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Smart Home Reviews

Brava oven review

Brava oven review

The Brava Oven uses light frequencies to cook food, meaning your chicken and asparagus can go in – and come out – at the same time, both perfectly done. All the smarts that go into that mean it’s a pricy countertop appliance, plus its app isn’t as helpful as we’d like.
senic nuimo click review feat

Senic Nuimo Click review

It can mount to any surface, and power itself: Senic’s Nuimo Click is the remote control your smart device should have come with. Well designed, it’s ideal for your smart home. But you’ll have to keep your expectations in check and your pocket wide open, as the Click’s features are limited.
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator

Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator review

With loads of space, a middle drawer that adds versatility, and a huge touchscreen door display with apps to make being in the kitchen fun, this Samsung fridge has a lot going for it. But is it worth the hefty $3,500+ price tag? We put it to the test to find out.
Ninja Foodi review

Ninja Foodi OP300 review

The Ninja Foodi is an electric pressure cooker that is unique from others on the market because it can crisp, slow cook, pressure cook, sauté, and air fry foods. We wanted to find out if it can really make perfect French fries, fall-off-the-bone chicken with crispy skin, cheesecake, and other recipes you can make in standalone pressure cookers and air fryers, or if it’s just too good to be true. Here’s our Ninja Foodi OP 300 Review.
ecovacs deboot 601 robotic vacuum cleaner review feat

Ecovacs Deboot 601 robotic vacuum cleaner review

While mapping features are sorely missed, the Deebot 601 offers quiet operation and a suite of cleaning modes that, in combination, make it a friendly and enthusiastic performer in the home. Promoted below $200, it’s a snip for smart home owners on a budget. Read our review to learn more.
lg xboom wk9 thinq view smart speaker google assistant review with xxl

LG XBOOM ThinQ WK9 smart display review

Introduced way back at CES in January 2018, LG’s WK9 smart display is finally on store shelves. But how does it compare to other smart displays on the market? We took a look and a listen to find out whether the device is worth its $299 price tag. Here’s what we learned.
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Facebook Portal+ review

Facebook has jumped into the smart home game with the Portal+, a video-calling device featuring a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker and a screen. While the Portal+ has lots of cool calling features, we’re still a little weary of the social media giant taking up counter space in our home. Read our review to find out more.
AmazonBasics Microwave

AmazonBasics Microwave review

Amazon has added to its long portfolio of products with the AmazonBasics Microwave, a small appliance that works with Alexa. What business does Amazon, maker of Kindles, Fire TV devices, and Alexa voice speakers, have making a small appliance? We took the microwave for a test drive to find out more.
Johnson Controls GLAS review

Johnson Controls GLAS thermostat review

GLAS is the prettiest smart thermostat we’ve reviewed in some time, but a high price and flawed Cortana implementation means that it’s well short of the best. Read more about it in our full review.
Tovala Steam Oven review

Tovala Steam Oven Generation 2 review

Amazon Echo 2017 review top lit

Amazon Echo review

Our Amazon Echo review reveals a shorter, cuter, speaker with several different color and fabric choices, and a firmware upgrade means improved sound. We took the device for another spin in November 2018 to see whether the speaker still measures up to the competition.
Anova Nano review

Anova Precision Cooker Nano review

In the past, sous vide cooking was primarily reserved for fine dining restaurants and commercial food businesses. Over the last few years, home sous vide cooking has become more popular, as precision cooking devices like immersion circulators have become more affordable and accessible to consumers. Anova recently came out with the Nano, a home sous vide machine that costs $99. Here's what happened when we took it for a spin.
Yale Assure Lock SL Connected review

Yale Assure Lock SL Connected by August review

The first fruit of Yale’s acquisition of August, this enhanced Assure Lock SL is a definite upgrade on last year’s model, adding style and smart versatility to home security. But we think the partnership needs more time to develop a smart lock that truly delivers the best of both brands. Read our full review to learn more.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro review

Ring Video Doorbell Pro review

Porch pirates will think twice they see Ring’s Video Doorbell Pro on your house. Packing top-tier features into a slim design, the Doorbell Pro is at home beside any front door. Featuring an easy to use app with cloud storage, this doorbell will up your home security game.
TaoTronics 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker review

TaoTronics 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker review

In the market for a pressure cooker? TaoTronics’ multi-functional 10-in-1 pressure cooker comes in 6-quart and 8-quart sizes. We tested out the TaoTronics 6-quart pressure cooker to find out how it compares to other models, including the Instant Pot, on the market.
Philips Hue Play Light Bar review

Philips Hue Play review

Philips Hue Play synchronizes lighting with music, video, and games for a great entertaining effect. But it’s early days for this immersive tech, and we had some trouble with getting the parts to sync up seamlessly. Hue Play needs some fine-tuning before we can fully recommend it. Read our review to learn more.
Neato Botvac D6 review

Neato Botvac D6 review

Handing off the unpleasant task of vacuuming the house to a robot sounds like a dream; but smart home products aren’t always the most user-friendly devices, and if they’re hard to use, we tend to ignore them. While expensive, the Neato Botvac D6 is easy to use and good at its job. Here’s our review.
Honeywell SmarHome Security Starter Kit

Honeywell Smart Home Security Starter Kit Review

Despite its high price, the Honeywell Smart Home Security Starter Kit offers great value, bringing together home security, a network camera, and Alexa-enabled control in a comprehensive, easy-to-use package. We got a chance to test drive the system and came away mostly impressed.
Nest Hello

Nest Hello video doorbell review

Nest Hello’s crystal-clear video, intelligent features and simple operation ensure you’ll never tire of hearing the doorbell ring. Now you can answer your door no matter where you are.
husqvarna 315x automower hands on impressions review feat

Husqvarna 315x Automower review

Imagine watching your lawn being mowed by a robot while you sit on the porch drinking a beer. That’s life with Husqvarna’s line of electric Automowers, which takes the gas and the manpower out of one dreaded aspect of yard work. While costly, the automated devices are really cool timesavers.
philips hue lightstrip outdoor review feat

Philips Hue Lightstrip Outdoor review

Philips Hue fans can at last enjoy the brilliance of this weatherproof light strip, which offers simple, versatile positioning, a rich selection of 16 million color options, and bright, vibrant illumination. Deck life and holiday home decorating just got a whole lot better.
amazon echo plus review 2nd gen feat

Amazon Echo Plus (2nd gen) review

Amazon’s second-generation Echo Plus speaker is the loudest, bassiest speaker in the Echo fleet. While featuring a smart hub with only Zigbee connectivity, other upgrades make this device a worthy smart speaker. We took the device for a whirl around the smart home to see how it fares against other speakers in the space.
amazon echo sub review 11

Amazon Echo Sub review

Amazon introduced the Echo Sub for Echo speaker owners who wanted to inject some room-moving bass into their smart speaker experience. We took the new Alexa-friendly sub for a spin and quickly learned that it’s a niche product, but one that does its odd job extremely well.
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Sleep Number’s 360 p5 is a smart bed, but can it solve your sleep problems?

Could a smarter bed be the key to a good night’s sleep? Sleep Number thinks it could be and has built an entire line of smart beds, ranging from budget to flagship models, that monitors your sleep and offers a simple Sleep IQ score. Is it the secret to sleeping better?
Shark ION Robot Vacuum Cleaning System S87 review

Shark ION Robot Vacuum Cleaning System S87 review

Robot vacuums are awesome, but they can’t clean curtains, walls, and high places. The Shark S87 solves that problem by giving you a handheld vacuum and robot vacuum all in one system, so you can clean everything in your home. You can even use it to clean your car. Read more in our Shark ION Robot Vacuum Cleaning System S87 with Hand Vacuum review.
TP-Link Kasa review

TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor review

While premium cameras from the likes of Nest are pushing home security monitoring into the 4K HDR era, TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor proves you don’t have to break the bank to benefit from simple, friendly, high-performance protection. We got a chance to review the device and came away impressed.
Lenovo Smart Display

Lenovo Smart Display review

Lenovo has partnered with Google Assistant on the Lenovo Smart Display, a smart speaker with a screen. Available in two different sizes and with crystal clear display, you might wonder how you ever got along without a screen-less smart speaker in the first place.
netgear orbi voice review feat

Netgear Orbi Voice review

Packing high-speed networking from Netgear, premium audio from Harmon Kardon, and Alexa voice assistance from Amazon, Netgear’s Orbi Voice hits a high note in smart home convergence. Could this be the future of smart home devices? We took a look at the device to find out how well it works.
jbl link view review feat

JBL Link View review

If you want to use more of your senses with your smart speaker – say, sight and touch – the JBL Link View with Google Assistant is pretty handy. The screen gives you access to some information more quickly, while still relying on convenient voice commands for most of its interactions.
Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) review

The Amazon Echo Dot still holds up as a great introduction to smartifying your home. And at $30, it's more affordable than ever. Read more in our review.
Amazon Echo Show Review CNN

Amazon Echo Show (1st gen) review

The Amazon Echo Show is a smart assistant with a screen, so you can both see and hear what Alexa’s talking about. Right now, features like being able to see your timer or camera feed are helpful, but not world-changing. Here's what happened when we took the device for a spin.
irobot roomba i7+ review profile

iRobot Roomba i7+ review

The range-topping, reimagined Roomba i7+ offers great cleaning performance, multi-floor mapping and automatic dirt disposal, throwing shade on discount dirt-busters. We wouldn’t be surprised to see other robovacs follow suite by copying many of the features of this device. We took it for a test spin to see how well it worked.
SimpliSafe review

SimpliSafe Home Security System review

These days, there a lot of do-it-yourself home security systems out there. How do you choose? Simplisafe’s latest offering brings together beautiful hardware and the ability to customize your home security package.
samsung smartthings w-fin counter

Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi review

Collaboration with Plume ensures Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi is quicker than its predecessor, but a lack of wired connectivity and fragmented controls means it’s not for everyone. Find out more in our review.