your setup to your needs, now or in the future. Read our full Ambient Weather WS-5000 review KestrelMet 6000 — Best home weather station for enthusiasts Pros Easy to set up Top-tier accuracy Great app and web portal Cons Expensive for a consumer weather station Why we like the KestrelMet 6000 The KestrelMet 6000 is loaded with features, it delivers highly accurate readings, and it’s super easy to set up. Weather enthusiasts familiar with Kestrel’s line of environmental meters will get the idea that Kestrel took what was great about those devices and integrated them into a full-fledged weather station. We were so impressed that it is now installed full-time and is used to judge the accuracy of other home weather stations we test. Who should buy the KestrelMet 6000 The KestrelMet 6000’s high price tag will be a significant deterrent to casual weather observers. But if you’re a hardcore weather enthusiast and/or you just the best consumer-oriented weather-tracking system on the market, the KestreMet’s 6000’s exceptional performance fully justifies its cost. Read our full KestrelMet 6000, Wi-Fi review How we test home weather stations Each weather station is evaluated for a minimum of 30 days. During that time, we observe the station’s performance and accuracy in a variety of weather conditions. Accuracy is judged using a local National Weather Service observation site located 3.7 miles to the northeast of our location, combined with data from tested stations at our observation site to account for local weather variability. Given TechHive’s focus, we pay special attention to how a home weather station integrates into the smart home. Is it easy to use? Does it provide useful information? And most importantly, does it work as intended? Other factors that play a big role in our final ratings are how easy it is to install, the quality and usefulness of any provided app, and perceived durability. While 30 days is a short time frame to truly gauge durability, our decade of experience testing home weather stations allows us to take a highly educated guess as to how well one will stand up to the elements over time. What to look for when shopping for a home weather station  Netatmo Weather Station comes with the base station and one indoor/outdoor temperature/humidity sensor, but you also need the rain and wind gauges to really enjoy this station’s capabilities. As with any product, spending more money doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll get a great product, but we’ve yet to find a cheap weather station deliver genuine value. The vast majority of the budget stations available at chain discount and hardware stores are inaccurate. While temperature is generally accurate to within a degree or so, humidity is poorly measured, and overall readings can be 10 to 15 percent off actual values. Mid-range and high-end weather stations are typically much better, and in my experience are never more than about 5-percent off most of the time. Wind and rain measurements are very useful, especially if you have activities affected by that type of weather. High-end stations are nice to have if you can afford them; they’re typically the most accurate, but unless you need specialty measurements—UV, soil moisture, and the like—don’t spend the money. When shopping for a home weather station you should also consider these factors: Accuracy: By far the most important factor, accuracy is also the hardest to gauge. Here we’d recommend looking at the spec sheets and choosing stations with low margins of error. Additionally, look through user reviews (or ours) for real-world testing. Not all weather stations are built the same, and a high price doesn’t always mean high quality. Battery or solar power? Just about all weather stations these days operate wirelessly–communicating with a base station via Wi-Fi or cellular network–so your instruments will run on either battery or solar power. With mid-range and high-end models, you’ll likely never need to change a battery—some stations run entirely on solar power–and adequate sunshine shouldn’t be a problem unless you live near the Arctic Circle. Durability: The elements can be harsh, and your sensors will be in them 24/7, 365 days of every year. Inexpensive stations are constructed from low-grade plastic that will quickly deteriorate. Look for a well-built station and steer clear of “all-in-one” units that incorporate every sensor inside in a single housing. The sensors represent the bulk of the cost, and if one fails, you’ll need to replace all of them—even if the others are working just fine. Oregon Scientific’s WMR89A comes with all the sensors you need right out of the box, with no need to buy anything additional for basic local weather reports. Expandability: Your weather station might suit you fine now, but your needs could change over time. Instead of going for all the bells and whistles up front, save some cash and buy a mid-range product that can be expanded with new and different sensors down the road. That way, you’ll never outgrow it. Smart home support: Years ago, smart home support in home weather stations was a novelty and required a good deal of tinkering. These days, nearly every station has some type of smart home support, although the level of sophistication varies. For some it’s as simple as an Alexa or Google Assistant skill that reads your weather report to you, others offer connectivity through cloud-to-cloud connectivity or subscription services like IFTTT. We recommend looking for a home weather station with the latter. A word about weather station sensor placement Now here’s where my meteorologist side comes out. Please, please, please choose carefully where you place your instruments. The temperature and humidity gauge should be placed in a shaded and grassy area at about eye-level height (National Weather Service specifications say 4- to 6 feet), and out of direct exposure rain or snowfall. Do not place it near or above concrete, macadam, or other potential heat radiators. Don’t place one near your home’s windows, either; warm air escaping from your house will throw off its readings. Mounting height is less of a concern for a rain gauge, as long as it’s not too close to the ground or any other nearby surface where splash-back can produce abnormally high readings. You should also avoid mounting it near tall obstructions that might block rainfall in windy conditions. The NWS generally recommends you place the rain gauge as far from obstructions as they are high. That’s tough to do, so just put it in as clear of a spot as possible. The anemometer (the fancy name for the wind gauge) is the toughest instrument to place. Most people are surprised to learn that the wind-speed readings you see on TV are taken at a height of 33 feet above the ground. That’s not practical for most of us but try to get yours at least 10 feet above any nearby obstructions. You’ll also need a compass handy, so you can point its wind vane in the right direction (remember, you want to know the direction the wind blowing from, not toward. If you don’t orient your anemometer correctly, your wind direction readings will be the opposite of reality. The station’s setup instructions will tell you how to align it correctly. Other home weather stations we’ve reviewed We’ve reviewed a host of other home weather stations, dating back to 2016. If none of our latest best picks fit your needs, be sure to check out of these other reviews: The Acurite Atlas home weather station earned TechHive’s Editors’ Choice award when it came to market in 2018 and remains a good choice among budget-priced systems. Acurite’s other entry-level station, the AcuRite 5-in-1 Weather Environment System I reviewed in 2017, is a step down from that, but it’s still a good value. Smart home buffs will appreciate the integration they can achieve with the Ambient Weather WS-2902 station. It offers many of the features of more advanced weather stations at a very affordable price point. The Davis Weatherlink Console is an attractive device for displaying data readings from Davis weather stations and sensors, but it’s a pricey gadget at $395. The Davis Vantage Vue weather station ($695) now includes the Weatherlink Console. If you’re shopping for a less expensive system that has extensive hooks into the smart home, check out my Netatmo Weather Station review, along with its add-on components for measuring wind speed and precipitation.

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Efficient cleaning Bagless auto-empty station saves money in the long run Adept at avoiding obstacles on the floor Cons Mopping is an afterthought Will eat your socks if too many are on the floor Our Verdict The Eureka E20 Plus is an efficient robot vacuum that can smartly avoid socks, stuffies and other obstacles on the floor, but the bot puts minimal effort into mopping. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The Eureka E20 Plus is a stylish and sleek robovac with a bagless auto-emptying station, great spatial orientation, and solid cleaning chops–up to a point. When it comes to vacuuming, the E20 Plus takes a methodical approach to cleaning the floors, making sure to reach all areas, going from room to room, circling forgotten items on the floor, and avoiding (most) obstacles. On the other hand, it offers a mediocre mopping experience. The Eureka E20 Plus performs well when it comes to vacuuming. Mopping, however, is a different story. Design The Eureka S20 Plus is a sleek robovac that comes with a mopping pad, so it won’t just vacuum the floors but also mop them. Well, sort of. But we’ll get to that in a bit. Gabriela Vatu The robot vacuum looks sleek and elegant. On one side, you’ll find the removable dust container, which incorporates the water tank. That’s also where you can check, clean, and replace the filter when needed. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums. Measuring 9.9 x 7.1 x 17.4 inches (WxDxH), the gorgeous base station has a refreshingly compact footprint compared to many other models. It comes with a large transparent bagless container where all the dust and debris will be collected once the vacuuming job is complete. It’s large enough that you won’t have to worry about emptying it for up to 45 days, which is pretty awesome. The container can be locked in place, and by using the built-in handle, you can easily move the entire base around. On the back, you can loop the cable for a cleaner look.   Features The Eureka E20 Plus vacuum delivers a solid 8,000 Pa of suction, which should be enough to clean regular dirt, hair, crumbs, and whatever else you drop on the floor on any given day. The robot comes equipped with two side brushes and an anti-hair-tangling brush that actually seems to work. Since there are three pets in this house that tend to horseplay quite a bit, there’s a lot of floof flying around, which I did not have to remove off the robot’s brush after any of the tests. Gabriela Vatu The robot also features a mop that it will raise once it encounters carpets, offering a clearance of 10mm. Unfortunately, the mop is completely static; it is basically being dragged around by the robovac as it cleans. Setup The robovac is easy to set up once you open the box. First, you pull out some instruction books and the brushes and mops, then you take out the robot vacuum and the base station at the bottom. The whole process is pretty straightforward since practically everything is already assembled, aside from those side brushes (which you simply pop onto the robot). Next, you install the Eureka app on your device, and then scan a QR code to add the device to the app. Once the robot is connected to your Wi-Fi network, the app can check for available updates. Unlike the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus (for example), the Eureka E20 Plus didn’t just do a quick run around the house to scan the place and get the lay of the land. Nope–it went into a full-out cleaning spree that took about 50 minutes before producing a map. The map is editable, but I found the process unnecessarily difficult. For instance, it wrongly believed my front hallway, bedroom, and half my bathroom were one big room. I had to merge the rest of the bathroom to the rest first, then exit the map, return, create the bathroom on its proper border, exit the map, and then separate the bedroom from the hallway. I also had to redo some of the steps because it didn’t save. While I love the way the app looks and the features it makes readily available, it didn’t work as seamlessly as those from other brands I’ve tested. On the bright side, the Eureka app can be integrated with smart home systems, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, which means you can issue voice commands to handle cleanups. Performance I ran the robot with multiple suction modes, but none were really silent. From the app, you can determine the suction power and the water levels and decide whether to use it in mop mode, where it does both jobs. You can also enable the “Carpet mode,” where the robot detects the carpets and adjusts suction power. Gabriela Vatu The robot performed quite well in picking up dust and hair off the floors. I ran some tests to see how well it would do to pick up some spilled rice. The E20 Plus fared well on this task, although the two side brushes did send some of the grains flying in all directions (some of those bits of rice were eventually picked up). The Eureka E20 Plus did a lot better in the coffee grounds test. I spread some coffee on the floor and waited to see how the robot would do with the fine particles. The results were impressive because the robot slid right over and picked everything up with ease, all without dispersing the grounds all over the room, The vacuum arrives with Eureka’s DuoDetect AI 3D technology, which deploys dual-line lasers that help the robot navigate. To test the bot’s navigation skills, I made an obstacle course in my entry hallway, complete with shoes, socks, plushies, and one of my kid’s Moon Balls, and I was impressed by how well the E20 Plus maneuvered the course. It approached the shoe, carefully went around it, slowed down a bit to see if it could be moved, and cleaned around it. It did the same for most every other obstacle I placed, including the sock–although it did move that obstacle around a bit. I think the AI was sick of my tests, however, because on the second test, I just threw some socks on the ground, and the vacuum did not perform as well. In trying to avoid one sock, it got caught up in another and asked for help because the sock was stuck near one of its wheels. Still, in a regular day-to-day environment where I assume (and hope) you don’t have ten socks lying on the floor, the Eureka should do just fine. Gabriela Vatu All in all, the E20 Plus performs well when it comes to vacuuming. Mopping, however, is a completely different story. Since the mop plate is perfectly stationary, it gets dragged around by the vacuum. There’s no “elbow grease” put into cleaning the floors, meaning no significant amount of dirt gets lifted. For a daily cleaning job, this may do just fine, but it does depend on your home’s needs. Once the job is complete, the robot returns to the station and empties the dust bin into the large container. I love this container–I really do. It has a stylish design, is easy to take out and put back in, and its handle makes it easy to move around. Inside, there’s a five-stage filtration system that captures and contains dust particles. Everything passes through the filter screen, a multi-cone cyclone, MIF filter cotton, high-density filter cloth, and a HEPA filter. Basically, even though you’ll leave the dust sitting there for weeks, you won’t have to worry about allergies. Specifications Robot dimensions: 13.8 x 3.8 inches (WxH) Base station dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 17.4 inches (WxDxH) Max suction power: 8,000 Pa Navigation: DuoDetect AI 3D Obstacle Avoidance Mopping: Yes, but static Mop lift: 10mm/0.4 inches Dustbin volume: 2L Battery capacity: 5,200mAh Maximum runtime: 180 minutes Voice control: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Should you buy the Eureka E20 Plus The Eureka E20 Plus is a $500 robot vacuum ($450 at the time of review), which is about the same price as the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus. The two vacuums are similar in suction power, have anti-tangle brushes, and boast bagless containers, and among other shared features. The mop on the Yeedi is far better, but the navigation is worse. I really like the minimalistic approach of the E20 Plus’s design, which includes the smallest docking station we’ve seen in quite a while. The robot performs great when it vacuums and can get around like a pro, especially after you’ve cleaned up the map in the app. All in all, at this price, this is a good vacuum that has lots of positives, but don’t buy it if you need more diligent mopping.

The joy of swimming-pool cleaning is right up there with scrubbing bathroom floors, but the consequences of neglecting either chore are equally unhealthy. Fortunately, the age of robots means you can ditch the long-handled net for skimming leaves from the surface of your pool’s water, and scrubbing algae from its walls and floor no longer means using a pumice stick. Invest in a modern robotic pool cleaner and let that machine do that nasty work for you. Unfortunately, we haven’t see a robot that can scrub your toilet bowl–at least not yet. But for your pool, these labor-saving bots come in various shapes and sizes with diverse capabilities, not to mention a wide array of price tags. The most sophisticated models go for $2,000 or more. Here are our top picks, followed by a buyers’ guide that will help you determine what you need in a robotic pool cleaner. Updated October 25, 2024 to make some additional recommendations. Why you should trust us I’ve been in and around home swimming pools for most of my life, and I have owned my own pool since 2022. The pool is actively used, and I perform some level of maintenance on the pool nearly every day. I have tested a variety of cleaning devices in the pool, including old-school water-powered Polaris cleaners and a number of more modern robots. The pool depth ranges from about 4 to 7 feet deep and is L-shaped, measuring 12 by 36 feet, with a small leg jutting out that adds another 6 by 6 feet in the shallow end, totaling 468 square feet. Our top picks in robot pool cleaners Polaris Freedom Plus – best cordless robotic pool cleaner overall Pros Overall great cleaning quality Lightweight, drains water quickly Docks at waterline for easy retrieval Cons Slightly less effective than Polaris’ corded model VRX iQ+ Remote control is somewhat difficult to use Very expensive Why we like the Polaris Freedom Plus Polaris’s premiere battery-powered pool robot wins on flexibility, even if it makes minor compromises in cleaning prowess compared to its corded–and much less convenient to use–cousin, the Polaris VRX iQ+. This bot has a large, easy-to-clean debris basket, and it was extremely effective at removing leaves and other debris from our test swimming pool. When the bot has finished its work, it automatically parks itself at the side of the pool for easy retrieval. Who should buy the Polaris Freedom Plus The Polaris Freedom Plus is a great choice for homeowners with larger pools who want hands-off cleaning with the option to remotely control their pool-cleaning bot to ensure specific areas are cleaned. It comes with a caddy that provides contactless charging, and its 20-pound weight makes it easy to move from the caddy to the pool when it’s time to clean. Read our full Polaris Freedom Plus review Beatbot Aquasense Pro – best cordless robotic pool cleaner, runner-up Pros Excellent underwater cleaning capabilities App has new configurability features, letting you tweak cleaning operations in dozens of ways Outstanding battery life of 7 hours or more Cons Can still get stuck on occasion Skimming feature isn’t overly effective Expensive compared to some other high-end competitors After Beatbot released a series of firmware updates, the manufacturer asked if we’d give its Aquasense Pro a second look. So, we asked them to send us a fresh model with the most current firmware. When we put it through its paces again, we discovered modest improvements and a couple of familiar problems. It remains an impressive robotic pool cleaner, but it’s more expensive than some other high-end models. Why we like the Beatbot Aquasense Pro Like many robot vacuums, the Aquasense Pro comes with a docking station that automatically charges its battery, eliminating the need to drag a power cord to the device after each cleaning session. It will clean your pool’s floor, walls, waterline, and the water’s surface. It does a great job vacuuming up dirt and debris from the bottom of the pool, trapping it in its two-piece mesh basket. And if you opt in to purchasing its water-clarifying agent, the robot will dispense it while it moves around sucking in leaves off the surface of the pool. Who should buy the Beatbot Aquasense Pro? Pool owners looking for the ultimate in programmability and flexibility in cleaning should take a long look at the Aquasense Pro. This machine is outfitted with nine separate motors, which help it cruise around your pool with focus and efficiency. It has four Four preset cleaning modes: floor only; floor, wall, and waterline; floor, wall, waterline, and surface; and an eco mode that cleans the pool’s floor once every other day until its battery dies. But you can also create custom cleaning modes for the floor, walls, and surface that give your more than 20 other ways to keep your pool spotless. Read our full Beatbot Aquasense Pro review Wybot S2 – Best cordless robotic pool cleaner for large pools Pros Outstanding coverage Endlessly configurable via mobile app Reasonably lightweight for easy maneuverability Cons Haphazard navigation History of cleaning operations seems broken App is rough around the edges Why we like the Wybot S2 Boasting the ability to clean swimming pools measuring up to 3,230 square feet and equipped with a beefy 7800mAh battery, the Wybot S2 can scrub nearly any pool in just a few hours. Don’t let its idiosyncratic navigation fool you. It might look like it’s wandering around with no clear purpose, but it will leave no area of your pool’s floor, walls, and waterline untouched. And its ability to suck up debris is as good as its ability to scrub, thanks to a large basket with two filters, the second of which is great for capturing fine-grained grit.   Who should buy the Wybot S2 If you’ve been maintaining a large swimming pool the old fashioned way, you’ll love the labor savings the Wybot S2 will deliver. Its large battery will ensure the pool is always clean and ready for use. Be prepared to endure some quirks in its app–it seems it could have used a wee bit more polishing before it was released–but that software should be relatively easy to update. This robotic pool cleaner is outstanding in every other regard. If price is no object, however, the Polaris Freedom Plus is even better; that said, it’s also nearly twice as expensive. Read our full Wybot S2 review Aiper Seagull Pro– Best cordless robotic pool cleaner for large pools, runner-up Pros Epic performance, effectively cleaning both leaves and other debris as well as algae 3-hour battery life ensures no surface is left untouched Doesn’t need to be disassembled for cleaning Cons Can get stuck on obstacles Cleaning out the filter basket is a bit messy Very expensive Best Prices Today: $899.99 at Aiper£1,247.63 at Amazon This is one of the most effective robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested; in fact, it was our top pick overall before we received the Polaris Freedom Plus and the Wybot S2 units. That said, if you can catch one of Aiper’s frequent sales–the Seagull Pro was selling on Amazon for 38 percent off as of this writing–grab one. Why we like the Aiper Seagull Pro This is one of the best robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested, and if you can find it on a good sale day, it’s probably the best value in its category. It delivered epic cleaning performances in our tests, picking up leaves and other debris and scrubbing the floor and walls of our test pool to rid them of algae growth. Who should buy the Aiper Seagull Pro If you can’t find the Aiper Seagull Pro on sale, and you don’t mind paying top dollar for the convenience and labor savings, this robotic pool cleaner is a great choice. Read our full Aiper Seagull Pro review Aiper Seagull SE – Best robotic pool cleaner for smaller pools Pros Very easy to use Lightweight, sleek, and fast Reasonably effective at cleaning considering the price Cons Failed to park itself near the wall at end of its cycle Struggles with larger leaves Requires significant regular maintenance Best Prices Today: £299.99 at Amazon Why we like the Aiper Seagull SE If your pool is on the small side, Aiper’s entry-level pool bot should have no trouble cleaning debris from it. The 8-pound device is easy to maneuver, zooming around the pool for about 90 minutes before its battery dies out. It lacks much in the way of features beyond its on/off switch, but it’s a capable and incredibly low-cost choice if all you need is occasional help scooping up leaves that you’d otherwise have to collect by hand. Who should buy the Aiper Seagull SE Aiper’s entry-level pool bot is best for people with smaller swimming pools—up to about 850 square feet. If you’re working with a tight budget, you could try deploying one in a larger pool, but be aware that its battery will need multiple charging cycles to get the entire job done. Read our full Aiper Seagull SE review Polaris VRX iQ+ — Best corded robotic pool cleaner Pros Best performance of any pool cleaning robot we’ve tested to date Optimizes run time based on pool size Lift system lets you retrieve the robot on demand without a pole Cons Very expensive Wrangling power cable requires some extra effort A bit of an eyesore even when not in use Why we like the Polaris VRX iQ+ The Polaris VRX iQ+ differs from the other robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested by virtue of the 70-foot insulated power cord that connects it to its out-of-the-water control panel. Wrangling the cord can be a chore–and it’s not the least bit attractive whether the robot is in use or not–but this bot cleaned our pool better than anything we’ve tested to date. Who should buy the Polaris VRX iQ+ If you’re looking for the most effective robotic pool cleaner, you have a place to stash it and its bulky caddy when it’s not in use, and you don’t mind wrestling with its power cord each time you set it to cleaning–and again when it’s done its job–The Polaris VRX iQ+ is hard to beat. If those chores are a turn-off, pick one of our battery-powered recommendations instead. Read our full Polaris VRX iQ+ review What to look for when shopping for a robotic pool cleaner As with most tech products, the feature sets and capabilities of pool-cleaning robots advance as their price tags go up. Here’s a partial list of features that you should look for, sorted from the most common—and therefore should be present on even the least-expensive models—to the fancier features you’ll find on the more sophisticated—and pricier—models. Battery life/square footage These specs go hand in hand: The larger the battery, the more area the robot should be able to cover. In my experience, most manufacturers exaggerate how many square feet their bots can cover on a single battery charge. Look for a model that promises coverage of at least twice the size of your pool’s square footage. Mobile app support Starting at about the $1,000 price range, robotic pool cleaners start to include Wi-Fi connectivity and mobile app support. These features lets you monitor battery life and the robot’s cleaning mode, and—at least in theory—map your pool visually. These features don’t always work as planned, but it can be helpful to get a push notification on your smartphone if the robot gets stuck somewhere. Remote control A few robots include a standalone remote control that let you “drive” the robot toward debris or tell it to abort its cleaning run altogether. Self-parking Many robots can park themselves near a wall at the bottom of the pool when they’re finished running, which makes them easier to retrieve with a pole (a hook attachment is always included). I’ve found this feature to be hit-or-miss affair with the inexpensive models, while the more advanced ones can rise to the surface of the pool and float there. At that point, you can simply pull them out of the water by hand, no tools needed. Surface-cleaning capabilities Beatbot Want a robot that can skim leaves that haven’t yet sunk to the floor? Look for a model with a skimming feature–although note that these won’t provide perfect coverage due to the tendency of leaves to migrate while the robot is in motion. Wall-cleaning capabilities Christopher Null/Foundry I didn’t think I needed this feature until I tried it out: Who gets debris on the walls of the pool? Well, you do, more than likely. Wall-cleaning robots can physically scrub off algae that you’d otherwise need to do manually, with a brush—an that’s a terribly painful, back-breaking task. These cleaners will have spinning treads; cheaper robots rely on suction power alone. The best models use spinning treads, while cheaper robots rely on just suction power. Frequently asked questions about robotic pool cleaners 1. How do robotic pool cleaners work? Robotic pool cleaners are in many ways the watery analogue of robot vacuum cleaners, although their navigational technologies vary considerably. Simple cleaners will use water jets to move back and forth in wide arcs, reversing each time they hit an obstacle while sucking up debris through a small port in the bottom of the robot. More advanced cleaners have multiple mechanical motors and sensors that take the robot through a more ordered cleaning routine, moving back and forth across the pool like a person behind a lawnmower. Models that can clean the sides of a pool can climb its walls in the same type of pattern. The spinning brushes on these models are more effective at scooping up sand, dirt, and other fine debris. 2. How do you control a robotic pool cleaner? For the most part, you don’t. Robot pool cleaners are a “set and forget” affair, though more luxe models can be set to clean the floor only, walls only, both floor and walls, and so on. If you want to stop the robot mid-run, you can grab it with a hooked pole and turn it off manually or with a remote control if one was provided. Note that mobile apps usually won’t work while the robot is in the pool, as the water and concrete tend to block the wireless signal. 3. How effective are robotic pool cleaners? If you’re used to having something like an old-school Polaris cleaner run for 8 hours a day to keep your pool spotless, you might be disappointed in what a robot pool cleaner—which will generally run for less than 3 hours, and sometimes much less—can do. I’ve never completed a cleaning run with absolutely no debris left behind, but the models reviewed above do a solid job, sucking up 80 to 95 percent of debris, depending on how dirty things are when you started. More advanced robotic pool cleaners, machines outfitted with treads, do a remarkably good job cleaning up fine debris and algae—much better than hose-type cleaners that need to be pulled out of the pool when you want to swim—and are nearly as good as a human with a brush. This capability alone makes it worth considering a more advanced—and more expensive—unit. 4. What kind of maintenance do robotic pool cleaners require? Very little. Robotic pool cleaners need to have their debris baskets cleaned out after each run—you might need to use a brush to clean the filter screen—and you should dry them off, though most are very good at draining within a few minutes of removal from the pool. After a few hours of recharging, the robot should be ready to run again. Pool robots are electronic devices, so they are prone to breaking down over time—especially given that they will spend ample time underwater. Never leave a robot in the water for longer than its running cycle, and always store it out of direct sunlight, so UV rays don’t break down its plastic components. Naturally, batteries will lose capacity over time, and these are not user-replaceable on any robot I’ve seen. 5. Are there robotic pool cleaners for above-ground pools? Virtually every robotic pool cleaner can clean in-ground pools, but many models can also clean above-ground pools, which have different types of surface materials and often lack a smooth floor for the bot to traverse. Some pool-cleaning robots can handle both types of pools, but don’t assume the one you’re considering can. The manufacturer’s product specifications should indicate which type(s) of pool the robot is designed to clean. How we test robotic pool cleaners I test robotic pool cleaners in two ways: I start with real-world tests by letting debris build up for a few days, I then drop the robot into the water to see how it fares. This isn’t scientific—and it’s seasonally dependent on falling leaves—so I also devised a synthetic test using about 100 craft leaves made from silk. These I scatter across the pool before initiating a standard cleaning run. Measuring the portion of leaves left behind makes it easy to make an apples-to-apples comparison among various robots’ cleaning capabilities. TechHive has not tested any robot pool cleaners in an above-ground pool. Other robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested We’ve evaluated many other robot pool cleaners, but apart from the Ofuzzi Cyber 1200 Pro, it’s been a love or hate relationship to date. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. Perhaps you’ll find a redeeming factor we’ve overlooked. Aiper Scuba S1: As much as we like Aiper’s higher-end pool-cleaning robots, we were disappointed with the performance of its budget-priced entry. Hydrus Roker Plus: Don’t be tempted by this robot pool cleaner’s low price tag. We found it did a poor job of cleaning our pool, its battery life too short, and it was difficult to clean of the debris it did pick up. Inse Y10 Pool Vacuum Robot: The manufacturer says its smallish robot is designed for moderately sized pools up to 1,100 square feet. It’s one of the least-expensive bots we’ve tested, but there’s a big difference between inexpensive and just cheap. Ofuzzi Cyber 1200 Pro: This robot won’t clean your pool’s walls, but we found that it did a great job vacuuming up leaves and other debris from the bottom of our pool. It’s attractively priced, too. Seauto Shark: This robotic pool cleaner excels at picking up dirt and grime from the bottom of the pool, but in our test runs, it tended to miss key sections.

One of the key differentiators between home security cameras and video doorbells has nothing to do with their specifications or even their performance. If you’re considering the long-term cost of ownership of a security camera, you’ll want to know three things: First, what functions are disabled if you don’t pay for a subscription? Second, what functions does a subscription add to the product? And third, how much will a subscription cost on a monthly or annual basis. If you’re wondering why you’d need a subscription plan in the first place, it’s because many–maybe even most–of the manufacturers in this space limit the capabilities of their products unless you pay extra for services. These subscription plans are invariably advertised as “optional,” and many of them are sold in tiers, with varying levels of features. But the bottom line is that you won’t get the full benefit of many brands of camera and doorbell unless you sign up for a plan. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras and the best video doorbells. Arlo, Ring, and many others, for example, limit you to a real-time view of the scene in front of their cameras and doorbells unless you cough up for a subscription. If you want a recording of an event you weren’t around to watch in real time, you’ll need to pay for a subscription so you can store the recording on the vendor’s server in the cloud. Even cameras that feature local storage on a microSD card or a storage device on your home network might require a subscription to unlock features such as person, pet, and package detection; high-resolution video recording; AI image processing; and more. Let’s compare the plans and services from each of the biggest manufacturers, whose product lines have generally earned positive reviews from us. Our list is sorted alphabetically, but if you’re looking for a particular brand, check the table of contents in the left-hand margin. Updated October 25, 2024: Several subscription plans and/or their prices have changed. This roundup has been updated accordingly. Arlo Arlo cameras come with three cloud storage options, any of which will unlock crucial camera functions.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry When you buy an Arlo home security product, you’ll get a 30-day free trial to Arlo Secure, which starts automatically after you set up the camera or doorbell. When the free trial ends, you’ll still be able to see a live view from the camera, the two-way talk feature will continue to operate, and you’ll receive notifications when the camera detects motion. The camera will also continue to work with smart speakers and displays, but you won’t be able to record videos and download those clips to share with other people unless you sign up for one of the following paid subscriptions: Arlo Secure Basic Cost: $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year for a single camera; $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year for an unlimited number of Arlo cameras and doorbells. Features: The Secure plan allows you to save video from Arlo cameras in the cloud on a rolling 30-day basis. It also enables smart activity zones, so you can highlight specific areas on your property to monitor. Other perks include theft replacement, priority care and support, and a discount on the purchase of future Arlo devices. Arlo Secure Plus Cost: $17.99 per month or $179.99 per year for an unlimited number of Arlo cameras and doorbells. Features: This plan gives you everything in the Arlo Secure plan and adds critical security features such as AI-powered object detection (people, vehicles, packages, and pets), audio detection, and the ability to receive notifications for events and scenarios you create, such as when you leave your sprinklers on or your garage door open. Arlo Premium Cost: $24.99 per month or $249.99 per year for an unlimited number of Arlo cameras and doorbells; plus, professional monitoring and other services. Features: Arlo’s top-tier plan includes everything in the Premium plan, but adds professional monitoring of an Arlo Home Security System, including the dispatch of first responders in the event of an emergency (break-in, fire, or medical). Interestingly, 24-hour emergency dispatch is available even if you only have security cameras. sign up for an arlo secure plan Blink Amazon’s Blink cameras come with two cloud subscription options, one that’s priced per camera and one that’s a flat fee for unlimited cameras.Michael Brown/Foundry Amazon’s Blink cameras come with your choice of two monthly cloud subscription plans. One is priced per camera and the other is a flat monthly or annual fee for an unlimited number of Blink cameras. Without a paid subscription you will only be able to view your camera’s live feed–and only for a maximum of 5 minutes after receiving a motion-detection alert. Blink Basic Plan Cost: $3 per month or $30 per year per camera. Features: The Basic plan includes 60 days of rolling storage, automatic local backups (if you also purchase a $35 Blink Sync Module 2 and a USB storage device to plug into it), person detection, video sharing, and periodic photo capture. A paid subscription also extends continuous live viewing time from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. Blink Plus Plan Cost: $10 per month or $100 per year for an unlimited number of Blink cameras. Features: This plan includes everything in the Basic plan and adds the ability to temporarily pause motion alerts for up to 24 hours, a 10-percent discount on Blink devices purchased on Amazon, and extended warranties on all your Blink devices for as long as you continue your subscription–provided the Blink product is under warranty at the time you start your subscription. Sign up for a Blink Subscription plan Eufy Cloud Storage Eufy cameras include local storage options, but they can also use Eufy a subscription plan to back up their video recordings to the cloud.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Eufy indoor and outdoor cameras, floodlight cameras, and video doorbells support local storage either through a small amount of onboard memory, a microSD card, or Eufy’s HomeBase 3, a NAS-type device connected to your home network that can host up to 16TB of storage via a user-supplied hard disk or solid-state drive. But Eufy also offers reasonably priced cloud subscriptions that add anywhere-access convenience and are useful as a backup in case your local storage is stolen, damaged, or goes offline. Not all of Eufy’s security products are subscription eligible, though, so it’s best to check your model before you purchase a plan. Eufy Basic Plan Cost: $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year per camera Features: The Eufy Basic plan unlocks rolling 30 days of storage for a single camera. Eufy Premier Plan Cost: $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year Features: This plan covers up to 10 Eufy cameras, providing rolling 30 days of storage for each one. Sign up for Eufy Cloud Storage Google Nest Both of Google’s Nest Aware plans cover all the Google cameras, smart speakers, and smart displays in your home. Google Nest Google Nest cameras include more features than most of the competition before you need to sign up for a subscription. You get the usual event-based alerts and on-demand live viewing, for example, but some Nest cameras also provide at least some event-based recording–up to 3 hours on the Nest Cam (battery), for example–without a subscription. That’s a great feature–if you can remember to view and/or download the clip before that 3-hour window closes. And some models will produce alerts specifying whether the motion was from a a person, a vehicle, or an animal; again, without a subscription. Here’s what you’ll get if you do spring for a subscription (you’ll get a 30-day free trial with the purchase of a device). Nest Aware Cost: $12 per month or $120 per year for every Google camera, speaker, and display in your home. Features: The Nest Aware plan bumps the event video history up from the 3 hours you get for free to a full 30 days. Your cameras can also learn familiar faces, so they can discern between family and friends versus strangers. And if you also have Nest smart speakers and displays, they’ll be able to listen for the sound of smoke or carbon monoxide detector alarms sounding off. Nest Aware Plus Cost: $24 per month or $240 per year for every Google camera, speaker, and display in your home. Features: Everything in the base Nest Aware plan, but the event video history is boosted to 60 days, and you get 10 days of 24/7 continuous recording. sign up for a google nest aware plan Ring If you want recordings from your Ring cameras and doorbells, you’ll need to sign up for one of the company’s Ring Home plans.Michael Brown/Foundry Ring Home is a comprehensive subscription service offered in three tiers, enabling everything from “rich” notifications of events (with a photo preview of the event appearing in the Ring app), to cloud storage, to professional monitoring of a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro system. A free 30-day trial begins as soon as you activate a new Ring security camera or video doorbell. After the trial period, you’ll need to subscribe to continue using those features. Without a Ring Protect Plan, you can only use your Ring device’s free features such as live video, text-only push notifications, and two-way audio. Ring recently overhauled its subscription service offerings, renaming it Ring Home and separating the professional monitoring service related to its DIY home security systems as an à la carte offering. Ring Home Basic Cost: $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year for one camera. Features: The Basic plan allows you to store 180 days of recorded video events for a single Ring doorbell or camera. It’s also required to enable most of your Ring product’s advanced functions, including person alerts; rich notifications; Home and Away modes; the ability to download up to 50 videos at once to your device; and Snapshot Capture, which allows your camera to capture still images of its view at predetermined intervals so you can a view slideshow of what your camera sees between motion events. Doorbells also get Video Preview Alerts that deliver a short video clip along with the push notification when someone rings. Ring Home Standard Cost: $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for an unlimited number of cameras and doorbells. Features: The Standard plan covers every Ring doorbell and camera at a single location. It offers the same features as the Basic plan, but extends your camera’s live view feature from a max of 10 minutes to 30 minutes and adds a new feature called Doorbell Calls. When someone rings your doorbell, it will call your smartphone and give you the option to speak to the person on your porch over a video call. Owners of a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro home security system will get 24/7 backup over a cellular network for the security system only (the more expensive Ring Home Premium plan also includes 24/7 internet backup for that product’s integrated Wi-Fi router). The Ring Standard plan also gives you a lifetime warranty on all of your Ring devices–provided the devices were still covered by Ring’s standard one-year warranty on the date your Ring Home subscription starts. Ring Home Premium Cost: $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year for an unlimited number of Ring cameras; plus, some features for Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro home security systems. Features: The Premium plan gets you the same features as the Standard plan, but it adds an entirely new feature: 24/7 video recording to the cloud for some Ring cameras; namely, the wired-power models Ring Stick Up Cam Pro, Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen, and the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam. Ring says more of its wired-power models will gain this feature over time, including its wired doorbells. If you also own a Ring Alarm Pro home security system, which has an integrated Eero Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Premium plan includes backup internet service over a cellular network, in case your primary broadband service should fail. Note that this service has a data cap. You’ll also get Ring Edge, which lets you store security camera and doorbell recordings on a local microSD card plugged into a Ring Alarm Pro, and Digital Security by Eero Secure (another feature related to that product’s integrated router). The biggest change with this tier is that professional monitoring is no longer included. Ring Home with 24/7 professional monitoring Cost: $10 per month in addition to whichever Ring Home plan you subscribe to (Basic, Home, or Premium). Features: This plan is relevant only to Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro home security system users; as such, it’s not directly related to Ring’s home security cameras. With professional monitoring, someone in a central office tracks the status of your home whenever it’s in an armed state. Should the system go into an alarm state, they can either call you to check if everything is OK and summon an emergency response if you suspect a break-in, or immediately call the police (an option you choose when you set up the service). Professional monitoring can also be used for fire and medical emergencies. Ring Home with Virtual Security Guard Cost: $99 per month in addition to whichever Ring Home plan you subscribe to (Basic, Home, or Premium) and Ring professional monitoring. If you own at least one Ring camera, a Ring Alarm security system, subscribe to one of the Ring Home plans, and are enrolled in Ring’s professional monitoring plan, you can sign up for the Virtual Security Guard add-on service at an additional cost of $99 per month. With this plan, professional security guards will monitor the cameras you choose, during the hours you set, looking for suspicious activity. If they spot something, they can use the cameras’ siren and/or two-way audio to deter potential a intruder or vandal in real time. They will also contact you directly, via text message or phone call, and they can summon emergency services if warranted. sign up for a ring home plan Sign up for Ring Virtual Security Gurad SimpliSafe SimpliSafe offers two paid subscription plans; one allows you to monitor your own system, the other includes a professional monitoring service.Christopher Null/Foundry SimpliSafe offers four paid monitoring plans for its home security cameras. You can forgo one to save some money, but you will be limited to viewing your camera’s live video feed and arming/disarming its security system from the SimpliSafe App. SimpliSafe’s least-expensive subscription unlocks critical features such as push notifications and video recording, while its two Pro plans offer professional monitoring of a SimpliSafe security system and live guard monitoring of your outdoor cameras. Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings Cost: Around $10 per month. Features: As the name of this plan indicates, you are still monitoring your system via the SimpliSafe mobile app with this entry-level subscription, but you unlock additional camera features, including unlimited video recording, 30-day cloud storage, and instant alarm alerts pushed to your mobile device. In the event of an emergency, it’s up to you to call first responders. Core Cost: Around $30 per month. Features: This base plan comes with SimpliSafe’s whole-home professional monitoring service, so you probably want to be using your camera with one of the company’s DIY home security systems before you consider it. The crux of the service is 24/7 live guard protection; during an active alarm, professional agents can access your camera’s video feed and microphone and attempt to divert the threat. If they’re unsuccessful, they can dispatch police, and their verified report will likely result in a faster response. Similarly, agents can dispatch fire, or medical help after verifying an emergency. Meanwhile, you can still track camera activity on your own via the features unlocked in the self-monitoring plan; plus, you get a lifetime subscriber warranty on SimpliSafe hardware. Pro Cost: $49.99 a month Features: This plan includes all the features of the Core subscription and adds Overnight SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection. This uses a combination of AI and live agents to monitor your outdoor camera(s) between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time to detect and deter threats observed outside your home. Pro Plus Cost: $79.99 a month Features: SimpliSafe’s top-tier plan includes everything in the Pro plan but extends Active Guard Outdoor Protection for your outdoor cameras to a 24/7 basis for users who want round-the-clock protection. Sign up for Simplisafe Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings Sign up for SimpliSafe professionnal monitoring TP-Link and Tapo Neither TP-Link nor its Tapo brand offer a complete home-security system, but its security camera monitoring subscriptions are very inexpensive.Michael Ansaldo/Foundry TP-Link and its Tapo brand of home security cameras are typical in that buyers can choose between a free self-monitoring plan that doesn’t include push notifications or cloud storage, or a paid plan that includes both. Many of its cameras, however, are equipped with microSD card slots that provide local storage for video clips–provided you supply the microSD card. Unlike Arlo, Ring, SimpliSafe, and Wyze Labs, TP-Link does not also offer a complete home security system, so it doesn’t offer a professional monitoring subscription either. Tapocare Cost: $3.49 per month or $34.99 per year for up to 10 cameras. Features: In the U.S., a Tapocare plan provides 30 days of video clip storage in the cloud, push notifications when the cameras detect motion and record video (including a snapshot from the video). Users can tag and sort their cameras’ recordings. Sign up for Tapocare Wyze Labs Wyze Labs is one of the few security camera manufacturers to off a free plan for storing video recordings in the cloud. It also offers two paid tiers that include additional features.Christopher Null/Foundry Wyze Labs offers some of the most inexpensive home security cameras on the market, and the same goes for its subscription plans. It even offers a free plan—the only major security camera brand to do so—that enables more than just your camera’s most basic features. Wyze offers five subscription plans in all: Wyze Cam Plus Lite Cost: Pay-what-you-want (including free). Features: You 12-second, event-based video clips, and 14 days of rolling cloud storage (meaning your oldest recordings get overwritten after two weeks). It also includes general motion and sound detection, AI-powered person detection, and cameras will listen for smoke and CO alarms sounding off and will send you an alert. On the downside, there’s a 5-minute cool-down between recordings, meaning the camera will ignore events in between recordings. The service is also limited to the Wyze Cam v1/v2/v3; Wyze Cam Pan v1/v2; and Wyze Cam Outdoor v1/v2 only. Learn more about Wyze Cam Plus Lite. Wyze Cam Plus Cost: $2.99 per month per camera, $19.99 per year per camera. Features: This plan offers unlimited full-length video recordings with no cool-down period. You’ll also get 14 days of cloud storage for event recordings. Additional features include AI-powered detection for people, pets, packages, and vehicles, ensuring you’ll receive more accurate alerts. Cam Plus Unlimited Cost: $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for all your Wyze Labs cameras. Features: This is the same plan as Cam Plus, but it covers all your Wyze cameras; so, if you have more than three or four, this plan is more economical than paying for each camera separately. sign up for a wyze subscription Our take Arlo’s $7.99-per-month single-camera subscription price is one of most expensive on the market, following a 60-percent price increase in January, 2024, but it doesn’t charge a lot more to cover an unlimited number of cameras–$12.99 per month–at least with its basic plan. Arlo’s unlimited camera plan costs $17.99 per month, but it also adds several features you won’t get with the cheaper plan. Arlo’s $24.99-per-month plan that covers an unlimited number of cameras and includes professional monitoring of the company’s home security system is much more reasonable, given that Ring will soon split its own professional monitoring service as a $10-per-month add-on to its other subscriptions. That said, Arlo’s home security system is much more basic than Ring’s and doesn’t incorporate other smart home elements, such as lighting. Blink has the least expensive per-camera plan, at $3 per month, and you get local video backups if you purchase the Blink Sync Module 2. The unlimited camera plan costs the same as Ring’s service at $10 per month. Unlike Arlo or Ring, Blink does not offer a complete home security system, although it does have a video doorbell and a couple of floodlight cameras. We’ve found that Blink’s product line delivers a lot of value for the money. Eufy has recently introduced several new advanced security cameras–indoor and outdoor models outfitted with both wide-angle and telephoto lenses–and everything in its lineup is affordably priced. The price for its subscription service is comparable to that of the competition, but its 10-camera limit could be an issue if you have a lot of cameras deployed around your home. That said, 10 cameras seems like a lot. It’s also worth noting that Eufy does not currently offer a professional monitoring service, since it doesn’t currently offer a complete home alarm system. A Google Nest Aware subscription for a single camera costs the same as Arlo’s, but since few households end up deploying just one camera or video doorbell, Google’s plan ends up being more affordable than most because it covers all the Google cameras, doorbells, speakers, and displays in your home. But Google no longer builds a home security system, so it doesn’t offer a professional monitoring service either. Ring has retooled its entire subscription plan, which will soon be called Ring Home (the old name was Ring Protect). Ring’s claim of “new features, new name, same price” claim is disingenuous at best. Its basic, single-camera plan retains the same price and does gain a new feature, and its mid-tier unlimited-camera plan gains two new features for the same price, but Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro users will now need to pay $10 per month for professional monitoring on top of whichever other service they choose. That means the price for Ring’s highest service tier will go from $19.99 per month to $29.99 per month. All that said, the Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro home security ecosystems are are more comprehensive than anything else and include indoor and outdoor smart lighting, smart entry locks, smoke detectors, and more, including certified third-party devices. Ring’s new $99-per-month Virtual Security Guard service will probably be of interest only to small business owners, but it’s available to homeowners who want that additional layer of real-time protection. SimpliSafe dispenses with the nonsense of a subscription for a single security camera, charging about $10 per month for full service of any number of its cameras. The company is also innovating with artificial intelligence and combining that with human monitoring of its cameras, although you’ll pay more for that feature (between $50 and $80 per month). If you invest in SimpliSafe’s full security system and want professional monitoring, that will cost between $32 and $80 per month. TP-Link/Tapo has one of the least-expensive subscriptions, but it doesn’t offer a professional monitoring option because the company doesn’t have a complete home security system on the market today; it only offers security cameras and video doorbells. Wyze Labs is another budget brand (Blink being the other), and we’ve had no complaints about the quality of its very well-priced hardware. Its $10-per-month plan for an unlimited number of Wyze cameras is on par with Blink; but unlike that budget manufacturer, Wyze also offers an affordable and complete home security systems with professional monitoring options starting at $10 per month. Update, October 25, 2024: Several vendors have changed their service plans and/or added new services. This update reflects those changes.

As more cord-cutters realize how easily they can cycle through different streaming services, TV programmers are turning to bundles to stop them. Disney+, Hulu, and Max, for instance, are now available in one big bundle for $17 per month, while Starz and Britbox have teamed up on a $15-per-month bundle of their own. Comcast offers a “StreamSaver” bundle with Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ at $15 per month for Xfinity customers, and Spectrum is throwing in a bunch of streaming services with its traditional pay TV packages. By bundling their offerings together—even on an optional basis—streaming providers hope to discourage people from bouncing around despite rising prices and higher ad loads. While these streaming bundles might seem compelling on the surface, they’re not always the best option. Instead of accepting the promise of savings at face value, I suggest asking yourself a handful of questions first: Do you really need all of those services right now? In the case of Disney+, Hulu, and Max, $17 per month for all three services is still $6 per month more expensive than just Disney+ and Hulu (which have their own $11-per-month bundle), and it’s $7 per month pricier than Max alone. By comparison, let’s say you alternated between Disney’s “Duo” bundle and Max every couple months or so. Assuming you only subscribed to each service for half the year, you’d save $78 per year compared to paying for everything year round. Try not to pay for what you don’t actually use. Would you save more with annual subscriptions? Starz and Britbox claim their new $15-per-month bundle represents a 25 percent savings over their combined regular prices. But if you want both services year round, it’s $20 cheaper to pay for each of their annual plans separately, at $70 per year for Starz and $90 per year for Britbox. Not every streaming service offers annual pricing, but those that do can be cheaper on their own than as part of a bundle—especially if you only plan to use those other services for a month or two. Are you better off seeking out streaming deals? Many streaming services offer discounts if you know where to look, so the value of bundling starts to diminish as you factor in promotional rates. Starz, for instance, regularly offers deep discounts for new and returning subscribers, including a current promo that knocks the price down to $20 for six months or $3 per month for three months. That’s vastly cheaper than paying for a bundle of Starz and Britbox, even with regular pricing of $9 per month for the latter. Another example: Comcast’s StreamSaver bundle for Xfinity customers costs $15 per month for Netflix (with ads), Peacock (with ads), and Apple TV+. But on its own, Peacock offers promo codes fairly often, including one right now (PEAPDH25CUT) that reduces the standalone price by $40 for a year. Combine that with a year-round Netflix subscription and maybe a month or two of Apple TV+ when there’s something worth watching—or better yet, an extended Apple TV+ trial through Best Buy or Target—and you’d come out ahead. Are you okay with ads? Programmers like bundling not just because it reduces churn, but because it can translate to more scale for their advertising businesses. With streaming bundles, you’re often getting an ad-supported service by default. In some cases, you can upgrade to a service’s ad-free tier by paying the difference in price. Spectrum, for instance, offers this option for Disney+ if your TV package includes it. But Comcast’s StreamSaver package only offers an ad-free upgrade for Netflix, not Peacock. Would another bundle work better? Even after all the caveats above, streaming bundles can still be worthwhile in some circumstances. But as the number of bundled options increases, you’ll need to choose wisely and be sure not to create overlap. Some wireless carriers, for instance, offer free or deeply discounted streaming services without your needing to bundle lots of them together. Shopping and grocery delivery providers have been bundling streaming services as well, including Instacart+ (which offers Peacock), Walmart+ (which offers Paramount+), and Kroger Boost (which offers Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+). Don’t sign up for a basket of streaming services when they’re included with another service you already use. Streaming bundles are not intended to save you money. Like the value meal at a fast food restaurant, their goal is to encourage you to pay for things you don’t need and might otherwise avoid. The trick, as always, is to realize when you’re better off ordering a la carte. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV insights and money-saving tactics.

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Multifunctional Smart features Voice control High-quality light Cons No audio alarm Expensive Plastic build Our Verdict Between its lovely design and its excellent sunrise mimicry, this is a high-quality light alarm. You can also use it to help you wind down for sleep, and as a mood light. But it is undoubtedly expensive and, unlike many other light alarms, has no audio functions. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed£249.99 Best Prices Today: Philips Hue Twilight Retailer Price £249.99 View Deal Philips Hue £249.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If the winter months are tough on you, there are a couple of devices that could help. Problems such as poor sleep, difficulty waking up in the mornings, and tiredness can all be caused, or exacerbated, by a lack of daylight. The first useful device is a SAD lamp, which is designed to mimic the outdoor light you miss over the winter months, and which can help you fight lethargy and low moods. You can’t use any old light for this. SAD lamps are designed for this purpose, and have a brightness of 10,000 lux. (You can see some top recommendations in Tech Advisor’s round-up of the best SAD lights). The Philips Hue Twilight is a luxury buy, for sure, but if you know its limitations, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. The second life-changing device is a light alarm, which will help you wake up feeling more energized. Instead of being shocked out of sleep by your standard, blaring audio alarm, a light alarm will wake you gently, by degrees, by mimicking a sunrise. Many light alarms also have a sunset function, to help you get ready for sleep at night. We’re testing the Philips Hue Twilight Smart Sleep and Wake Up Lamp primarily as a sunrise alarm. If you own a Philips Hue Bridge and use the Twilight lamp as part of your smart lighting setup, you’ll be able to open up more functionality than if you buy the lamp alone. Design and build Front and back lights Plastic build On-device and app controls Light alarms sometimes look like traditional alarm clocks, in a skeuomorphic way, and sometimes like a child’s drawing of the sun, but rarely like actual lamps. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lights. The Twilight lamp, on the other hand, is decidedly lamp-like. It has a simple and lovely organic shape, with a lot of character. Emma Rowley / Foundry You can choose between a black or a white model and both look equally good. It’s around 13 inches high and is intended for a bedside table. When you see the lamp in pictures, it looks ceramic, but it’s actually made of matte plastic, which is a slight disappointment. It has a cork base that won’t scratch the surface it’s placed on. It weighs roughly 2.2 pounds, and most of that weight is in the base, so it’s not easy to knock over.   Emma Rowley / Foundry There are two sets of lights: front and back. The front light is behind a smoked panel, but the three banks of LEDs at the back are only covered by a pane of transparent plastic. It’s designed to throw rays of colored light against a wall, which it does to impressive effect. Emma Rowley / Foundry However, the lights themselves aren’t particularly attractive. Emma Rowley / Foundry When choosing a routine, you can opt to use the front or back lights. The scenes can use them all. On top of the light are two buttons. One switches the light on and off and toggles between different scenes. Scenes are brightness settings and there are six to choose from, so you can use the Twilight as a bright light, a reading lamp, or on a warmer, more relaxing setting. You can even swivel the lamp head from left to right to point it at your book. Emma Rowley / Foundry The other button starts a go-to-sleep automation, which gradually decreases the light’s brightness over a period of time, to help you to get into sleep mode. The buttons have different tactile features, so you can tell them apart in the dark. App and smart features Bluetooth connection No weekly scheduling option Granular configuration of white or coloured lights As this is a Philips Hue light, there’s a lot you can do via its smart settings. You’ll need to download the Philips Hue app, create an account, and link the light, which happens via Bluetooth. I found this process to be quick and straightforward. You’ll then be able to access all the smart features. The first and most obvious feature is a routine, which you can schedule. So, you can set the light to wake up, go to sleep, or come on at the end of a timer. But there’s no option to schedule by day, so if you set an early sunrise alarm for a weekday morning, you’ll need to remember to turn it off at the weekends. You can also set a scene. You can choose from one of the dozens of preset scenes or customize your own. The Twilight lamp has both white and colored light options, so there are dozens of searchable options. The defaults are function based: choose from read, energize, concentrate and relax, for example. Then there are mood settings, including romantic, peaceful, dreamy, and party vibes. At the time of writing, you can also choose from a number of Halloween light settings, such as “Glowing Grins,” a red, orange and green configuration. Emma Rowley / Foundry Some of these settings are likely to be very useful, others just a novelty. You can save the ones you really like to your “lights” page in the app, for quick access. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry If you have a number of Philips Hue lights in your smart home setup, and a Hue Bridge, you can add the Twilight to larger smart home routines, so it’ll switch on–along with your other lights–when you open the door front, or at a specific time of day. You can also switch your light on or off using voice control, via your Alexa or Google home smart speaker. Light alarm features If you choose the Philips Hue Twilight as a light alarm, the key advantage is the quality of its light. Cheaper light alarms don’t change color as seamlessly as the Twilight does, and some produce quite an eerie, cold light. I liked using the LED banks at the back of the Twilight as a light alarm. It begins to wake you by casting a subtle splash of velvety blue, then lilac, against your wall. By the time you need to wake up, the entire room is warmly illuminated. When you’re setting a wake up or go to sleep routine, you can choose to use the front or back light, and opt to have the light brighten (or dim) for a period of 10, 20, or 30 minutes. But it has limitations, as well. You can’t schedule for an entire week at different times, or have a day off. A bigger issue is that unlike most other light alarms, which can switch on the radio or play soothing sounds or music, the Philips Hue Twilight lacks any kind of audio option. This won’t matter if you’re using it in conjunction with your smart speaker or as part of a wider smart home setup, but it makes a big difference if you’re buying it to use alone. Should you buy the Philips Hue Twilight lamp? The Twilight lamp is expensive and there are excellent light alarms that cost much less. But I love the design and the high-quality light it produces as a sunrise alarm. It’s a luxury buy, for sure, but if you know its limitations, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. Plus, if you already have Philips Hue lights and a bridge, it’s much easier to recommend. This review was originally published on Tech Advisor, our sibling site.

Renting an apartment or house doesn’t mean you must forgo the convenience of a smart home; in fact, you might be surprised by the possibilities for making your home life easier, all of which can be achieved without drilling or making any lease-breaking modifications to your dwelling.  We’ll be ticking off types of smart devices that are decidedly apartment-friendly, from smart bulbs that you can screw into existing sockets to stick-up video doorbells that don’t require wired power. These smart gadgets are easy to install, and once your lease is up, you can take them all with you, without leaving any damage behind.  Once you’ve perused our guide, click through to see our top picks for each category. Renters unite!  Smart lights  Smart bulbs rank as among the easiest way for renters to begin their smart home journeys. An Edison-style smart bulb can be screwed into a standard light socket, and you can reduce your initial outlay by choosing a bulb that’s controllable via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Once you’re ready to expand, you can add a smart hub for even greater control (such as a Philips Hue Bridge), while light strips and smart light panels can add atmosphere with simple stick-up installation.  Renter's pick: Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) Pros Having Bluetooth onboard eliminates the need for the $60 (MSRP) Philips Hue Bridge Excellent quality of light and smooth-as-silk dimming Supremely easy to install and later transfer to Philips Hue Bridge control when you’re ready Cons Without the Philips Hue Bridge, you can’t limit scenes to one or a few bulbs; changes affect all the Bluetooth bulbs you’ve installed You can’t assign bulbs to rooms without the Bridge No one does smart lighting better than Signify’s Philips Hue, and adding Bluetooth while keeping Zigbee makes it cheaper and a whole lot easier to get started. Read our full Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review Check out TechHive's favorite smart lights Smart plugs  Want to automate your fans or add smarts to a decorative standing lamp? A smart plug will do the trick. Just plug a smart plug into an existing wall outlet, and you’ll be able to control any connected device using voice commands (assuming you have smart speakers, which we’re getting to in a moment), put it on a schedule, add it to a smart automation (such as powering on a lamp when you come home), or monitor its electricity usage.  Renter's pick: Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Plug-in Switch (2nd Gen) (model D215P) Pros HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant support Slim form factor Simple, intuitive app Cons Some hiccups during initial HomeKit setup Leviton continues to make our favorite smart plug, and its second-generation device adds HomeKit compatibility to its repertoire. Read our full Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Plug-in Switch (2nd Gen) (model D215P) review Check out TechHive's favorite smart plugs Smart speakers  The heart of your smart home, a smart speaker can bring Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri into your apartment, allowing you to control your smart devices, play music, set timers and alarms, and more, all using voice commands. Some smart speakers can even act as smart hubs, connecting your various smart gadgets (including those that work with Matter) together. Best of all, installation is a snap: just set your new smart speaker on a table, shelf, or other flat surface, and then plug it in.  Our current favorite smart speaker for most people is the Amazon Echo Dot, but whichever smart ecosystem you choose, we recommend sticking with it for all your other smart speakers–so if you start with Apple’s HomePod mini and you’re ready for more, get another Apple HomePod speaker, not one powered by Alexa or Google Assistant. Renter's pick: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Pros A very inexpensive voice-powered smart home controller Very good audio reproduction Pretty industrial design Acts as an extender for Amazon’s Eero mesh routers Cons Audio performance still pales in comparison to a Sonos One 3.5mm analog audio output has been removed Price When Reviewed: £54.99 Best Prices Today: £52.99 at Robert Dyas£54.99 at Amazon£54.99 at argos.co.uk Amazon is the strongest player in the smart home market today, and the Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) is a key reason for that position. Check out TechHive's favorite smart speakers Video doorbell  Just because you’re a renter doesn’t mean you can’t have a video doorbell. We’re seeing more and more smart doorbells that run on battery power and can be attached to your door with adhesive-backed mounting brackets, allowing you to remove them when you’re ready to move out. Even better, our current favorite video doorbell (below, and it’s the one I use) boasts motion and package detection, along with rechargeable batteries that will run for weeks at a time. In case you’re wondering, video doorbells are (in most jurisdictions) perfectly legal for use in apartment buildings, given that there’s no expectation of privacy in a shared hallway. That said, you might want to give neighbors a heads-up before installing a video doorbell on your apartment door. If you’re renting a single-family home, duplex, or the like, take advantage of the doorbell’s privacy feature that let you mask your neighbor’s door, window, patio, or other areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. Renter's pick: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus Pros High-res video: 1,536×1,536 pixels Package detection 1:1 aspect ratio shows visitors from head to toe Operates on either battery or low-voltage power Cons 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity only Color pre-roll video is not supported Ring Protect subscription required to unlock all features, including recording Price When Reviewed: £159.99 Best Prices Today: £129 at Amazon£129 at AO£129 at John Lewis and Partners Ring made significant improvements to video resolution and aspect ratio and added package detection to maintain its position as the best video doorbell for most people, including renters. Read our full Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review Check out TechHive's favorite video doorbells Smart dimmer switches  Nope, you don’t have to tinker with in-wall wiring to install a smart dimmer switch in your apartment. While most of our recommended smart switches do require replacing an existing wall switch (a task that takes from technical know-how, as well as potentially break the terms of your lease), there are stick-up smart switches that you can place—and remove—with ease. Philips Hue, for starters, makes an excellent and handsome smart switch (below) with an adhesive backing, although it requires the Hue Bridge to work.  Renter's pick: Philips Hue Dimmer Switch (2021) Pros Improved wall plate now has mounting holes New Hue button adds greater functionality Can trigger different light scenes depending on the time of day Fully configurable through HomeKit Cons “Power off” and dimmer buttons aren’t configurable via the Hue app Equipped with a new button, a much improved wall plate, and greater configurability, the new Hue Dimmer Switch is better in every way, and it’s the perfect choice for apartment dwellers who’d rather not deal with drills or in-wall wiring. Read our full Philips Hue Dimmer Switch (2021) review Check out TechHive's favorite smart switches and dimmers Robot vacuums  Even a small apartment could do with a robot vacuum sweeping up dirt and debris every so often, especially if you have pets. Until just a few years ago, a budget robot vacuum meant a basic bump-and-run model that you’d turn loose on your floors. Recently, however, affordable robot vacuums have been packing in advanced features such as AI-powered object avoidance, room-mapping capabilities, and more. Renter's pick: Eufy Clean L60 Pros Affordable Tough on pet hair Accurate room mapping Great battery life Cons Missed larger debris So-so obstacle avoidance If you’re on a budget but still want a robot vacuum that can map your floors, the LiDAR-equipped Eufy Clean L60 makes for a great choice. The vacuum will also please pet lovers with its prowess at picking up pet hair, and it even cleans well in carpeted rooms. Check out TechHive's favorite robot vacuums Smart thermostats  Unlike most of the smart gadgets in this feature, smart thermostats require some knowledge of in-wall HVAC wiring, and they’re not much good unless your regular thermostat offers control of both heating and cooling. (Some buildings don’t allow their tenants any access to a thermostat, in which case you’re simply out of luck.) Still reading? If so, a smart thermostat isn’t that tough to install (your landlord may even help, or you could always summon a TaskRabbit worker), and it’s a terrific way to save on heating and cooling bills. You should probably get your landlord’s permission before you proceed with this change. Renter's pick: Nest Thermostat Pros Attractive industrial design, available in four colors Very easy to install, program, and use Monitors your HVAC system for potential problems Energy Star certified Cons No support for remote room sensors Not suited to more complex HVAC systems Backplate for covering holes from previous installations is a $15 option It’s hard to beat the Nest team when it comes to attractive industrial design, and the Nest Thermostat is an elegant device if you don’t need to support more sophisticated HVAC systems, which is likely the case for most apartments. Read our full Nest Thermostat review Check out TechHive's favorite smart thermostats Water leak sensors   Water leaks can be trouble even for renters—indeed, as a renter myself, I’ve had to deal with leaky kitchen and bathroom sinks, not to mention a basement that was susceptible to flooding during sudden downpours. To prevent your valuables from getting soaked, a smart water leak sensor makes for a wise investment. Water leak sensors come in different forms. Some are small wireless probes that connect to a hub, while others are plug-in models with lengthy, moisture-detecting sensors. Just leave the sensors under sinks, on basement floors, and other areas where water shouldn’t be, and you’ll get an alert if there’s a water problem.  Renter's pick: Phyn Smart Water Sensor Pros Sends an immediate warning when water contacts it Industrial design prevents water ingress from the top of the device Operates on two AA batteries Cons Can’t be integrated into a broader smart home ecosystem (including IFTTT) Operates only on 2.4GHz networks Best Prices Today: $39.99 at Best Buy Deploy Phyn Smart Water Sensors under your sinks, near your washing machine, next to your water heater, and other places where water might show up where it shouldn’t be, and you’ll get an immediate warning if it does. Read our full Phyn Smart Water Sensor review Check out TechHive's favorite water leak sensors

There are four ways of getting smart lighting into and around your home, and they aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. The easiest and least expensive way is to buy smart bulbs for your existing dumb light fixtures. That’s also the cheapest way to get color lighting. The second way is to buy smart light fixtures. These are available in models that can produce both white and color light, but they’re more expensive than just buying bulbs. The third approach is to plug your lamps (and small appliances, in some cases) into smart plugs (see our top picks in smart plugs), and the final solution is to replace the dumb switches and dimmers in your walls with smart models. Neither of those solutions alone will deliver color lighting, and the latter scenario is more complicated and more expensive. There are advantages to that approach, however, as we discuss in our best smart dimmers and switches story. Update, October 23, 2024: We’ve added a link to our Hampton Bay Landscape Floodlight review. A great product for highlighting features in your home’s landscaping, the Hampton Bay Landscape Floodlight casts a wide, bright beam of light and is relatively inexpensive, especially compared to competing floodlights from Philips Hue (although Hue’s floods offer a more robust feature set). We’ve also reviewed our list of top picks and confirmed our current favorites, including the recently added LIFX Ceiling (read our review), a Matter-enabled ceiling light that’s easy to install and offers two lighting zones. With an affordable price tag and terrific-looking light effects, the LIFX Ceiling is easy to recommend. Why you should trust us TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart bulbs and lighting products practically since the category was invented. We continuously test the latest smart lights, accessories, and the apps that control them. We also have deep experience with a broad range of smart lighting devices, from smart A19 bulbs and color light strips to outdoor lighting and touch-sensitive light panels. You can trust us to guide you to the best smart lights for your home, office, back yard, and more. Our top picks in smart lighting products Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance — Best color smart bulb Pros Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge Excellent light quality and smooth dimming Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem Cons Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms What we like about the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb Philips (now known as Signify) was one of the first players in this market, and the company’s experience shows. The addition Bluetooth support obviates the need for the $60 Philips Hue Bridge (although most smart home denizens will want the Bridge anyway). Signify’s Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is the industry’s deepest and broadest, with bulbs of every shape and size imaginable, not to mention lighting fixtures landscape lighting. Who should buy the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb Just about anyone looking to get started with smart lighting would do well with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambience smart bulb. It offers easy setup, doesn’t require the Hue Bridge (although you can always add one later), works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and boasts terrific reliability (our editors have been using them for years and have yet to report any serious failures). And while Hue bulbs tend to be a tad pricier than the competition, they’re worth the extra cost. Read our full Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review Wyze Bulb Color — Best color smart bulb, runner-up Pros Very inexpensive Connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth–no hub or bridge required Surprisingly bright considering the price Cons Can’t be grouped with the tunable white Wyze Bulb Only available as a 2- or 4-pack No competition for Philips Hue in terms of lighting ecosystem Best Prices Today: $34.99 at Wyze Why we like the Wyze Bulb Color Wyze Labs can’t match Philips Hue in terms of the breadth of its smart lighting ecosystem, but it beats Signify’s brand by a country mile in terms of pricing, and Wyze has a much broader array of product offerings when it comes to other areas of the smart home–most importantly in terms of home security. Wyze also now offers an excellent BR30 color smart bulb. Who should buy the Wyze Bulb Color Wyze’s color bulbs are among the most affordable on the market, and you don’t need a bridge to add one–or many–to your home. They’ll also work in tandem with your Wyze Cam, meaning you can set your Wyze camera to trigger a Wyze bulb if the cam detects motion. But the Wyze Bulb Color doesn’t support Matter, which means it’s a no-go for Apple HomeKit users, and the Wyze lighting ecosystem can’t match Philips Hue’s. Read our full Wyze Bulb Color review Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) — Best white smart bulb Pros Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge Excellent light quality and smooth dimming Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem Cons Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms Best Prices Today: £43.99 at Amazon Why we like the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb Our choice won’t surprise anyone who’s been following this market. Philips dominates this space and is also our top pick for best color LED smart bulb. The latest Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth or Zigbee (the latter requires the Philips Hue Bridge), they deliver high-quality light, and are backed by a strong warranty. We only received the BR30 form factor for our review, but apart from form factor, that bulb is the same as the A19. Who should buy the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb As with Philips Hue’s color smart bulb, we recommend the Hue White Ambiance A19 for most folks who want to add smart lighting to their homes. It’s easy to set up, works with all the major smart home ecosystems, and the Hue Bridge is entirely optional (although certainly nice to have). The Hue White Ambiance A19 is also considerably more affordable than the Hue White and Color Ambiance bulb, so peppering them around your home won’t break the bank. Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED — Best budget smart bulb Pros Very inexpensive Good quality light, plus colors No hub requirement Several other form factors in the Cree Connected Max family Cons We experienced slight delays during our testing No Apple HomeKit support Why we like the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb You can’t beat the price of the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED considering you get both tunable white and full color. Cree Lighting’s Connected Max family includes a full range of form factors, too, including BR30, PAR38, vintage filament, tape lighting, and even retrofit downlights. It’s not HomeKit compatible, but it does work with Siri Shortcuts. Who should buy the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb If you’re on a tight budget and absolutely don’t want a smart bulb that requires a bridge, the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED is your best bet. It delivers impressive lighting quality for the price, you can easily expand your collection of Cree lights with other form factors, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant. Read our full Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED (Tunable White + Color Changing) review Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) — Best LED light strip Pros Bright and colorful Supports both Bluetooth and Zigbee Apple HomeKit compatible (with the Hue Bridge) Robust scheduling and automation features Cons Much more expensive than competing products Power cable saddled with a chunky wall wart Lights can’t be animated without a third-party app Best Prices Today: £130.50 at Amazon Why we like the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus makes for a great and easy way to add accent lighting to kitchen counters, stairways, and other indoor areas. The Philips Hue ecosystem is bigger than any other smart lighting solution, but Hue products are also much more expensive than the competition. Who should buy the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus It may be pricier than other light strips on the market, but we still recommend the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus even if you’re on a budget. The reason: Smart light strips are notoriously prone to failure, particularly the cheap ones. But a Hue Lightstrip Plus has been working flawlessly for years in a TechHive editor’s kitchen, and Hue has been good about replacing defective units if the need arises. Aside from reliability, the Hue Lightstrip Plus benefits from Hue’s robust ecosystem, support for all the major smart home platforms, and the fact that the Hue Bridge is optional. Read our full Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) review TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 — Best LED light strip, runner-up Pros Affordably priced Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings integrations Solid collection of animated effects Plenty of scheduling, scene, and grouping options Cons Cumbersome Wi-Fi setup Can’t sync its LEDs with your music Flimsy construction Can’t be extended with additional light strips Why we like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 TP-Link built more features into this light strip than we expected for the price, and it even offers one feature that our top pick doesn’t: animation sequences. The Philips Hue product, on the other hand, feels much more durable, and you can add extensions to the end of a strip. The biggest factor in TP-Link’s favor? The price tag. Who should buy the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 If you must spend less on a smart light strip, we’ll point you in TP-Link’s direction. While you can’t extend this light strip, you can put it on a schedule, group it with other Kasa lights, and use it with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings, and you can even tee up some nifty animated lighting scenes. Read our full TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 review Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons — Most innovative lighting design Pros Beautiful and interactive lighting scenes Touch actions let you control other smart devices Alexa, Google Assistant, Thread, and HomeKit compatible Surprisingly easy to install Cons Panels can be difficult to remove from a wall (but don’t appear to cause any damage) Chunky AC adapter Expensive Best Prices Today: $199.99 at Nanoleaf Why we like the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons This is the first of Nanoleaf’s Shapes interactive light panels, and it set the stage for several other equally fun versions. This modular lighting system won’t illuminate a room–that’s not it’s intended purpose–but it can set a mood like nothing else on the market today. Who should buy the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons Whether you’re a Twitch streamer who wants to add some eye candy to their setup or you simply want to decorate your office or another room, Nanoleaf’s Shapes light panels are the way to go. They’re easy to install–and, crucially, remove when the time comes. They also work with Matter (following a software update), and their touch functionality remains unmatched. Read our full Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons review LIFX Ceiling — Best smart ceiling light Pros Extremely easy installation A bevy of lighting features thanks to dual zones  Very high quality light, with ample range Cons Built-in wiring connectors aren’t the most secure and won’t work for all environments  LIFX app remains a bit obtuse Draws quite a bit of power  Why we like the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling The best feature LIFX’s SuperColor Ceiling light may well be how easy it is to install. Thanks to a cleverly designed mounting bracket and a handy clip that holds the fixture a few inches below the ceiling, the LIFX Ceiling light has an almost idiot-proof setup process. We also love the two-zone lighting as well as the Matter support. Who should buy the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling With its easy installation, the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling is a great choice for those who might otherwise balk at installing a smart light in their ceiling. And thanks to its Matter support, the LIFX light will work in Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings households Read our full LIFX SuperColor Ceiling review Philips Hue Lily — Best outdoor spotlight Pros Robust aluminum housing, glass lenses, and IP65 weatherization to withstand the elements Full color light, with up to 600 lumens of brightness Can be scheduled, controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant, and triggered by a Philips Hue Outdoor Sensor Low-voltage cables can be buried Cons Requires Philips Hue Bridge Range is impacted by having the the Hue Bridge inside your home, hardwired to your router Expensive, and each add-on spotlight costs another $100 Best Prices Today: £254.16 (£84.72 / count) at Amazon£275 at B & Q£314 at argos.co.uk Why we like the Philips Hue Lily Signify’s Philips Hue product line includes the most complete collection of outdoor and landscape LED lighting. In addition to the Lily spotlight, there’s the Lily XL spotlight, the Calla Bollard light, the Econic Outdoor Pedestal, the Amarant linear outdoor light, no fewer than 9 wall or ceiling-mount outdoor lights, and even outdoor LED light strips. That diversity, and the high-quality design and construction of these luminaires, justifies Signify’s high price tags. Who should buy the Philips Hue Lily Already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem for your indoor lights? If so, then ponying up for Hue outdoor lights is a no-brainer, and the Lily spotlight is a great place to start. It’s weatherized for the elements, works with all the major smart home ecosystems (now that the Hue Bridge has been updated with Matter), and plays nice with a variety of Hue outdoor accessories, including the Hue Outdoor Sensor. Read our full Philips Hue Lily outdoor spotlight (3-spotlights and 1 power supply) review Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights — Best outdoor spotlight, runner-up Pros Comparatively inexpensive Hubspace ecosystem is increasingly comprehensive Can be powered by any 12/15-volt transformer, if you have already one Cons Spotlights are more fragile and wiring system is less sophisticated than the pricier competition from Philips Hue Transformer and wire sold separately from the spotlights There’s history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home ecosystems Why we like the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights These budget-priced landscape spotlights deserve to be compared to the much-pricier Philips Hue Lily product line. The trade-offs include less-robust construction, less-sophisticated wiring, slightly dimmer brightness, and a less-complete smart lighting ecosystem, but you will spend significantly less money, especially if you deploy a lot of lights. Buyers should also be aware, however, that there is a long history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home platforms. For the record: We have not seen any indication of this from Home Depot; the company has released several new Hubspace products since we received this kit for review. Who should buy the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights If you’re not already a Philips Hue user or you don’t have a Hue-sized budget, you can still up your outdoor lighting game with this affordable kit from Home Depot. It’s relatively easy to deploy, works with an increasingly wide range of Hubspace lighting devices, an–so far–Home Depot appears to be sticking by its smart home brand, unlike other retailers we’ve seen. Read our full Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights (3-pack) review Philips Hue Calla — Best outdoor pathway light Pros 16 million of color, plus temperature-tunable white light Robust construction and protection from the elements A component in the broad Philips Hue lighting ecosystem Cons Delivers only 600 lumens of brightness Must be hardwired to a plug-in power supply Very expensive compared to run-of-the-mill pathway lighting Why we like the Philips Hue Calla The Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light adds sophisticated safety to outdoor walkways and patios, and Philips has the most complete smart lighting ecosystem in the industry. But you’ll need an outdoor outlet to power this and all other Hue landscape lighting, and the components are very expensive. Who should buy the Philips Hue Calla At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Philips Hue’s lighting products are well worth their premium prices, particularly when it comes to outdoor lights like the Calla. That makes them the best choice for those who want to light up their outdoor pathways, especially if you’re already a Hue user, and they’ll work seamlessly with any other Hue lights in your yard. Read our full Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light review Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight — Best outdoor pathway light, runner-up Pros Battery powered with integrated solar panel Built-in motion sensor Can be integrated into the robust Ring home security ecosystem Once you have the bridge, add-on lights cost only $35 Cons Fabricated entirely from plastic Much more expensive than dumb pathlights Requires Ring Smart Lighting Bridge (included), which connects only to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks Why we like the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight Ring’s smart lighting system isn’t as broad as Signify’s Philips Hue, but it covers the bases, and these Ring pathlights boast a couple of features that Hue’s don’t: solar charging as well as built-in motion detection. While we were initially concerned about the all-plastic housing, we’ve had one of the lights deployed for more than two years and haven’t detected significant deterioration. Who should buy the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight Have a Ring Alarm protecting your home? If that’s the case, going with Ring outdoor lighting is a natural next step, and the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight has much to recommend it, provided you’re already using the Ring Smart Lighting Bridge. Read our full Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight starter kit review Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights — Best outdoor string lights Pros Wi-Fi control, with Alexa and Google Assistant support Bright, vibrant colors, plus white light in six color temperatures Very good app with lots of customization and scheduling options Additional strings can be daisy-chained, up to 200 feet Cons No IFTTT or Apple HomeKit compatibility Bulky control unit housing the power supply and Wi-Fi adapter Expensive compared to a plethora of “dumb” alternatives Best Prices Today: $170.99 at Jasco Products Why we like the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights Jasco’s Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights are certainly expensive, but they’re also very pretty, highly customizable, and exceptionally durable for year-round outdoor installations. There’s also surprisingly little competition in this admittedly specialized segment of outdoor lighting. Signify has outdoor Philips Hue light strips, for example, but that’s a very different look from café-style lights. Who should buy the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights Provided you have the budget, the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights is a good choice for decorative outdoor string lights that respond to Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. These café lights are also a great pick if you have a lot of ground to cover, given that the strings can be daisy-chained together. Read our full Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights review Enbrighten Eternity Lights Pros Robust, weatherized components Bright, vibrant color and white lights Fun programming options Extendable up to 200 feet Cons Power supply not sold separately, so you can’t install spare strands in another location No Apple Home, IFTTT, or Matter support Lights can’t be synchronized to music Why we like Enbrighten Eternity Lights The winter holidays aren’t the only time it’s fun to decorate your house, but no one wants to drag the ladder out of storage several times a year to hang and then take down outdoor lighting. With the Enbrighten Eternity Lights, you don’t have to: Once you’ve installed them, they can stay up forever and you can program for every season–or just highlight your home’s architecture with tunable white light. They connect to your Wi-Fi network, of course, and they can operate on a schedule, with geofencing, or with voice commands spoken to Alexa or Google smart speakers. Who should buy Enbrighten Eternity Lights You don’t need to be a smart home enthusiast to enjoy these lights, all you really need is a Wi-Fi router, a smartphone, an outdoor outlet you can plug their power supply into, and the desire to decorate your home with light. Enbrighten Eternity Lights can glow in lots of colors as well as different temperatures of white light, and they can be programmed to flash, sequence, and dance in preset patterns or you can customize your own lighting scenes. These lights are compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home ecosystems, but if your home revolves around Apple Home, you want to standardize with Matter, or if you like to use IFTTT to for cross-platform automations, you’ll want to know that these lights are compatible with any of them. Read our full Enbrighten Eternity Lights review What to look for when shopping for smart lights Color and/or tunable white With their rainbow of hues and myriad party tricks, color LEDs get all the press in the world of smart lighting. It’s fun stuff, but the reality is that most of us will rarely find much of a need to turn all the lights in the house blue or red—unless it’s time to celebrate our team winning the World Series. Even then, you’ll probably want to turn them all back to white after the celebration. White light is also important in its own right, as today there is plenty of science to show how various shades of white—with variations in color temperature—impact our psychological state. Cool light that’s closer to blue has an energizing effect, and is best in the morning. Warm light is relaxing, and is best after the sun goes down. Note, however, that not every white LED smart bulb is color-temperature-tunable. Check out the specs before you buy. White smart bulbs downplay the party features that are a staple of color-tunable bulbs. On the other hand, white smart bulbs are less expensive than color bulbs, making it more affordable to roll them out in multiple rooms. Smart lighting protocols and features Three control technologies continue to vie for leadership in the smart bulb market (Z-Wave is a major contender in smart lighting, but you won’t encounter it in bulbs—just in switches, plug-in modules, control panels, and smart-home hubs). Zigbee: Bulbs that use the popular smart-home networking protocol require a bridge to communicate with your home Wi-Fi network. This is the technology Philips has adopted for its Hue lineup, but it’s not the only one. Wi-Fi: This class of bulb talks directly to your Wi-Fi router, no hub or bridge required. LIFX and TP-Link both manufacture excellent Wi-Fi smart bulbs, but neither company comes close to Signify’s Philips Hue lineup in terms of the depth and breadth of the Hue ecosystem. Bluetooth: These bulbs skip your home network altogether and pair directly with your smartphone or tablet. As such, they can’t be controlled from outside your home. GE and a number of other manufacturers make Bluetooth bulbs, some of better quality than others. Signify has recently added Bluetooth radios to its Philips Hue line of smart bulbs, which eliminates the need to deploy the Philips Hue Bridge. Taking the bridge out of the equation reduces the overall cost of deployment, but adds some limitations. You can read more in our review of the new Philips Hue bulbs. Each of these technologies has pros and cons, so before you attempt to settle on a specific bulb, first try to determine which tech is right for you. If you want to hook your bulbs into a broader smart-home system—such as SmartThings or Nest—Bluetooth bulbs are out. You can control more than one bulb with your phone, but you can’t connect it to sensors or other systems inside your home. Don’t like the idea of pairing a bulb to your phone? A Wi-Fi bulb will work best for you, though you won’t have quite as many options as you’ll find with a Zigbee product. Smart bulb, or smart switch? There’s a significant argument about the best way to install smart lighting, and two approaches present themselves. You can either go with expensive smart bulbs and control them all individually, or you can use cheap dumb bulbs and install smart switches to control all the lights on that circuit. Both approaches make sense: With smart bulbs, the biggest issue is cost, but there’s also complexity to deal with. While bulbs can usually be grouped based on location, this is only as intuitive to manage as the bulb control app. Smart switches, on the other hand, are far more complicated to install—to the point where some users might be uncomfortable dealing with exposed wiring and would prefer to hire an electrician. Smart switches, however, provide more flexibility in many installations. Habituated from years of flipping hard-wired switches, many users (or their children) will instinctively use the wall switch to turn the lights out when they leave a room. Once that happens, all the apps in the world won’t be able to turn the light back on until the switch is returned to the on position. While this won’t be an issue if you install smart switches, they can’t change a bulb’s color or color temperature. That said, smart bulbs, no matter what the technology, still won’t be right for everyone. Notably, most of these bulbs cannot be dimmed via a hardwired wall switch (it messes with the power going to the radio, rendering them useless). A few will fail even if a dimmer is present on the circuit and dialed up to full power. The good news is that bulb prices are going down, so it’s easier to get started with smart bulbs and less punishing should you find that a product doesn’t work for you. Frequently asked questions about smart lighting 1. Do smart lights require a hub?  As we noted above, if a smart light doesn’t use either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to your home wireless router or your phone, it will likely require a separate hub to bridge the gap.  For example, Ring lighting products, which use Ring’s proprietary wireless protocol, require the Ring Lighting Bridge, while (older) Zigbee-only Hue lights need the Hue Bridge to connect to your home network.  But there are plenty of smart lights that do connect directly to either Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or both. Wyze and Cree smart bulbs connect via Wi-Fi, for instance, while most recent Philips Hue lights can connect directly to your phone via Bluetooth. (The latest Hue bulbs boast Bluetooth and Zigbee radios). Of course, there are benefits to smart lights that use a bridge or a hub—namely range. When connecting via Zigbee, for example, Philips Hue bulbs double as range extenders, with one Hue bulb able to connect to the next, rather than each bulb having to make a direct connection to your Wi-Fi router. A smart hub may also enable better responsiveness than bulbs that connect via Wi-Fi.  2. Can you control smart bulbs when you’re away from home?  In most cases, yes. Both Wi-Fi-enabled and hub-controlled smart lights typically can be controlled from anywhere, using either the manufacturer’s app or via the app of a compatible smart home ecosystem (Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and so on). The same goes with smart lights that rely on a hub, like the aforementioned Ring lights.  A key exception are Bluetooth-only smart bulbs. As we mentioned earlier, Bluetooth has a limited range—just 33 feet or so, and you must be in the same room to control a Bluetooth smart light with your phone. That’s a key factor to consider if you buy a Bluetooth- and Zigbee-enabled Philips Hue light without a Hue Bridge—no Bridge, no out-of-home control.  3. What’s the difference between tunable white bulbs and dimmable white bulbs?  “Tunable” white bulbs allow you to tune the white color to different color temperatures, from warm while (2200K, or Kelvin) to soft white (3000K) to bright white (4000K) and daylight (6500K). Warm white, for example, is a nice, relaxing color temperature for a dining room or bedroom, while cooler color temperatures are better suited for workspaces, such as a kitchen counter, a desk, or a workshop bench.  “Dimmable” bulbs, as you probably guessed, allow you to change the brightness of the emitted light, from very dim to 100-percent brightness.  Some smart bulbs are both tunable and dimmable, while others are only dimmable. In the latter case, such bulbs are fixed at a specific white-color temperature. Before you buy a dimmable-only bulb, be sure that the set temperature is to your liking.  4. What’s the benefit of grouping smart lights together?  White you may occasionally want to control only an individual smart light, it’s far more convenient to take change of a whole group of lights at once, and this is a feature we expect from most smart bulbs.  Generally speaking, you’ll be able to group lights in a room—meaning, for example, you’ll have your “Bedroom” lights, your “Kitchen” lights, and so on. Some smart lighting ecosystems (like Philips Hue’s) may allow you to group “zones” of lights, such as all upstairs or downstairs lights. Once your lights are properly grouped, you’ll be able to control all the lights in a room or zone with a tap, or by asking you voice assistant, “Turn on kitchen lights” or “Set bedroom lights to 60 percent.”  Besides grouping lights, you should also be able to create lighting scenes that automatically set your lights to predetermined brightnesses or color temperatures. For example, a “Movie” scene in your living room might turn off most of your lights while dimming those in an adjacent hallway. You can usually trigger light scenes with a tap within an app or via a voice command.  5. How do you put a smart bulb back into pairing mode?  Out of the box, smart bulbs are usually already in pairing mode, meaning they’ll be discoverable by a compatible smart app as soon as they’re screwed in and/or powered on. But what if you want to put a smart bulb back into pairing mode? After all, with a standard A19 bulb, there’s no obvious button to push.  The precise answer depends on the manufacturer, but generally speaking, the trick is to turn the bulb on and off a set number of times in rapid succession. Check your user manual for the exact details.  Other notable smart lights we’ve reviewed We’ve evaluated many other smart lights. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. We’ve also listed some smart lights to avoid. Govee Neon Rope Light 2: More flexible and now with Matter, Govee’s Neon Rope Light 2 makes for an easy way to add an animated and eye-catching splash of color to practically any living space.  Govee LED Strip Light M1 with Matter: This affordable, easy-to-install light strip works with all the major smart home ecosystems thanks to Matter, and will keep you busy with its myriad features and light animations. Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels: Govee’s smart light panels are essentially bargain-priced Nanoleaf knock-offs, but they chop a lot of features and they’re not that much cheaper. LIFX String Light: LIFX is back with a 24-foot string light that boasts 12 big, chunky cylinders attached to a thick, rubberized wire. These attractive, three-zone lights can add an appealing splash of color to any backyard space, and they throw off an impressive amount of brightness compared to typical string lights. LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21: Bright, easy to install, compliant with Matter, and packed with features, the LIFX SuperColor Smart Light A21 makes for a compelling smart bulb, even if it’s a tad heavy and chunky. LIFX SuperColor Spot: You can add a burst of color to your landscaping with the LIFX SuperColor Spot, but be mindful of all the extra wiring it requires.  Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Lightstrip: Nanoleaf’s Matter-enabled light strip is bright, affordable, and easy to install, but getting the strip to work with Matter involves jumping through some hoops. Nanoleaf Outdoor String Lights: Nanoleaf’s string lights are long and offer lots of flexibility, but the light quality leaves something to be desired.  Philips Hue Iris: A cinch to set up and compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, the Bluetooth-enabled Iris makes for an easy and inexpensive way to warm up a room. TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Light Bulb (model KL125): The most affordable color smart bulb in TP-Link’s Kasa Smart lineup has some nifty tricks up its sleeves and deep scheduling functionality, even if other aspects of the bulb are rough around the edges. WiZ Bar Linear Light: Connected by a detachable cable, these smart light bars make it easy to cast multicolored splashes of light, and they even detect motion. WiZ Mobile Portable Light: The WiZ Mobile Portable Light makes for a lightweight companion that can glow in multiple animated colors, and it can even detect motion when grouped with other WiZ lights.

Ecobee has been trying to expand its smart home footprint beyond thermostats for several years, positioning its best-in-class smart thermostats and its very good security camera (and video doorbell) as powerful home security hubs. Today, the company announced a partnership with Yale and August to incorporate those brands of smart locks into its Ecobee Smart Security platform. Users can already arm and disarm their Ecobee security system from the Ecobee app, and they can get live views from their Ecobee security cameras and video doorbells. Now, when they add a Wi-Fi-enabled August or Yale smart lock, they can also see the status of and operate those locks from within the Ecobee app. This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart home systems. It’s been several years since we evaluated Ecobee’s Smart Security system, so we’ll be taking a fresh look at it in the coming weeks, with one of Yale’s smart locks in the picture. We’re also long overdue in evaluating Ecobee’s wired Smart Video Doorbell, so look for an in-depth, stand-alone review of that product as well. When I last considered the Ecobee Smart Security system (marketed as the Ecobee Total Home Comfort and Security Bundle at the time), I remarked that relying on the thermostat as a home security hub yielded a better experience than Ecobee’s security camera (and now its video doorbell), since you’d otherwise need to rely entirely on the smartphone app for a user interface—including buttons for arming and disarming the security system. Ecobee still offers security subscription plans, one or the other of which is required to derive the full benefit of its smart home security suite. The company made a significant improvement to its premium service plan in late 2021, adding professional monitoring. While its $5-per-month ($50 per year) self-monitoring plan includes 30 days cloud storage for a single security camera or video doorbell, its $10-per-month ($100 per year) is now one of the least-expensive you’ll find that include professional monitoring—especially now that Ring has made professional monitoring a $10-per-month á la carte add-on to its other service tiers. But it seems two of my most significant criticisms of Ecobee’s product as a home security system remain: There is still no battery backup—short of adding one of its now-parent-company Generac’s generators—and there’s no broadband backup in the form of cellular connectivity.

iRobot’s latest budget vacuums have picked up a key ability: the ability to empty their own dustbins.  Just announced by iRobot and on sale now, the vacuum-and-mop Roomba Combo 2 Essential and vac-only Roomba Vac 2 Essential arrive just six months after their predecessors, the Roomba Combo Essential and Vac Essential.   The original Essential bots were notable for offering such high-end features as smart navigation, Clean Map reports, and intelligent automations (such as “Clean while I’m away”) for south of $300. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums. Now, the Roomba Combo 2 Essential and Roomba Vac 2 Essential are upping the ante by adding self-emptying base stations while still keeping a lid on their price tags. The Combo 2 Essential costs just $424.99, while the Vac 2 Essential goes for $399.99.  As with the original Essential modes, the Combo 2 Essential and Vac 2 Essential boast four levels of suction power, “specialized” sensors that allow the robots to clean in neat, orderly patterns rather than ping-ponging from one wall to another, while “Clean Map” reports show where and for how long the vacuums cleaned.  The self-emptying base stations that come with iRobot’s new Essentials bots allow for up to 60 days of hands-free cleaning.iRobot The Combo 2 Essential also shares its predecessor’s reusable microfiber mop pad plus three levels of mopping water.  But the new Essential robots come with some key improvements, starting with twice the suction power of the original Essential models. More importantly, the latest Essential bots now come with self-emptying base stations that offer up to 60 days of hands-free cleaning. Up until now, self-emptying functionality was exclusive to Roomba models in the $500-plus price range.  The bag in the self-emptying base can hold particles as small as 0.7 microns, iRobot says, and when it’s ready to be replaced, the bag seals itself as you remove it.  We’ll have full reviews of the Roomba Combo 2 Essential and Vac 2 Essential once we get them in for testing.  

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Faster app load times than other Google TV devices Google TV software helps you keep track of movies and shows Doubles as a Google Cast device and turns your TV into a Google Photos picture frame Cons No recent-app switcher, and limited multi-view features Remote could use some extra shortcuts Missing the bells and whistles you’d expect to see on a higher-end streamer Our Verdict Google’s high-end streaming box could use a little more oomph. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The Google TV streamer is a $100 streaming box that doesn’t quite justify its premium price. While it’s slightly faster than Walmart’s excellent Onn Google TV 4K Pro, which–at $50, costs half as much–the two products’ core streaming features are comparable, and the Google TV Streamer’s remote control is more limited. The biggest value-add is its functionality as Matter smart home controller with a built-in Thread border router. If that sentence means nothing to you, you’re not missing much. Google TV’s software still excels at sorting through movies and TV shows, and the Google TV Streamer is the speediest way to run that software. But if Google really wants to separate itself from third-party Google TV hardware—and from other high-end streaming players—it ought to try a little harder. The Google TV Streamers’ specs facilitate shorter load times and smoother navigation than cheaper streamers. What’s in the box Google didn’t just ditch the Chromecast branding for its latest streaming box, it also dispensed with the dongle design in favor of an oblong, inclined device that’s meant to sit atop (or inside) your entertainment stand. Jared Newman / Foundry The box connects to outlet power via a 6-foot USB-A to USB-C cable and included adapter, but you’ll need to supply an HDMI cable to connect with your TV, as Google opted not to include one. As with other high-end streamers, Google’s box supports 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. The Google TV Streamer has a 1Gbps ethernet port around back, and it uses Wi-Fi 5 for wireless connectivity. Bluetooth 5.1 is on board for pairing wireless earbuds, headphones, or game controllers, but there’s no built-in USB port. That means you’ll need a separate USB-C hub for external media, wired game controllers, and webcams. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streamers. An expanded remote An older Chromecast with Google TV remote (left) vs. the Google TV Streamer remote.Jared Newman / Foundry The Google TV Streamer’s remote control is slightly taller than earlier Chromecast with Google TV remotes, making room for top-facing volume control buttons. It also puts the home button in a more logical place, directly beneath the directional pad at the top. At the bottom-right, a programmable star button replaces the old input switcher. You can still have it switch TV inputs, but it can also launch a favorite app or pull up a smart home control panel. It’d be nice to see a few more shortcut possibilities, such as links to the Bluetooth pairing menu, the free TV section, or your watchlist. Jared Newman / Foundry The nicest new remote feature is a remote-finder function, with a chime that’s triggered by pressing a button on the Google TV Streamer’s backside or asking a nearby Google Assistant device where the remote went. Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Pro and the Roku Ultra have similar features. Equally notable is what’s absent: There are no proper fast-forward, rewind, or play/pause buttons as you’ll find on Roku and Fire TV devices, and no shortcuts for the settings menu, live TV channel guide, or profile switcher as seen on Walmart’s Onn remotes. The remote isn’t backlit, either. As before, the remote’s IR emitter allows it to control external soundbars and A/V systems, even if they’re not connected via HDMI-CEC. A pair of shortcut buttons are also on board for Netflix and YouTube, and the latter can be mapped to open YouTube TV or the YouTube app’s Music section. How does the Google TV Streamer perform? The Google TV Streamer has a faster processor than any Chromecast device—reported by Android Authority to be a quad-core Mediatek MT8696, but unconfirmed by Google—and its 4GB of RAM is more than than any other Google TV streaming player. It also includes 32GB of storage, quadrupling the older Chromecast with Google TV models. In practice, those specs facilitate shorter load times and smoother navigation than cheaper streamers. Side-by-side with the Onn Google TV 4K Pro, the Google TV Streamer was often a few seconds faster at launching apps and less likely to stutter while loading menus. The difference isn’t night-and-day, but it is noticeable. But Google TV’s software limitations still slow things down. Unlike Apple TV and Fire TV, the Google TV platform does not offer a shortcut to jump between recent apps (at least not without third-party app workarounds), and it lacks system-wide picture-in-picture support. And while several apps offer their own multiview features, not all of them support those features on Google’s platform. MLB TV, Fubo, and ESPN all support split-screen viewing on Apple TV devices, for instance, but not on the Google TV Streamer. One other confounding issue: Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football streams top out at 30 frames per second on the Google TV Streamer. Other apps don’t have this limitation—and neither do other Google TV devices—so hopefully it’s something Amazon can address. Google TV software Jared Newman / Foundry While the Google TV Streamer runs on the Android TV operating system, “Google TV” refers to the device’s home-screen system, which recommends things to watch and helps you keep track of movies and shows. Pick your streaming services during setup, and the home screen will suggest content that mostly—but not always—aligns with those choices. As you start watching, the home screen’s “Continue Watching” row will fill up with movies and shows in progress, so you can jump back in without having to hunt through individual apps. I wish this section appeared at the very top of the home screen instead of several rows down, but it’s still a great feature, and unlike Apple TV’s similar “Up Next” feature, it even integrates with Netflix. Google TV’s “Continue Watching” row is a standout feature.Jared Newman / Foundry You can add Google TV’s recommendations to a universal watchlist.Jared Newman / Foundry Google TV’s Live menu lets you channel-surf across free and live TV streaming services.Jared Newman / Foundry Google TV’s sports streaming features are too limited.Jared Newman / Foundry Google TV isn’t as useful for keeping track of live sports, though. You’ll see some live sporting events promoted on the home screen and through a “Sports” sub-menu, but you can’t customize it with your favorite teams, and the information on where to watch is often incomplete. (For instance, it lists Sling TV as the sole option for Major League Baseball’s ALCS coverage, omitting all other live TV streaming services and Max as a standalone option.) Surprisingly, generative AI only plays a bit part on the Google TV Streamer, with machine-generated plot synopses and review summaries when you click on a movie or show. While Google Assistant still handles voice commands admirably, it’d be nice to see the kind of AI concierge that Amazon is now building into Fire TV devices. The Google TV Streamer uses generative AI for review summaries, but that’s about it.Jared Newman / Foundry All the Google stuff AI aside, the Google TV Streamer has all the same ecosystem tie-ins as other Google TV devices. Despite the lack of Chromecast branding, for instance, you can still use Google Cast (the feature formerly known as Chromecast Built-In) to stream video or music from a phone, tablet, or computer. (But like other Google TV devices, you’ll still need the actual remote to control volume.) Screen mirroring is also supported from Android phones and the desktop Chrome browser. Google Cast support lets you stream content from your phone.Jared Newman / Foundry Google Photos integration is a standout feature as well, turning your TV into an extra-large picture frame when it’s in screen saver mode. Assuming you’ve enabled face grouping in Google Photos, the TV can automatically rotate through pictures of specific family members, friends, and pets. Smart home controls, meanwhile, are dependent on what you’ve set up in the Google Home mobile app. Using the Google TV Streamer’s quick settings menu, you can view camera feeds, adjust lighting, control smart thermostats, and more. If you’ve bought into the Matter smart home standard, the Google TV Streamer also functions as a hub, allowing it to control Matter-compatible devices over your local network. It includes a Thread border router as well so it can connect to devices that use Thread radios instead of Wi-Fi. Whether Matter is worthwhile is well beyond the scope of this review, but most smart home gear today does not depend on Matter, and if you’ve set it up in Google Home, you can control it with any Google TV device. (There are also many other ways to bring a Matter hub with Thread into your home.) Should you buy a Google TV Streamer? While using the Google TV Streamer, the adjective I keep coming back to is “fine.” It’s a speedy enough streaming box with solid Google TV software, and the remote has some incremental improvements over Google’s earlier streamers. As a flagship TV product from Google, however, it’s not particularly ambitious. The Nvidia Shield TV was doing AI-enhanced upscaling five years ago, and the Apple TV 4K is using machine learning for dialog enhancement and in-home karaoke. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Fire TV Cube offers flawless hands-free control. The Google TV Streamer offers none of those things. Hands-free voice control is absent, and AI features are minimal. There’s no promise of exclusive feature drops like we see on Google’s Pixel devices, and Google guarantees only five years of software updates, versus seven years on its latest smartphones. Google couldn’t even muster a recent app switcher to take advantage of the Google TV Streamer’s extra RAM. It just feels like a missed opportunity overall. Smart home enthusiasts might still find this streaming box worthwhile, but Google TV fans should seek out Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K at half the price.

An external streaming device is the best way to access online video services without replacing your entire TV. By plugging one of these devices into your TV’s HDMI port, you’ll be able to use apps like Netflix and Hulu, possibly with a faster and smoother experience than your TV’s built-in software. But between Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and Apple TV, picking a streaming device can be overwhelming. We’ve reviewed them all and have come up with a list of recommendations for every need and budget. Why you should trust us As TechHive’s resident cord-cutting expert, I’ve reviewed practically every streaming device that’s come out over the past decade, and I’ve been a cord-cutter myself since 2008. Beyond just product reviews, I write a weekly column about streaming and over-the-air TV for TechHive, along with a weekly cord cutting newsletter for more than 30,000 subscribers. Few other writers are as familiar with how these streaming devices and their underlying operation systems perform. Update, October 22, 2024: We’ve added a link to our Google TV Streamer review. It does not change any of our top rankings in this category. Best media streaming players for every budget Roku Streaming Stick 4K — Best media streamer for most people Pros Fast, fluid performance with dependable Wi-Fi connectivity Easy-to-operate interface with powerful voice control features Full of nice touches that other cheap streamers lack, such as AirPlay and a Replay button Cons Discovering and tracking shows could be easier No Dolby Atmos support or IR control for external sound systems Only supports wireless connections Price When Reviewed: £49.99 Why we like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Roku still offers the simplest platform for streaming, and it’s loaded with thoughtful touches (like the “Replay” button that jumps back 10 seconds and temporarily turns on closed captions). At $50 (and often on sale for less), the Streaming Stick 4K hits the sweet spot in Roku’s device lineup, with a better remote than the budget Express model and the same Dolby Vision support as the $100 Roku Ultra. It narrowly beats out the $40 Roku Express 4K+, which lacks Dolby Vision HDR support and has a less-portable design. Who should buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K While other streaming platforms are more aggressive about recommending movies and shows directly from the home screen, Roku’s main menu is still a traditional grid of app icons, akin to what you’d see on a smartphone. It’s indicative of how Roku values simplicity above all else. If you feel the same way, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is for you. Read our full Roku Streaming Stick 4K review Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro — Best media streamer for most people, runner-up Pros Excellent performance for the price Remote is loaded with useful features Google TV is great for finding things to watch Cons Hands-free voice control is a bust Home screen needs better streaming service tie-ins Can’t control volume from your phone while casting Why we like the Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Pro resets expectations for what a $50 streaming device can deliver. The small box features a chipset that includes a Quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and Mali-G31 MP3 GPU; 32GB of storage; a Wi-Fi 6 adapter, plus a 100Mbps ethernet port; and a USB-A port for connecting external storage drives, wired game controllers, and other accessories. It comes with a great remote control with backlit buttons–some of which are re-assignable–and the box itself has a remote-finder feature. All that horsepower makes for an extremely responsive user experience, and great voice search features make it easy for you to find what you want to watch. Walmart would like you to think its box is a great smart speaker, too; regrettably, that is its weakest link. Who should buy the Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro Like Walmart’s budget-priced media streamer, the Onn Google TV Pro is particularly well suited to TV watchers who are invested in Google’s entertainment ecosystem. This streamer’s remote has dedicated buttons for Google TV’s free streaming channels and YouTube (the latter of which can be remapped to YouTube TV or YouTube Music), as well as preset buttons for Netflix, Disney+, and Paramount+. Home theater buffs, meanwhile, will appreciate the support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound. Read our full Walmart Onn Google TV 4K Pro review Walmart Onn 4K Google TV Streaming Box (2023 model) — Best budget-priced streamer Pros Feature-rich remote Google TV software makes sense of streaming Super cheap even without sale prices Cons Performance can drag on occasion No Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support Google TV guide still has some blind spots Price When Reviewed: Not available in the UK Why we like the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box At a regular price of $20, Walmart’s 4K streaming puck is an unbeatable value, and its button-packed remote has handy shortcuts to the settings menu, live TV guide, and even an input switcher. It runs Google TV, whose home screen does an excellent job recommending movies and shows to watch. It also plays nicely with various Google services, so you can use Google Photos albums as screensavers, control Google Home devices with the voice remote, and play music across your TV and other Chromecast devices at the same time. Who should buy the Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Box Those who are deeply invested in Google’s ecosystem will appreciate this budget streaming option, and it may also appeal to tech enthusiasts who want to sideload Android apps or remap the remote control’s buttons. Unless you need Dolby Vision and Atmos support, this is a better buy than Google’s own 4K Chromecast dongle. Read our full Walmart Onn 4K Google TV Streaming Box (2023 model) review Apple TV 4K (2022) (64GB) — Best high-end media streamer Pros Uncluttered, ad-free interface Performance is speedier than ever AirPlay, AirPods, and iCloud integration are nice to have Cons No remote-finder function Dual home screens can be confusing Remote gesture controls, while useful, might confound some users Price When Reviewed: £149 Best Prices Today: £149 at Apple£149 at John Lewis and PartnersNot Available at Amazon Why we like the Apple TV 4K No other streaming device can touch the Apple TV 4K’s speed, fluidity, and overall feeling of classiness. The aluminum remote is slick, the home screen is free of obnoxious banner ads, and the tvOS software is brimming with useful features. (One underrated example: Inputting passwords by dictating each letter into the voice remote.) Apple’s TV app is a highlight as well, as it helps you save shows for later and jump directly back into what you’ve been watching in most apps. At $129, the third-gen model has a lower price than its predecessors, and it’s no longer out-of-whack with other high-end streamers despite being better in almost every way. Who should buy the Apple TV 4K The Apple TV 4K is nearly thrice the price of capable streaming dongles from other companies, so it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s a worthwhile splurge for your main TV. Additional benefits also accrue to folks who are deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem, with features like iCloud Photos screensavers and simple pairing with AirPods for private listening. This model provides Wi-Fi connectivity only. If you want it hardwired to your network, you’ll need to step up to the $149 128GB model. Read our full Apple TV 4K (3rd-generation, 2022) (64GB, model A2737) review Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) — best media streamer with voice control Pros Unparalleled voice control features Powerful remote; the “Recents” button is a revelation Super-fast app load times Cons The home screen is a disaster Upscaling isn’t a major improvement Costs more than most other high-end streaming boxes Price When Reviewed: £139.99 Best Prices Today: £139.99 at Amazon£139.99 at argos.co.uk£139.99 at Currys Why we like the Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) Amazon’s high-end streaming box is a niche pick, but it’s the only streaming device that you can control entirely by voice. With its built-in far-field microphones, you can use “Alexa” voice commands to launch programs, scroll through menus, select highlighted items, and jump back to the home screen. It’s also Amazon’s speediest streamer by a wide margin. Who should buy the Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) For anyone who’s unable to use a traditional TV remote, the Fire TV Cube is without peer. Voice control is also just a handy way to avoid Amazon’s chaotic, ad-ridden home screen. For smart home owners in the Alexa ecosystem, this box will eliminate the need to have an Alexa speaker in their home theater. Read our full Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) review Other devices we’ve tested Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are all strong values, especially when they’re on sale, but their menu systems are difficult to navigate and bogged down by advertising. (You may even see ads instead of your selected screensaver.) They’re only worth considering if you’re deeply into the Amazon ecosystem. The Fire TV Stick Lite, meanwhile, should be avoided by pretty much everyone. If you want a Fire TV device, get the non-Lite version so you can control TV volume and power without a separate remote. The Roku Express 4K+ is a solid budget streamer for $30, but the Streaming Stick 4K is only $10 more for Dolby Vision and a more portable design that plugs directly into the TV without an HDMI cable. Avoid the basic Roku Express and the Walmart-exclusive Roku SE, neither of which have voice, volume, or TV power controls on their remote. Saving a handful of dollars isn’t worth suffering through those omissions. The Roku Ultra may appeal to Roku fans who want ethernet connectivity, USB media playback, and Bluetooth. But if you just want Roku’s best remote, you can buy the Voice Remote Pro separately to use with any Roku player. The Nvidia Shield TV and Shield TV Pro have devoted fanbases for good reason: They’re speedy streaming devices with impressive 4K upscaling and all the flexibility that Android TV allows. But for most folks, we hesitate to recommend a device that is now five years old and hasn’t received a software update since 2022. The Chromecast with Google TV 4K is worth considering over Walmart’s Onn 4K Streaming Box if Dolby Vision and Atmos support are must-haves and you want the same Google TV software, but it’s a lot pricier at $50. There’s not much reason to consider the HD version instead. The TiVo Stream 4K is now four years old and no longer worth considering as TiVo focuses more on smart TV software. Frequently asked questions about media streamers 1. Are streaming boxes better than streaming sticks? Set-top boxes tend to be faster, but streaming sticks have come a long way on performance while still costing a lot less. 2. Do I need HDR, HDR10+, or Dolby Vision support? And what about Dolby Atmos? If your TV supports these formats, buying a compatible streaming device will ensure that you get the richest color detail possible while watching supported content. Same goes on the immersive audio front if you have an Atmos speaker system. Just be aware that not all streaming services support these formats, and those that do will probably charge extra for it. 3. Can I control my soundbar or A/V receiver with a streaming remote? Most streaming devices can control external soundbars and receivers over HDMI-CEC. But if your sound system requires infrared control, be sure to choose a streaming device that supports this. (Roku players, notably, do not.) Otherwise you’ll need to juggle separate remotes. 4. Can I cast or mirror my smartphone screen to a streaming device? Apple TV and Roku devices support AirPlay, which allows you to stream audio and video from iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Google TV devices support Chromecast, which lets you play content from supported iOS and Android apps, but only allows for full-screen mirroring from Android devices and the Chrome browser. 5. What can I connect to a streaming device? Some streaming devices offer ethernet ports or ethernet adapters, which can be more reliable than Wi-Fi if your home is set up for wired ethernet. Streaming devices with USB ports can also be useful for playing media from external drives or using wired game controllers. 6. Can I use headphones with my streaming device? Most streaming devices support Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, with the exception of Roku’s Streaming Sticks and Express players. That said, you can use Roku’s mobile app to listen privately through headphones instead. 7. Which streaming device has the best app selection? These days, it’s rare to see any major gaps in app support on the major streaming platforms. That said, some live TV streaming services work better with specific streaming devices on features like launching channels by voice and finding content from the home screen. 8. Can I use a streaming device while traveling? Yes. Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV streaming devices even have captive portal support, so you can log into guest Wi-Fi networks that have a web-based confirmation page. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can use every streaming service while traveling. Hulu + Live TV, for example, doesn’t allow you to use the service away from your primary residence. 9. How much storage do I need on my streaming device? All major streaming platforms now have the ability to automatically offload apps that you haven’t used in a while, making storage less of a concern than it once was. That said, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube have 16GB of storage, which should be more than enough for streaming apps, and the Apple TV 4K has 64GB of storage in its base model. You’d only need more than that for gaming. How we test streaming devices Our testing involves using the streaming devices to play a variety of programs, switching between apps to measure load times, and comparing the availability of various features. We pay special attention to remote control functionality—as this is the primary way people interact with their televisions—along with the orderliness and efficiency of each device’s menu system. Preference in streaming platforms is inherently subjective, but we make sure to flag things that users are sure to dislike, such as overly aggressive advertising or promotional content that gets in the way of watching your desired shows.

The Philips Hue app is gradually making it easier to get creative with lighting scenes, and now there are hints that AI could get in on the action, too.  According to HueBlog, Philips Hue is tinkering with an unannounced feature that would allow you to make natural-language requests for new lighting effects—such as, “Create a scene for a cozy breakfast”–with those requests being handled by AI.  Initially, the AI likely wouldn’t be able to generate new light scenes on its own, but would instead suggest existing scenes that might be a good fit, the HueBlog report says.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart bulbs. Such a feature could point the way toward AI playing a bigger role in the Hue app, capable of actually generating lighting scenes based on your prompts, or—and this is just my speculation—even controlling your lights from such natural-language requests as, “Make it brighter in here.”  We’ve reached out to Philips Hue for comment.  Philips Hue wouldn’t be the first out of the gate with AI-powered functionality for its smart lighting app.   Govee, for example, has an AI-powered chatbot in its app that can create lighting scenes based on natural-language requests (“Make me a rainbow!”), while Nanoleaf has a “Magic Scene” feature that generates light effects from short phrases.  Then there’s iConnectHue, a third-party app for Hue lights that rolled out its own “magic scenes”-style functionality last year, HueBlog notes.  While Philips Hue has yet to announce any generative-AI lighting functionality, it has recently unveiled the ability to edit lighting effects, including the ability to tweak the colors as well as the speed and brightness of scene animations.  Smart home brands have been understandably leery about allowing AI to directly control smart devices, given the unpredictability of the generative-AI responses and their tendency to hallucinate.  For now, the closest you can get is the open-source Home Assistant, which offers integrations for ChatGPT and Google Gemini that allow you to ask the AI control smart lights and other smart gadgets.