The smart home has quickly become one of the best gifts that you can get someone on your list each year. Whether it’s a smart thermostat, a smart light, smart plugs, or even a robot vacuum. It’s a very popular category. And because of that, there are a ton of smart home products on the market. Some are great, some are not-so great and some are just terrible. In this smart home gift guide, we are going to highlight the best smart home gifts that you can buy this year, across a few different categories. These include robot vacuums, smart lights, smart thermostats, and more.
If you are looking for a smart speaker, you can check out this list of the best Amazon Alexa smart speakers, and this one with the best Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers.
| Product name | Cost | Where to buy |
| Roborock S7+ | $949 | Amazon |
| iRobot j7+ | $849 | Amazon |
| Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2021) | $249 | Amazon |
| Philips Hue White and Color LED Smart Button Starter Kit | $178 | Amazon |
| LIFX Multi-Color A19 Smart Light Bulb | $49 | Amazon, Best Buy |
| LIFX Beam | $239 | Amazon, Best Buy |
| August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) | $208 | Amazon |
| Google Nest Cam (Wired) | $99 | Best Buy |
| Ring Video Doorbell Pro | $169 | Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo |
| Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera | $165 | Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart |
| Google Nest Cam (Battery) | $179 | Best Buy |
| Amazon Smart Thermostat | $59 | Amazon |
| Google Nest Thermostat | $129 | Amazon, Best Buy |
| Wemo Mini Smart Plug | $18 | Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Target, Walmart |
| Kasa Smart Plug Mini | $18 | Amazon, Walmart |
Roborock S7+
- Price: $949
- Where to buy: Amazon
The Roborock S7+ is a really great robot vacuum to pick up. And this bundle includes the auto-empty dock.
The S7 includes 2500Pa suction power, as well as Sonic Mopping and VibraRise. Which makes it not only a great robot vacuum, but also a really great mop. With VibraRise, it will lift up the mopping pad when the vacuum is on carpet. Then with Sonic Mopping, it’ll be able to scrub the floor a bit better than expected.
With the auto-empty dock, you won’t need to worry about emptying the dustbin for nearly eight weeks. Which is rather impressive. It uses various filters to empty the dustbin, that way it keeps all of these allergens out of the air. Making it really great for those that have allergies.
iRobot Roomba j7+
- Price: $849
- Where to buy: Amazon
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is the latest self-emptying robot vacuum from iRobot. And it is guaranteed not to run over pet waste. In fact, iRobot is so sure that it will replace any j7 model that does not avoid pet waste.
This is done by having a camera on the front, that is able to avoid objects on the floor. Not only can it avoid pet waste, but also shoes, cords, and much more. So you don’t need to pick up your home before you run the robot vacuum. iRobot also claims that this has 10x the power-lifting suction, compared to its predecessor.
Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit
- Price: $249
- Where to buy: Amazon
Ring Alarm is a really great product to pick up for any homeowner out there. As this is a DIY home security system, that makes it super easy to setup. It also works well with other Ring products, like the Ring Video Doorbell, and the floodlight.
This 8-piece kit includes one base station, one keypad, four contact sensors, one motion detector, and one range extender. There is also a 5-piece kit and a 14-piece kit available in case you need less or more. And you can also purchase additional contact sensors and motion detectors for your system.
Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit – Amazon
Philips Hue White and Color LED Smart Button Starter Kit
- Price: $178
- Where to buy: Amazon
If you want to get into smart lighting, then this starter kit from Philips Hue is a really great option. It comes with the Hue Bridge, three Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs and the smart button.
The Hue Bridge is needed to connect your bulbs to your WiFi network. Which is why this starter kit is so good. The smart button is a pretty cool thing, as you can attach it anywhere in your home and use it as a switch for your bulbs. And it’s different from a regular light switch because the lights are still technically on and connected. So you can still control them with the Hue app.
With Philips Hue, these bulbs support millions of different colors, and works for different scenes. Which is rather unique. But it can really add some color to your home.
Philips Hue White and Color LED Smart Button Starter Kit – Amazon
LIFX A19 Smart Bulb
LIFX is a bit different from Philips Hue. As it does not come in a starter kit. This is because it does not need a hub to work. Each bulb connects to your WiFi on its own. Which can actually be a whole lot easier to use.
This is the standard A19 bulb that almost every light fixture uses. So you can just pop in your bulb and have a smart light. It does work with the LIFX app, for doing different scenes and supports millions of different colors. Which works really well. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.
LIFX A19 Smart Bulb – Amazon, Best Buy
LIFX Beam
LIFX Beam is a bit different from the other smart lights on this list. It’s more like accent lighting that you can put around your entertainment center, or even along the doorway in a room. Really anywhere. These are just long “beams” that snap together to form different shapes and straight lines. These are also multi-colored, allowing you to create some really unique scenes. You can still pair this up with some LIFX bulbs as well, and create a scene for your entire room.
This also works with Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, as you might expect.
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
- Price: $208
- Where to buy: Amazon
The August Smart Lock is another great option on this smart home gift guide because it’s just so cool. Imagine walking up to your front door and not needing to fumble with your keys to unlock the door? That’s what the August Smart Lock will allow you to do. It uses Bluetooth to authenticate your phone and unlock the door. It can also use geo-fencing to automatically unlock when you get home.
With smart locks like the August Smart Lock, you also have the ability to give other people a temporary key to your home. This is super helpful if you are going out of town and have someone pet sitting for you. It’s also good to give your kids a virtual key instead of a physical one. Because if they lose it, you can just shut it off, and who ever finds it won’t be able to get into your home.
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock – Amazon
Google Nest Cam (Wired)
This is the latest Nest Cam, and the first one to break that $100 barrier. Making it pretty inexpensive to add the Google Nest Cam to your home. This is a wired model – though there is also a battery option later in this list.
The Nest Cam (Wired) is pretty impressive, and comes in three colors: snow, coral and Fog. It is able to record in 1080p HD quality, so you can see what’s going on in your home when you’re home and when you’re not. It works with the Google Home app, making it super simple to setup and use.
Google Nest Cam (Wired) – Best Buy
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is the video doorbell to pick up this holiday season. It’s a really great gift, as you can watch and see who is taking your packages, or know who is at the door before they ring the doorbell.
With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, you’re getting a wide-angle camera that can see all the way to the ground in front of your home. And the ability to interact with people via your smartphone, or even your Alexa products. Like the Echo Show or the Fire TV, which is really unique.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro – Amazon – $249
Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera
The Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera is the latest and greatest from Arlo. Which is a wire-free camera. So you can use inside or outside, which is the main reason why it is on our smart home gift guide this year. You can purchase the Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera in a number of different options. Like three and five-camera kits. This is great for putting cameras around your home.
With the Arlo cameras being wire-free, that does mean you need to pop the battery out and recharge them every once in a while. These will normally last you around six months on a charge. And that is because it is not recording 24/7, but rather only recording when it sees movement.
Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera – Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
Google Nest Cam Battery
Finally, Nest has a battery-powered Cam, and it’s actually really good. We reviewed it back in September. The battery on the Nest Cam Battery is actually pretty decent, it’ll last you around a week, depending on your settings. But if you leave it to the default settings, it can last closer to a month.
Nest Cam does encrypt your video, and use two-step verification. So you can rest assured that your video is being secured, and not uploaded to Google’s servers to watch when they want. With Nest Aware, the Nest Cam Battery will be able to identify people as well as animals.
Google Nest Camera Battery – Best Buy
Amazon Smart Thermostat
- Price: $59
- Where to buy: Amazon
Amazon recently announced its own Smart Thermostat, and it’s now the cheapest one on the market. It’s currently up for pre-order and will launch on November 4.
This smart thermostat is pretty simple, it has a white display, making it pretty easy to blend into your wall, without it having a big screen like some other thermostats on the market. You’ll of course be able to use the Amazon Smart Thermostat through Alexa – but not Google Assistant. So you can use your voice to control the temperature in your home.
Amazon Smart Thermostat – Amazon
Google Nest Thermostat
This is the first new thermostat that Google has put out since purchasing Nest, and it’s a huge departure from its original design. It now looks like a mirror on your wall, which is pretty neat to be honest. The whole point here is for it to blend into your home, and not stand out.
The Nest Thermostat will still show you the temperature and such, and work with your voice via Google Assistant. It uses sensors as well as your smartphone to determine whether you are at home or not. And if you are not, it will adjust the thermostat to save money on energy.
This is also the first Nest Thermostat that works with the Google Home app, instead of only the Nest app.
Google Nest Thermostat – Amazon, Best Buy
Wemo Mini Smart Plug
Probably the easiest and cheapest smart home product on any gift guide, is a smart plug. It works for everyone, whether you have a house or an apartment, and can control just about everything.
The Wemo Mini Smart Plug is a great option because it is smaller, and doesn’t cover up the other AC outlet on your wall. And the app is super easy to use. Now unfortunately, when it comes to smart plugs, there isn’t a whole lot of functionality available. It’s basically on, off and a schedule. So you could use this to set a schedule for when the lights turn on in the living room.
At $18, it’s a really cheap gift that you can pick up for anyone this holiday season.
Wemo Mini Smart Plug – Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Target, Walmart
Kasa Smart Plug Mini
The Kasa Smart Plug Mini is also a great option for a smart home gift. And it’s the same price as the Wemo smart plug too, making it even better.
This one is slightly smaller, but it is thicker than the Wemo smart plug. So depending on your setup, either one might be better. But the functionality is the same here. Allowing you to turn it on, off and then set a schedule for it.
The Kasa Smart Plug Mini does offer up support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. So you can use your voice to control these as well.
2021-11-12 15:06:24