The 4 gadgets you need to create an amazing smart home setup for under $250
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If you’ve waited until now to start your smart home, your patience has paid off.
Technology has gotten better, cheaper, and smaller over the past couple of years, so you won’t have to throw off your place’s aesthetics for added functionality.
There are dozens of different smart home configurations, but below, I’ve collected four essentials to show you don’t have to spend more than $250 to get started.
A smart home hub
Unless you’re an iOS user who wants to constrain themselves to accessories that support Apple’s HomeKit standard, you’ll need a smart home hub.
A hub links your smart home gadgets together, and in the case of the Echo Dot, this is the way you can literally communicate with them. The Dot is the smaller sibling of the standard-size Echo and is just as functional at a third of the price. The biggest downside is that the Echo Dot’s speaker is lackluster, but that doesn’t matter much since you can connect it to an external one through a cable or Bluetooth.
Echo Dot, $49.99, available at Amazon
A powerful WiFi router
One of the "hidden costs" of the smart home is having to get a good WiFi router. Without one, your experience with any internet-connected device is going to be lackluster.
That’s frustrating when you’re trying to stream an episode of "Game of Thrones," but it’s actually sad when you’re sitting in the dark thanks to non-functioning smart bulbs.
No WiFi router is going to be perfect, but people seem generally happy with this one from Netgear. It’s most important feature is supporting the wireless AC standard, which is currently the fastest type of WiFi available.
Depending on the size of your place, it may be smart to invest in a mesh WiFi system, but if you’re trying to stay under a strict budget, this is a good way to go.
Netgear AC1750, $99.97, available at Amazon
Smart bulbs
I’ve tried smart bulbs from a couple of brands, but right now the most cost-effective choice is to go with a Philips Hue White Smart Bulb Starter Kit.
It includes two smart bulbs and a Hue Bridge, which lets you connect up to 45 bulbs. White Ambiance bulbs won’t be able to cycle through thousands of fun colors, but they can be turned on and off using your phone or voice.
After a year and a half, Philips Hue bulbs are still the smart home accessory I use the most frequently. It doesn’t hurt that they’re both functional — I only have overhead lighting in my apartment and don’t want to get up to flip the switch before going to bed — and fun. Turning your lights on and off with your voice might sound silly at first, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you get used to it.
Philips Hue White Smart Bulb Starter Kit, $69.99, available at Amazon
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