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A smart home is a home where network-connected devices monitor or control household functions and may work together automatically. Those functions can include lighting, temperature, security, appliances, and other parts of the physical home. A phone app or voice assistant can control devices, but schedules, sensors, a local hub, or cloud services may also be involved.
What does “smart home” mean?
There is no single universal definition. A practical one, consistent with descriptions from NIST and ITU-T, is a home in which connected devices and systems monitor or control home functions, sometimes coordinating their actions through automation.
ITU-T describes a smart home as “a kind of home automation system in which a wide range of IoT devices in a home cooperate to provide intelligent controlling and monitoring functions for home users” in its summary of Recommendation J.1612 (January 2022): ITU-T Recommendation J.1612. NIST’s December 2025 report defines a smart home device as a network-connected device used to control home functions or physical aspects remotely or more easily: NIST SP 1343.
In everyday terms, “smart” describes connected control, monitoring, or coordination—not a particular brand, a single gadget, or a house that runs itself. The sources do not establish a minimum number of devices a home needs to qualify.
#1 Best Overall
- Echo Hub — An easy-to-use smart home control panel redesigned for your home. Arrange controls on your dashboard to quickly adjust devices, view cameras, start routines, and more.
- Customize your dashboard — Arrange devices into sections and resize them to focus on what matters most. Create a personalized layout that matches how your family uses their connected devices.
- Reimagined for your home - With an Alexa+ and compatible Ring subscription (sold separately), get Ring camera event summaries to stay in the know. Search your Ring footage using simple voice commands. Create routines by voice, activate modes to manage multiple devices at once, and chat with Alexa to easily control your smart home.
- Home security for the whole family — Use Echo Hub to easily arm and disarm your compatible security system, making it easy for everyone in your family to manage home security. Use the Alexa app and compatible cameras, locks, alarms, and sensors to check in while you're out.
- Works with thousands of Alexa compatible devices — WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Sidewalk, and Thread devices sync seamlessly with the built-in smart home hub.
What devices can make a home smart?
Smart-home setups can include devices that report conditions, accept commands, send alerts, or trigger actions. Examples include:
- Smart speakers and voice assistants
- Thermostats, lights, plugs, and environmental sensors
- Cameras, video doorbells, smart locks, and garage-door openers
- Televisions and connected appliances
A setup can be as simple as one app-controlled device or can coordinate several devices. For example, a sensor might provide information that another device uses to respond, while a user can also control devices directly through an app or voice interface. These are examples of possible functions, not requirements for every smart home.
Rank #2
- MEET ECHO SHOW 15 - A stunning 15.6" Full-HD (1080p) smart display that's perfect for your kitchen and ready to show you more. Use customizable widgets to keep your day on track, watch your favorite shows with Fire TV and powerful vibrant sound, and enjoy natural video calling, with 3.3x zoom and wide field of view.
- FAMILY ORGANIZATION HUB - See your top widgets at a glance, like your family’s calendars and to-do lists, local weather, smart home, and more.
- ALL YOUR FAVORITES, ALL RIGHT HERE - Built-in Fire TV unlocks endless entertainment, so you can enjoy your favorite content from thousands of apps like Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, and more (subscription may be required). Fire TV remote included. Plus, now you can quickly add a device to play music with Active Media - start playing a song in the kitchen, then add the living room and bedroom on the fly.
- SMART HOME CENTRAL - Control smart devices with your voice or a few taps using the smart home dashboard. Easily turn on all your living room lights at once or check live camera feeds to see what's happening around your home.
- YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES ON DISPLAY - Brighten your space (and your day) by turning your home screen into a photo slideshow that displays your favorite memories. Auto curate your images and show off your favorite family memories.
How do smart-home devices connect and work together?
Devices communicate over technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee. They do not all need to connect directly to the public internet. Some communicate through a local network or gateway, and some functions may rely on another device or a cloud service. NIST explains how IoT devices connect the digital and physical worlds, including through network interfaces and, in some cases, hubs or cloud services: NIST IoT device cybersecurity guidance.
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A hub or gateway can bridge different communication protocols and help devices interact with a control terminal or cloud services. That can be useful when a setup combines devices that otherwise would not communicate directly. A dedicated hub is not a universal requirement: compatible devices may connect through other arrangements, depending on their design.
Rank #3
- Powered by SmartThings: Connect, monitor, and automate your home through the SmartThings app. Build a reliable, unified smart home using Samsung's proven ecosystem
- Matter + Zigbee Smart Home Hub: Supports the newest Matter standard plus Zigbee for lighting, sensors, plugs, switches, thermostats, and more - thousands of compatible devices. PLEASE NOTE: Z-Wave not supported
- Easy Setup with Wi-Fi or Ethernet: Get started in minutes using Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection for apartments, houses, and expanding smart home systems - Z-Wave not supported
- Automations That Work for You: Create custom routines for security, lighting, comfort, and energy savings. Many local automations continue working even if your internet goes offline
- Wide Device Compatibility: Connect compatible smart devices from Aeotec and many other brands to build a unified system for lighting, voice control, energy management, and climate settings
What can a smart home do?
Depending on the devices and how they are configured, a smart home can offer:
- Remote control: Adjust or operate a device through an app or another interface.
- Monitoring and alerts: Check a condition or receive a notification, such as an alert from a sensor or camera.
- Schedules and rules: Set devices to act at particular times or when a defined event occurs.
- Automation: Let devices respond to sensor input or other events without a separate manual command for each action.
Energy information and automated energy management are possible features in some systems, not defining features of every smart home. ENERGY STAR’s criteria for smart-home energy-management systems identify capabilities such as setup and discovery, remote control, energy-use information, schedules, event-triggered actions, and automated control: ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems criteria.
Rank #4
- New size, more viewing area: The 11“ smart display features a vibrant Full-HD touchscreen with 60% more viewing area versus Echo Show 8 (2025 release), built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.
- Content looks and sounds incredible: Watch shows on Prime Video, Netflix, and more on the vibrant Full-HD 11" screen and enjoy room-filling spatial audio, crisper vocals, wider sound stage, and up to 2x bass versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release). With Alexa+, find the name of that song you love and discover new shows based on your preferences.
- Your everyday assistant: The 11" display makes it easy to see recipes and calendars at a glance, find meal inspo, and manage your shopping lists. With Alexa+, find recipes based on foods you love, make reservations, order groceries, and more.
- Simple Smart Home control: Pair and control thousands of devices that work with Alexa without needing a separate smart home hub. Easily view your camera feeds. Manage lights, thermostats, and more using the display or your voice. With Omnisense technology, you can activate routines via temperature, presence, or visual ID detection.
- Crystal-clear video calls: Video calls feel natural on the vibrant 11" screen with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology. Use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you're away.
What are the benefits and trade-offs?
NIST identifies potential benefits that include convenience, automation, physical security, and increased energy efficiency. These are possible outcomes, not guaranteed results: benefits depend on the devices, their setup, and the household’s needs. A connected device can also create security or privacy concerns because it may collect sensitive information or affect the physical home.
Before relying on a device, check what information it collects, how its account and update controls work, and whether important functions depend on an internet connection or cloud service. NIST’s consumer guidance discusses device security mechanisms and the information manufacturers should give consumers: NIST SP 1343. Marketing a product as “smart” does not by itself establish that it is secure.
How common are smart-home devices?
NIST SP 1343, published in December 2025, reports Parks Associates’ estimate that 45% of U.S. households with internet had at least one smart-home device in 2024, while 18% had six or more. These figures refer to U.S. households and the 2024 measurement year; they are not a current worldwide estimate. NIST reports the estimate as attributed to Parks Associates, whose underlying publication was not independently verified here.
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