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.
Smart Home Reviews Follow Follow 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. I didn’t expect to love Dyson’s PencilVac Fluffycones – but I did It won’t clean your whole house, but it’s the perfect companion to your robot vacuum Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Feb 3 The best robot vacuum and mop to buy right now These bots are serious multitaskers. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 30 Latest In Smart Home Reviews J The Verge Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 28 Link Clean floors don’t have to cost a fortune. While robot vacuums are getting fancier and more sophisticated (there’s now one that can climb stairs !), there are lots of great budget bots you can get for just a couple of hundred bucks that will keep your floors swept and mopped. Check out my top picks for the best budget robot vacuum and mop in my updated buying guide. The best budget robot vacuums Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 27 The best budget robot vacuums Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 27 I’ve tested 30 smart locks, and these are the best Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 14 The best robot vacuums we’ve tested for 2026 Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 13 I tested Apple’s hands-free Home Key — and it’s a big upgrade Aqara’s new U400 smart lock is the first to use Apple’s UWB-based hands-free unlocking, and it works every time, even with full hands. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 6 This smart home controller is literally a piece of wood Mui’s long-gestating calm-tech board finally ships — and it’s a thoughtful, if very expensive, alternative to screens. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 3 8 Verge Score This smart garden turned my black thumb green Gardyn Studio 2 makes indoor gardening a mostly hands-off experience, thanks to AI, hydroponics, and smart lighting Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Dec 30, 2025 6 Verge Score This $1,500 robot cooks dinner while I work Posha uses AI and a motorized arm to cook your dinner autonomously. It’s impressive but expensive, and raises all the usual concerns about connected kitchen appliances. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Dec 13, 2025 The best doorbell cameras Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Dec 10, 2025 J The Verge Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Nov 26, 2025 Link So, you want a robot vacuum. You’re in luck. I just published a big update to my robot vacuum buying guide following months of testing dozens of new bots. Plus, this week is the best time of year to buy a floor-cleaning machine, as they’re seeing major discounts ahead of Black Friday . (Well, all except my top pick!). The best robot vacuums you can buy Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 13 5 things I love about Amazon’s new Echo Shows — and 3 things I don’t Amazon’s Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 launch this week, here are my first impressions Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Nov 12, 2025 9 Verge Score The Matic robot vacuum is smarter, quieter, and gets the job done This WALL-E-like bot fixes the stuff every other robot vacuum gets wrong. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Nov 8, 2025 I let Gemini watch my family for the weekend — it got weird Google’s Nest cams now use AI to tell you what they see, not just show you. Only sometimes it tells me about things that aren’t there. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Nov 4, 2025 8 Verge Score The Echo Dot Max is Amazon’s biggest little speaker yet The hardware finally feels ready, but Alexa Plus is still a work in progress. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Oct 29, 2025 8 Verge Score Amazon’s Echo Studio is smaller but mightier The Atmos smart speaker goes up against the HomePod 2… and wins. John Higgins Oct 29, 2025 6 Verge Score My face is my key with ADT’s Google Home-focused security system Smart security, no hands required. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Oct 23, 2025 Alexa Plus is smarter — but it’s not yet smart enough As Amazon prepares to launch new hardware this week, it needs to push Alexa to the next level. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Sep 29, 2025 J Youtube Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Sep 24, 2025 Link Chickens, robots, and Wi-Fi ... oh my! This summer, The Verge’s video team braved 90-degree temps to capture the smart home tech I test and use in my backyard . From smart chicken coops to robot lawnmowers , smart sprinklers, AI-powered grills, and smart lighting , this tour shows how tech can help you manage, maintain, and get more out of your backyard. Fall into smarter lighting From circadian rhythm lamps to immersive TV backlighting and festive outdoor setups, smart lighting is easier and more versatile than ever. Here’s some ideas on how to make it work in your home. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Sep 23, 2025 Hands-on with the Level Lock Pro: sleeker, smarter, still very expensive Level’s latest lock adds faster performance, built-in door sensing, and Matter support while keeping its “invisible” design. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Aug 26, 2025 This big stick solved my smart garden connectivity problems From coop to attic, Home Assistant’s new Z-Wave antenna helped me connect devices in the furthest corners of my domain. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Aug 15, 2025 7 Verge Score This smart lock lets me see through my door The Eufy FamiLock has a digital peephole and can unlock with a wave, but it costs $400. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Aug 7, 2025 24 hours with Alexa Plus: we cooked, we chatted, and it kinda lied to me My first impressions after one day with Amazon’s smarter, more conversational, generative AI-powered assistant. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jul 12, 2025 9 Verge Score Nuki’s Smart Lock is a better retrofit door lock Smaller, faster, and Matter-compatible, this sleek new lock is a worthy August replacement — with a few quirks. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jul 2, 2025 7 Verge Score This smart light has party speaker aspirations Govee’s latest smart table lamp adds a JBL Bluetooth speaker, and now I want RGB lights on all my smart speakers. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jun 18, 2025 8 Verge Score Kwikset’s newest smart lock gets almost everything right It automatically unlocks as I approach, looks great on my front door, and works locally with every smart home platform. But thanks to Matter, I have to pick between its two best features. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jun 13, 2025 7 Verge Score This smart pizza oven improved my pie-making skills But not quite enough for me to consider ditching my local pizzeria. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jun 11, 2025 5 Verge Score I tested a robot vacuum with an arm, and my dog may never forgive me The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first vacuum that can tidy up before it cleans — but it’s still a work in progress. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy May 20, 2025 I let lasers power my smart home — and I don’t want to go back A year testing a smart lock with a hidden superpower: infrared wireless charging. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy May 16, 2025 I put four robot lawnmowers through a brutal backyard battle These autonomous cutters show promise, but there’s still a ways to go before you should trust one in your yard. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy May 8, 2025 Aura’s new Aspen looks even more like a traditional photo frame Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Apr 16, 2025 J The Verge Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Feb 21, 2025 Link Skylight just doubled its subscription price. Right after I published this review , the price increased to $79 from $39. That’s a big jump. While optional, the subscription adds the Sidekick feature , which I found very useful, so I’ve updated the review with my thoughts. The company says it will honor the old price for current users, that the new price “reflects the full suite of new features” it has added to Plus, and that it will “continue investing in Plus through new features and expanding Sidekick.” Skylight Calendar’s new AI tool helped tame my family’s busy schedules Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Feb 20 7 Verge Score Skylight Calendar Max review: a game-changer for busy parents An AI-powered Sidekick kicks this smart calendar display up a gear. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Feb 20, 2025 J Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jan 7, 2025 Link Reolink’s new 16MP camera works over Wi-Fi 6. The smart security camera company debuted the latest addition to its 16MP lineup at CES. As the name implies, the Duo 3 WiFi works over Wi-Fi and stitches together video from two cameras to create a 180-degree panoramic view with color night vision, motion tracking, and people, vehicle, and animal detection. The plug-in camera is available to buy starting today for $179.99 . No. 5 is alive! Reolink showed off its new Wi-Fi version of its popular 16MP outdoor security camera line at CES this week. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge 9 Verge Score Nest Learning Thermostat review: pretty smart The fourth generation of the Nest Thermostat improves on the original in almost every way, and it’s still a stunner. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Dec 17, 2024 9 Verge Score Google TV Streamer review: smarter than your average set-top box With more storage, a (slightly) faster processor, and some proper smart home chops, Google’s new take on the Chromecast is its best attempt at a streaming device yet. David Pierce and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Sep 23, 2024 Tapo’s new flagship doorbell camera does more for less Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Aug 15, 2024 Echo Spot review: this smart alarm clock hits a sweet spot Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jul 30, 2024 J Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jul 16, 2024 Link Lutron’s latest Diva deals with your more dramatic lighting. The new $130 Diva smart dimmer for ELV+ lighting brings higher-tech lighting control to the Caseta smart lighting line’s new look . Designed for low-voltage fixtures like under-cabinet, track, accent, and tape lighting, it costs twice as much as the standard dimmer but offers phase-selectable dimming. Lutron also launched its Caseta Pico paddle remote in five new colors. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Previous Next 1 / 2 The new dimmer controls electronic low-voltage loads and supports LED, MLV, incandescent, and halogen lighting. It can also deal with humming and flickering issues. Image: Lutron This is the summer’s coolest new smart kitchen gadget — literally Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Jul 6, 2024 Most Popular Most Popular Apple’s doing something on March 4th Why are Epstein’s emails full of equals signs? OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI The Pocket Taco is the best way to turn your phone into a Game Boy Anker’s USB-C cable that lets you charge two gadgets at once is 20 percent off Advertiser Content From This is the title for the native ad
Executive Summary
The article 'Smart Home Reviews' by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy provides an in-depth exploration of various smart home devices, including thermostats, speakers, security systems, and robot vacuums. It evaluates the effectiveness and usability of these technologies, offering insights into their practical applications and limitations. The article also touches on the growing capabilities of smart assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, assessing their utility in a domestic setting. The analysis is comprehensive, covering a range of products from budget-friendly options to high-end, innovative solutions.
Key Points
- ▸ The article reviews a wide array of smart home devices, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
- ▸ It emphasizes the importance of personalized choices in smart home technology due to the variability of home environments.
- ▸ The reviews include both budget-friendly and high-end products, catering to a diverse audience.
Merits
Comprehensive Coverage
The article provides a thorough review of various smart home devices, ensuring that readers can make informed decisions based on their specific needs and budget.
Practical Insights
The reviews offer practical insights into the usability and effectiveness of smart home technologies, making them valuable for both novices and experienced users.
Objective Analysis
The analysis is balanced and objective, providing a fair assessment of each product's capabilities and limitations.
Demerits
Lack of Technical Depth
While the article is comprehensive, it lacks detailed technical analysis, which might be beneficial for readers seeking in-depth technical specifications and comparisons.
Limited Policy Discussion
The article does not delve into the broader policy implications of smart home technology, such as data privacy and security concerns.
Expert Commentary
The article 'Smart Home Reviews' by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy offers a valuable resource for consumers navigating the increasingly complex landscape of smart home technologies. The comprehensive reviews provide practical insights into the usability and effectiveness of various devices, from budget-friendly options to high-end innovations. However, the article could benefit from a more in-depth technical analysis, as well as a discussion on the broader policy implications of smart home technology. The growing adoption of these devices underscores the need for robust data privacy and security measures, which are critical for protecting consumer data. Policymakers should consider these factors when developing regulations to ensure that the benefits of smart home technologies are realized without compromising user privacy and security. Overall, the article serves as a useful guide for consumers and a valuable resource for manufacturers looking to improve their products.
Recommendations
- ✓ Incorporate more detailed technical analysis in future reviews to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the products' capabilities and limitations.
- ✓ Expand the discussion to include broader policy implications, such as data privacy and security concerns, to offer a more holistic perspective on smart home technologies.
