Smart home tech lets us add the convenience of automation and features we see in futuristic sci-fi movies into our houses. While robots haven’t quite taken over yet, we do have access to a plethora of gadgets and devices that make our lives much more manageable.

These gadgets are not always expensive, with many offering an affordable entry into the world of smart homes. Some even save you money with their energy efficiency, and others save you energy because you don’t need to do many of the chores you used to.

Here are the best smart home gadgets available today.

Our Favorite Affordable Smart-Home Devices in 2023

To give you control over all your smart home devices, you need a smart hub, and the Amazon Echo Dot is one of the best there is. You can use Alexa as your personal assistant to control just about every smart gadget you have at home. You can also make calls, entertain yourself with podcasts or music, and access any information you require.

This latest generation of the Amazon Echo Dot has made some improvements, the most significant being the audio. The speaker now features much better mid-range, giving clearer voices, and delivers improvements on low frequencies for deeper basses.

The new LED clock display can also provide you with information such as the weather and the song that is currently playing. If this feature isn’t appealing, you can purchase a model without the display at an even more economical price.

Another new feature is the temperature setting. Once set up, your smart speaker will use a sensor to maintain an even temperature in your home throughout the day. And if you have an Eero Wi-Fi network, you get another 1,000 square feet of coverage at speeds of 100Mbps for up to ten devices.

However, a surprise omission from this generation is the audio jack. The 3.5mm popular in previous iterations is now gone, so a wired connection to a louder speaker or headphones is no longer possible. However, you can still connect with Bluetooth.

If you want to lose some weight, the Etekcity ESF-551 Smart Scale is a budget-priced step in the right direction. It’s a valuable and easy-to-use device that will provide you with essential information on what you are doing right (or wrong) on the road to achieving your goals.

The VeSync app provides graphs and data that you can use to alter your fitness programs and diets accordingly. You can also sync any data with other popular fitness apps like Fitbit or Apple Health for a complete low-down on your performance.

The scale is highly accurate and offers increments down to 0.05oz for light objects and 0.1lbs for heavier objects up to a maximum of 400lbs. It provides your weight and data on another 12 body composition measurements, like your body fat percentage and muscle mass. You can also get a better understanding of the data using Alexa.

There are many other valuable features, including Baby Mode, where you can hold a child in your arms while you stand on the scale. It won't record your weight and accurately weighs the baby instead.

The scale measures body fat with a mild and safe electrical current that you can turn off anytime. Anyone with essential electrical equipment implanted, such as a pacemaker, should play it safe and use the scale for weight and BMI only until given proper medical advice.

An Energy Star-certified product will always save you money. However, savings aren’t the only thing this energy-efficient smart product gives you. You also get the convenience of having complete control over your home’s temperature directly from your smartphone. Making sure your home is nice and cozy is a pleasure we can only enjoy in this age of technology.

Controlling the smart thermostat is limited to using the Alexa app on your smartphone or with an Amazon smart speaker. It, unfortunately, doesn't have direct voice control to make changes on the fly. However, there is a bright and clear LED display showing the temperature, and it has manual control, too, with buttons on the front you can use to adjust the temperature.

Installation is a breeze with the step-by-step instructions available in the Alexa app. If that isn’t clear enough, Amazon also has a 24/7 customer service line you can call for instructions.

Be aware that you may not have the necessary C-wire if you have an older heating system. You can check the Amazon website to see if your system is compatible. If it is incompatible, you can buy a package with the C-wire adapter at a slightly higher price.

By plugging in your smart home gadgets to an Amazon Basics Smart Plug Power Strip, you can control lights, ACs, TVs, or any other device from anywhere. You get voice control over your devices at home, and you can control them remotely from the office or the car with the Alexa app.

It is simple to set up and is considered a Certified for Humans product by Amazon because of its ease of use. It will also keep all your connected devices safe with built-in surge protection.

There are a total of three outlets that you can name and control independently, along with the option to combine devices in-app and set up routines and schedules. Of course, you can also control the strip manually. Turning individual outlets or the whole strip on or off is possible with a good old-fashioned press of the power button.

Seeing busy little robots go about their duties in homes is no longer an uncommon sight. One of the most common is the robot vacuum. They used to be pretty expensive, and there are some premium options that are incredibly capable. But if you want a robot vacuum that offers a good balance between cost and performance, the eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S MAX is the one to get.

At just under three inches high, it slips under beds and sofas with ease. It can even climb over door ledges, and it goes about cleaning with a noise level of just 55dB—about the same level as a microwave oven or dishwasher.

It’s ideal on low to medium-pile carpets and hard floors and has a mighty 2,000Pa suction power. This impressive capability means it can get deep into the carpet while you put your feet up. It even takes care of your pet's hair!

Built-in sensors ensure the device won’t take a fall down the stairs or off a ledge, and it won’t bump into table legs or chip the paint on baseboards. You also won’t need to worry about the battery draining. The 11S Max has a 100-minute battery life and an automatic HomeBase return to replenish the juice when it gets low.

With an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K MAX, you can build a collection of your favorite apps for listening and viewing pleasure. The number of subscriptions flying around these days means that you should have them all laid out in an accessible format, so you can easily switch between them and keep track of your favorite movies and TV shows with ease.

Finding content is also easy and speedy, especially if you call on Alexa. Simply press the prominent Alexa Button on the remote and have her search for your shows, music, or podcasts.

Connecting the stick wirelessly to multiple Amazon Echo speakers is also possible to enhance the audio in a room or even develop a room-to-room setup to ensure you don’t miss anything. You can also connect compatible smart-home devices, such as the Ring Doorbell. This integration will give you picture-in-picture views of who is knocking on your door while you're watching something.

This 2nd-generation model is the 2023 version and includes a 2.0GHz quad-core processor, double the storage of the 1st-gen model at 16GB, and support for Wi-Fi 6E.

Smart light bulbs that change their brightness and emit millions of different colors are a fantastic way to achieve the best lighting setup at home. Having the right hue and color temperature in your bedroom goes a long way toward creating the right ambiance to help you sleep or temper your mood when waking up.

You can schedule everything so that you have a daily routine of natural colors from sunrise to sunset. A bright light slowly working its way down to a nightlight in your child’s bedroom is an excellent idea for bedtime and ensures a sound drop-off to sleep.

Alternatively, you can select warm to cool whites with a range of 2,500 - 6,500K. You can also use your voice via Alexa or Google Assistant to override any program; quite the convenience when stumbling around in the dark at midnight. Controlling the lights from your smartphone is another possibility and is a good feature to use from the office when working late.

The Amazon Ring Video Doorbell Wired gives you enough features for you and your family to feel secure at home at a price that won’t hurt your wallet. For a rock-bottom fee, you get two-way talk with whoever is at the door from anywhere you happen to be via the Ring app. With this direct communication, you can avoid puzzlement and wasted time by knowing exactly where the delivery person left your package, among other advantages.

You also get a motion sensor to alert you if someone is there and on-demand videos of your doorway. This sensor isn't so sensitive that it picks up passing vehicles or people, but it will alert you if someone is near your front door. You even get sharp night-vision video, so you can see who is there even after the sun has long gone down.

It works with Fire TV Sticks and will give you picture-in-picture views on your TV. While pairing it with an Echo speaker or Ring Chime enables audio notifications. With all these features, you have what you essentially need from a doorbell camera. However, if you need more, there are always more advanced Ring doorbell cameras with even more premium features.

A complete home security system no longer needs to cost an arm and a leg. With the Wyze Home Security Core Kit, you get a system that covers everything and leaves the door open for expansion.

With an easily affordable monthly subscription, you get 24/7 professional security monitoring from Noonlight. Once an alarm is triggered, you will receive a notification within seconds. Emergency services are notified and immediately dispatched if you are unreachable or have a confirmed intruder.

You can manage everything from the Wyze app. It’s uncomplicated and empowers you with control from anywhere. You can set schedules, disarm alarms, or monitor your home’s status no matter where you are or what time of day it is. If you decide to install one or more sold-separately Wyze cams, you can also view these via the app wherever you may be.

In the box, you get a Wyze Sense hub, a pet-friendly motion sensor, a keypad you can quickly arm or disarm, and two entry sensors that detect when something is open that shouldn’t be.

The motion sensor covers a single room. Once you have confidence in its protection capability, you can add more sensors to secure more rooms. Installation is also effortless; you just peel the sensors and stick them wherever you want. Simple.

What Should You Consider Before Buying a Budget-Friendly Smart-Home Device?

Cost is, of course, your primary concern if you seek affordable smart-home gadgets. However, you should remain wary of products that seem too cheap. Balance affordability with quality if you don’t want to waste money on inferior devices. Products like the Etekcity ESF-551 Smart Scale may be available at a price that seems too good to be true, but it is still a quality product.

You may also want to consider energy efficiency after cost, as this will give you more savings in the long run. Having complete remote control over things like your thermostat can save you money in the long run, especially when adjusting temperatures while at work. The Amazon Smart Thermostat is such a gadget and is Energy Star certified.

Your next important consideration should be compatibility. The devices you buy must be compatible with your smart home system. This includes the voice assistant you use. Alexa not only works with all Amazon products but is also compatible with a vast range of other third-party gadgets. Google Assistant, too, while Apple HomeKit is designed exclusively for Apple products.

If you have a bunch of gadgets that use different communication protocols, a smart hub such as the Amazon Echo Dot speaker can integrate your devices into a seamless system. It’s our top choice for an affordable smart-home gadget and will make managing your system a much more seamless experience.

FAQ

Q: How Can I Save Money Using Smart Home Gadgets?

First, you should replace any incandescent light bulbs you still have with smart LED bulbs. You should then install smart plugs and power strips on your appliances and devices, especially those that burn through the most electricity.

From there, you can schedule your smart home gadgets to optimize their power usage.

Q: What Are the Benefits of Smart Home Gadgets?

You can centralize control of everything in your home to your smartphone. Not only that, but most smart home gadgets will send you notifications to help keep you on top of everything.

Energy efficiency is also essential in these days of rapidly rising costs. Smart home gadgets allow you to schedule your appliances’ power consumption. In the long run, you can save hundreds of dollars or even more.

Convenience and safety are also some vital benefits that come to mind when you use smart home gadgets.