Best smart home devices for 2020
Google Nest Mini
Google’s new Nest Mini smart speaker improves on its predecessor, the Google Home Mini, in a few ways. Audio quality and response times are better, and there is a wallmounting notch on the underside. A new presencedetection method that uses the speaker and microphone to determine your proximity to the Nest Mini triggers LED indicators that help you make better sense of the otherwise obscured volume controls. But the thing that puts the Nest Mini over the top is the machinelearning chip inside the tiny speaker that allows the Nest Mini to learn what commands you use most often, and it will begin to process those commands locally, rather than on Google’s servers. Anything that helps to keep control of your smart home inside your home is worthwhile, and the machinelearning chip puts the Google Nest Mini on par with the Amazon Echo Dot and its distinct audioinput jack.
August Smart Lock
Smart locks make people nervous because they insert another point of failure between you and your physical security. A malicious hacker, or even a plain old technical failure could all of a sudden compromise the entry point of your home. A keyless design with no physical failsafe could indeed lock you out, but the August WiFi Smart Lock isn’t one of those locks. This smart lock is a breeze to install. Because it doesn’t replace the lock mechanism itself, you can still use a physical key. The good looking lock connects to your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi, and you can also connect it to Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant. There is a tiny openclose sensor that lets it tell you if it’s locked and lets you know if the door is open or closed. It’s the most complete product on the market.
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera
Our favorite allaround security camera maker released its Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera this spring that’s also a bestinclass product. It has all of the things we like about the Arlo camera line in general — longlasting battery, a sharp HD video feed, mounting hardware that’s both flexible and easy to install, and compatibility with all three major voice systems. To all of that, Arlo has added the most powerful array of LED lighting in its category, leaving competing products from Ring and others in the dark. The 2,000lumen light (3,000 if you add the optional Outdoor Charging Cable) will light up an entire backyard if you want that kind of power. It’s also dimmable, which is useful if you still want your neighbors to like you.