Alexa is the simplest and most prevalent voice assistant, with compatibility baked into some of the easiest smart home devices out there. The Alexa-compatible roster includes thousands of smart home appliances, including security cameras, smart thermostats, robotic vacuums, and more.
There are far too many products in each category to wade through yourself, so we've set the Android Police experts on the case to find the ones that are head and shoulders above the rest. You'll notice a few well-known brands on this list, like Philips and Kasa, that have great reputations for effective feature sets and care for privacy and security.
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Source: Amazon
Philips Hue Starter Kit
Best overallPlenty of smart lighting options are out there, but none offer the convenience and customization of the Hue ecosystem. The Philips Hue Starter Kit has everything you need to build an epic smart home lighting system, including four 75W LED bulbs, a Hue hub, and a smart button for easy on/off settings. With a wide range of features like scene selection, automations, dimming, and incredibly fast response times, the only reason to hesitate is the high cost of Hue bulbs.
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Source: Amazon
Ecobee Premium
Premium pickIf you're going to shell out the bigger bucks for a quality smart thermostat, accuracy and consistency should be a top priority. With the Ecobee Premium's advanced room sensors and radar motion detection, this thermostat beats the competition out of the water. Compatible with Alexa, the Ecobee Premium also has a built-in microphone to connect you with any voice assistant within range of the thermostat.
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Source: Amazon
Kasa HS300
Best valueThe Kasa HS300 smart strip offers individual control of each of its six outlets, allowing you to configure a handful of simple products to work as smart devices. The smart strip offers 1,710 joules with surge protection and features a physical on/off switch for each of the six outlets, giving you physical control and voice and app control. Working with Alexa, Google Assistant, and even IFTTT, you can configure your routines and further customize your smart home.
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Source: Amazon
Ring Video Doorbell 4
Best doorbellThe original Ring was the first mainstream video doorbell to hit consumers, and it made such an impact that the company made three more doorbells. The Ring Video Doorbell 4 boasts refined performance and a wide set of features, including color pre-roll recording, customizable privacy zones, and improved motion detection. The 1080p sensor captures crisp video but is only configured to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, so the narrow field of view might be Ring's only major setback.
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Source: Govee
Govee DreamView T1 Pro Bundle
The experience of watching TV shows and movies has been elevated to a new level with the Govee Dream View T1 Pro Bundle. This smart lighting kit consists of a light strip, two light bars, and a 1080p camera that detects activity on your TV to actively adjust the lighting, colors, and brightness to accentuate the content you're watching. Adding a major "wow" factor to an otherwise bland entertainment space, this kit isn't even as expensive as you might think.
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Source: Amazon
TP-Link Tapo C100
If you're looking for a simple indoor security camera to monitor a hallway or living area, the TP-Link Tapo C100 is compact, straightforward, and affordable. With the ability to record to a microSD or stream directly to your local TV or PC, this small but efficient camera is a great alternative to other indoor cameras. The Tapo C100 also functions as a baby monitor or pet camera with two-way audio capability. In addition, night vision works up to 30 feet.
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Source: Kasa
Kasa KC420WS
Kasa's smart home devices are widely known as some of the easiest gadgets to use, and its KC420WS security camera stays true to that while offering a host of powerful features. With subscription-based cloud storage and hassle-free recording to a microSD, you'll never miss a moment of video feed. The resolution, color, and night vision capabilities are also well above average. And if that's not enough, the KC420WS includes two-way audio and an integrated siren.
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Source: Amazon
Amazon Certified for Humans
As far as smart plugs go, it doesn't get any simpler than the Amazon Smart Plug. All you have to do is plug it into any wall outlet, connect to your Alexa app, and you're ready to turn any basic electronic device into a modern smart home appliance. The smart plug itself has some limitations regarding what it can control, but most lamps, fans, and smaller appliances are good to go.
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Source: Amazon
Amazon Smart Thermostat
If you want something that delivers voice-activated, wireless heating and cooling control plus remote temperature monitoring, get the Amazon Smart Thermostat. It lacks the complex features and setup processes that make some devices overly busy, but what it does, it does quite well. Note that it does need a C-wire or C-wire adapter for power, but you can pick it up with Amazon's matching adapter for about $15 more.
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Source: Wyze
WYZE Bulb Color
This set of Wyze Bulbs can produce over 16 million colors in your choice of preprogrammed scenes. Engineered to mimic 75-watt incandescent bulbs, they'll appear much brighter than their 60-watt competitors. Like with most Wyze products, the app is a breeze to navigate. Plus, Wyze Smart Bulbs support IFTT programming for in-depth customization. These are some of the most dependable and longest-lasting color bulbs, but they may have trouble in spaces with congested wireless environments because they're limited to the 2.4-GHz band.
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Source: Amazon
Kasa HS220 Smart Dimmer
Smart plugs are a great tool to turn otherwise basic devices into smart-enabled tech for your home, if those plugs are attached to a switch-controlled outlet you might run into some problems. The Kasa HS220 Smart Dimmer switch is the exact answer to these problems, supporting dimmable LED bulbs, which is otherwise not supported by most smart plugs and switches. The installation does require electrical wiring, but aside from the technical aspect, this smart switch still comes out on top.
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Source: August
August 4th Generation
After extensive refinement, the August 4th-Generation smart lock is one of the most functional and aesthetically pleasing smart locks yet. The most recent update includes a smaller design with a now-integrated Wi-Fi bridge and increased overall functionality. Its geofencing, guest key, remote access, and door sensors all work simply and consistently, and there are no hidden fees to worry about, like expensive hubs or subscription costs. It even works with a wide variety of deadbolts.
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Source: Best Buy
Sonos One
If you're disappointed with the sound and responsiveness of Alexa speakers, consider the popular Sonos One Gen 2 instead. Its dependable wireless connectivity makes it great for adding to an existing Sonos soundbar setup, plus it works especially well when paired with a second unit to overcome its mono sound limitation. Also, the far-field microphone array consistently picks up Alexa commands even from across large rooms, and the room correction feature automatically adjusts the sound quality to match your space's acoustics.
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Source: iRobot
iRobot Roomba i3+ Evo
Robot vacuums are a great tool to help keep your home clean, but you're still going to have to get your hands dirty when emptying the small dust basin. That is until the iRobot Roomba i3+ came along. Due to its high-capacity base station and self-emptying function, you shouldn't have to touch the base for months. It's also excellent at navigating obstacles and detecting extra filthy spots. Plus, it's fully programmable for scheduled cleaning.
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Source: Amazon
Meross MSG200 Garage Door Opener
Smart garage door openers are anything but new, however, a majority of them have been found to be less user-friendly than we'd like. The Meross MSG200, though, is designed with a straightforward approach, connecting directly to Alexa and delivering almost instant results. With no need for an external app, hub, or extra process to operate, you're all set up in seconds. Additionally, in-app activity records and overnight notifications give you extra peace of mind.
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Source: Amazon
Bose Smart Soundbar 600
For complete Alexa functionality built around your TV, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 offers an exceptional sound experience. Its center and stereo channels make standard movie audio and dialogue sound amazing, while a pair of up-firing drivers help it take advantage of true Dolby Atmos processing for a surprisingly lifelike sound in supported media. You can even turn this soundbar into an oversized smart speaker with complete Alexa functionality. The Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is worth every penny.
Cameras and doorbells
You might notice that we've selected a pair of Eufy security cameras, the SoloCam L40 outdoor and P24 indoor models, over any other high-end brands. Although it wasn't always the case, Eufy smart home electronics now offer some of the best value you can find. We previously recommended the SoloCam L20 for outdoor use; however, the L40 is a slightly better value because the image quality is considerably better, and the price is only marginally higher.
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is another excellent security-focused device worth considering, and it's as easy to use and dependable as any of Ring's other offerings.
Audio and bright lights
We especially like a couple of novel products in terms of smart home audio. The Sonos One is a higher-quality replacement for the average Amazon-branded smart speaker. And the Bose Smart Soundbar 500 is a premium add-on to turn any smart TV into its own smart display.
We highly recommend Philips Hue as one of the top smart lighting products if you can afford the investment, as it's widely praised as the most versatile smart bulb system. However, if you don't want to spend nearly that much, the Wyze Bulb 4-pack is an affordable yet worthwhile choice. Make sure to get the Wi-Fi version, though, as Bluetooth smart bulbs tend to suffer from connectivity issues.
Lock it up and plug it in
A smart lock should be one of your first purchases. The 4th-generation August smart lock is far and away the best-looking, and you can barely tell that it's an advanced piece of electronics if you're not already aware. It offers the widest feature set and responds quickly and consistently to Alexa commands.
Another vital category for new smart home installations is smart plugs. The straightforward Amazon Smart Plug is the simplest and most affordable option and requires nothing more than plugging in and pairing with your Echo to get working. To enhance multiple dumb electronics, though, the Kasa HS300 smart strip is an easy choice. Each of its six AC outlets supports IFTTT programming and voice control, and they're all wired to 1,710 joules of surge protection.
Other must-haves
One vital area you can save money and resources is with a smart thermostat. The Ecobee Premium is far and away the most advanced currently available, which is why it's our current premium pick.
Finally, we included some new, nice-to-have electronics that can make life much easier and more pleasant. For example, the iRobot Roomba i3+ Evo is one of the best midrange robotic vacuums, with advanced mapping and a high-capacity base station. Then there's the Netatmo Weather Station, which displays real-time environmental data inside and outside your home, including temperature, air quality, and humidity.