Google Assistant is one of the most popular smart home ecosystems. Hundreds of devices are compatible with the technology, including smart thermostats, lights, cameras, and locks, among many others. Google itself makes plenty of gadgets that incorporate Google Assistant and Google Home, but you’ll find an even longer list of third-party products that are designed around the powerful assistant.
Here’s a list of various smart-home categories, each with a number of recommendations for the best products that are Google Assistant-compatible.
Thermostats
While several smart thermostats work with Google Assistant, your best option is the fantastic Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen). A massive upgrade over its predecessor, it offers a bold new design, the ability to learn your preferences over time and suggest new settings, and the ability to modify its setpoints based on the temperature outside. For example, if you need to warm up your home and it happens to be sunny outside, the thermostat can take that into account, ensuring it uses less energy.
You’ll find plenty of other Google Assistant-supported smart thermostats, including those from Ecobee, GE Cync, and Honeywell, but it’s hard to beat Google’s first-party offering. If the Nest Learning Thermostat doesn’t fit your needs, be sure to check these alternatives.
Lighting
If you connect your Philips Hue lights to Google Assistant, you can do more than just switch the lights on and off. You can also ask Google if you left the lights on, adjust dimming, change colors in certain rooms, sync your lights, and set scenes (like “concentrate” or “tropical twilight”). You have a variety of Hue options to choose from, including light strips, individual bulbs, white bulbs, and multicolor bulbs. Keep in mind, unless you get a starter kit (which includes everything you need), you’ll also need to buy a bridge.
The Nanoleaf Matter Wi-Fi A19 Smart Bulb is another great choice. With support for millions of colors, tunable whites, and quick access via Google Assistant and the Nanoleaf app, they’re super easy to control.
Video doorbells
Need a video doorbell that works with Google Assistant? Check out the Nest Doorbell. Available in wired and battery-powered formats, it’s a great fit for most shoppers. A 145-degree, head-to-toe viewing angle means you can see both packages at the doorstep and faces of tall guests, smart alerts let you know exactly what just strolled up toward your porch, and video history lets you revisit old events.
While Ring products are incredibly popular, they unfortunately don’t sync with Google Home or Assistant. That means the Nest Doorbell is your best bet when searching for a Google Assistant-compatible device. For alternatives, you can explore the lineups of Eufy, Reolink, and Arlo.
Switches and Plugs
You can find tons of smart light switches on Amazon these days, and many of them don’t even require a hub. The TP-Link HS200 works with Google Assistant, and you can set schedules to automatically turn on and off your lights while you’re home or away.
In the market for a smart plug? The Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini is affordable, easy to set up, and it lets you control your lights and appliances using your voice. Give it a look if you want to bring some smarts to non-smart appliances.
Security and Locks
Retrofitting with your existing lock, the August Smart Lock lets you lock your door with your voice via Google Home. The lock bolt shuts automatically and unlocks when you approach. It also has DoorSense, which can tell you if your door is securely closed and locked. Want to let a repair person into your home? You can let someone have access for a few weeks, a few hours, or even a few minutes.
The Nest X Yale Lock is a key‑free deadbolt with a keypad. Sleek in its design, the Nest X Yale Lock works with Google Assistant. You can use your voice to lock the door, or check and see if the door is locked. Your Nest camera will also work with Google Home. You can tell Google Home to play your Nest cam’s live video on a TV with Chromecast.
Google Home also works with your Vivint Home Security System. You can say things like, “Hey Google, arm my system to (stay or away).” or “Hey Google, is my system armed?”
AV
Google Assistant can also really enrich your next at-home music or cinema experience. For starters, there’s the famous Google Chromecast that lets you cast a video to your TV from some of our favorite streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime. Once connected, you can use your Chromecast’s built-in Assistant to check news, weather, and sports, as well as what’s new on Google-owned YouTube.
For straight-up jams, Nest Audio is a good choice. The smart speaker provides room-filling sound with impressive bass, supports YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and other services, and (of course) works flawlessly with Google Assistant.
