5 Inexpensive Smart Home Devices To Help Make Life Easier

Setting up a smart home has never been easier, with seemingly everyday household items now featuring Wi-Fi integration. As a result, you can control various devices and appliances around your home using just your smartphone or smart speaker. 

While you can get smart appliances like smart refrigerators, smart washing machines, smart ovens, and smart air conditioners, they tend to be pretty expensive. There are even some game-changing smart home devices you've probably never heard of, such as smart beds, smart litter boxes, and smart lawnmowers. For the average consumer, though, devices like smart home cameras, smart video doorbells, smart thermostats, smart speakers, and smart lights are cheaper and more practical.

Many of these devices are relatively inexpensive and can be pre-programmed, making your life easier and helping you save time. When choosing a smart home device, you'll need to consider whether the product requires a hub or bridge to be controlled, as this can be an added expense. You should also check whether your smart home devices can work with each other. For example, if you're an Apple user, it's worth making sure you have a device that's HomeKit-enabled, and if you have an Amazon Echo smart speaker, look for products with Alexa integration. Alternatively, pick up a Matter-enabled smart device that can work across every smart home platform.

Smart bulbs are a great addition to any home; as far as smart home devices go, they are pretty easy to set up. All you need to do is replace your regular bulb with a smart bulb and then download a companion app. From there, you can remotely control the bulb, set schedules to have the lights automatically turn on and off at a particular time, and even adjust the brightness, temperature, and color. Many smart bulbs also work with voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Philips Hue is among the most well-known names when it comes to smart lighting, but the Philips Hue kit with the hub is expensive. If you're looking for a cheaper option, the Wyze smart bulb (listed on Amazon for $23 for a pack of two white bulbs) is a good option. As we note in our Wyze bulb review, the bulb is easy to set up thanks to the Wyze app, and dimming and color warmth adjustment are also supported. This Wiz Color LED smart bulb is another affordable option, priced at just $13 for a single-color bulb.

When considering a smart bulb, you'll need to choose between a white bulb or a color-changing bulb. Color-changing bulbs tend to be more expensive and only make sense if you want the full-color spectrum. If you choose a white bulb, check that the color temperature is adjustable. If not, you'll need to choose between a daylight and warm light bulb, depending on your needs.

Smart plugs are the easiest way to control any of your basic appliances and are available in the form of single/double outlet plugs or a power strip. Like smart bulbs, many smart plugs feature Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri integration. They let you set schedules for powering appliances on and off, and some let you keep track of energy consumption, too. Most smart plugs are meant for indoor use, but you can also get weather-resistant outdoor smart plugs, like this one from Amazon Basics, listed for $24.

You can use a smart plug to control anything that connects to an AC outlet. So, you might set a schedule for the lights to be turned on before you get home or for the coffee maker to run in the morning before you wake up. The Wyze smart plug costs just $20 for a two-pack and can work with other Wyze devices, turning on based on a trigger. For example, the smart plug can be programmed to automatically turn on when the Wyze Sense sensor detects the front door being opened.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini is an affordable compact option, listed at $30 for a four-pack. TP-Link also makes the Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip ($40 on Amazon), which includes six individually controlled outlets plus three USB ports.

Night lights are great for kids or anyone who prefers to have some light in the bedroom at night, and you can take things up a notch with a smart night light. Standard night lights, like the Wyze Night Light, are either rechargeable or need to be plugged into an AC outlet. Some feature a motion sensor that automatically turns on when they detect movement.

Smart night lights provided added functionality. Most are made specifically for kids, such as the Echo Glow ($30). The Echo Glow features Alexa integration and works with the Alexa app or any Alexa-enabled smart speaker. You can set a routine that makes the Echo Glow progressively brighter as morning approaches or use a rainbow timer to help kids stay on track with routines, like getting ready for bed or dressed for school.

Hatch is a popular maker of smart night lights that let you set custom colors, routines, and timers using the app. Its cheapest night light is the Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine, which is over double the price of the Echo Glow at $70. However, it offers added features like a white noise machine and LED clock.

A smart speaker is a great way to manage your smart home, letting you use voice commands to play music, get answers to questions, and control various connected devices. A smart display takes things up a notch with the ability to display information like the weather, time, photo albums, recipes, and even play videos.

The Amazon Echo Show 5 is among the best affordable Alexa-powered smart displays. The new third-generation model is priced at $90 on Amazon. It has a built-in microphone and camera that allows it to be used for making video calls or even function as a home security camera, but the camera quality is pretty bad.

If your preferred voice assistant of choice is Google Assistant, the Google Nest Hub ($80) is the best option for you. It has a bigger 7-inch display and can display your albums from Google Photos, doubling up as a digital photo frame. It also supports apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+.

If you love houseplants but hate looking after them, consider investing in an automatic plant watering system. These Wi-Fi-connected drip irrigation kits can water your plants at a specified time. Some watering systems can be programmed for up to 60 days, making them ideal for when you're on vacation. While you can pick up a DIY drip irrigation system, like this Arduino project, buying a readymade product is far easier.

Automatic plant watering systems feature an inlet that connects to a water reservoir. At the same time, the outlet leads to a pipe with T-joints that can be connected to several micro drip irrigators. All you need to do is connect drippers to the tubing system and set a schedule using the companion app. You can set a watering duration and frequency and get updates via the app.

The Kollea Automatic Watering System is a highly rated option on Amazon, with the main unit featuring a rechargeable battery that lasts up to two months. It's listed for $50 and can water up to 10 plants. The Rainpoint Automatic Watering System is another popular kit with a list price of $55. This system requires a USB connection for power and uses four AA batteries as a backup.