Smart home technology allows you to monitor and control devices and appliances in your home remotely using your smartphone or other networked devices. Connected products like smart lights, thermostats, security cameras, locks, and more can be programmed to turn on/off automatically or be controlled manually from anywhere.
Smart home devices communicate with each other and with the homeowner through wireless protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. or through hardwired home automation systems. Cloud services and digital assistants like Alexa also enable voice control.
With home automation, you can save energy, time, and money while adding convenience and security. We cover and review the latest smart home gadgets and whole-home platforms to help you create your connected dream home. See our smart home product guides, news, buying advice, and more.
Ever since reviewing the Samsung smart washing machine, I have been a little obsessed with the idea of a smart kitchen. I have a busy schedule and find myself spending more time than I would like in the kitchen. All my food is cooked fresh, and I have always found that having to be at…
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…
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…
Last year I reviewed the Ezviz C3A battery-powered security camera. It was good, just not as good as the Eufy 2C or Eufy 2. Now Ezviz is back with what appears to be a very well specced camera that is highly competitive against the rest of the market. Ezviz BC1 Features The new Ezviz BC1…
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…
I don’t typically cover white goods, but I have previously expressed my frustration at how slow smart home tech has taken to enter the kitchen appliance market. I reviewed the Samsung WW9000 washing machine back in 2014, which was one of the first Wi-Fi-equipped smart appliances. In recent years, smart home kitchen appliances have slowly…
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 was announced last month and is now available to buy. On paper, it only offers incremental changes from last year, so existing users won’t feel the need to upgrade. The headline change is the rollout of colour pre-roll from the black and white on the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus….
Most of us think that having a smart home means a newly constructed house with very complicated systems. It’s a myth! The idea of a smart home is simple yet beneficial. It simply means that your place has smart home technology that connects with your appliances. It automates common tasks and can program almost every…
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…
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