TechRadar Christmas Gift Guides Smart home gadgets are gifts that keep on giving; Once you've started your smart home ecosystem, it's easy to really customize your setup by adding new devices and systems. If you're thinking about buying a smart home appliance for that special someone for Christmas, you'll need to know what ecosystem they're already using, if any, because some devices work exclusively with a particular ecosystem. There are many different ecosystems, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home/Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, ZigBee, and Samsung SmartThings. Don't know which ecosystem your future gift uses? If you have an Amazon Echo speaker at home, you're probably a fan of Alexa. Do you have a Google Pixel smartphone? They are probably already using the Google Assistant; If you have questions, you can always ask. Today, there are so many smart home gadgets flooding the market, and it can be hard to know what to buy. That's why we've put together this handy guide to the best Christmas gifts for the smart home lover in your life, where you'll find everything you need to start a smart home system from scratch.
Sonos Move
The best smart speaker you can buy Rich sound Alexa, Google Assistant and AirPlay 2 Play music when Alexa is muted No Hi-Res Audio support. Most good smart homes start with a smart speaker, and the Sonos One is the best you can buy. With Alexa and the Google Assistant built-in, you can control your music and other smart home devices with just your voice, and Apple's AirPlay 2 support makes this speaker truly unbiased when it comes to services. and the smart home ecosystems you want to buy. On top of all this, the Sonos One has multi-room audio brand intelligence, so you can connect it to other Sonos speakers for a truly connected home—that's a Christmas present. Read more: Sonos One reviews
Ring Video Doorbell 2
The best smart doorbell on the market.
Attractive design Excellent motion tracking The app is easy to use. No Free Video Storage Building the perfect smart home starts at your front door, and what better way to secure your loved one's home than to buy the best smart doorbell, the Doorbell Video Ring 2? This smart device replaces your traditional doorbell, adding a camera that lets you see who's at your door, even if you're not home. Once someone comes to your door, you will get a notification on your phone and if you press the button, a video call will appear on your phone. Google Assistant and Alexa support means it can be controlled via your other smart devices. For example, you can ask Google Assistant to show you the view from your front door on your Google Nest Hub Max smart display.
Philips Hue
The best smart lightbukb to make your home shine Widely compatible Easy to install Great app Can be expensive One of the simplest ways to make your home 'stupid' smart is by investing in some smart bulbs, and the best thing you can buy it's in the Philips Hue range. The Philips Hue range for LED bulbs comes in a variety of shapes and sizes for almost every home lighting need, as well as different colors for fans of mood lighting. . If you go for Philips Hue bulbs, you'll need to get the Philips Bridge, which is a bit of a hub for your lights. The upside, however, is reliability and the fact that the system is compatible with a range of standards and different home control systems, including Apple HomeKit, Nest, and Samsung SmartThings. Learn more: Philips Hue Review
Nest Thermostat E
Stay warm (or cool) with the best smart thermostat Sleek design Easy to use Helps you save money The display can be hard to read. If you want to inject some machine learning into your home's heating/cooling, the Nest Thermostat E is the best smart thermostat on the market, and it could make a great gift for the person in your life who's always too hot or too hot. cold. You can control the temperature with your smartphone or tablet, or adjust it automatically based on your proximity to the house. What makes this device so smart is the fact that it adjusts according to your routine. Just use it the same way you would any other thermostat for the first few weeks, after which you'll find the thermostat will automatically adjust without doing anything. Learn more: Nest E Thermostat review
Arlo Pro 3
The best smart security camera to keep your home safe Good image quality Sleek design Easy to use Limited security without a subscription The Arlo Pro 3 may not offer 4K resolution, but it's still the best smart security camera you can buy, with an easy-to-use app, a 160-degree field of view, night mode, and two-way sound, and this could make a great gift for anyone looking to keep an eye on their home. A built-in siren means you can scare off intruders, while auto zoom and motion tracking means this smart camera captures everything you need. Support for Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit make it suitable for almost all smart home setups. As is to be expected these days, some features are trapped behind a paying wall. You get a three-month trial, and the subscription is just $3 per camera per month, for the basic Arlo Smart subscription, but if you don't pay for it, you'll lose access to things like object detection, cloud logging and more. Read more: Arlo Pro 3 reviews