Smart Home

Assistants, sensors, cameras, and automation.

A compact cylindrical portable projector on a small table in a backyard, casting a bright movie image onto a white screen at dusk

Portable Projectors Under $400 in 2026: 4 That Earn the Wall

The best portable projector under $400 in 2026, compared on real ANSI lumens, throw distance, battery life and built-in streaming for dorms and backyards.

Sep 6, 2026

A white smart Wi-Fi dehumidifier running in a finished basement with a drain hose and a smartphone app showing humidity levels

Smart Home

Smart Dehumidifiers 2026: The Right Pint Size for Every Room

Smart Wi-Fi dehumidifiers compared by pint capacity, room size and app control — the best picks for basements, bedrooms and closets in 2026.

Sep 5, 2026

A desktop indoor air quality monitor with an e-ink display showing CO2 and PM2.5 readings, sitting on a shelf next to an air purifier in a living room

Smart Home

Which Air Quality Monitor Should You Buy in 2026?

The best air quality monitor for your home in 2026, compared on CO2 sensor type, PM2.5 accuracy and smart-home integration — plus which pairs best with a purifier.

Sep 4, 2026

A small white smart water leak sensor placed on a basement floor next to a water heater drain pan, with a puddle forming nearby

Smart Home

Smart Water Leak Detectors 2026: Loud Enough to Wake You?

The best smart water leak detector 2026 picks, ranked by siren volume, battery life and hub needs — from Matter-ready sensors to LoRa units for far-off basements.

Sep 2, 2026

A small white pan-and-tilt indoor Wi-Fi security camera on a bookshelf watching a dog asleep on a living room rug

Smart Home

Indoor Security Cameras in 2026: 4 Picks for Pets & Babies

The best indoor security camera for pets and babies in 2026: local microSD storage, privacy shutters, pan-tilt tracking and no-subscription options compared.

Aug 31, 2026

A cordless handheld vacuum with a crevice tool attached, cleaning crumbs from between a car's front seat and center console

Smart Home

Handheld Car Vacuums in 2026: 4 Picks That Actually Suck

Looking for the best handheld vacuum for car interiors? We compared suction, runtime and crevice tools across Dyson, Black+Decker, Fanttik and Worx picks for 2026.

Aug 30, 2026

A solar-powered smart bird feeder camera mounted on a garden pole with a chickadee perched at the seed tray

Smart Home

Smart Bird Feeder Cameras in 2026: 4 Picks That Nail Bird ID

We compared the best smart bird feeder cameras of 2026 on AI species accuracy, subscription costs, solar battery life and video quality. Four picks for real backyards.

Aug 30, 2026

Wall-mounted smart sprinkler controller wired to irrigation zone terminals in a garage, with a smartphone app showing a watering schedule

Smart Home

Smart Sprinkler Controllers in 2026: 4 Picks That Cut Water Use

Which smart sprinkler controller is worth buying in 2026? We compare Rachio, Orbit B-hyve, Rain Bird and Netro on zone counts, weather skip accuracy and Matter.

Aug 29, 2026

A streaming media player and remote sitting on a media console below a large wall-mounted TV in a dim living room

Smart Home

8K Streaming Media Player in 2026: Do You Actually Need One?

Is an 8K streaming media player worth it in 2026? We compare AV1-capable boxes like Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Apple TV 4K and Zidoo Z9X on real picture quality gains.

Aug 28, 2026

A white ceiling fan with light kit above a living room sofa, with a smart wall control panel mounted beside the doorway

Smart Home

Smart Ceiling Fan Controllers in 2026: 4 Picks That Skip Rewiring

The best smart ceiling fan controller for 2026: Lutron, Bond, Inovelli and Sonoff options compared, plus how Matter, wall switches and RF bridges actually work.

Aug 27, 2026

A smart display sitting on a kitchen counter showing a recipe, with a second smaller display on a bedside table showing a clock

Smart Home

Which Smart Display Should You Buy in 2026?

We compared the best smart display options for 2026 — Echo Show 8 and 11, Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub — for kitchen use, video calls, Matter hub duty and nightstands.

Aug 26, 2026

A wall-mounted smart thermostat with a circular color display showing indoor temperature, next to a wired backplate and a smartphone app during installation

Smart Home

Smart Thermostats in 2026: 4 Picks With the Fastest Payback

The best smart thermostat 2026 picks compared on real energy savings, C-wire needs and Matter/Thread support — plus which one pays for itself fastest.

Aug 23, 2026

A modern smart air fryer on a kitchen counter with a smartphone app showing cooking controls beside it

Smart Home

Smart Air Fryers in 2026: Which App Control Is Worth It?

We compared Wi-Fi air fryers on app control, basket size and dual-zone cooking. Our best smart air fryer 2026 picks from Cosori, Ninja, Instant and Breville.

Aug 21, 2026

A modern black keypad smart lock installed on a wooden front door, with a smartphone showing the unlock app held nearby

Smart Home

Which Smart Lock Should You Buy in 2026? Keypad vs Matter

Our 2026 smart lock guide compares Yale, August, Schlage, Aqara and Level on Matter/Thread, keypad vs fingerprint entry, battery life and renter-friendly retrofits.

Aug 20, 2026

A white app-controlled automatic cat feeder with a built-in camera dispensing dry kibble into a stainless steel bowl on a kitchen floor

Smart Home

Smart Pet Feeders in 2026: 5 Picks That Won't Jam

Looking for the best automatic pet feeder? We compared app-controlled dry, wet and camera feeders on portion accuracy, jam resistance, camera quality and app reliability.

Aug 19, 2026

Four color-changing smart LED bulbs lit in warm white, amber, teal and magenta against a dark background

Smart Home

Matter Smart Bulbs in 2026: 4 Picks That Earn Their Sockets

The best smart bulbs 2026 has to offer, compared on color accuracy, brightness, and hub requirements — Matter and Thread picks for renters and whole-home setups.

Aug 18, 2026

A compact white Matter smart plug plugged into a wall outlet next to a lamp with a color smart bulb glowing warm amber

Smart Home

Smart Plugs in 2026: Matter Picks That Cost Less Than Lunch

The best smart plugs 2026 has to offer under $20 — Matter-ready picks with energy monitoring, plus budget smart bulbs that work with Alexa, Google and HomeKit.

Aug 16, 2026

Smart Home

Security Cameras With No Subscription: 2026 Buying Guide

The best security camera with no subscription in 2026: local-storage picks from eufy, Reolink, Tapo and Ring compared on storage, power, AI detection and privacy.

Aug 15, 2026

A 4K laser projector casting a large bright movie image onto a wall in a dimly lit living room, with a portable smart projector on a side table

Smart Home

Best 4K Projector 2026: Home Theater vs Portable

The best 4K projector 2026 picks compared: laser TVs, long-throw home theater beamers and portable smart projectors ranked on brightness, throw and room fit.

Aug 14, 2026

A modern tower HEPA air purifier running in a sunlit living room with a smartphone app showing indoor air quality

Smart Home

Best Air Purifier 2026: HEPA Picks for Every Room Size

The best air purifier 2026 picks by room size — compare CADR, HEPA filter cost per year, noise and smart app control for allergy and wildfire smoke season.

Aug 13, 2026

A video doorbell mounted beside a front door, showing a delivered package on the porch below it

Smart Home

Best Video Doorbell 2026: Wired vs Battery Compared

The best video doorbell in 2026, compared on wired vs battery power, subscription costs, local storage, head-to-toe field of view and package detection.

Aug 12, 2026

Three white mesh Wi-Fi 7 router nodes placed on shelves in a modern living room, with a laptop and smartphone connected nearby

Smart Home

Best Mesh WiFi System 2026: Wi-Fi 7 Picks Ranked

The best mesh WiFi system 2026 picks, ranked by home size, ISP speed and budget — Wi-Fi 7 options for apartments, multi-story houses and gigabit-plus plans.

Aug 12, 2026

Four 4K streaming devices — a Fire TV stick, a Roku stick, an Apple TV box and a Google TV Streamer — lined up in front of a wall-mounted television

Smart Home

Best Streaming Device 2026: Fire TV vs Roku vs Apple TV

We compare the best streaming device options for 2026 — Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Roku Streaming Stick 4K, Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer — on Dolby Vision, ads and speed.

Aug 11, 2026

A robot vacuum reversing into a tall white auto-empty dock station on hardwood flooring next to a rug

Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum With Self Emptying Base (2026 Guide)

We compare the best robot vacuums with self-emptying bases in 2026 — from budget auto-empty docks to mop-washing all-in-one stations — and which upgrades are worth it.

Aug 9, 2026

A modern living room with a Matter-compatible smart speaker, smart plug and colour-changing smart bulb glowing warm white

Smart Home

Best Matter Smart Home Devices to Buy in 2026

The best Matter smart home devices for 2026, evaluated against Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home — plus how Thread, borders routers and multi-admin actually work.

Aug 9, 2026