The best Amazon Alexa-compatible smart home devices in 2022

If you have multiple lamps or simple electronics near each other and want to make them all relatively smart, there’s no better option than the Kasa HS300 smart strip. Each of its six AC outlets offers individual control, and the entire thing boasts a cumulative 1,710 joules of surge protection. In addition to working with Alexa and Google Assistant, this also works with IFTTT applets, so you can configure your own contingency routines and further customize your smart home. In addition to voice and app control, each AC outlet sports a physical on/off switch. The only real drawback is that the USB ports don’t offer smart integration of any kind.

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When it comes to Alexa-controlled smart thermostats, they don’t get much better than the Ecobee Premium. It’s not just compatible with Alexa; it has a built-in microphone that ensures you’ll always have a direct line to the voice assistant whenever you’re in range of the thermostat. Its room sensors and radar motion detectors are among the most consistent in the smart thermostat category, and the metal body and glass touchscreen make it look great in nearly any home. If we had to pick out something negative, it would be that the app and device don’t respond 100% instantly when you issue a command, but even that’s a minor issue.

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Whether you’re home or away, the Eufy SoloCam P24 gives you better than a high-definition look at your stuff, pets, and even children at the touch of a button. It doesn’t have the widest native field of view, but extensive pan and tilt make up for it. In fact, motorized pan and tilt plus a 1440P resolution are relative rarities in this price range. Its motion detection implementation is good enough to tell the difference between pets and people, and it can even detect when a baby’s crying and send a tailored alert. To top it off, reliable two-way audio makes it easy to communicate with who or whatever is in the room with it.

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With an IP67 rating against dust and water damage, the Eufy SoloCam L40 is the perfect midrange outdoor security camera. Its 1440p resolution is a step above most of its direct competitors, and it picks up clear, color images night and day using an infrared sensor and 600-lumen spotlight. Efficient operation and a decent-size battery mean you only have to charge it once every four months. Although it’s limited to 8 GB of internal storage, that’s enough for roughly two months of video storage, thanks to a highly effective compression algorithm. In addition, its convenient app control, responsive Alexa integration, and powerful detection zone settings make the Eufy SoloCam L40 one of the most useful and affordable outdoor cameras.

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They don’t get any simpler than the Amazon Smart Plug. Pop it into a wall outlet, connect to it using the Alexa app, and you’re ready to turn a traditional “dumb” electronic device into a modern smart home appliance. There are some limitations, of course, such as its inability to press your coffee maker’s brew button on its own, but there’s a wide range of lamps, fans, and other appliances that it works great with. The only reason to consider a different smart plug is if you’re dead-set on using IFTTT programming, as Amazon’s doesn’t support it.

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There are plenty of smart lights out there, but none offer the convenience and customization of the Philips Hue ecosystem. It offers scene control that can change individual rooms or your entire home to predetermined lighting setups at the touch of a button, and its proprietary wireless connectivity ensures it reacts quickly and never experiences dropouts. The highlighted kit comes with three LED bulbs equivalent in brightness to 75-watt incandescent bulbs, in addition to the required Hue hub and a Hue Smart Button that can turn on, turn off, and dim assigned lights. The only reason to hesitate is the high cost of Hue bulbs, but if you want the best smart bulbs, you can’t dismiss Philips.

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If you own a fancy 4K TV and want to make it really shine when enjoying your favorite movies, TV shows, and music, you can’t go wrong with the Govee DreamView T1 Pro backlight kit. It consists of a light strip, two light bars, and a 1080p camera that detects activity on your TV and actively adjusts the lighting colors and brightness to accent the content you’re watching. This complete package is perfect for anyone looking to add a major “wow” factor to an otherwise bland living room. To top it off, this brilliant and colorful lighting kit isn’t even as expensive as you might think.

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The original Ring was the first mainstream consumer video doorbell, so it makes sense that the fourth-generation model boasts refined performance and a wide feature set. One such interesting feature is called preroll recording, which continuously captures the last few seconds of color video so when something does trip the camera’s motion detector, you can store and watch the short period leading up to that event.

It’s also especially versatile thanks to a dual-band Wi-Fi radio that ensures a stable connection, plus the ability to run on a battery or your existing doorbell wiring. Its 1080p sensor captures crisp video, but it’s also one of the doorbell’s weaknesses. Since it’s in a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio with a relatively narrow vertical field of view, you can’t position it to pick up both the faces of visitors and packages delivered when you’re not at home.

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There’s a decent variety of smart garage door openers with varying feature sets and smart ecosystem support. The Meross MSG200, though, is the best for use with Alexa because Meross’ garage door openers are routinely the most straightforward. This is one of the few smart garage door openers that lets you tell Alexa, “Open the garage door,” and delivers nearly instant results. Most others require an app or other process to operate. And when you add the in-app activity records and overnight notifications, you end up with the most convenient smart garage door opener available.

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This 4-pack of Wyze Bulbs can produce over 16 million colors in your choice of preprogrammed scenes. Engineered to mimic 75-watt incandescent bulbs, they’ll appear much brighter than their 60-watt competitors. Like with most Wyze products, the app is a breeze to navigate. Plus, Wyze Smart Bulbs support IFTT programming for in-depth customization. These are some of the most dependable and longest-lasting color bulbs, but they may have trouble in spaces with congested wireless environments because they’re limited to the 2.4-GHz band.

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After extensive refinement, the August 4th-Generation smart lock is one of the most functional and aesthetically pleasing. The previous version was a favorite, and the most recent update sees a smaller design with a now-integrated Wi-Fi bridge and increased overall functionality. Its geofencing, guest key, remote access, and door sensors all work simply and consistently, and there are no hidden fees to worry about like expensive hubs or subscription costs. It even works with a wide variety of deadbolts, so there’s a decent chance you won’t have to replace your current lock. All told, it’s nearly impossible to find a downside to the August Smart Lock. The removable batteries don’t last forever, but you can use rechargeable CR123 cells to cut long-term costs and electronics waste.

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If you’re disappointed with the sound and responsiveness of Amazon’s own branded Alexa speakers, consider the popular Sonos One Gen 2 instead. Its dependable wireless connectivity makes it great for adding to an existing Sonos soundbar setup, plus it works especially well when paired with a second unit to overcome its mono sound limitation. In addition, the far-field microphone array inside consistently picks up Alexa commands even from across large rooms, and the room correction feature automatically adjusts the sound quality to match your space’s acoustics.

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The frustrating part of most robot vacuums is that you still have to get your hands dirty when emptying them frequently. The Roomba i3+ Evo eliminates that worry thanks to a high-capacity base station that you shouldn’t have to empty for months. While it’s not cheap, it’s one of the most affordable models to offer a self-emptying function. Aside from that, it’s excellent at navigating obstacles, can clean the entire floor or specific areas with a simple command, and is easy to schedule. You can also implement IFTTT contingencies, for example, programming it to start cleaning the moment your smart home detects you leaving the house. It even boasts a Dirt Detect mode that picks up on especially filthy areas and sends the vacuum into overdrive to ensure thorough cleaning.

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A quick web search can deliver instant weather reports and forecasts — for the nearest commercial weather station, which could be miles away from your house. That may be technically local, but it’s not always so helpful. Instead, the Netatmo Weather Station’s base station and sensor sit inside and outside your home, collecting temperature, humidity, air quality data, and other information to provide the most accurate and up-to-date weather reports possible. You can receive real-time notifications of air quality issues or weather events, and, in many cases, the Netatmo is more reliable than the meteorologist on local TV. There is one issue to be aware of, though. Set-up can be a little fickle, as the process isn’t perfectly documented, and you have to wade through multiple steps for each unit.

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If you want complete Alexa functionality built around your TV, it’s hard to beat the Bose Smart Soundbar 600. Its center and stereo channels make standard movie audio and dialogue sound amazing, while a pair of up-firing drivers help it take advantage of true Dolby Atmos processing for a surprisingly lifelike sound in supported media.

Inside, it contains complete Alexa functionality, turning your entertainment center into a gigantic smart speaker, and making it easy to stream music and video directly from the web. Although it is somewhat expensive, the Smart Soundbar 600 offers the premium sound quality you’d expect from home audio giant Bose.

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