Best Smart Home Devices for Beginners

The problem this solves

Smart home shops make it look as if you need a hub, a dozen sensors and a subscription before anything works. You do not. Three or four devices that each solve a real annoyance are a better start than a starter kit full of things you will never set up.

Choose your system first

Pick the app you will use for everything, usually the one that matches your phone: Apple Home for iPhone households, Google Home for Android, or Alexa if you already have Echo speakers. Then buy devices that work with it. Devices with the Matter logo work with all three, which keeps your options open; what is Matter explains how. If you are undecided, our comparison of Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home helps.

What to look for

• No hub needed, at least for your first devices.
• Renter-safe: plugs in, screws in or sits on a shelf.
• Matter, where available.
• A clear job. If you cannot say what annoyance it fixes, skip it.

Our picks at a glance

The picks in detail

1. A smart plug, for a lamp on a schedule

The cheapest and most useful first device. Smart plugs for beginners explains what it can and cannot control.

2. A Matter smart bulb, for dimming and warm evening light

3. A leak sensor under the sink

Small, cheap and sometimes the device that saves you most: an early alert can stop a leak reaching the flat below. Check whether it needs a hub from the same maker.

4. A speaker or hub, when you want voice control

Choose the one that matches your system. Many also act as Thread border routers for Thread devices.

Setting up without frustration

1. Check your Wi-Fi. Most plugs and bulbs need the 2.4 GHz band. Almost every router provides it.
2. Add one device at a time and name it after the room and job, such as "Living room lamp".
3. Set one routine that solves a real problem, then live with it for a week.
4. Secure your accounts. Use a strong, unique password and two-factor sign-in.

Mistakes to avoid

• Buying a different brand for every device, each with its own app.
• Smart bulbs on a switch people use. The bulb goes offline when the switch is off.
• Automating everything at once. Start with two or three routines.
• Forgetting the move. Before you leave, remove devices from your account and reset them.

How we chose

These are research-based recommendations: we compared published specifications, maker documentation and the features that matter in a small home. We have not tested them hands-on. Most picks are types of product rather than single models, so the buttons open the retailer's results; compare a few listings before you buy, in your own country's store.

How to avoid buying the wrong thing

Check three things on every box: which systems it works with (Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home or Matter), whether it needs a hub, and which Wi-Fi band it needs. Many cheaper devices need 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. If your router combines bands, most will still connect; if not, check your router settings before buying several devices.

Keep it simple

Use one app as the main control point and name devices clearly by room and job, such as "Living lamp". Voice control and automations work much better with clear names.

The bottom line

Start with a smart plug on a lamp, add a bulb where you want dimming and a leak sensor under the sink, and buy a speaker only when you want voice control. Take the smart home starter quiz for a plan for your home, and read the smart home starter guide for the full picture.