Once a fable, the smart home is now attainable for many. Though, since all homes are different, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for finding the best smart home devices. Our reviews of the latest smart thermostats, smart speakers, and security systems will help you figure out what’s right for you. And as smart assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, grow in capability, we put them to task to see just how helpful they are.
It won’t clean your whole house, but it’s the perfect companion to your robot vacuum
These bots are serious multitaskers.
While robot vacuums are getting fancier and more sophisticated (there’s now one that can climb stairs!), there are lots of great budget bots you can get for just a couple of hundred bucks that will keep your floors swept and mopped.
Check out my top picks for the best budget robot vacuum and mop in my updated buying guide.
Aqara’s new U400 smart lock is the first to use Apple’s UWB-based hands-free unlocking, and it works every time, even with full hands.
Mui’s long-gestating calm-tech board finally ships — and it’s a thoughtful, if very expensive, alternative to screens.
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Gardyn Studio 2 makes indoor gardening a mostly hands-off experience, thanks to AI, hydroponics, and smart lighting
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Posha uses AI and a motorized arm to cook your dinner autonomously. It’s impressive but expensive, and raises all the usual concerns about connected kitchen appliances.
You’re in luck. I just published a big update to my robot vacuum buying guide following months of testing dozens of new bots. Plus, this week is the best time of year to buy a floor-cleaning machine, as they’re seeing major discounts ahead of Black Friday. (Well, all except my top pick!).
Amazon’s Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 launch this week, here are my first impressions
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This WALL-E-like bot fixes the stuff every other robot vacuum gets wrong.
Google’s Nest cams now use AI to tell you what they see, not just show you. Only sometimes it tells me about things that aren’t there.
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The hardware finally feels ready, but Alexa Plus is still a work in progress.
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The Atmos smart speaker goes up against the HomePod 2… and wins.
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Smart security, no hands required.
As Amazon prepares to launch new hardware this week, it needs to push Alexa to the next level.
This summer, The Verge’s video team braved 90-degree temps to capture the smart home tech I test and use in my backyard.
From smart chicken coops to robot lawnmowers, smart sprinklers, AI-powered grills, and smart lighting, this tour shows how tech can help you manage, maintain, and get more out of your backyard.
From circadian rhythm lamps to immersive TV backlighting and festive outdoor setups, smart lighting is easier and more versatile than ever. Here’s some ideas on how to make it work in your home.
Level’s latest lock adds faster performance, built-in door sensing, and Matter support while keeping its “invisible” design.
From coop to attic, Home Assistant’s new Z-Wave antenna helped me connect devices in the furthest corners of my domain.
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The Eufy FamiLock has a digital peephole and can unlock with a wave, but it costs $400.
My first impressions after one day with Amazon’s smarter, more conversational, generative AI-powered assistant.
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Smaller, faster, and Matter-compatible, this sleek new lock is a worthy August replacement — with a few quirks.
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Govee’s latest smart table lamp adds a JBL Bluetooth speaker, and now I want RGB lights on all my smart speakers.
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It automatically unlocks as I approach, looks great on my front door, and works locally with every smart home platform. But thanks to Matter, I have to pick between its two best features.
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But not quite enough for me to consider ditching my local pizzeria.
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The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first vacuum that can tidy up before it cleans — but it’s still a work in progress.
A year testing a smart lock with a hidden superpower: infrared wireless charging.
These autonomous cutters show promise, but there’s still a ways to go before you should trust one in your yard.
Right after I published this review, the price increased to $79 from $39. That’s a big jump. While optional, the subscription adds the Sidekick feature, which I found very useful, so I’ve updated the review with my thoughts.
The company says it will honor the old price for current users, that the new price “reflects the full suite of new features” it has added to Plus, and that it will “continue investing in Plus through new features and expanding Sidekick.”
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An AI-powered Sidekick kicks this smart calendar display up a gear.
The smart security camera company debuted the latest addition to its 16MP lineup at CES. As the name implies, the Duo 3 WiFi works over Wi-Fi and stitches together video from two cameras to create a 180-degree panoramic view with color night vision, motion tracking, and people, vehicle, and animal detection.
The plug-in camera is available to buy starting today for $179.99.
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The fourth generation of the Nest Thermostat improves on the original in almost every way, and it’s still a stunner.
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With more storage, a (slightly) faster processor, and some proper smart home chops, Google’s new take on the Chromecast is its best attempt at a streaming device yet.
The new $130 Diva smart dimmer for ELV+ lighting brings higher-tech lighting control to the Caseta smart lighting line’s new look.
Designed for low-voltage fixtures like under-cabinet, track, accent, and tape lighting, it costs twice as much as the standard dimmer but offers phase-selectable dimming.
Lutron also launched its Caseta Pico paddle remote in five new colors.
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