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Koogeek L3 Fingerprint Lock
7.2Overall Score

Koogeek Fingerprint Lock Review

With smart door locks becoming all the rage, it was only a matter of time before the traditional padlock joined in. Out with the tiny keys and remembering what your combination is. The Koogeek FL1 Fingerprint S...
LIFX Z Review
8.7Overall Score

LIFX Z Light Strip Review

LIFX is one of many smart lighting companies that have been trying to catch up to the large lead Philips has built over the years. We have covered and been impressed by their bulbs in the past. In fact, the LIF...
Amazon Echo Show 5 review
8.8Overall Score

Amazon Echo Show 5 Review

The Amazon Echo Show 5 is a long overdue compromise for diehard Echo users. The original Echo Show is a bit large and not suitable for desks and nightstands. Their smart alarm clock, the Echo Spot, uses a round...
Elechomes Humidifier UC5501
9Overall Score

Elechomes Humidifier Review

If the dry air causes you trouble sleeping, you’ve probably been through half a dozen humidifiers like myself. There always seems to be a problem with them. I’ve dealt with humidifiers breaking after a couple m...
Philips Hue Dimmer Switch
8.6Overall Score

Philips Hue Dimmer Switch Review

When converting your home over to smart lighting, the task of swapping in a bunch of smart light switches can be daunting. Turning off the power to the room, wiring in the switch, and hoping you didn’t mess som...
Airthings Wave
8.5Overall Score

Airthings Wave Review

Up until a year ago, I had not heard much about Radon. My home monitored smoke, carbon monoxide and even VOCs (volatile organic compounds). But when I was informed that I lived in a region with high levels of t...
Philips Hue Go
8.7Overall Score

Philips Hue Go Review

Portable lights always seem to have problems. Some come in under-powered while others don't provide much illumination time off the charger. They can look clunky and don't offer a lot of options. But Philips has...
7.3Overall Score

Amazon Echo Wall Clock Review

Amazon surprised people last year with the announcement of a bunch of new Echo devices for the home. Among those was a wall clock which brought up all sorts of possibilities. Would it be another Alexa access po...
8.6Overall Score

TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip Review

While smart plugs have flourished, there's been a shortage of smart power strips on the market. This is primarily due to demand. Most homeowners don't need to control six separate plugs in the same area of thei...
koogeek switch mounted in a room
7.3Overall Score

Koogeek Smart Light Switch Review

While Koogeek is not a household name, they've carved out a nice niche for themselves as an affordable option in the smart home industry. Their Koogeek Smart Light Switch (KH01) connects to your existing Wi-Fi ...
idevices outdoor being plugged in and powered on
7.8Overall Score

iDevices Outdoor Switch Review

As a lifelong Midwesterner, it's no fun crawling behind a bush in 10 degree weather to plug in the Christmas lights each night. Remote control plugs seem hit or miss and you have to be within range to control t...
8.1Overall Score

Elgato Eve Light Switch Review

While Elgato isn't a name that you commonly see in consumer electronics, they've quickly carved out a niche in the smart home industry. Their Eve line of smart plugs, lighting solutions, and smart sensors have ...

Best Amazon Echo Spot Accessories

The Amazon Echo Spot is the second Echo device (behind the Echo Show) that offers up video display. We raved about how the Echo Spot makes the perfect alarm clock in our review. And with some third-party access...
7Overall Score

Gosund Smart Light Switch Review

When it comes to controlling lighting in my home, I've come to prefer smart light switches. The traditional smart plug is limited to lamps and smart bulbs can be tedious to control in multi-light fixtures. A sm...
7.9Overall Score

Amazon Smart Plug Review

When Amazon announced their own line of Alexa-enabled electronics earlier this year, it was no surprise to see a smart plug on the list. It's typically one of the first products consumers purchase when dipping ...
iclever outdoor lightswitch in action
8.2Overall Score

iClever Outdoor Smart Plug Review

Smart plugs seem to be popping up all over the place. Brands like WeMo and TP-Link dominate the indoor market while new competitors like Amazon have recently joined in. But when it comes to an outdoor smart plu...
7.3Overall Score

AmazonBasics Microwave Review

There's been a surge in smart kitchen appliances over the last few years. Smart ovens, coffee makers, and refrigerators have flooded the market attempting to make home life easier. But I never thought about wha...
ihome-outdoor on wall
7.1Overall Score

iHome iSP100 Outdoor Smart Plug Review

Whether it's Christmas lights, backyard fountain, or a pool pump, automating your outdoor electronics makes life a bit easier. Plus it can save you a few bucks on your electric bill. But while smart plugs seem ...
8Overall Score

iDevices Wall Outlet Review

While smart plugs have saturated the market, they have some drawbacks. They protrude from your wall and can sometime block the adjacent outlet. So if I know I want to use a specific receptacle in my home, I muc...
7.6Overall Score

Elgato Eve Energy Review

Apple HomeKit-enabled smart plugs can be tough to find. Homekit-enabled smart plugs with built-in energy monitoring? Even harder. That's where Elgato steps in with the Eve Energy. A smart plug and power meter r...

Echo Show vs Echo Spot

With the ever growing popularity of Alexa-enabled devices in the home, it was only a matter of time before Amazon added a visual aspect. The Amazon Echo Spot and Amazon Echo Show both feature LED screens that a...
6.1Overall Score

iHome iSP6X Smart Plug Review

The iHome name should ring familiar to Apple aficionados. Their lineup of speakers and alarm clocks designed for the iPhone put the company on the map. But in recent years, they've branched out into the lucrati...
8.5Overall Score

iDevices Switch Review

Smart plugs are everywhere these days. Dozens of companies have flooded the market with simple designs and the basic array of features. But few offer support for Apple Homekit users. That's where the Switch fro...
8.3Overall Score

TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Review

One of the problems when shifting to a smarter home is the litany of older items we have that aren't online. An old lamp, table fan, even your space heater. That's where an inexpensive smart plug can come in ha...
7.9Overall Score

iDevices Wall Switch Review

In an industry where most companies don't take chances, iDevices has created a nice niche for themselves. Their ever-growing product lines features innovative designs that add those little extras that make them...
8.8Overall Score

Belkin Wemo Mini Smart Plug Review

Belkin has been a name in consumer electronics for decades and over the past few years has thrown their hat in the budget home automation space. Their Wemo Switch was one of the early entrants into the smart pl...
8.7Overall Score

Nest Protect Review

The smoke detector is an overlooked part of our home. We typically grab the first thing we find at the hardware store, mount it to the wall, and forget about it till it starts chirping. Much of that is due to t...
6.8Overall Score

Amazon Echo Look Review

Have you ever had a big night out and couldn't decide what to wear? You throw on different outfits and stand in front of the mirror pondering. Does this dress accentuate my figure? Does the shirt match the jack...

Amazon Echo Spot Clock Faces

In our full review of the Echo Spot, we covered all the features that make it great. Complimenting the device on it's unique design, quality speaker, and everything else you can get out of of Amazon's virtual a...
8.1Overall Score

Amazon Cloud Cam Review

With the ever popular Echo series of virtual smart assistants, Amazon has positioned themselves squarely at the top of the smart home industry. But they haven't been content with just controlling the devices in...
7.5Overall Score

Roav Viva by Anker Review

With the millions of Echo devices sold, Amazon's Alexa has become a valuable companion inside our home. We ask Alexa to play music, set reminders, and manage our smart home gadgets. But once we step outside our...

Best Echo Dot Accessories

With it's convenient size and low price, the Amazon Echo Dot has become the go-to smart speaker for those who want Alexa in their home (see our Echo Dot review). And with popularity comes the 3rd party accessor...
7.6Overall Score

Belkin Wemo Bridge Review

Apple HomeKit users have been clamoring for almost a year now for compatibility with WeMo products. And with the release of the WeMo Bridge, that's finally a reality. The $40 bridge from Belkin now acts as a go...
8.2Overall Score

Awair Glow Air Quality Monitor Review

Our home's air quality is something we should all be concerned with. Whether you have allergies, a newborn, or just want to make sure you're at peak performance, it all starts with what we're breathing in to ou...
7.5Overall Score

EZVIZ Mini O Wi-Fi Home Security Camera Review

The past few years have seen an influx in DIY security cameras entering the market. No longer were you burdened with hiring a security company to set up an intricate system that required a long term contract. N...

The Complete List of Alexa Flash Briefing Skills

Flash Briefings are a great tool provided by Amazon to organize the content you want from Alexa on a daily basis. Unfortunately, since skills have to be specific to the Flash Briefing format, it can be a little...

Guide to Amazon Alexa Flash Briefings

Amazon wants your Echo devices to be more than just a tool to turn on the lights and play some music. They want you to wake up and have Alexa give you all the information you need to start your day. That is whe...

Best Alexa News Skills for Flash Briefings

One of the great uses of our Amazon Echo devices is the ability to get news delivered to us when we want from the sources we want. This is done through "flash briefings" in the Alexa settings. We can have natio...
8.7Overall Score

Amazon Echo Spot Review

When Amazon released the Echo Show last Summer, it felt a bit underwhelming. An Amazon Echo with a screen seems like a great idea, but it's clunky design and lack of video-specific skills didn't live up to it's...
8.6Overall Score

Belkin WeMo Dimmer Switch Review

Belkin's impressive line of smart home products dubbed "WeMo" has built a strong following over the years. They're easy-to-use and can connect directly to your existing WiFi setup. And from that line comes perh...
8.4Overall Score

Etekcity Smart Plug Review

In an industry where flashy brand names dominate, it's nice to come across those hidden gems. So when we noticed a rather unknown company named Etekcity sitting atop the electrical outlet switch category on Ama...

The Best Alexa Skills for Trivia Buffs

There's just something addictive about trivia games. Generation after generation finds themselves drawn to them. We sit around a table playing Trivial Pursuit. We see if we can keep up with the contestants on J...
6.1Overall Score

Amazon Echo Buttons Review

Amazon has never been content when it comes to their Echo devices. They're constantly looking for ways to enhance their usefulness and make them a bigger part of our lives. With the newly released Echo Buttons,...

Amazon Echo Dot vs Google Home Mini

With the recent release of the Google Home Mini, Amazon now has ample competition in the mini smart speaker space. Both devices offer similar features and functionality. And with both coming in at under $50, th...
7.7Overall Score

Amazon Echo Show Review

Just as we're getting used to our voice-controlled speakers, Amazon throws us a curve. The Echo we've grown to love now has a touchscreen attached to it. The addition is not all that surprising. It's a natural ...
9.1Overall Score

Google Home Mini Review

In the race for smart speaker supremacy, Google has always felt a step behind. When the original Google Home device hit the market, Amazon already had two years on them with their Echo. And now 18 months after ...
6.8Overall Score

Flic Wireless Button Review

Smartphones provide great comfort in our lives. We can control countless apps and automate our homes by using them. But they aren't always the most convenient devices to pick up and use. You've got to unlock th...
9.2Overall Score

Amazon Echo Dot Review

In the battle for smart speaker supremacy, the 2nd Generation Dot is the smallest and most affordable option in the Amazon Echo line of products. And despite it's tiny size, it packs a big punch, and might just...
8.1Overall Score

LIFX Mini Smart LED Bulb Review

As fans of LIFX bulbs, we have been excited for the release of the LIFX Mini A19 for some time. Previous models had shown great promise but unfortunately had some some minor issues that have held us at bay. Thi...