Smart Home Devices Are Being Heavily Discounted Right Now
If you’ve been thinking about turning your house into a smart home, the prices are at an all time low. Nearly every smart home device is being heavily discounted right now, making this the best time to make the switch and upgrade your home.
While looking at the items below, look out for bundle deals. Sometimes you can bundle a smart device with a voice assistant and save some money. At the end of the article, we have a link to our Amazon store page where you can find our recommendations for other items as well.
Voice Assistants:
This is always a great place to start. Even if you don’t buy any other smart devices, these alone can act as an alarm, a timer, schedule events, tell you the weather, and play music, talk radio, news, and more. I’ve invested into the Amazon ecosystem, myself, due to being a huge Star Trek nerd. I made the switch when they finally added the ability to say “Computer” instead of “Alexa” or “Echo”. Now I can say “Computer, on screen” and my projector and surround sound receiver will come on.
Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Generation – I’ve been using these in my house for nearly two years. They are constantly improving the interactions on the device and constantly add Star Trek easter eggs. These are great for a night stand, can be plugged into an external speaker, or wirelessly connected to a Bluetooth speaker. These are a staple item for a smart home.
Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation – This is the newer version of the Echo Dot. and is supposed to have a better speaker & microphone array.
Amazon Echo 2nd Generation – This is the bigger brother of the Echo Dot and features a really solid speaker with good bass.
Google Home Mini – If you prefer to go with Google’s ecosystem, these work exceptionally well. They integrate really well with Android devices and let you use your Google calendar for scheduling. You will have to say “okay, Google” or “Hey Google” to trigger the device.
Google Home – The full sized Google Home, which has a really decent speaker.
While I would like to include Apple’s HomePod, they are $350 and I couldn’t find any deals on them.
Smart Outlets
I’ve been using the TP-Link devices in my house for nearly two years. They are compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana, IFTTT, & Nest. I have smart plugs in every room of my house to control my lights and a fan.
TP-Link Mini Wifi Smart Plug – I have half a dozen of these in my house. They are small enough so the bottom or top outlet can still be used, and let you control the device plugged into this outlet with nearly every voice assistant. This handles devices up to 15 Amps or up to 1650 Watts.
TP-Link 10-amp Mini Wifi Smart Plug 2-Pack – For a few dollars savings, you can pick up the two-pack of the TP Link 10A Mini Smart Plugs. They handle devices up to 10 Amps or up to 1100 Watts.
TP-Link Smart Wifi Light Switch I just bought a couple of these for my porch light & dining room light. They work just like the smart outlets, but for pre-wired devices. I have my porch lights scheduled to turn on when it gets dark outside.
TP-Link Smart Wifi Dimmable Light Switch – If you need to be able to dim your lights, this is the way to go. Works the same as their regular light switch.
Other smart outlets – There are other lower-cost brands that pop up on Amazon. It might be worth looking into if you’re going the budget route.
Smart TV / Projector Control
When it comes to controlling your television or projector setup, there’s the Logitech Harmony and there’s the more DIY models.
Logitech Harmony Hub + Remote – Easily the best deal for controlling all your home theater devices.
Broadlink RM Mini 3 – This is the DIY infrared controller. If you want to buy a cheap device that you can mess around with, these work very well. I still have mine setup to turn on my projector and surround sound receiver.
Broadlink RM Pro – This does the same thing as the RM Mini 3, but also handles RF devices.
Smart TV Devices
Amazon Fire TV Stick – 1080P Fire TV Streaming stick. Integrates with Alexa so you can say “Alexa, watch ____” and it will pull it up on the Fire TV.
Amazon Fire TV Cube – 4K Fire TV with full Alexa integration. Same option as before, but you can also use it to turn on your lights and other smart devices.
Roku Stick Plus – 4K Roku streaming stick.
Roku Ultra (2018) – The newest 4K Roku device. Comes with JBL headphones that plug into the remote.
Google Chromecast – 1080P Chromecast. Lets you cast video using your smartphone or computer to your TV.
Google Chromecast Ultra – 4K Chromecast.
Apple TV 4K – The newest 4K Apple TV. Lets you cast your Apple device onto your TV, plus has loads of apps for streaming.
Smart Thermostats
Honeywell WiFi Smart Thermostat – If you’re not willing to drop $200 for the Nest, this is pretty much the way to go. It works with Alexa, Google Home, Apple Homekit, & many others.
Nest Smart Thermostat – There’s not much to say about the Nest. It’s highly recommended and does not look like a thermostat when mounted on the wall.
Smart Video Doorbell / Security
Ring Video Doorbell – This is the standard Ring, with 720P video, night vision, motion sensors, & two-way communication using your smartphone.
Ring Video Doorbell 2nd Generation – An upgraded Ring with the same features, but with 1080P video, interchangeable faceplates, & a quick-rechargeable battery pack.
Ring Home Security System – This is an interesting bundle. It includes the base station with the loudspeaker, a security keypad, 3 door or window sensors, 2 motion detectors, & a range extender. They have the option for 24/7 monitoring for $10 per month. This might be worth looking at if you’re thinking about setting up a security system.
Robot Vacuums
ECOVACS DEEBOT N79S – I ordered mine the other day, so we’ll see how well it holds up with the 4.2/5 stars right now on Amazon. It’s supposed to have a 2 hour long battery, a good air filter, & a good capacity bin. I’ll probably end up reviewing it after Christmas.
iRobot Roomba 690 – Amazon’s Choice for “Roomba” vacuums right now and is currently 26% off the original price. This is the original robot vacuum, at least for me. I remember going into Sharper Image in the mall and looking at all the cool gadgets they had.
For a complete list of our product recommendations, check out our Amazon Store:
