Roborock S7 Max Ultra review: The (high) price of vacuum perfection
One of the most effective robot vacuums, with slightly less advanced obstacle detection
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Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review: A porch pirate's nightmare
A good doorbell that’s most useful if you get lots of deliveries
Ring has pioneered the smart doorbell market with some of the most advanced and user-friendly devices out there. Today, it still makes some of the best smart video doorbells, as well as a wide range of security devices like the Ring Alarm and an impressive number of cameras. Most of its products come with smart features, such as motion and package detection, two-way audio, and night vision.
Google Pixel Tablet review: That first-gen feeling
It's a fine midranger, but the Pixel Tablet's best ideas are half-baked
We're all familiar with Google's rocky relationship with tablets: after early success with the affordable Nexus 7, the company struggled to maintain momentum. Following poor commercial and critical reception of 2018's ChromeOS-based Pixel Slate, Google gave up on tablet hardware altogether for quite some time.
Bird Buddy review: A genuinely delightful smart bird feeder
Expensive and occasionally frustrating, but oh so much fun
Of all the weird and wonderful things I saw at CES this year, Bird Buddy caught my attention in a way few tech products do anymore. It's a colorful, cutesy bird feeder with a Wi-Fi-connected camera nestled inside to record and identify the birds (and other critters) that stop by to feed. It's expensive, and at launch, some of its features still aren't ready for prime time, but after using a Bird Buddy for more than a month, I can't help but love this thing — flaws and all.
Dreamebot D10s Plus review: An affordable and efficient self-emptying robot vacuum
Its basic mopping features can also come in handy
Dreametech has been gaining popularity thanks to its extensive line of robot vacuum cleaners and mops, which range from relatively inexpensive and straightforward options like the D9 Max to high-end and fully automated ones like the L10s Ultra. Both can vacuum and mop the floor, but they’re radically different regarding their maintenance and care. Indeed, while the first comes with a simple charging station, the L10s Ultra features a self-emptying base that can also clean its mop pads autonomously.
Dreametech D9 Max review: An affordable and efficient robot vacuum and mop combo
Come home to clean floors
A robot vacuum cleaner is a great option to keep your floors clean without needing too much attention. There are plenty of models to choose from, including the top-notch Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which can scrub your floors in full autonomy, while costing a whopping $1,600.
Apple HomePod (2nd gen) review: A great speaker with frustrating limitations
Not just the usual Apple caveats, either
There’s no shortage of killer smart speakers that you can talk to the Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa through, but if you’re after Apple’s Siri, your only option is to go straight to the source. Apple’s second-generation HomePod is the company’s current flagship smart speaker, offering booming sound and deep ecosystem integration at a premium $300. It’s plenty capable, but unless you’re living the full Apple lifestyle, the HomePod probably isn’t for you.
Wyze Mesh Router Pro review: Strong speeds with underwhelming software
The Wyze Mesh Router Pro is a solid mesh system with support for fast internet speeds around the house.
There’s nothing really special about the Wyze Mesh Router Pro — from its compact, Eero-like physical design to its run-of-the-mill AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6E connection. This mesh Wi-Fi kit is roughly equivalent in speed and coverage to several other mesh Wi-Fi kits like the Eero Pro 6E, TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro, or the Nest Wifi Pro, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The tri-band AXE5400 wireless connection is balanced to deliver strong performance on older 5GHz-only devices and 6GHz devices alike.
Wyze Cam Pan v3 review: Panoramic value
Wyze's first indoor-outdoor pan-tilt camera is crazy good for 40 bucks
Smart security cameras can get pricey quick — indoor-outdoor cameras from top players in the space like Ring and Arlo can go for $100 or more apiece, and typically require costly paid subscriptions on top of that to get all the features you'll want. Wyze's Cam Pan v3, on the other hand, costs just 40 bucks — though Wyze is as guilty as any manfucaturer of requiring a paid subscription. With great features and a very affordable price point, though, the Cam Pan v3 is the budget security camera to beat right now.
GE Cync Smart Light Strip review: Too expensive for your eyes
An extremely pricy light show without much to offer
GE's Cync Full Color Dynamic Effects Smart Light Strip is a mouthful to say, but its name is perhaps the most impressive part of this 16-million-color, diffused string of LEDs. A big, diffused strip of LEDs whose length you can easily modify is held back by a ho-hum controller application — so much so, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to buy GE's lights when you can get other, just as lovely looking solutions for mood lighting that cost half as much (or less).
Philips Hue Smart Plug review: No Bridge, no buy
A great addition for Hue households, but not a good standalone smart plug
Practically every smart home company you can think of offers at least one smart plug: Amazon, Govee, TP-Link, Wyze, and others all make plugs to add smarts to dumb devices. Philips Hue, the long-reigning top dog in the smart lighting space, also offers a smart plug in the creatively named Philips Hue Smart Plug. At $35, it's a very good smart plug — if you're already set up with Hue, anyway.
TP-Link Tapo C100 security camera review: Security on a budget
A high-quality home security solution that won't break the bank
Since the introduction of the Ring Security Camera, consumer home surveillance has become a significant addition to many smart homes. Whether finding out who stole your Amazon package or seeing what your kitty Muffins is up to during the day, the home security camera has proven its worth in most people's lives.
Reolink Argus 3 Pro review: A proper competitor for more expensive security cameras
Matches many of the features of premium cameras, but cloud storage isn’t great
Reolink is a well-known name and among the best outdoor security cameras. With a series of models for both indoor and outdoor use, each offering distinct options, it’s easy to find a camera to cover your needs. The new Argus 3 Pro strikes a great balance between features for an outdoor security camera, while coming in at a price below many premium cameras with the same features. While it’s a solid camera, Reolink’s cloud hosting service needs some work.
Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell review: Great features, as long as you subscribe
Probably one of the best smart doorbells, if only most of its features weren’t behind a paywall
A video doorbell is one of the best smart home devices you can invest in. Not only does it allow the convenience of checking on visitors even when you’re not home, but it also doubles as a security camera and provides insightful notifications when it senses motion, people, and even packages left at your door. Most of the doorbells on the market can also integrate with third-party providers to help you create automated routines for added convenience.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review: The best robot vacuum money can buy
It cleans your floors and itself without needing your help
When robot vacuums first launched, they were clumsy and happily bumped into furniture and walls to try to find their way around while cleaning. They could only vacuum, with limited suction power and efficiency, and came with a small base that served only for charging.
Nooie Pro Cam review: Looks great, but annoying to use
A solid camera meets a subpar app experience and a pretty high price tag
There are a lot of great security cameras out there, and the Nooie Pro Cam is decent if all you need is a powerful 2K camera for day and night that you can check in on from time to time. While its battery life is formidable, the camera's in-app experience is subpar at best. The lag you'll experience when accessing your camera or adjusting its settings will be enough to dissuade you from using it much. And that defeats the point of a security camera, doesn't it?
Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 review: Low light footage that won't leave you in the dark
Peace of mind for six months on a single charge
Wyze has become very well known for producing affordable home security devices that perform on par with cameras two or three times as expensive. Since the company introduced its first camera with its “Starlight” sensor (and subsequently put that sensor in every camera update), the improvements to low light performance and added color footage at night have made them excellent bang-for-the-buck cameras. The original Cam Outdoor was already great, but the Cam Outdoor V2 version is one of the best battery-powered security cameras money can buy.
Amazon Ring Alarm Pro review: Lots of sensors, lots of apps
A strong security system even without the pricey subscription
Amazon's Ring Alarm Pro is an absolute beast. It's a powerful all-in-one home security system that comes with a speedy Eero router as an added bonus, and it's priced pretty fairly for all the hardware you get — $249 to start, going higher depending on what different accessories you mix and match into your desired setup. But if you're not opting for Amazon's $20/month subscription to unlock (and maintain) its fortress-like functionality, you can save yourself some cash and headache with Amazon's simpler Ring Alarm alternative.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen): Smart, speedy, and packed with ads
Hey, you got your Echo in my Fire TV!
I'd understand Amazon's desire to saturate its third-generation Fire TV Cube with annoying advertising a bit more if this super-speedy streaming box, which doubles as a makeshift Echo, cost as much as a typical streaming stick. However, for $140, a price that puts it directly into either Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield TV territory, Amazon's advertising-drenched UI feels a bit too overpriced.
If upping your home security is a priority, but money is a factor, the simplest way to get started is to pick up an affordable outdoor security camera. Wyze is a familiar name in the security game, known for its cost-friendly and easy-to-setup smart devices. In fact, they frequently top our best outdoor security cameras list.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock review: A delightful time
The fifth-gen Dot with Clock's new display is worth an upgrade
Third verse, same as the first: Amazon's latest Echo Dot with Clock is here. Technically an upgraded version of the fifth-gen Echo Dot, the third iteration of Dot with Clock brings a few noteworthy upgrades that make it well worth its often-discounted price. (Seriously: Amazon always seems to have these on sale.)