Let’s say the benefits of a smart home sound appealing, and you want to get started on one. Now what? The leap from theory to practice can be a little daunting, especially given the pricetags on some of the accessories available. That’s where this guide comes in — we’ll fill you in on core concepts and device types, and the general steps needed to deck out a house or apartment.
Concepts you need to know before building a smart home
Platforms
By necessity, all smart homes are platform-based. That could be as simple as a single accessory maker’s Android or iPhone app, but odds are you’re going to need accessories from multiple brands. That’s where industry standard platforms come in, the most prominent being Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home. These not only control compatible accessories from multiple brands, but provide a framework for pairing, automation, and voice assistant support. Other platforms are available, such as Samsung SmartThings and Hubitat, but these they tend to have less support, higher costs, and/or more required technical knowledge — so if you’re just starting out, we’d steer clear. You’ll also have to avoid HomeKit unless you have an iPhone or iPad for setup and control, and a HomePod or Apple TV 4K to act as a Home Hub for automations and remote access.
Wireless protocols and hubs
There are four main wireless protocols in use by smart home accessories: Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-Wave. Some accessories may still use Bluetooth, but this is increasingly rare, or included alongside other standards only as a fallback. Some smart speakers offer a direct Bluetooth connection as an alternative to Wi-Fi, for example, and some smart lamps use the tech to be controllable away from home.
Zigbee and Z-Wave are both hub-based standards, meaning you need a compatible hub module connected to your Wi-Fi router to link them with other devices and the internet. They also don’t offer much bandwidth, so don’t expect them to handle audio or video. A hub does ensure automations will run with or without internet access, however, and the two protocols consume very little power, which makes them ideal for things like sensors and light bulbs. They also form their own mesh networks, allowing them to relay data from distant rooms.
Thread is a newer protocol based on Zigbee, and ultimately poised to replace it. It offers many of the same benefits, but is less dependent on hubs, since some Thread accessories can act as their own “border routers” for reaching the internet or establishing a local network. Routers can include everything from smart speakers and displays to light panels, but check for support, since some Thread accessories are only endpoints.
Wi-Fi is the most common standard. It not only offers as much bandwidth as you could want, but allows accessories to operate without any hubs or meshes, making for simple setup. You usually forego the advantages of hubs and meshes, however, including offline automations — if the internet is unreachable, a Wi-Fi accessory may not trigger. Devices like speakers and security cameras have no choice but to use Wi-Fi if they’re not wired, though some security systems use cellular as backup.
Matter
Matter is technically a wireless protocol too, enabling features like mesh networking and reduced dependence on brand-specific hubs. But it gets own section here because it functions as an application layer on top of other protocols, above all Thread and Wi-Fi — there’s no such thing as a Matter radio. There is such as thing as a Matter controller, though, which is a device that doubles as a hub for Matter-compatible accessories. Examples of controllers include products like the Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and Google Nest Hub.
The most important aspect of Matter is multi-platform pairing. Matter-labeled accessories can be paired with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home, or SmartThings without a developer having to add specific platform support. It’s still early goings — Google Home still only supports pairing Matter products via Android, for instance, and only some accessory categories are Matter-compatible — but down the road, it could make platform choice purely a question of preference.
Voice assistants
There are three main voice assistants associated with smart homes: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri. There others, like Samsung’s Bixby and Sonos Voice Control, but they don’t have much use beyond their namesake brands, if any.
As you might guess, the big three are associated with their companies’ respective smart home platforms. You can’t use Google Assistant to control an Alexa home, or Siri to control Google. They also have different strengths, weaknesses, and compatibilities you need to be aware of before settling on a platform.
Types of smart home devices
Speakers and displays
These are frequently the foundation of a smart home, since they enable hands-free voice control not just for accessories, but for music, radio, and podcasts. In 2023 they also tend to serve as Matter controllers and Thread border routers, and in the case of HomeKit, you can use a HomePod as a Home Hub. Some Amazon Echo models act as Zigbee hubs.
Smart speakers are mostly self-explanatory, and range from basic models through to ones that support spatial audio, like the Echo Studio or the Sonos Beam soundbar. Smart displays enhance speaker functions with touchscreen controls, extra visual feedback, and streaming video. You might for instance watch Netflix or YouTube, or check who rang your video doorbell. Dedicated smart speakers tend to have superior audio.
Security cameras and doorbells
All smart security cameras and doorbells offer some degree of motion detection and the ability to stream footage remotely, but features can differ radically from there. There are wired and wireless models, and indoor and weatherproof ones. Some support local recording, others can only save to the cloud, and often features like (meaningful) cloud recording require a monthly subscription. Better models support person, animal, vehicle, and/or package detection, which cuts down on false alerts. Some subscriptions offer professional monitoring as a top-tier option.
Lights and blinds
Lights can be extremely diverse, but there are three main types. Smart bulbs are often the most affordable, and plug into conventional light sockets. Smart lamps are completely standalone devices. Decorative lights consist of things like panels and lightstrips, and are meant less to illuminate a space than add style to it. Many smart lights are color-changing, and some can sync with your PC, TV, or music playback.
Smart blinds are sold either as complete units or upgrade add-ons for your existing fixtures. Complete units can be prohibitively expensive, since they often have to be customized for your window dimensions, but there are fixed-size options available from brands like IKEA.
Switches
Smart switches are often the best way to go for lights if you’re worried about someone accidentally disabling a smart bulb or lamp by flipping a switch. Most work just like the conventional switches in your house, simply enabling automations and remote control. Be aware that though that if you buy switches that replace your wall units, you won’t get any color or media sync functions, and you shouldn’t double them up with smart bulbs or lamps. That simply creates chaos.
Sensors
There are many sensor types out there, covering things like motion, water leakage, door and window status, and indoor or outdoor climate. Sensor data can be useful on its own, but it’s often at its best as a trigger for automations. A motion sensor, for example, might automatically trigger smart lights when you walk into a room, and turn them off when activity is dormant again. A climate sensor might trigger a fan, blind, heater, or dehumidifier.
Thankfully, some smart speakers are beginning to include their own sensors. The 4th gen Echo and 5th gen Echo Dot have motion and temperature sensors, and all current HomePod models can sense temperature and humidity.
Plugs
Perhaps the simplest and cheapest product type, smart plugs stick into an existing outlet and turn connected appliances on or off — that’s it, except for any energy monitoring they might do. Their very strength however is in automating appliances that wouldn’t normally have smarts. The main restrictions are that an appliance has to have a permanent on/off toggle, and for high-voltage appliances like dryers, you’ll need specialized plugs.
Appliances
A growing number of appliances have smarts built-in, ranging from small ones like humidifiers and coffee makers through…
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Alex Smith is a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience. He has written extensively on a variety of topics, including technology, business, and personal finance. His work has been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, and he is also the author of two books. Alex is passionate about helping people learn and grow, and he believes that writing is a powerful tool for communication and understanding.
