Big brands like Google, Amazon and Philips Hue are renowned for their smart home innovations, but hundreds of smaller competitors are pushing boundaries, too. Sure, you probably won’t see the next innovation in robotics or voice assistance coming from a 10-person team. But innovation in energy consumption and privacy are just as important, and they often come from smaller companies. If you care about smart lawn care, smart gardening or a smart security system — anything beyond color-changing lightbulbs — these cool smart home devices might be for you.
These are seven of the most interesting but difficult-to-categorize smart home accessories on the market right now. Whether you want to step up your home automation and smart home technology game or you’re looking to find a great gift for the tech lover in your life, you’re sure to find a unique smart home gadget on this list.
Ego
We’ve tested robot lawn mowers here at CNET, and while they’re definitely cool, they’re also pretty pricey. But lawn mowing can still be more energy-efficient and a whole lot quieter with an electric mower. Ego’s $569 self-propelled push mower might not be internet-connected, but it’s as clever and innovative as anything else on this list. Sure, $569 is more than most push mowers cost, but that extra cash will save your eardrums (thanks, electric engine), your time (it takes 30 minutes to charge) and your money in the long run (no more trips to the gas station). Read our Ego Power Plus Lawn Mower first take.
Eve
If you have a garden or lawn like mine that needs water every morning, but you hate throwing on clothes at 7 a.m. to run out and turn on the sprinkler, the Eve Aqua smart sprinkler controller is a simple solution. You hook it between your spigot and your hose, set a schedule on the app and voila! Your sprinkler will now water on a preset timer.
Eve has an app, but it also works with Apple’s Home app and Siri.
Hubitat
With voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant quarterbacking most connected home devices, the smart home hub might seem like a relic of yesteryear. But Hubitat’s Elevation hub offers a level of privacy unparalleled by its larger competitors. For $130, the Hubitat hub will process all the automation and voice control (with Alexa and Google Assistant) locally, rather than on the cloud.
For many consumers, the added privacy won’t be worth the cost and setup. But for security- and privacy-minded customers, Hubitat might have a clever, fairly cheap solution to the rapidly expanding problem of data collection in big tech. Read our Hubitat first take.
Chris Monroe/CNET
So you have a remote-controlled ceiling fan, but you’re always losing the remote and just using the wall switch anyway? Bond has the answer. Basically, it connects your ceiling fan to an app, to Google Assistant or to Alexa. Then you can stow the remote and just tell your voice assistant to switch the fan on or off. Read our Bond review.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The Echo Flex is a sort of jack-of-all-trades. It has an Alexa-powered speaker and a USB port for adding one of a range of modules, from motion sensors to nightlights. The Flex is a great gadget to bring the smarts of Alexa into the nooks and crannies of your house that don’t merit a whole speaker, but where it might be nice to have quick access to setting timers. The modular design also means you get some cool extra features, to make the gadget more security-oriented or more helpful for lighting a dark hallway at night.
Pretty much anyone who uses Alexa could find a useful spot for the Flex. Read our Echo Flex review.
Wyze Labs
Smart cameras are getting more and more affordable, but no company has pushed that boundary more than Wyze. Its $20 camera is a fantastic product for the price, but I actually prefer their Sense Starter Kit even more. It does require the camera to connect to your phone app, which is the one downside. But for $20, it includes a motion sensor, two door/window contact sensors and a bridge to plug into the smart security camera. That’s a really solid deal, and useful for anyone who travels or just wants an extra measure of security at home. Read our Wyze Sense first take.
Chris Monroe/CNET
A smart home remote might not seem like the most interesting smart device, but hear me out: This lit dodecahedron device controls any smart light switch, smart light bulb and other home accessories when you rotate it to different sides. Sure, that may not be the most practical way to turn your lights off, but this smart gadget is guaranteed to make you feel like a James Bond villain while you’re doing mundane tasks — and that alone deserves some kudos. Read our Nanoleaf Remote review.
More smart home recommendations
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