Top 5 Smart Devices to Automate Your Home in 2025
Automate your home isn’t just about cool tech — it’s about making everyday life easier, safer, and more efficient.
Whether new to smart devices or looking to upgrade, the right tools can help you control lights, locks, and energy usage with a tap or voice command.
In this guide, we’ll break down five smart home essentials that are beginner-friendly, budget-conscious, and ready to streamline your daily routine.
Ready to make your home smarter? Let’s dive in.
🌡️ Device #1: Smart Thermostats
Why You’ll Love It:
Let’s be honest—nobody enjoys adjusting the thermostat all day. A smart thermostat does it for you.
It learns when you’re home and when you’re out and keeps the temperature just right while and keeps things comfy without wasting energy or running up your bill.
What It Can Do:
- Automatically keeps things warmer or cooler depending on your daily routine.
- Let you control it from anywhere using your phone
- Send you reports so you know how much energy you’re using
- Work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and other smart systems
Top Picks:
- Google Nest Thermostat – Great for learning your habits and keeping things efficient
- No more programming: With Auto-Schedule, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat learns from you and programs itself..Produc…
- Home/Away Assist: don’t heat or cool an empty home. Home/Away Assist adjusts the temperature after you leave.
- Remote control: Control your thermostat from anywhere using the Nest app.
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- ecobee Smart Thermostat – Comes with built-in Alexa and handy room sensors
Why It’s Awesome in Real Life:
“I don’t even think about it anymore.
It lowers the heat when I leave and warms things up before I get home — I didn’t realize how much I was overspending until I started using one.”
🔌 Device #2 Smart Plugs
Why Smart Plugs Are a Must-Have
If you’re starting with smart home tech, smart plugs are one of the easiest and most affordable upgrades you can make.
They let you control your regular appliances from your phone — no special setup or tech skills required. Whether it’s your lamp, coffee maker, or fan, you’ll love how simple it is to make them smarter.
💡 What Can Smart Plugs Do?
- Control your stuff from anywhere.
- Have you left the fan on? That’s no problem—just tap the app and turn it off, even if you’re not home.
- Set it and forget it.
- Schedule your lights, coffee maker, or humidifier to turn on and off automatically so everything runs on time.
- Keep an eye on energy use.
- Some smart plugs track how much electricity your devices use, helping you spot what’s draining your power (and your wallet).
- Talk to your home
- Use Alexa or Google Assistant to control your devices with your voice — no hands, no hassle.
Top-Rated Smart Plugs You’ll Love:
- ✅ Kasa Smart Plug Mini – Compact, reliable, and super easy to use with Alexa or Google
- 【Apple Homekit Support】This Apple HomeKit compatible smart plug fully integrates into your Apple ecosystem, just ask Sir…
- 【Energy Monitoring & 15A Max Load】Use the smart Wi-Fi home plug to monitor your connected device’s energy usage in real-…
- 【Super Easy Setup】Enjoy an extremely easy and quick setup process with this Amazon Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) & Google…
- ✅ TP-Link Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring – Helps you see how much electricity each device uses
- 【Insightful Energy Tracking】Track your plug’s energy use with clear and easy-to-understand statistics and intuitive char…
- 【Estimate Your Energy Bill】 Enhance energy management by integrating with billing systems for clear cost visualization (…
- 【Smart Charging for Devices】Automatically cuts power once your device reaches the low-battery limit you set, preventing …
Why It’s Awesome in Real Life:
“I use one for my lamp, so it turns on automatically at sunset — it makes the house feel cozy when I walk in.”
💡 Device #3: Smart Bulbs
Why Smart Bulbs Are a Brilliant First Step
If you’re new to smart home tech, smart bulbs are one of the easiest (and most fun) places to start.
There’s no rewiring or tools needed — screw them in like a regular bulb, connect to an app, and you’re in control. Whether you want to dim the lights for movie night or have them turn on automatically in the morning, smart bulbs make everyday lighting feel way more. Well, smart.
What You Can Do with Smart Bulbs:
- Did you forget to turn off the lights? Just tap the app — problem solved.— perfect when you forget to turn it off
- Change the mood anytime by adjusting brightness or switching colors
- Set schedules so lights turn on at sunset or off when you go to bed
- Use your voice with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri to turn lights on hands-free
Top Smart Bulb Picks:
- ✅ Philips Hue – Known for vibrant colors, reliable quality, and smart home compatibility
- WHAT’S IN THE BOX – Includes two soft warm white smart 75W-equivalent A19 light bulbs; Perfect for general lighting anyw…
- UNLOCK THE FULL POWER OF HUE – Add a Hue Bridge to enjoy automations, control from anywhere in the world, and a secure, …
- SOFT WHITE LIGHT – Enjoy dimmable, soft white light in your home that allows you to easily set the right mood for any oc…
- ✅ Kasa Smart Bulb – A budget-friendly option that works great with no hub required
- Multicolor & Auto White: Dimmable 16 million colors and warm to cool whites(2500K-6500K). Set your bulb to automatically…
- Drive down energy consumption without losing quality (60 W equivalent). Use timer or schedules to set your lights to aut…
- Remote Control: Control your smart light bulb from anywhere with your smartphone using the free Kasa smart app (iOS, And…
Real-Life Example:
“I set my bedroom lights to slowly brighten in the morning instead of using an alarm. It’s a gentle way to wake up — I look forward to it now.”
🔐 Device #4: Smart Locks
Why You’ll Actually Use It
Let’s face it — nobody loves digging for keys when your hands are full or worrying about whether you locked the door. Smart locks take all that off your plate. You can unlock your door with your phone, a passcode, or even just your voice. It’s especially handy when you’re not home and need to let someone in — whether it’s a friend, a delivery driver, or your dog walker.
🧠 What Makes Smart Locks So Handy:
- 🔓 Unlock or lock your door right from your phone, whether you’re across town or just too comfy on the couch
- 👥 Give each person their own code — perfect for family, friends, or your cleaner
- 📲 Get instant alerts whenever someone comes or goes, so you’re always in the loop
- 🎙️ Works with Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can literally just say, “Lock the door,” and it’ll happen
🛠 Recommended Smart Locks:
- ✅ August Smart Lock (4th Gen) – Installs easily over your existing deadbolt and works like magic with your phone
- UPGRADE YOUR EXISTING DEADBOLT: August smart locks fit on the inside of your door, making your regular deadbolt smarter,…
- GRANT ACCESS WITH THE AUGUST APP: Forget key copying. Quickly and easily share permanent, scheduled or temporary access …
- EASY TO INSTALL ON ANY DOOR: Even if you’re not so handy, installation only takes about 10 minutes. August locks fit per…
- ✅ Wyze Lock – If you’re just getting started with smart home devices, the Wyze Lock is a great entry point. It’s affordable, easy to install, and gives you all the must-have features — like remote control, real-time alerts, and app-based access — without making things complicated.
- Fingerprint Unlock: Gone are the days of fumbling for keys. Wyze Lock Bolt recognizes your fingerprint and unlocks the d…
- Numbered Keypad (+ Anti-Peep): Use a code to get in and out. Feel free to create unique codes for each person, so you ca…
- View the lock/unlock history:Track locking activity via Bluetooth using the Wyze app. Enhance the security of your home …
Real-Life Example:
“I used to leave a key under the doormat (yeah… not the safest move). Now I just send a temporary code when someone needs to get in, and I can lock the door from my phone after they leave.
Way easier and way more secure.”
📷 Device #5: Video Doorbells
Why You’ll Love Having One
A video doorbell is one of those gadgets you won’t know how you lived without. It lets you see, hear, and even talk to whoever’s at your door — whether at home, work, or halfway across the country. No more mystery knocks, missed deliveries, or sketchy doorbell dings. It’s a simple way to boost your home’s security and convenience in one go.
What It Can Do:
- Show you who’s at your door in real-time — right on your phone.
- Send instant alerts when someone rings or walks by
- Let you speak with visitors through two-way audio.
- Save video recordings for peace of mind (and proof if needed)
🛎 Top Video Doorbells Worth Checking Out:
It’s one of the most popular options out there.
It’s easy to set up, works with Alexa, and features reliable motion alerts and night vision.
- See more of who’s there – Battery Doorbell Plus with Head-to-Toe HD+ Video gives you an expanded field of view so you ca…
- Stay in the know even at night – Enjoy motion detection, privacy zones and see who stops by at night with Color Night Vi…
- Person + Package Alerts — Know when a package is delivered with Package Alerts, an exclusive Ring Home subscription feat…
Blink is an excellent pick if you’re like me and prefer to skip monthly fees. It’s easy to install, has solid video quality, and does exactly what you need, without forcing you into a subscription for the basics.
- Answer your door anytime, anywhere from your smartphone with 1080p HD day and infrared night video and two-way audio.
- Experience up to two years of powerful battery life, custom alerts, privacy settings, and more.
- Save and share clips — Securely store your footage in the cloud with a free 30-day trial of a Blink Subscription Plan. Y…
Real-Life Example:
“I was running errands when I got a motion alert — someone was at the door. I opened the app and saw it was a delivery driver. I told him where to leave the package, and that was that. No missed box, no porch theft. Easy.”
Ready to Make Your Home Smarter?
Getting started with smart home tech doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. Whether it’s a voice-controlled light bulb or a video doorbell that lets you check your front porch from anywhere, these minor upgrades can make a big difference in your day-to-day life.
Start simple. Pick one device that fits your lifestyle — and build from there. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
💡 Want more tips?
Check out our Smart Guides for beginner-friendly tutorials, or browse Smart Picks to find the best gadgets for your space.
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