The most useful smart home devices, ranked by what they do every day
The most popular smart home devices are the ones with screens and speakers. The most useful are the ones you forget you own, because they do their job every day without anybody asking.
The most useful smart home devices are cheap and act without being asked: smart plugs on schedules, motion and leak sensors, a thermostat that holds a schedule, and a valve that closes when a leak is found. Displays and robot vacuums are popular, but they come later.
Ranked by everyday usefulness
| Job | Pick | Network | Why this one |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Smart plug | TP-Link Tapo P110M | Matter | Turns any lamp, fan or coffee maker into something that runs on a schedule. Cheapest useful device there is. |
| 2. Motion and contact sensors | Aqara Motion & Contact Sensors | Zigbee | The devices that make automations happen without a voice command. |
| 3. Thermostat | Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) | Matter | Holds a schedule nobody would program by hand, on the system that costs the most to run. |
| 4. Leak shutoff | Aqara Smart Valve Controller T1 | ZigbeeMatter via Aqara hub | Does nothing for years, then saves a floor. Needs an Aqara hub. |
| 5. Smart lighting | Philips Hue Starter Kit | Zigbee | Lights that follow sunset and bedtime are the automation people keep. |
| 6. Video doorbell | Ring Battery Doorbell Pro | Wi-Fi | Answers the question everybody asks several times a week: who is at the door. |
| 7. Robot vacuum | Roborock Q Revo | Wi-Fi | Useful every day once the dock does the emptying and mop washing. |
| 8. Voice speaker | Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) | Wi-Fi | Convenient, but it only does what you ask. Lowest on this list for that reason. |
Most popular is not most useful
Popularity tracks what is easy to give as a present and easy to demonstrate. A speaker that plays music and a display that shows photos are both, so they top the most common lists. Neither does anything until somebody speaks to it.
Usefulness tracks what changes when nobody is paying attention. A sensor that turns on the stair light at night or a plug that shuts off the space heater at bedtime does its job hundreds of times a year without a word. That is the measure used for the ranking above.
Must-have versus nice to have
Must-have, in most homes
- One smart plug per lamp you switch daily
- Leak sensors at the washer, water heater and sinks
- A thermostat, if your system is compatible
- Motion sensors in hallways and stairs
Nice to have
- Color bulbs everywhere
- A display in every room
- Curtain motors beyond the bedroom
- A robot vacuum, if floors are mostly open
Questions people ask
What smart home device is worth buying first?
Which smart home devices save money?
Are must-have smart home devices different for renters?
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Quiet SwitchOne person, no sponsors, no devices owned. Specs come from maker documentation and the live listing; nothing here is written as though it had been tested in this house. How this site works →