 | | Yann Bastard |
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This week I’ve invited Grant Clauser, a senior editor at Wirecutter, to give us the basics on setting up a smart home. |
There was a time when home automation was a kind of laboratory experiment, requiring a working knowledge of networking methods, esoteric gear and a hefty investment just to get started. Now you can test the smart-home waters with easy-to-use and inexpensive devices, learn what you like and then expand, without much fear that the devices won’t work together. For those who just want a set-it-and-forget-it experience, here are some devices anyone can use and appreciate. The only setup required is plugging them in and downloading a corresponding app. |
The smart devices here are easily expandable, so you can start with one bulb or plug, add a smart speaker and before long you’ve got a house full of smart devices, all controlled by voice, opening up all kinds of possibilities. |
Smart bulbs are among the easiest and most practical connected devices you can add to your home. They require no expertise other than the ability to tap a password into an app, and they instantly let you wirelessly control nearly any light in your home. Many allow you to make Schedules or Routines in a smartphone app that will automatically turn lights on and off at the brightness setting of your choosing. Our favorite smart bulbs can also change color, allowing you to switch the look of your room on a whim. |
Smart bulbs range in price from about $10 for a basic white bulb from Wyze to about $50 for a color-adjustable bulb from Hue. All smart bulbs are wireless, but some may use different wireless signals, including Wi-Fi, Zigbee and Bluetooth. Bulbs connected directly to your Wi-Fi network, such as those from Wyze and Yee, are the easiest to set up, but Zigbee-connected bulbs, like those from Hue, may be better for larger homes where Wi-Fi can’t reach everywhere. Bluetooth-connected bulbs are fine to use within a single room, but once you’re out of Bluetooth range (a few dozen feet) you won’t be able to control the light, so those probably won’t work for most people. Most smart bulbs come in the standard A19 format, but sconce style and flood lights are also available. |
If you want to control a lamp, a fan or even an air-conditioner, a smart plug can give you wireless control over it. Smart plugs are small adapters that plug into a standard AC wall outlet. When you plug your appliance into the adapter, you can control it using a smartphone app. Compared with a smart bulb, a smart outlet won’t usually give you as much control over a lamp, but you can turn the lamp on and off wirelessly, put it on a schedule or group it with other smart plugs so that you can control several lamps at once. A few, including the Lutron Caseta plug, allow you to dim the lights. And there are even outdoor smart plugs like Kasa Smart Outdoor Smart Plug. Many people find smart plugs especially handy for controlling holiday lights and decorations, including those abominable blowup yard decorations. |
If you’re looking for a basic and affordable smart plug, Wirecutter, a New York Times company that reviews products, recommends the Wyze Plug, which comes in a two-pack for about $20. If you want to plug in several devices at the same time, like strings of holiday lights, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip has six AC inputs, each controlled independently. |
Many people buy smart speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google’s Nest Home Hub, to play music, check the weather or keep in touch with family. But a smart speaker is also a critical and easy-to-use component of a smart-home system. Think of it as the universal remote for your smart home. Most popular smart-home devices can be integrated with a smart speaker (including the light bulb and plug mentioned above), allowing you to control your lights with a voice command, and also create Automations (often called Routines) to control several things at once. You can also program your smart speaker to turn on the kitchen light, start your electric teakettle and play your morning news report just by saying “Good morning.” It’s an impressive amount of home automation power that’s easy and inexpensive to set up. |
For smart speakers, Wirecutter prefers Amazon’s Echo line, because it’s compatible with more smart-home devices than Nest or Apple smart speakers, and there are more models to choose from. The Echo Dot, at about $50, is a great one to start with. Or if you like to cook, you could try the Nest Hub — its built-in seven-inch display is great for helping out in the kitchen. |
Interested in learning more about the best things to buy and how to use them? Visit Wirecutter, where you can read the latest reviews and find daily deals. |
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Wirecutter is a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products |
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