The Best Smart Home Devices in 2025
The Best Smart Home Devices 2025: Smart Speakers, Lights, Hubs, and More
We love decking our home with the best smart home devices. They enable us to control our appliances with our voice, have the lights and the heating just so when we get home from work, and help us monitor our homes, even from afar. Not only that, but they help us save energy and change the way our rooms look without requiring a single splash of paint.
What Are Smart Homes?
To create a smart home, you’ll need a smart home hub like a smart display or speaker. Some of these only work with certain smart home ecosystems (like Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa), but an increasing number support the Matter standard, which is designed to make it easier for smart home devices from different companies to work seamlessly with one another.
Uses of Smart Devices
Many of these devices feature a voice assistant, which interacts with you as you make commands to adjust a device or get an update on the weather. With smart home tech, you can minimize the energy consumption of your smart lights by having them turn off automatically at certain times of day (or just change color for ambiance). You can upgrade your safety with a home security camera or smart lock, and you can even turn some of your not-so-smart devices into smart ones using a smart plug or switch.
How Smart Devices Contribute to Our Daily Lives
Equipping your home with smart devices can have a significant impact on your daily life. Here are some ways in which smart devices can improve your life:
- Energy Savings: Thanks to smart devices, you can set devices to operate only when needed, reducing energy consumption and lowering electricity bills.
- Convenience: You can control various aspects of your home using voice commands or through an app on your smartphone. This means you can easily adjust the lights, heating, and other devices.
- Security: With smart security cameras and smart door locks, you can better monitor and protect your home.
- Entertainment: Smart speakers can play music, provide news, or even answer questions you might have, making your home life more entertaining.
The Best Smart Devices for 2025
Here are some of the best smart devices you can get in 2025:
1. Smart Speakers
- Amazon Echo: Featuring the Alexa assistant, it can help you with various daily tasks.
- Google Nest Hub: Equipped with a display to control various aspects of your smart home and provide visual information.
2. Smart Lights
- Philips Hue: Customizable lights that can change colors and be controlled remotely.
- LIFX: Bright, colorful smart lights that can be controlled via a smartphone app.
3. Smart Hubs
- Samsung SmartThings Hub: Works with many different smart home devices to provide unified control.
- Apple HomePod Mini: Combines excellent sound with Siri to control your smart home.
4. Smart Cameras and Locks
- Ring Video Doorbell: Allows you to see and speak to anyone at your door through your phone.
- August Smart Lock: This lets you lock and unlock your door using a smartphone app.
5. Smart Plugs and Switches
- Wemo Mini Smart Plug: Allows you to turn any traditional device into a smart one that can be controlled remotely.
- TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug: Provides easy control of small devices using a smartphone app.
How to Choose the Best Smart Home Devices for You
Building your smart home from scratch is a big process, and there are a few things to consider before diving in.
Decide on a Voice Assistant
First, decide which voice assistant would suit you and your household the best. Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s HomeKit each have their pros and cons, and you should be aware that not all smart devices integrate with all assistants. So, if you already have a preference or own some smart home devices already, that will ultimately feed into your choice.
For example, if you already own a Ring doorbell, then you might get the most out of an Alexa-led smart home. Similarly, a Nest security camera will always work most seamlessly with a Google Assistant. This can be in the form of a smart speaker or display. Again, our guide on what to consider when designing your smart home should be able to help you identify the ideal smart home system for you.
Consider Installation
Think about installation, and if you can install them yourself, such as smart light bulbs, or whether they need a professional to visit your home, such as smart thermostats, or if you’re considering smart electrical sockets, for example.
Check Compatibility
Finally, check whether you need to invest in a smart home hub to make the devices work together or whether any smart speakers or smart displays you already have in your home can do this job for you. Alternatively, online services such as IFTTT can make some compatible devices work together to perform particular automation without the need for a hub at all.
FAQs About Smart Home Devices
Are Smart Homes Worth It?
Even after reading this article, you may wonder whether assembling a smart home is worth the effort. Creating an automated home takes plenty of time, patience, and, in some cases, money, but it will also make life much easier and more efficient once it is up and running.
If you’re still unsure, perhaps consider dipping your toe in the water with something more affordable and simple to install (and uninstall). Smart plugs are perfect for this, as they simply connect to your existing electrical outlets and automate everything from lighting to appliances. You can use your smartphone to control these devices – once you’ve turned the lights off without leaving the sofa, you’ll never return to a dumb house again.
When you’re ready to take the next step, throw a smart speaker or smart display into the mix to use your voice to control your smart home gadgets and create some basic home automation.
If you’re the forgetful type, being able to switch off the coffee maker, hair straighteners, or even the light that you accidentally left on without having to return home makes your life easier. It ensures you’re not wasting energy and money at the same time.
How We Tested These Smart Home Devices
To assess the best smart home devices, we evaluate how simple they are to install and control. In addition, we rate how responsive they are to commands from smartphones and voice assistants, both when we’re at home and away from our property.
We also look at how well they integrate with other smart home devices when creating home automation and the extra kit required to fulfill the smart functions we’d expect them to offer. We also evaluate the style and if they blend into your home or stick out like a sore thumb.
The Future of Smart Homes
As we continue to test and review smart home devices, we keep a close eye on the best available, taking into account their pricing, feature set, and specs to help you find the right ones to install in your space. As technology continues to evolve, we expect smart homes to become even smarter and more integrated, making our lives easier, more convenient, and more secure.
In addition to the conveniences and enhancements mentioned above, the future of smart homes looks promising with advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies can enable smart devices to learn your preferences and habits, making automatic adjustments to improve your comfort and efficiency without any manual input. Imagine a home that knows when you usually return from work and start preheating the oven for dinner, or one that adjusts the thermostat based on the weather forecast.
Moreover, the integration of smart home technology with renewable energy sources can lead to even greater energy savings and environmental benefits. Solar panels, for instance, can be integrated with smart energy management systems to optimize power usage and store excess energy for later use. This can result in not only lower utility bills but also a reduced carbon footprint.
As smart home ecosystems become more widespread, interoperability between different brands and devices will become increasingly important. The Matter standard, mentioned earlier, aims to address this by ensuring that smart devices from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly. This means that you won’t be locked into a single ecosystem and can mix and match devices to suit your needs and preferences.
Another exciting development in the world of smart homes is the rise of voice assistants with more natural language processing capabilities. These assistants will be able to understand and respond to more complex and nuanced commands, making interactions with your smart home even more intuitive and efficient. For example, instead of just turning on the lights, you might say, “Set the mood for a romantic dinner,” and the system will dim the lights, play soft music, and adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature.
The best smart home devices of 2025 offer a wide range of benefits, from energy savings and convenience to enhanced security and entertainment. As technology advances, the possibilities for smart homes are virtually limitless. By embracing these innovations, we can create living spaces that are more comfortable and efficient and more in tune with our individual needs and lifestyles.
