We don’t have slick future homes like The Jetson’s yet, and the path to getting there has been more than a little rocky so far. Still, if you want to start making your house a little smarter on your own, there are some hubs that aren’t total garbage.
Best overall
Samsung SmartThings
While one-off connected home gadgets are fun, the real power of the connected home comes from all of the smart things in your house talking with one another.
Samsung’s acquisition of SmartThings in 2014 signaled the company was ready to bridge the gap between its incredibly popular mobile and appliance divisions with tech that worked to give you access from everywhere. Since the acquisition, Samsung has focused on expansion and refinement of the SmartThings brand, turning it into a complete solution that users can slowly build based on their needs.
The SmartThings Hub has grown over the years to support smart outlets and switches, a keyfob that lets the house know when you’re home or away, door and motion sensors to keep you informed and safe, and a massive network of third-party accessories that work with SmartThings hubs and apps.
Bottom line: Samsung SmartThings is the most supported connected home hub, so you stand the best chance of building a system that works with your needs.
Why Samsung SmartThings is the ‘best’
It’s got the most support, basically.
The one big point that makes SmartThings stand out in the crowd right now is support. All of the major popular products support SmartThings, and that’s important when trying to create a smarter home for yourself. All of the good smart thermostats, connected lighting, automated door locks, and even most connected kitchen tech supports SmartThings out of the box. That kind of plug and play support makes a big difference when trying to set everything up, especially if you’re trying to set a up a connected home for someone who isn’t technically minded but could use some assistance.
So why is this called the least terrible, with best in quotes up there? Security is a big part of it. SmartThings aren’t encrypted from end to end, which means your house could be an easy target for someone who wanted to cause you some trouble by turning on your stove when you aren’t home. Almost no connected home tech was built with encryption in mind, which is why Google and Apple are trying so hard to build new systems that place a premium on being secure.
Beyond security, a lot of the SmartThings kits aren’t particularly convenient. You can buy a $54 connected outlet that takes up two outlet spots on your actual outlet but only gives you one place to connect something to power, and it’s only real feature is that you can turn it on and off with your phone. That’s cool for very specific situations, but why not make something that fully replaces the outlet instead of an adapter that actively takes away outlets? It’s messy, but it’s one of the best messes you can build for yourself right now.
Best for price
Belkin WeMo
If convenience and sheer number of options isn’t where you place your priority, and you’d rather have something a little cheaper with a little more flexibility and customization, the folks at Belkin have what you want. WeMo kits offer a lot of the standard connected hub features like motion sensors and power outlets, but also include fully integrated switches and other smarter pieces that are a lot more technically designed. This is the kit for those who don’t want it to look like they have a smart home.
WeMo also partners with a lot of the less expensive connected home options out there, and the company usually does so before anyone else. Cheapest LED bulbs, smarter room heaters, and even a crock pot that talks to your phone are on the short list of things that WeMo supports out of the box.
Bottom line: Belkin’s WeMo kits have been around longer than most, and while they’re clumsy they get the job done.
Conclusion
The connected home market is kind of a mess right now. There are a lot of individual products that work well, but it’s going to be a while before a single truly great hub comes out to support everything. If you’re not willing to wait, Samsung’s SmartThings is a decent place to look for building your ideal setup. If you’re ok with clumsy software in exchange for hardware that does a better job disappearing into your house, Belkin WeMo is probably what you want for now.
Best overall
Samsung SmartThings
While one-off connected home gadgets are fun, the real power of the connected home comes from all of the smart things in your house talking with one another.
Samsung’s acquisition of SmartThings in 2014 signaled the company was ready to bridge the gap between its incredibly popular mobile and appliance divisions with tech that worked to give you access from everywhere. Since the acquisition, Samsung has focused on expansion and refinement of the SmartThings brand, turning it into a complete solution that users can slowly build based on their needs.
The SmartThings Hub has grown over the years to support smart outlets and switches, a keyfob that lets the house know when you’re home or away, door and motion sensors to keep you informed and safe, and a massive network of third-party accessories that work with SmartThings hubs and apps.
Bottom line: Samsung SmartThings is the most supported connected home hub, so you stand the best chance of building a system that works with your needs.
