Smart Home

The decision to make before buying any smart home device is which ecosystem you are joining, because mixing them is where frustration comes from.

Most devices work with one or more of Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit, and each manufacturer also has its own app. If you already use a voice assistant, check the product supports it. If you are starting fresh, choosing one and staying with it will save a great deal of trouble.

Matter is the newer cross-platform standard designed to end this problem, and devices carrying it will work across ecosystems. It is worth preferring where available.

The practical groups: cameras and doorbells for security, most with local microSD recording so no subscription is required; smart plugs, the cheapest useful starting point, which make any ordinary appliance schedulable; lighting; and hubs, which some device families need and others do not.

Check whether a device connects over Wi-Fi directly or needs a hub before ordering — it changes the total cost.

See also surveillance.