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Have you ever wished you could light up a room just by walking in? Well, aside from relying on your sparkling personality, smart home devices are perfect for this, and they are simple to set up on Apple’s smart home platform – HomeKit.
The Apple HomeKit ecosystem has grown recently and the addition of Matter support will only make it grow more. Chris Wedel/CNET
Read more: Best Smart Home Gifts for 2024
HomeKit comes baked into every iPhone and iPad the electronics giant sells. Even better, HomeKit integration is a breeze. From pairing smart products to your HomeKit-compatible devices to setting up automations… it’s all at your fingertips.
The range of products compatible with HomeKit is vast. You have a lot of options, including door locks, lights, plugs, cameras, a thermostat, motion sensors, window shades, you name it -- and the Home app can handle all of it in one place.
If you want a hands-off approach to controlling your budding smart home, Apple's voice assistant Siri, will be happy to lock the door, dim the lights, adjust the air conditioning, run a smart home scene or whatever else you desire.
The real question is which of these smart home devices are worth the cash -- because a lot of them don't come cheap. There's a growing list of options, but we're here to help you narrow it down to the best HomeKit devices for your smart home. Here are our top picks for Apple HomeKit products, all based on years of tests in the CNET Smart Home, which we update periodically.
Chris Monroe/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Chris Monroe/CNET Best smart speaker Apple HomePod Mini Pros It sounds great
It's small
It's under $100 Cons Siri still isn't the best assistant
HomeKit needs more compatible accessories
Other small smart speakers are $50 or less The long-awaited HomePod Mini bridges a strange gap between smart speakers, costing $99 like the Nest Audio and Amazon Echo, but in a small package like the cheaper Nest Mini and Echo Dot. This smaller, more affordable Apple smart speaker sounds great. Siri is on board for HomeKit control and general voice assistance. The HomePod Mini can serve as the output for your Apple TV, and you can pair two HomePod Minis for stereo. Features like Intercom and Handoff make living with the Mini a little bit more fun. In short, if you like Apple, you're going to love this smart speaker. If you're already living with an iPhone, Apple TV or original HomePod, the Mini makes sense as your next small smart speaker. ... Show more Get it now $99 at Apple $100 at Best Buy Learn more Apple HomePod Mini review
Chris Monroe/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Chris Monroe/CNET Best smart thermostat for HomeKit Ecobee3 Lite Pros Responsive touchscreen
Excellent integration with major smart home platforms
Easy to use smart features
Compatible with Ecobee smart sensors Cons No built-in tracking sensors You've got lots of interesting options if you're in the market for a smart thermostat, including a couple of thermostats that support Siri control via Apple's HomeKit. Of these, we like Ecobee's thermostats the best. At $250, the Ecobee4 thermostat is the newest, but it really only adds in a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker to the experience. That's not the biggest draw if you're anchoring your smart home to Apple HomeKit and centering it on Siri for voice control. Read more: The best smart thermostats of 2024 That's why I think it's a smarter move to stick with one of Ecobee's previous-generation, less expensive thermostats. They all work just as well with Apple HomeKit and they support Ecobee's nifty temperature sensors, too. The Ecobee3 thermostat is listed as sold out on the Ecobee website, but the Ecobee3 Lite thermostat is still available for between $150 and $170. That's the right price for HomeKit-compatible climate control. ... Show more Get it now $145 at Amazon $110 at Walmart Learn more Ecobee3 Lite review
Chris Monroe/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Chris Monroe/CNET Best smart lock for HomeKit Yale Asure Lock 2 Pros Stylish design
Plenty of voice assistant support
Options for codes, fingerprints and more
Works with Airbnb app to send guests codes Cons Pricey
Not the best choice if you want to avoid keypads Yale is a legacy brand that has been making locks for over 180 years, and it has used that experience in the Yale Asure Lock 2. Looking anything but dated this touchscreen, fingerprint sensor-packed smart lock is an excellent choice for your Apple HomeKit setup.
It comes loaded with smart features like Auto-unlock, unlimited passes to share with family and friends, app control and more. While it isn’t a budget pick, Yale wraps all the smart and secure features in three different finishes to match any decor. As a trusted lock maker, Yale is a direct partner of Airbnb. This means that managing access is smooth and simple to use if you are an Airbnb host or are visiting a property with this smart lock.
... Show more Get it now $121 at Amazon $170 at Best Buy Learn more Yale Asure Lock 2 review
Chris Monroe/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Chris Monroe/CNET Best camera for HomeKit Eufy Indoor Cam 2K Pros Very budget-friendly
Easy to set up
Local storage via microSD card Cons Bland design
Indoor use only Eufy's Indoor Cam 2K is one of the first products to work with HomeKit Secure Video. Secure Video is Apple's new suite of security camera features in the Home app. At around $50, the Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is affordable and comes with several useful features like optional local storage and motion detection zones. The Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is a solid competitor to other low-priced indoor models like the Wyze Cam Indoor and the Blink Mini. Its 2K video recording in particular separates it from those competing models. Additionally, if you're a Prime member, you can grab it for as low as $29. ... Show more Get it now $35 at Amazon Learn more Eufy Indoor Cam 2K review