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The 10 best smart home products not made by Google or Amazon (or their subsidiaries)

Apple HomePod mini
Apple HomePod Mini
Petite smart speaker
Jump to details
Sonos One
Sonos One
Impressive speaker that integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant
Jump to details
Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze Bulb Color
Affordable smart lighting
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Arlo Pro 4
Arlo Pro 4
Easy to install security camera
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Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free
Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell
Smart way to view visitors
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SimpliSafe 12 Piece Wireless Home Security System
SimpliSafe 12 Piece Wireless Home Security System
All-in-one smart security system
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August - Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The lock works with all the main smart home hubs
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Ecobee Smart Thermostat
ecobee SmartThermostat
Smart way to monitor indoor temps
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Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra Robot Vacuum with Empty Wash Fill Dock
Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
Automate your vacuuming and mopping
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Apple HomePod 2023
HomePod 2nd Gen
A premium smart speaker for HomeKit
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Amazon and Google might dominate the smart home market, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only companies churning out high-end products in that category. Companies like Wyze, Arlo, and even Apple have shown time and again they’re capable of competing with the two well-known companies — and they’ve got plenty of highly rated products to prove it.

If you don’t want to pick up smart home products from Amazon or Google (or their subsidiaries), here are the best smart home products to buy.

Apple HomePod mini in hand
John Velasco / Digital Trends

Apple HomePod Mini

Petite smart speaker

Pros
  • Computational audio optimizes the experience
  • Clean-sounding highs and mids
  • Compact size makes it discrete
  • It's the most affordable HomeKit home hub
Cons
  • Siri lacks the advanced intelligence of its competitors
  • Short power cord

No smart home is complete without a smart speaker, and few offer the performance and pricing of the Apple HomePod Mini. Not only does it look sleek and come in a variety of colors, but the HomePod Mini clocks at less than $100. If you’re a dedicated Apple fan (or you just love how intuitive your iPhone is), the Apple HomePod Mini makes a great central pillar of a connected smart home.

Apple HomePod mini
Apple HomePod Mini
Petite smart speaker
sonos one sl beam deals spring sale review front center 1500x1000
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sonos One

Impressive speaker that integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant

Pros
  • Superb sound quality
  • Dead-simple setup
  • Super easy to use
  • Excellent Alexa integration
  • Priced well
Cons
  • No threaded insert for mounting
  • No Bluetooth streaming

The Sonos is a bit more expensive than the HomePod Mini, but the Sonos One produces some of the best sounds of any smart speaker on the market. You’ll also benefit from Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support that makes it easy to integrate with any other smart home products in your home. Sonos rounds out the package with a sleek design that is available in both black or white.

Sonos One
Sonos One
Impressive speaker that integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant
Wyze Bulb Color in lamp green
John Velasco / Digital Trends

Wyze Bulb Color

Affordable smart lighting

Pros
  • Really bright output
  • Colors are very saturated
  • Doesn't require a bridge
  • Ridiculously low-priced
Cons
  • Basic scene modes

Wyze has long been hailed as a smart home company for shoppers on a budget, but that doesn’t mean its products are cheap. In fact, the Wyze Bulb Color is just as capable as any other smart light on the market, capable of producing millions of different colors and powered by an intuitive smartphone app that makes it easy to manage your schedule and remotely control the action.

Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze Bulb Color
Affordable smart lighting
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
John Velasco / Digital Trends

Arlo Pro 4

Easy to install security camera

Pros
  • Sharp-looking footage
  • Additional details with color night vision
  • Doesn't require a hub to set up
  • Smart security with Arlo Smart service
Cons
  • Specs are similar to predecessor
  • Spotlight required for color night vision

Rugged enough to withstand the great outdoors but small enough to tuck away on a shelf indoors, the Arlo Pro 4 is a versatile home security solution. You’ll be able to capture 2K video, communicate via two-way audio, and scan a large portion of your home thanks to an impressive 160-degree viewing angle. There’s even an outdoor spotlight to scare off intruders or light up dark sections of your yard. It’s a bit expensive, but no doubt you’re getting what you pay for.

Arlo Pro 4
Arlo Pro 4
Easy to install security camera
Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell mounted on brick
Digital Trends

Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell

Smart way to view visitors

Pros
  • Great software with a lot of options
  • Good quality video, day and night
  • Easy installation
Cons
  • Cheap-looking hardware
  • Prominent fish-eye effect

The Essential Wireless Video Doorbell is another premium smart home gadget from Arlo. It looks a bit cheaper than the products developed by Ring or Nest, but it offers much of the same functionality. You’ll get HD video capture, built-in night vision, two-way audio, and an easy installation process that requires no wiring. There’s also an accompanying smartphone app that lets you watch old clips and manage all your settings.

Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free
Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell
Smart way to view visitors
simplisafe home security system review
Terry Walsh/Digital Trends

SimpliSafe 12 Piece Wireless Home Security System

All-in-one smart security system

Pros
  • Beautifully designed base station blends seamlessly into home
  • Set and forget installation means you’re only interrupted if there’s a problem
  • Low-cost home monitoring service provides comprehensive coverage
  • No contracts
Cons
  • Limited smartphone integration out of the box
  • Home monitoring service subscription required

It doesn’t get more comprehensive than this. The SimpliSafe 12-Piece Wireless Home Security System includes a staggering number of gadgets, such as an indoor camera, motion sensors, panic button, and more. You might spend a few minutes setting it all up, but there’s a lot of value packed into this impressive bundle from SimpliSafe.

SimpliSafe 12 Piece Wireless Home Security System
SimpliSafe 12 Piece Wireless Home Security System
All-in-one smart security system
august wi fi smart lock review with open door
August / August

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

The lock works with all the main smart home hubs

Pros
  • Doesn't need a bridge
  • Easy to install
  • Auto unlock and lock feature
  • Sturdy build
Cons
  • Batteries aren't rechargable
  • Sticks out from the door

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock topped our list of the best smart locks for 2022. With a sleek design, durable build quality, and an easy installation process, few products can compete with this high-end model from August. You’ll also benefit from support for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri, along with a smartphone app that lets you lock and unlock the door when you’re away from home.

August - Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The lock works with all the main smart home hubs
ecobee smartthermostat review 7
Terry Walsh/Digital Trends

ecobee SmartThermostat

Smart way to monitor indoor temps

Pros
  • Simple installation
  • Excellent performance and feature set
  • Easy to configure and operate day-to-day
  • Numerous voice control and communication features
  • Great speaker
Cons
  • Hardware design remains a little drab
  • No onscreen integration for Alexa

Although it’s one of the most expensive smart thermostats around, few others can compete with the ecobee Smart Thermostat. Not only does it give you remote control of the thermostat (thanks to a versatile smartphone app), but it can help you save money on your energy bills by detecting when you’re away from home and modifying its settings to reduce costs. It also helps that the unit comes with a bevy of additional features -- such as a variety of voice control commands and compatibility with most smart home ecosystems.

Ecobee Smart Thermostat
ecobee SmartThermostat
Smart way to monitor indoor temps
roborock s7 maxv ultra review 1
Nick Mokey/Digital Trends

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra

Automate your vacuuming and mopping

Pros
  • Self-emptying, self-cleaning
  • Simple setup
  • Quiet
  • Great mopping performance
  • Decent obstacle avoidance
Cons
  • Lackluster pet hair pickup on carpet
  • Large dock

With iRobot and Amazon getting cozy, Roborock is your best bet for a robot vacuum that doesn’t have any ties to Google or Amazon. And the S7 MaxV Ultra is among the best in its catalog. It’s pricey (clocking in at $1,400), but it features a self-emptying base, solid obstacle avoidance, impressive mopping skills, and a vacuum that’s surprisingly quiet while in use.

The self-emptying dustbin is a particular selling point, as it means you’ll be able to let it run autonomously for weeks on end before needing to empty its dust reservoir. The vacuum itself is incredibly powerful, maxing out at 5100Pa of suction, so you can rest assured it’ll give your carpets an impressive cleaning.

Other notable features include a smartphone app to set schedules or adjust its settings, a sleek design that blends with most home décor, and a mop that can scrub floors up to 3,000 times per minute. Toss in a self-cleaning function and the ability to refuel its water reservoirs, and you’ve got a robot vacuum and mop that can hang with the best.

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra Robot Vacuum with Empty Wash Fill Dock
Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
Automate your vacuuming and mopping
apple homepod 2 review 2023
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends

HomePod 2nd Gen

A premium smart speaker for HomeKit

Pros
  • Great sound quality
  • Incredible bass performance
  • Dazzling Spatial Audio surround
  • Plug and Play wireless
  • Slick design
Cons
  • Limited connection options
  • No direct Spotify playback

The original HomePod went extinct long ago, but the HomePod 2nd Gen is here to take up the mantle. It’s much larger than the existing HomePod mini, though its larger footprint allows it to pack in premium audio equipment that can fill even the largest room with ear-pleasing sound.

Part of what makes this smart speaker so great is the Apple S7 chip, which helps automate its sound quality based on the acoustics of your room. There’s also a woofer and five beam-forming tweeters that work together to produce stunning sound that rivals premium products from Sonos, JBL, and Bose.

Apple ensured that the new HomePod played nicely with HomeKit, and it’s also been given support for Matter. And as more smart home gadgets continue to adopt the standard, expect to see Matter-support become a big selling point.

Apple HomePod 2023
HomePod 2nd Gen
A premium smart speaker for HomeKit

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
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