Home automation allows you to monitor and control devices and appliances in your home remotely. Connected products like smart lights, thermostats, security cameras, locks, and more can be programmed to turn on/off automatically or controlled manually from anywhere.
Home automation systems communicate through wireless protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or are hardwired into a home’s electrical system. Cloud services and digital assistants enable voice control.
We test and review the latest smart home and automation products to help build your connected dream home. See our home automation buying guides, news, deals, product comparisons, and advice to add convenience, security, and savings.
Shortly after reviewing the £1k+ Luxaflex PowerView automatic blinds, Aqara offered me a more affordable alternative, the new Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1. This is an adaptor that will convert existing roller blinds that have a beaded chain into automatic blinds. As the Luxaflex blinds let in too much light during the daytime, I decided…
The world of home automation has always been a little confusing thanks to all the competing technologies. The two big ones are Zigbee and Z-Wave, but you then also have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and many proprietary systems from the likes of Philips Hue, Lightwave, Den Automation and others. To make things simpler, but also more confusing,…
Most of the smart home tech I cover leans towards the more affordable end of the spectrum that most consumers can implement themselves. However, higher-end products are always in demand giving buyers more options. I recently was had the chance to try out Luxaflex PowerView for a basic installation in my spare bedroom. This is…
Following my review of the Aqara Camera Hub G2H, I have been checking out the Aqara M2 Smart Hub and the new Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1. The Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 model I have used is the no neutral, double rocker EU variant. It is exactly the same as the standard H1, but…
Aqara has been a popular smart home system for many users looking for an affordable solution for a while now. In the early days, this meant buyers were importing products from various grey import sites such as AliExpress. In recent years the brand has expanded into the European market, with a large range of official…
The SwitchBot Bot has been around for about 3 years on Amazon, originally funded on Kickstarter. The Bot is a simple and relatively affordable way to add smart home controls to your old none smart devices. The device itself is battery operated and sticks onto whatever device you plan to automate. When activated, a little…
The SwitchBot Bot, a smart button presser, has been a hugely successful smart home device that is incredibly innovative. It is one of those things I have always meant to buy but never go round to. SwitchBot has kindly sent me their Curtain Combo pack to try out, including the newest SwitchBot Curtain, a hub,…
I impulsively bought the Amazon Echo Flex and the addon motion sensor during the Black Friday period. The Flex was £14 but the motion sensor £15, all in all, a cheap buy as far as my compulsive tech spending goes. What I hoped to achieve was a relatively affordable motion sensor for Philips Hue lights…
Recently, TP-Link launched a new sub-brand called Tapo, offering smart home products at lower price points. I have previously reviewed the Tapo C100 which turned out to be a surprisingly good little indoor camera for around £20. Most recently they launched a range of bulbs, I have been sent the basic White L510E which you…
I have covered smart locks quite a lot in the past, it is an area of smart home technology I have always loved the thought of but it has never seemed to gain much traction in the mainstream market, unlike lighting or home heating. I have already reviewed the Yale Conexis L1 Smart Door Lock…
There is no getting away from the awful PR Ring has had recently, it has been revealed that the company has some serious issues with privacy as well as agreements with law enforcement to share your data. They are trying to improve though; they claim to have locked down the privacy concerns enforcing mandatory 2FA…
Buttons and switches are a superb addition to any smart home system allowing you to carry commands without reaching for your phone or shouting at Alexa. When I started this post, I knew there were a lot of options, but it turns out there are way more products that I realised. I have been looking…
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