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How to pick
Be wary here, because this is the category with the most gadgets that end up in a drawer. Buy for a problem you actually have, not for the idea of a smart home. The three that genuinely earn their place for most people are a video doorbell, so you can see who is at the door without opening it, which matters enormously if doorstep callers make you uneasy; a smart plug or two for lamps, so the house does not look empty when you are away; and a camera pointed at somewhere you actually worry about. Three things to check before buying any of it. Does it need a monthly subscription to keep recordings, because most do, and that ongoing cost usually outweighs the price of the device. Does it store anything locally on a card, so you are not dependent on a company's servers. And whose app is it, because mixing four brands means four apps and that is exactly how these end up abandoned. Pick one system and stay in it. Finally, a wired doorbell that replaces your existing one is far less hassle long term than a battery one you have to take down and recharge every few months.
What I recommend
Smart plug
A plug that sits between the socket and a lamp, so you can turn it on from your phone or on a schedule. Two of these on lamps make an empty house look occupied, which is worth more than most alarm gadgets. Cheap, genuinely useful, and nothing to learn.
- Does
- Switches a lamp from your phone
- Best use
- Making an empty house look lived in
- Check
- Works with your chosen assistant
- Learning curve
- None
Video doorbell
See and speak to whoever is at the door without opening it. If unexpected callers make you uneasy, this is the single most reassuring thing on the page. Check whether recordings need a subscription before you buy, and prefer one that wires into your existing doorbell over a battery model you have to keep taking down to charge.
- Prefer
- Wired, replacing your existing bell
- Avoid
- Recharging a battery every few months
- Check first
- Whether recordings need a subscription
- Best for
- Nervous about doorstep callers
Indoor or outdoor camera
One camera pointed somewhere specific beats four pointed everywhere. Check it can record to a card locally as well as to the cloud, so you still have footage if you stop paying. And think about where it points, because a camera covering a neighbour's window causes more trouble than it prevents.
- Storage
- Local SD card as well as cloud
- Subscription
- Check before buying
- Aim it
- At one spot you actually worry about
- Consider
- Not pointing at a neighbour's window
Matter compatible smart hub
The thing that stops people using any of this is ending up with four apps. Matter is the standard that lets different brands talk to one another, so look for it on the box if you plan to add more later. Pick one system, Apple, Google, Amazon or SmartThings, and buy things that work with it.
- Matter
- Lets different brands talk to each other
- Pick one
- Apple, Google, Amazon or SmartThings
- Why it matters
- Four brands means four apps
- Buy for
- A problem you actually have
Related reading
Want it fitted and actually working?
Doorbells and cameras are easy to buy and fiddly to get right, especially at the far end of the house where the Wi-Fi is weak. I fit these regularly.