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Smart Home Reviews

Once a fable, the smart home is now attainable for many. Though, since all homes are different, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for finding the best smart home devices. Our reviews of the latest smart thermostats, smart speakers, and security systems will help you figure out what’s right for you. And as smart assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, grow in capability, we put them to task to see just how helpful they are.

Google Home Mini review: chasing Dots

Google answers Amazon’s small Echo with a tiny smart speaker of its own

Dan Seifert
How to live your best #vanlife

Brent Rose has lived in a van for over two years. Here’s what made it possible.

Brent Rose
Amazon’s Echo Look does more for Amazon than it does for your style
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Amazon Echo Show review: doing more by doing less
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Ask not what you must do for your gadget

Dieter Bohn
Google Wifi review: Wi-Fi that works

Google’s mesh router balances performance and convenience

Dan Seifert
Google Home review: Home is where the smart is
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Help me, Google

Dan Seifert
Mossberg: Google Home shows promise, but needs work

An intelligent speaker that isn’t always smart

Walt Mossberg
The best smart lights you can buy
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Lumos Maxima

Jacob Kastrenakes
The best universal remote you can buy
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Drop the circus clown act and stop juggling remotes

Dan Seifert
Triby Review: Alexa on your fridge
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Don’t buy one (I bought one)

Dieter Bohn
Amazon Echo Dot review: here comes the Alexa army

This is the future of the smart home interface

Dan Seifert
The best coffee maker you can buy
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Get buzzin’

Michael Zelenko
Nest Protect review

Is the smoke detector worth reinventing?

Dan Seifert
Twine review: the little blue box that hacks the world around you

A DIYer’s dream setup, made dead simple

Sam Byford
Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi scale review

The first scale for the morbidly self-obsessed

Thomas Ricker
Dropcam HD review

Simple home security is a great idea waiting for a great implementation — is the Dropcam HD up to the task?

David Pierce
Chumby 8 review

Chumby grows up with a new form factor, a new user interface, and perhaps a new lease on life.

Chris Ziegler