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.
I am a big fan of floodlight and spotlight cameras, I have both the Ezviz Floodlight and Netatmo Presence. The problem with both of these is that they need to be wired into your mains, because big lights use more power. Arlo thinks they can do better than this and have launched the Arlo Pro…
Smart home alarms have been gaining traction in the UK in the past year and I have reviewed both the Yale Home Sync and Simplisafe systems. Ring recently launched in the UK, and my review of the Somfy indoor camera can be part of a smart home alarm. Minut, formerly Point, is a new contender…
Smart home thermostats have come a long way since they first launched. Originally they were just a thermostat that controlled the on and off functions of your boiler. They promised various levels of savings compared to a traditional thermostat, but in reality, they were still quite inefficient in many areas. Then came zoned heating, Genius…
I have reviewed smart plug options from TP-link Kasa and Energenie MiHome in the past, and if you look on Amazon it has become quite a saturated market with many random Chinese brands flooding the listing, and even Amazon themselves with a smart plug. There are also various Z-Wave smart plugs and other options, but…
Originally posted in March 2018, I have now updated the post for 2019 to reflect some of the new tech and suggestions. This includes some reader recommendations too In the past couple of years, the home automation industry has boomed, and the traditional Z-wave based systems have lost ground to the new wave of AI-based…
Smart door locks have been a little slow to take off in the UK. In the US they have had August for years, but that is only compatible with the less secure deadbolt style locks. In the UK, with our multi-point locks, the best solution has been the Yale Conexis L1, which is excellent and…
I am a huge fan of the Ring Doorbell 2, as someone that gets a lot of deliveries, I get notified by my watch, phone, Alexa, and Chimes when someone is at the door whilst letting me see who it is when I am away. In the future, I will hopefully integrate this with a…
I am a big fan of smart heating products, in particular, I love the zoned heating that Genius Hub offers, however it can get a bit pricey, with their 8x radiator kit costing £674.99 plus you have to replace the boiler controller which often requires expert help. While I am a fully-fledged tech geek and…
As with most things nowadays, the basic smoke alarm has had an upgrade to the Internet of Things. It makes a lot of sense, allowing you to be alerted remotely if there is a problem, or hush the alarm when you inevitably burn something in the kitchen. While it is a smart home device that…
[Update 28/10/2019] It has come to my attention that Den Automation has almost certainly ceased trading. It has been reported that they have switched the severs off so all the smart functionality of the switches will no longer work properly. You should therefore no buy the products. I have covered the issue in more detail…
Back in November, I reviewed the JBL Link View, at first, I was not sure about it, the high cost and awkward shape were not ideal, but I grew to love it and often chose to use it over my Sonos 1 when in the kitchen. The Lenovo Smart Display is slightly different, the 8-inch…
The Smart Home Expo, the UK’s ultimate event for the smart technologies revolutionising the way we live, will be coming to the NEC Birmingham on the 26th & 27th of March 2019, and here’s what you can expect to find. We are delighted to be partnered with the show this year. It is completely free…