These 10 gadgets turned my home into a smart house with barely any effort

I’ll admit — this is something I thought was absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary until a friend sold me on the idea. If you’re anything like me, you get a little uneasy walking into a house blanketed in darkness — not a light on in sight. This light switch allows me to turn a light remotely, so when I walk through my front door, I’m a little more at ease.

The app even lets me schedule timers for when the lights turn on, making this handy for those who return home from work at the same time every day. It’s also voice-activated with Alexa, so it’s as easy to use as saying, “Alexa, turn off the lights.”

“I purchased and just installed this product to have Alexa voice and remote control of my office lights,” one five-star reviewer wrote. “This product operates exactly as advertised — almost too well! As it turns out, any Alexa device in the house can be used to turn on/off my lights, which means that my family can now mess with me on occasion.”

Once the floodgates opened with the Kasa Wi-Fi light switches, it didn’t take much convincing for me to get on board with these popular smart plugs. In addition to extending your outlet options with its two-in-one design, these let you control your appliances and devices remotely.

I use them to turn on/off my floor lamps and fans, and I have friends who use them for their TVs, streaming devices and countertop kitchen appliances like their coffee makers and juicers. Like the light switch, these are also Alexa-compatible, so all you have to do is tell Alexa what to turn on/off, and you’re job’s complete.

“The ability to control each outlet separately is a game-changer,” one impressed shopper wrote. “It provides unparalleled flexibility, allowing me to tailor my energy usage to my specific needs.”

Here’s a product I use multiple times a day, every single day. I’ve had it in my bathroom for over two years and I swear it’s saved me so much money, time and gives me peace of mind.

I don’t necessarily consider myself to be a germophobe, but I’ve always been grossed out by the idea of using the bathroom and then touching a soap pump before washing my hands. So, when I stumbled upon this touch-free soap dispenser during a random late-night Amazon scroll sesh, I stopped in my tracks and added it to cart. I always rave that it’s my favorite impulse buy to date. It doesn’t have any app controls or fancy features — it simply dispenses soap onto your hands without you having to physically touch the device, making for a much more sanitary experience. Plus, I’ve saved so much money over the past few years on hand soap since I buy it in bulk (these antibacterial Dial hand soaps are just $18 for three large bottles) and just refill the dispenser when it’s running low. It also recharges like any other device — via a simple cord and adapter.

“I have one for the bathroom and kitchen,” one five-star fan wrote. “I enjoy using this soap dispenser because it’s hands-free motion censored and can give you varying amounts of soap. If you put your hand closest to the top, you get less — at the bottom, more.”

I received this No. 1 bestseller as a gift a couple of Christmases ago and it’s one of my most prized possessions. While I love a good family portrait, I find that the best photo memories come in the candids and random snaps we take throughout the year. 

From the time my mom came to visit and I took her to The Edge or that random cake-cutting photo from my wedding that the photographer didn’t get, but my best man did, those are the moments that I want to see — and this digital photo frame helps me display those in the easiest way possible. All I had to do was download the app and upload the photos I wanted the frame to display to the library. In seconds, it plays a slideshow of your library whenever the frame detects motion in the room.

“This is the easiest frame to use,” another fan wrote. “You unbox it, download the app, [and] start sending photos. It took me two minutes to get it set up.”

Our tech editor reviewed other smart frames, if you’re shopping around. This bestseller just happens to be my top pick. 

It’s just about that time of year when the fans and A/Cs are pushed to the side and are temporarily replaced by heaters. When working at my desk at home, my feet turn into ice blocks in the fall and winter months. So, to help with that, I bought this small smart space heater and it’s one of the best investments I’ve made yet.

I use a fair share of Dreo products in my home, so I’ll be the first to tell you that its app is top-notch — it’s super sleek and easy to use. It lets me adjust the space heater’s temperature and settings from my phone and is even compatible with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Voice Assistant.

“The best feature of this heater is that it is app and Alexa-enabled,” an Amazon fan agreed. “You can control all functions via the app. You can also give it Alexa commands to start, stop [and] set the temperature and set it oscillating.”

From scented candles to incense, I’m obsessed with a cozy-smelling space. There’s no better compliment than “your home smells so good” when guests come over, or fragrance that makes your home feel like a refuge when you plop on the couch after a long day. 

I’ve used my fair share of scent diffusers and this is the only one I’ve used that fills my entire living room from end-to-end. This smart diffuser is made to fill a space of 1,000 square feet, so your home is awash in glorious scents — from end to end. The Pura app allows you to control the intensity of the scent and even lets you set a timer or set the diffuser to get to work before you arrive home. 

“I have a two-story vaulted family home and this works wonders!” another impressed shopper wrote. “It fills the room without being overpowering and is easy to use.”

This is one of the most “smart house-y” products on this list — let me explain! It’s one of those all-in-one smart gadgets that somehow manages to perform each function expertly. From displaying a clear video feed of who’s at the front door to showing the weather, setting timers, playing music, connecting to my Kasa Light Switches and Govee smart plugs and more — it integrates with every smart device I own, seamlessly. Also, its built-in Google Assistant is fast and intuitive. I can’t tell you how many times a week I ask it, “Hey, Google, what’s the weather going to be like today?”

My favorite and probably its least impressive feature is its simple live clock screensaver that shows you the time with a background that adjusts based on the weather. So, if it’s raining outside, it shows little droplets on the screen. If it’s sunny, it shows the sun’s rays and if it’s nighttime, it shows little stars and automatically dims when the room gets dark.

There are so many decent video doorbells out there to choose from, so finding the “best” one comes down to personal preference. After trying a couple over the past two years, I’ve landed on this as my favorite. Yahoo’s senior tech writer Rick Broida also listed it as the “best video doorbell overall” since it lets you see a person from head to toe or if a package is on the ground.

I love that its night vision is easy to decipher and the motion-detection feature isn’t too sensitive, so I’m not alerted on my phone if a leaf falls onto my porch, but rather when someone or something worth noticing is actually there. It also has a bunch of more cool features like prerecorded audio messages and even a built-in siren.

“Once in place, it can integrate with not only Amazon Alexa and Google [Voice] Assistant, but also Apple HomeKit and even the SmartThings ecosystem,” Broida said in his review — and that just so happens to be one of my favorite features as well. Team Apple HomeKit all the way!

Though I’ve never suffered a home break-in, I didn’t want to risk the chance of it actually happening, so I invested in this smart lock deadbolt system that I’m so glad I bought. It looks much more expensive than it is and has a fingerprint keyless entry system that lets me, my spouse and anyone we authorize in the app unlock the door without a physical key. Just in case we need it, though, it comes with keys that unlock the system manually just like any other standard lock.

I’ve even tested it out to see how strong it is and it’s virtually impossible for anyone without the special key or a registered fingerprint to unlock the door. But, if I wanted to unlock it without physically using my hands, I could do so via the app. Also, since it’s battery-operated, you don’t have to unmount and recharge it every few weeks. It’s pretty genius.

“It took about 10 minutes to install, and no modifications to my door were needed,” one reviewer wrote. “The lock is well-constructed and heavy. The management app is well done and easy to navigate.”

This was one of the biggest tech splurges I’ve made for my home in recent memory and I don’t regret it one bit. It also helps that it’s Yahoo-approved with our tech writer voting it the best smart soundbar you can buy.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to invest in an expensive soundbar to get premium sound quality out of your TV, but if you want additional features like Dolby Atmos technology for that movie theater feel, surround sound, a seamless app and additional Bluetooth speaker functionality, this one is worth the investment. 

I was first sold on its stunning design (it just adds an understated elegance to your living room), but when I fully set it up in all of 10 minutes and heard that roaring theater-like sound, I was taken aback. It’s also Google Voice Assistant and Alexa-enabled, so you’ll get all of those smart speaker features that make having a smart home so worth it.

“The Sonos Arc is a high-end product, one that looks gorgeous and outperforms all other standalone soundbars,” Broida said in his review, and I couldn’t agree more.