The top Fire TV Stick, and the one to get if you want the interface to feel instant. A powerful processor delivers fast app launches and fluid navigation through the redesigned 2026 Fire TV experience, and 16GB of storage — double the cheaper sticks — leaves room for apps and games. It handles 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos, and Alexa search finds titles by actor, plot, or quote. Bonus range: cloud-gaming hundreds of Xbox titles via Game Pass (subscription and controller separate) and an ambient mode that turns an idle TV into rotating art. If sluggish sticks have frustrated you, the speed justifies the step up.

A wired floodlight and security camera in one fixture, for the spot where you want light and a record of what tripped it. The 2,600-lumen LEDs flood the area on motion, a built-in siren adds a deterrent, and you get 1080p live view with color night view and two-way audio through the Blink app. Customizable motion zones keep alerts to what matters rather than every passing car. It taps your existing outdoor wiring, so it skips battery swaps—but that means you need that wiring in place. Cloud storage runs on a Blink subscription after the free trial, with local backup via a Sync Module sold separately. Works with Alexa.

The lock for renters and anyone who would rather not touch the outside of their door — it mounts entirely on the inside over your existing deadbolt, so your key still works and the curb appeal stays untouched. Built-in Wi-Fi means no separate bridge to buy: lock, unlock, and check the door from the August app, or hand out time-boxed guest keys from anywhere. Auto-Lock shuts it behind you and DoorSense tells you whether the door is actually closed, not just thrown. Works with Alexa, Google, and Siri via HomeKit. The honest caveats: it is 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, the four AA batteries get worked harder by always-on Wi-Fi than a Thread lock would, and since this model has no keypad, a dead phone means falling back to your physical key.

The pick when you'd rather not live inside Amazon's interface. Roku's home screen is famously plain and even-handed, putting your apps front and center without steering you toward one service. It streams 4K with vivid HDR, and the hardware is tidy: the stick powers from the TV's own USB so there's no wall plug, and the slim design won't block the neighboring HDMI port. The included remote handles TV power and volume and takes voice search. All the top apps live in one place, and a travel-friendly setup lets you take your logins to a hotel TV without signing into someone else's account. Simple, fast, and refreshingly neutral.

The hub that finally brings your RF-remote ceiling fans, fireplaces, and shades into the smart home—it learns the signals from the remotes you already have, no rewiring, then exposes them to Alexa and Google for voice and schedules. It's the fix for the fan that never had an app. The single limitation to confirm first: it only works with devices that already use a compatible RF or IR remote.

The sweet-spot streamer for most living rooms. This newest 4K Plus stick improves on Amazon's best-selling 4K stick with faster performance and Wi-Fi 6, so 4K stays smooth even when the rest of the house is online. Picture support covers Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos, and you get the full spread of apps—Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max—plus free ad-supported channels. Alexa voice search is handy for finding things by actor, plot, or even a quoted line. A bonus for casual gamers: Xbox Game Pass cloud streaming runs hundreds of titles with no console. Unless you need the top tier, this is the one to buy.

If you're stepping into the Ring world for the first time, this wire-free doorbell is the gentlest on-ramp. It runs on a rechargeable built-in battery, so there's no electrician; when it runs low, the included tool pops it off the mount for a USB-C top-up (bring your own cable). Retinal 2K video keeps faces and packages legible, and up to 6x zoom catches details at a distance. Live View and Two-Way Talk let you see and speak to whoever's there, and it slots neatly into an Alexa home. Just know the AI alerts and video history live behind a separate Ring Protect subscription.

When one short strip won't reach, this is the run you want: a single 33-foot (10-meter) Hue Solo lightstrip on one plug, built for long surfaces like cove lighting, ceilings, stairs, and full-room perimeters. It puts out a bright 1,700 lumens and uses dedicated RGBWW LEDs so whites stay genuinely pure rather than a blended approximation — a real difference if you care about clean white light. Installation is stick, plug, and go, and you can trim it to fit; just measure twice, because once cut, a section can't be reconnected. To unlock automations, away-from-home control, and Matter connections, you'll want to add a Hue Bridge.

The tiny contact sensor that knows the instant a door, window, or drawer opens — the trigger that makes the rest of the house react: lights on, camera recording, an alert if you are away. Matter-over-Thread, so it lands in Apple Home, Alexa, or Google, and it leans on the Aqara M3 (or another Thread border router) you may already run. Battery-powered and set-and-forget — just know it needs that Thread hub to do anything.

The smart display for a Google household: a 7" screen that's genuinely good on a nightstand, with Sleep Sensing that tracks your rest without a wearable and a Sunrise Alarm that wakes you gently. It shines for Photos, Assistant routines, and quick smart-home taps. Best for someone already in the Google/Nest ecosystem. The catch: no camera (a plus for the bedroom, a minus if you wanted video calls), and Assistant's smart-home depth trails Alexa's.

A high-capacity self-cleaning box built for multi-cat homes—a 76-liter drum and a 7-liter sealed waste bin that one cat can fill for roughly two weeks before you touch it. xSecure infrared and weight sensors plus app alerts guard the cat mid-cycle, with auto, scheduled, and manual modes. Trade-offs: a large footprint, and it really wants clumping clay litter, which limits your options.

The automatic litter box that earns its high price by never asking you to scoop again—it sifts clumps into a sealed drawer after each use and tracks each cat's weight and bathroom habits in the Whisker app. SafeBuddy and laser sensors detect the cat and pause mid-cycle. Two honest notes: it's genuinely expensive, and the tall step-in entry can be awkward for senior or very small cats.

Hue's Solo lightstrip is the easy on-ramp to the ecosystem: a 10-foot strip that runs straight over Bluetooth with no separate Bridge, putting 1,700 lumens of accent light wherever you need it. Because it uses dedicated RGBWW LEDs rather than blending color to fake white, you get both true, saturated color and clean white light—a real step up from cheaper strips. A premium silicone sleeve with a milky finish softens the diffusion and feels solid. You cut it to length for shelves, ceilings, or stairs, with the catch that a cut section can't be rejoined—measure first. When you outgrow Bluetooth, a Hue Bridge unlocks automations, remote control, and Matter.

Google's puck-sized entry point: wall-mountable, clean-looking, and surprisingly punchy for its size. It's the right call for adding Assistant voice control and casting to a room without spending much — bathrooms, hallways, a second bedroom. For Android and Google users seeding the house with cheap voice points. Don't buy it as your main music speaker; it's a convenience device, not a hi-fi one.

The X60 Max Ultra is Dreame's everything-maxed flagship. At 3.13 inches it's their thinnest robot yet, so it fits under low sofas and beds where dust hides. Suction climbs to 35,000Pa via an upgraded DuoBrush, and dual AI cameras with their own illumination read the room to dodge obstacles and switch modes on the fly. For mopping, omni-scrub pads press at 15N and spin while 104F hot water loosens grease, and a MopExtend arm plus SideReach reach corners and edges. The 10-in-1 dock washes pads in hot water, dries with hot air, empties dust for up to 100 days, and manages dual solutions. A lot of machine, priced like it.

This is the ecobee at its most complete: a vibrant touchscreen display in metal-sided glass, plus a bundled SmartSensor so the thermostat reads occupancy and comfort in another room rather than just the wall it's mounted on. ENERGY STAR certified, it claims up to 26% in annual heating and cooling savings versus holding a steady 72°F, and a built-in air-quality monitor flags poor air and furnace-filter changes. Compatible with 95% of systems, and the included Power Extender Kit handles C-wire-less homes for a genuine DIY install. Alexa or Siri is built in, so it doubles as a voice speaker—useful if you want it, ignorable if you don't.