Smart homes have never been so convenient, and the entry point is more affordable than ever. From security cameras to smart light bulbs, almost all the connected devices you can control through the app are enough to start your smart home journey. But before you delve into it, we recommend that you take some preliminary steps. On the one hand, don't try to equip your entire smart home at once. Not only can this be quite expensive, but we think it’s usually best to buy one or two items first and see if you like them. From there, you can decide whether to buy more devices and make sure they are compatible with each other. The following are our best recommendations for each smart device category, and provide alternative recommendations where appropriate.

Although many smart home devices are platform-agnostic, some devices—especially smart speakers and smart displays—require you to choose a voice assistant. Currently, this means deciding whether you will use Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa on a regular basis. (I will introduce Siri later.) They are compatible with all kinds of smart home products from light bulbs to robot vacuum cleaners, but some devices are best for Google or Amazon. For example, Nest products are more compatible with Google-powered speakers and displays. They can still be used with Amazon devices, but some features may be disabled. The same is true for Amazon products: if they are in the same ecosystem, they will work better.

So how do you choose between Alexa and Google Assistant? It really depends on your personal preference. Do you listen to Audible, watch Prime Video and often shop on Amazon? Then you might be inclined to use Alexa-powered products. Do you use many Google services, such as YouTube and Google Podcasts? Google-driven devices may be the best.

If you want a voice assistant that is good at answering questions, Google Assistant is often better than Alexa. On the other hand, Amazon's helpers currently support more smart home products. The company's smart speakers and displays also support the Zigbee smart home protocol, and some devices even have a built-in smart home hub. Both Google and Amazon devices can sync with your calendar, but Google's devices often work better with Google services. In addition, if you already own an Android phone, you may prefer to use Google Assistant anyway.

But what about Siri? Apple's assistant is also an option, but its equipment support level is not as good as Google and Amazon. HomePod mini and (now discontinued) HomePod are also the only Siri-compatible speakers on the market. In other words, as more and more third-party companies add support for HomeKit, it is not difficult to find HomeKit-compatible devices, but you currently have fewer device pools to choose from.

The best smart speaker we recommend is Sonos One. It is compact enough to fit most areas of your home, but more importantly, it provides excellent sound quality that is superior to many other smart speakers. When properly adjusted according to the acoustics of your room (which requires an iOS app), the sound is great, with strong bass and clear treble. Unfortunately, the Android application does not have TruePlay adjustments (Sonos did not say whether it is working), but the sound of the speakers should still be admirable. It is also compatible with a large number of streaming services, including major services such as Spotify and Pandora.

The main benefit of the Sonos speaker over the competition is that it is the gateway to a multi-room audio setup, and you can build it over time. This is also convenient if you plan to set up a home theater setup later, because One can integrate well with the Sonos soundbar. Most importantly, Sonos One supports Alexa and Google Assistant, so you don't have to worry about choosing one voice assistant over the other.

If you are not interested in multi-room audio settings, we also like Amazon's Echo Studio. The price is comparable to the Sonos One, and the sound quality is also comparable. As you can imagine, if you already know that you prefer Alexa to Google Assistant, then this is a particularly compelling choice.

For those on a tight budget, there are smart speakers around $100. We recommend that you purchase one of the three latest smart speakers from Google, Amazon, or Apple. Among the three, we think the Echo has the best sound quality. Our colleague Nate Ingraham said that the bass is impressive and the midrange is very powerful. You can also combine the two to get a better stereo effect.

In other words, Nest Audio and HomePod mini are not inferior. HomePod mini sounds very balanced, and Nest Audio's bass is also very good. Again, it all depends on which assistant you like.

The best Alexa-driven smart display is Echo Show 8. Echo Show 5 is a bit too small, and Echo Show 10 and its rotating screen take up too much space. On the other hand, the size of Echo Show 8 is very suitable for most rooms in the house. Like other Alexa-driven smart displays, it supports a large number of video streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, and is equipped with several built-in browsers that can be used for web surfing. Unfortunately, it does not support YouTube, which is a very noteworthy omission, considering that the service is ubiquitous. As a workaround, you can access it through the browsers mentioned above, but the experience is not as smooth as native apps.

You can use Show 8 to make video calls with any phone or tablet with the Alexa app. Or, it supports Skype, Zoom, and Amazon's own Chime service. Like the Nest Hub Max, Show 8 also has an optional face tracking feature that can track your movement in the room during a call.

Our favorite Google-powered smart display is the second-generation Nest Hub. It has a 7-inch screen, which makes it just large enough to accommodate most rooms in the house. The size also makes it useful as a digital photo frame. You can set it to extract photos of friends and family from your Google Photos library, and there is a smart algorithm that automatically uses the best photos while avoiding blurry photos. As you might expect, you can also use the monitor to watch YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming services.

In addition, if you want to put a smart display without a camera in a more private place such as a bedroom, you may better protect your privacy, then it is very suitable. If you put it next to the bed, the Nest Hub also has a sensor that can track your sleep patterns (if you choose to join).

If you prefer a monitor with a camera, we recommend that you buy the higher-end Nest Hub Max. Its built-in camera can be used to make video calls with Google Duo, Google Meet and Zoom. It also has an optional face tracking feature that allows the camera to follow you during a call. One of the benefits of the camera is that it provides you with a face matching option, which can automatically identify individual members of the house, and then display information that is only relevant to them, such as calendar reminders.

In addition, the camera also adds a unique gesture function that allows you to play and pause media just by placing your hand on the screen, which is convenient if you need to stop the music without yelling in the room. Due to the larger speakers, the audio quality of the Nest Hub Max is also better than that of the Hub.

One of the easiest entry points for a smart home is to replace some of your existing bulbs with smart bulbs. Smart bulbs allow you to remotely control the lighting through apps and voice. They add automation and scheduling capabilities to the mix, so you can have them turn on and off at specific times of the day. Some also allow you to adjust their brightness and color temperature, and even allow you to create custom lighting scenes.

Our favorite smart lighting product comes from Philips Hue. The white and color atmosphere LED smart button starter kit is a particularly good entry point, because it includes three Philips Hue white and color atmosphere 60W LED smart bulbs; a Hue hub allows You control up to 50 lights; if you want to choose to turn off the lights without your phone, there is also a smart button.

The kit provides a variety of lighting styles; you can not only change the brightness, but also change the color temperature, and try a variety of different shades of rainbow to decorate your room with any light scene you want. If this seems a bit too bold, Philips offers an alternative: the Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit lacks color options, and the Hue White Starter Kit does not allow you to adjust the color temperature.

The main reason we prefer Philips Hue bulbs is that they are widely supported in the smart home ecosystem. Not only can you find them anywhere, but they can be used with Google, Amazon, and Apple's HomeKit. Since all bulbs are connected to the Hue hub via the Zigbee protocol (not your home WiFi), it tends to be more reliable and will not slow down your home Internet connection.

If you are not ready to gain insight into the entire lighting ecosystem, or you just prefer more affordable alternatives, we recommend that you use GE's Cync full-color direct-connect smart LED bulbs. These bulbs were previously called C by GE and do not need to be connected to a hub: just screw in the bulb, connect it to the app, and you are done. It also offers a series of lighting options in various colors, and you can also set a schedule. Cync's Direct Connect system can be used with Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa, but if you want to connect to Apple's HomeKit, you need a hub.

Security cameras help catch intruders, catch porch pirates, or look after your pets while you are out. Our favorite is Wyze Cam V3 because of its wide range of features and affordable price. In addition, due to its IP65 waterproof rating, it can be used indoors or outdoors, and has a color night vision function that can record night videos in full color.

Like the previous generation model, it will send an alert to your phone whenever it detects a sound or motion. You can also customize the motion detection area, allowing you to adjust the sensitivity according to your needs. It also provides 24/7 continuous video recording, and you can store these videos via a 32GB microSD card (not included).

We especially like that Wyze does not require a subscription; free cloud storage is included with the purchase, and you will always have access to the last 14 days of recordings on the app. But please note that the free account can only save 12 seconds of clips every five minutes. If you want it to record unlimited sports, please consider upgrading to a Cam Plus subscription, which includes other features, such as alerting you when a person or package is detected. Fortunately, it is cheap, at $2 per month or $15 per year.

Wyze Cam V3 has many things to like, but it needs to be plugged in. For wireless alternatives, we like Blink indoor and outdoor cameras. They all use AA batteries for power, so you can place them wherever you want, and they can run for about two years before you need to replace the batteries. Blink Outdoor is weatherproof, but in other respects the two cameras are the same. They all have night vision, motion detection and two-way audio. You can store clips in the cloud through a Blink subscription plan, or you can save events locally to the synchronization module 2 through a USB flash drive (sold separately). Unfortunately, Blink only works with Alexa, which may not be feasible for some people.

If you want a camera dedicated to the front door, a doorbell camera makes more sense than a standalone option. Our favorite is the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, which is compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon's Alexa and Apple HomeKit. It provides a high-quality HDR lens and a 180-degree view, so you can see a person from head to toe, and as long as someone rings the bell, it can ring your phone through a video call. There is also two-way audio, so you can talk to anyone at the door.

One of the highlights of this doorbell is that it offers a three-month trial version of the Arlo smart subscription service, which includes a motion detection function that can distinguish people, packages, vehicles or animals. Senior editor Devindra Hardawar said he really appreciates the package reminder; whenever UPS takes it out of the box, it tells him well. In fact, this is a very useful feature, and we recommend continuing to use the service after the trial period.

You should be able to use the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell with Google or Amazon smart displays, but it will not be fully integrated. You will be able to view the webcam on the display, but if someone rings the doorbell, they will not automatically appear on the screen. If you want this specific feature, you must use a Google doorbell (e.g. Nest Video Doorbell) or an Amazon doorbell (e.g. Blink Video Doorbell) (for Google and Amazon displays, respectively).

Our favorite robot vacuum cleaner is the iRobot Roomba 694. We recommended it in the budget robot vacuum cleaner guide because it does a good job of cleaning hard and carpeted surfaces. (We also like Shark Ion RV761, but Roomba 694 is a newer model.) In addition, the app is very easy to use, whether you are a hardcore enthusiast or a tech-savvy person. Just in case you cannot access the application (for example, you may leave your phone in another room), Roomba 694 also has manual control.

One of the reasons why Roomba 694 is so clean is that it has a three-stage system that allows it to bypass obstacles while vacuuming. When it encounters a particularly dirty area, it will focus on it, ensuring that it is clean before continuing. You can also manually instruct it to clean specific locations when needed. If you prefer to talk to robot cleaners, Roomba 694 works perfectly with Alexa and Google Assistant.

If you don't mind spending more money to buy a better sweeping robot, we recommend Roomba i7+. It can clean carpets and hard floors very well, but it is quieter and smarter. It has mapping technology that helps it keep track of all the different rooms in your home and clean them in the most efficient way possible. But the coolest thing about i7+ is that after each job, it automatically empties the trash can into a clean base that can hold the dirt from about 30 jobs. In short, if you want a robot vacuum cleaner that doesn't require much attention, then i7+ is worth the splurge.

Smart plugs are the easiest way to add some connections to your home without spending a lot of money. Connect your regular non-smart light, and voila, it's connected to the Internet, you don't have to spend a lot of money. The best we have tried is Wyze, which is mainly due to its easy-to-use application. We can complete the installation process quickly; pairing is seamless and connecting to WiFi is easy. We particularly like that it provides two-factor authentication (the rest of the smart plugs we tried did not have this). You can schedule it to open and close at different times and dates. Wyze Plug can be used with Alexa, Google Assistant (although you must pair via the Google Home app), and IFTTT services.

Another reliable option is the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini from TP-Link. We did not find the app easy to use-installation is not as seamless as Wyze-but once you overcome this, it is still equally powerful. Just like with the Wyze Plug, you can schedule the plug to turn on and off at specific times and days of the week. Most importantly, Kasa actually provides the arrangement of sunrise or sunset time, which is a feature that Wyze lacks. It can be used with Google Assistant, Amazon's Alexa, IFTTT, and Samsung SmartThings.

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