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From smart lighting to doorbells, there are countless smart home devices out there, and it can be difficult to choose. You also have to decide which platform to use for your smart home -- options include Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa or sticking with a home security brand. CNET's reviewers are always on the watch for new home gadgets that are worth the setup and money, so you can find the right tech answers.
Read more: Best Smart Home Gifts for 2025
Now, we're rounding up some of our favorite picks, from lighting to thermostats, that we've used in our own homes. Take a look to see what your home may need and what features these connected devices can add, even to the most unlikely places.
Photo Gallery 1/1 Best smart speaker Amazon Echo Studio (2025) Pros Latest in room-filling sound from Amazon
Alexa Plus capabilities
Sensors to customize volume Cons Alexa Plus costs $20 if you aren't a Prime subscriber
The Death Star-like design is a little weird Amazon's newest smart speakers come with spatial audio and other sound enhancements, which are especially noticeable in the powerful Echo Studio. With the Alexa app, this smart speaker can connect to a wide variety of services, from your favorite music streaming option to Uber, food delivery apps and more. Alexa can also connect with many smart home devices and control them with a voice command, including lights, locks and smart plugs. You can even pair two Studios and connect them to a compatible TV for theater sound. One of the big highlights of this new speaker is Alexa Plus, a more advanced AI version of the voice assistant that's free for Prime users, but otherwise costs $20 per month. Alexa Plus is a cheerier and generally more informative voice assistant with expanded capabilities, a generally strong upgrade compared to past versions of Alexa, so if you've been looking for a voice assistant to help out around the home, this is a good time to jump in. ... Show more Get it now $220 at Amazon
Tyler Lizenby/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Tyler Lizenby/CNET The other best smart speaker Google Nest Mini Pros Decent sound from small speaker
Wall-mountable
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