20 Best Hardware For Home Assistant (Jan 2023 Update)

I've been using this lock for a couple of weeks now and I really like it, except for the fingerprint recognition. The lock and user accounts are easy to set up via the app, and I like that I can quickly assign codes — like for my contractor, cleaning people etc. The fingerprint recognition does not work well for me — I don't know if this is a flaw with the lock or with my hands. But I still like the lock.Rebecca

I have 3 Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro locks. The locks are exactly what I needed for Entry control on two homes. Entry by key, fingerprint, code, or phone covers all the bases for me. Long battery life via the BT/wifi connection is the finishing touch. My oldest Ultraloq has been in service for about 6 months.Steven

I love my new deadbolt! Never thought I would say that, but I do. I have recommended it to multiple people. It is great. I love coming home and having it unlock when I am standing right in front of it.Cory

Do not need to hassle with keys. Easier to install than I thought it'd be. Download the recommended installation app. Fingerprint or key code. love it.amy_k190_5

Both the august lock and the Connect Wi-Fi bridge stopped working after about 2 years. The august lock stopped calibrating correctly so would not turn the right amount to lock/unlock the door properly. It’s such a poor design since it tries to “understand” how much to turn. It would be a lot simpler to just turn 90 degrees. The Connect also stopped working and no longer connects to the lock so is useless. Both of these seem to be common problems from what I’ve read on the Internet. The Connect Wi-Fi Bridge can also only work with 1 lock, which is also a poor design. So you have to buy a Connect for every lock! 2 years is the shortest life of all of my electronic products, especially for one as expensive as this one. August customer support is useless and could not fix the issues. They don’t seem to care about customer satisfaction. I will be buying a different product and brand – Ultraloq seems to be a much better product with a lot more features at the same price.Prive

I did a lot of research on different options before finally landing on this option. I bought it a few weeks ago and it has been an amazing experience ever since. The install was incredibly fast, simple, and straightforward, and the features, from the keypad to the auto unlock to the app, have been quick and flawless. I actually just told my husband last night that this has been the best purchase I've made since we moved. I love that we were able to keep our old keys as a backup, and the auto unlock feature has been a godsend after grocery shopping, not to mention I feel a lot safer coming home at night and not having to fiddle with my keys in the door – I can just walk right in. I also love that we can one-touch lock the door with the keypad and that the app shows a log of when the door is opened and by who – I can set codes for individuals, and can double-check to make sure the door is locked while I'm out (which the auto lock would take care of anyway, even if I forget). I also love that we can easily take it with us when we move, since we're renters, and it didn't require any additional holes in the door! Super happy with this purchase!Neona

I researched endlessly trying to find a good smart lock. This thing is kind of a joke. Little plastic “adapter” piece you put inside takes the brunt of the back and forth lock action in the lock and I expect that will wear out very quickly. How much did that save, using a plastic adapter? Ever seen lock parts made of plastic? I’ve changed many locks and knobs and never seen that. When you turn this thing, it feels like a toy. If you turn too hard either way, it feels like you’re going to roll it and possibly break it. We had to put a little sign on our door to remind people to be gentle. Also, the batteries only lasted 2 MONTHS even though the lock was barely used a few times. We were away on a trip so it never got used aside from friends checking our place for us. The last straw for me was trying to give my friend directions on how to replace the batteries for us, only realizing that the alert email I got directed me to a web page that doesn’t even fully load. Basically, support seems to be a joke too. I had to research myself going to the Best Buy page, YouTube, and more to verify the correct battery type for my friend. Just a pain overall with this thing. I would have taken back originally but we were in a rush to get out of town so I had to install the thing and cross my fingers. Don’t make the same mistake I did.BxDx

Installed this for mu kitchen light that has 2 switches. Voice control is great for those times when your hands are messy cooking or cleaning. This was easier to install than the other Kasa lights purely by the fact that unlike the other lights, which have short wires for all the connections, this one had screws on the switch for the common and line leads, and wires only for the ground and neutral wires. This means fewer wires (and especially wire nuts) to try to stuff back into the box. After that, it was a simple to connect to the Kasa app and the Google Home application as any other Kasa switch. Highly recommended.M.S.

I have installed three of these TP Link Kasa smart switches now and they are very easy to install if you have basic wiring knowledge. They will require full power to the switch, not just the hot and ground wire, and they require the neutral wire to function correctly. Check your current wiring first if you are installing these into existing switch locations. Each switch paired easily with my home Wifi using the Android Kasa application. The three-way switch immediately notified me of an available firmware update when it came online and the firmware upgrade proceeded flawlessly. We use these switches together with an Alexa enable device and also using the one and off timers. Make sure the time zone sets correctly by viewing the device info or the schedule may not be as expected. There is a method to force the time zone update if need be, and I had to do that for one device. The switch still works as a manual switch if Wifi is offline, but the power is still on. No hub other than a Wifi access point within range is needed. These do not use Z-wave or other wireless protocols and integrate directly with the Wifi network. They have proven to be reliable and have functioned without error since installation.C.

This is really easy to setup. I didnt neccesarily follow the steps in the app but I spent 1-2 hours learning how three way switches work and it was easy to figure out. Basically the step they advise to look at how its currently setup with an existing switch makes it a lot easier if you label everything, no guesswork this way. I didn't know if I would like the "button" opposed to switching it up and down, but honestly the button is so much more intuitive and easy to press. It turns the light on fast in the app and pressing it. I only used one of these for a three way and both the new "smart" and old "dumb" switch still work in conjunction with eachother.J.S.

I recently bought a homepod mini to see how it compares to this Echo. I gotta be honest that the smaller homepod mini sounds much better than the bigger Echo….but I'm still liking the Echo device better because of Alexa. I have programed Alexa to greet me every morning with a positive message, the weather report and the news. Alexa also greets me when I get home after work and sings me a little song. Alexa dims my lights in the evening and later says good night and plays 30 mins of soothing music while I drift off to sleep. I love all of the things I can program Alexa do for me. Unfortunately I cannot program Siri on the homepod to do all of these things. Siri can play music when you ask her to and tell you the weather when you ask her to but it doesn't compare to Alexa. Alexa also tells me when there is a delivery which is super cool. I'll keep both devices but honestly, the Echo devices rule in my household.Bimbombaby

We decided to give Alexa a try with the Amazon Echo. The Echo was easy to set up. A few basic instructions, and we were off and running! We use it primarily to listen to music and ask about weather. We've played games on it a couple of times and really liked "Escape the Room." We've disabled purchases on ours so we don't have any mishaps (especially with the kiddo), but we may explore that more in the future. We also use it to keep up with our shopping list. One of the best things about our Echo is that I was able to set it up with a smart plug to our TV. The setup was simple, and now we can turn our TV on and off with a voice command. This is especially convenient because we don't have a remote for the TV itself, so we were having to turn it on manually before. The Echo is connected to our Firestick too, so we can navigate that by voice command now. The main drawback for us is that my husband and I cannot both connect our Amazon accounts to the Echo. We've tried everything. Because of a technicality, we have to wait six months before we can be in the same Amazon Household, so only one of us can be associated with our Echo. We even tried using Guest Connect, but Alexa is telling us this device does not support Guest Connect. Maybe in six months we'll be able to set it up so we can both use it fully. We also noticed the Echo is rather large compared to our previous smart speaker. We thought this might be due to superior sound quality. Although I have no complaints about the sound quality, I wouldn't say it's better. Overall, we're impressed with Alexa and our Echo. It's a convenient way to listen to music, get info, connect with other home devices, and stay organized. I would give five stars if it weren't for the issues with connecting two adults and the large size. I would still recommend this to a friend, but would make sure those aren't dealbreakers for them!md55

I am enjoying the product, but the installation was not as easy as advertised. The two challenges I encountered were enlarging the deadbolt hole in the front door and connecting the lock to my Wifi network. First, next time, I will hire a professional to enlarge a deadbolt hole. All the YouTube videos say and show you how easy it is, but I had an insulated wooden door (a sheet of metal on surface of the wood) and it required a special hole saw and a lot of effort to drill through it – and to drill through it on the level. Door looked terrible afterwards and luckily the lock is large enough that it covers up the mess. Second, the NEST connect that comes with the lock only works on a 2.4Ghz Wifi network. If your home network uses the same network name for both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz channels, you need to give them different names so you can force your phone to connect using the 2.4Ghz channel. The NEST Connect device that came with the box completed initial setup correctly, but my phone was unable to discover the device and connect with the lock until my phone was using the 2.4Ghz channel. Very little advice about this in the instructions. The requirement to use both the Google Home app and the Nest app to configure and manage the lock is confusing, but once setup I only use the Nest app for locking and unlocking. Now that the lock is up and running, it is working great and I am very happy with the product. Hopefully the points above make installation a bit easier for you.Chris

The Nest x Yale lock is a fantastic product. It allows you to create guests + family "users" with codes that expire when you want them to. This can give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to housekeepers, dog walkers, and family/friends coming to pick up the mail for you. I've mentioned this in another review, but I am a tech nerd, NOT necessarily a handyman. That said, the instructions are reasonably clear, but I had issues with the opening of the hole when I tested the deadbolt. It would open and close pretty seamlessly, then it said "lock is stuck" after this process. There was no indication by the lock/app of the issue, where it got stuck, and how. I had to do some intensive Googling in order to figure out that the hole for the deadbolt was too shallow–on the door frame side. Once I bored some more and tested multiple times, I finally got it squared away. The lock now works well, and I will continue to use it for a long time. Minor drawbacks: -The lock fail safe for low battery is a 9V battery. This is a little weird for a lock that is almost $300. -The price. Anyone spending this much scratch on a lock would expect a more seamless experience. -Setup with the Nest Connect took a few times to get right. I was within 15 feet of an "assisting device," and the Connect still couldn't find it quickly. Unfortunately, the Nest Secure system has been discontinued, but this is a perfect remedy to complete the security solution for Google Nest.MichaelG

Great lock. I have nest cameras and thermostats. I love the products. Also great having everything in one app. This lock is a great addition to the line up at my house. Kids were constantly losing keys constantly leaving the door unlocked. I can check the status of the door lock from anywhere, I can even set it to automatically lock after a certain amount of time after it is unlocked. I can give the kids the code to open it or set them up in the nest app so they can push a button in the app to unlock the door. Love this product… now they need a garage door product!!!! Easy install if your door is set up correctly. My door was not cut clean for original locks so It took me a few minutes more to complete installation, otherwise it would have been done in 20 minutes.J Radam

We recently replaced our previous front door "smart lock", with a different brand's smart lock system. So far, it's working well for us and we are beyond pleased. Which is why, when this Wyze Bluetooth and WiFi Enabled Smart Lock became available, we decided to give it a try, this time on the entry door leading from our house into the garage. There are comparable similarities between the smart lock we now have on our front door, and this Wyze Smart Lock. Both have their own app which lets you monitor activity and customize the smart lock's settings. The Wyze App allows you to give remote access to family members via assigned personal keypad codes, as well as, get notifications of when the door has been opened or closed. Features that provides an additional sense of security. Setting up this Wyze's 'Gateway' and installation of the smart lock itself was familiar, since we'd done much the same procedure when installing our other smart door lock. As long as you take your time and follow the step-by-step instructions in the app, it's a relatively straightforward process. Adapters are included to use with your existing deadbolt's inner latch mechanism, as this Wyze Smart Lock works with your current lock and keys. A feature that my husband likes, but which I do not, is the auto lock/unlock feature. I'm just not at all comfortable using that, even though it theoretically should be unlikely to get locked out of the house without a key, because the Wyze Wireless Keypad would allow entry as long as you know an access code (and the batteries aren't depleted). Based on my own experience, I will say that I'm quite impressed with this wireless smart lock technology, and the level of home security I feel it provides.Janine

So full disclosure, I had really high expectations for this lock because I owned the original Wyze Lock. For the purposes of this review, that's what I am comparing this to. I feel when compared the original, there are essentially 3 things you're giving up simply for the fingerprint scanner. First off, I love this new lock. I like that I can have multiple users' fingerprints added as we have family that come over often and giving them all keys kind of asks for them to be lost. They had codes before but now it's even easier. While we're on the topic of the fingerprint reader, its FAST. Faster than most phones which is nice for when you're out for a walk. It's gone from fiddling around for a key, to entering a code (original wyze lock), to just tapping my finger. Overall, this lock is fantastic but there are 2 things missing, one of which almost feels like a deal breaker. The original Wyze lock knew when it was open, so if we left the door open, we could set it up to make a racket if it's open longer than 30 minutes. Great for keeping everyone mindful of heating/cooling. This lock, despite being more expensive, does NOT know when it's open. This causes trouble with the auto lock and honestly makes me wonder why it's omitted because my assumption would be that they had a compass in the original and I know it would have added to the price, but I mean, I think that's a pretty important feature. The other feature missing is more a function of the design and I get why they did this so all I'll say is that it does suck not having notifications from this thing. Like when someone unlocks the door or what have you. It's less of a big deal since we have the doorbell (also from wyze) but just thought I'd point it out. The last thing is what I consider to be a bit of a deal breaker and the reason it's 3 stars and not 4. I utilize the "auto lock" feature because I'm forgetful and the people in my house are forgetful. We've had the original lock for about a year, and it ALWAYS locks and will ALWAYS alert us if there is a problem with it auto locking. On this lock I have auto lock on from 8PM until 8AM, it's nice that you can schedule it but let me ask. What's the point of being able to schedule it, if it doesn't lock? It only seems to work if you open the door and close it between those times. If you go for a walk at 6 and don't lock the door when you get back, at 8 when the auto lock is supposed to be on it WILL NOT LOCK. This is a security product and if you set the expectation that your door will lock itself and will always be locked, then you need to make sure that you do it. It's a matter of safety more so than your other products. I will finish this off by saying, I love Wyze (even though they wont get me in their beta despite owning almost their entire product lineup) but this one was kind of a bummer to me.Tyler C

Bottom Line: The Wyze Lock is a simple way to upgrade an existing deadbolt to a smart lock, yet it has a robust feature set. Depending on your door, installation should only take a few minutes. The Wyze Lock replaces the interior panel and latch of an existing deadbolt, which is installed by replacing the back plate (2 standard Philips screws) and then attaching the unit to the new backplate with 2 more screws (I recommend a precision Philips screwdriver for these). Buyers should note, however, that the Wyze Lock is considerably wider and taller than the normal latch, and so they should definitely measure to ensure that it will fit. My door, for instance, has decorative trim around a center window, and I had to shave down a small edge to get the lock to fit. Installation is completed by plugging in the WiFi adapter into an open outlet. Setup and calibration was surprisingly smooth. I had no issues connecting to WiFi or calibrating the lock through the app. It simply required turning the latch a few times with the door in different positions (open/close/ajar). The lock offers a set of useful features through the app. It can be configured to unlock based on location (i.e., unlock when arriving home), provide notifications about the status of the door (e.g., manually unlocked, unlocked by code, door ajar), how long the delay is before locking, and a "trash" mode, which disables the door from locking the next time it is open. This should help users prevent themselves from getting locked out if they remember to click the option before stepping outside. Since the lock installs on the inside of the door, users need their smartphone, the physical key for the deadbolt, or the Wyze keypad (sold separately) to unlock the door from the outside. Users who may have a habit of stepping outside should definitely keep this in mind to avoid locking themselves out.SteveL

Fantastic smart lock. Took about an hour to install and set up. Works with August Home and can be controlled by cell phone from anywhere you can log on. Really like the information the August app, it can be set to text you on the status of the door. This lock comes with the Smart Sense feature from August Home and can tell you if your door is opened or closed, locked or unlocked. Especially nice to come home and have the door unlocked when I get out of the car in the garage, just walk, in shut the door, and in 30 seconds it relocks unless you manually lock it from inside.Gary

I was lucky that this lock fit an existing deadbolt installation with minimal fuss and adjustment to the door. It could have been a disaster given I was purchasing a lock from the US to fit a door in Oz. I did check the local version and it appeared all would fare well and it did. The August integration works well with Google. I can now set codes for anyone who uses the house while we are away. I can open and lock the door remotely and with the new Nest Hello on the way I'm looking forward to a remote viewing of visitors and activity at our front door.Andrew

This is my 3rd Yale Assure SL. Of all the smart locks out there, this one is the most full featured. In my case, I wanted to make it harder for burglars to enter, which this delivers on as there's no keyhole at all! It would take either breaking the deadbolt (hard to do on ANSI grade 2), or hacking it (hard to do with encryption). In addition, being WiFi connected by August, the lock can be monitored and unlocked from anywhere with an internet connection!Raj

The Lutron wireless dimmer is an extremely easy product to install and use. The instructions were short and simple. Connecting to the app and the user experience (ease of accessibility) were pretty flawless. I really like the idea of a wireless dimmer switch because I have a dog that, occasionally, is home when the sun goes down. I like that I can adjust the lights for him even when I'm away. I also like that I can turn the lights on before I arrive home or if I'm out past the time I'd planned and don't come back to a dark house. I placed this wireless dimmer switch in my kitchen because I already have dimmers on a few of my mounted light fixtures but they are not wireless. I had someone install the device but overall, it was very simple and can be done safely by anyone. The product was installed within minutes and the in-wall dimmer worked perfectly right away. The setup on the Bridge was much easier than expected also. I was able to plug the Bridge into my wifi extended without issue. The instructions to set up the app took about 2 minutes and I was able to turn on or off the lights, along with dim them without issue. The only issue I had was with the remote; it didn't work at all. I was able to find a 3 minute YouTube video on how to re-pair the remote with the device, though, and was able to use the remote after. The remote works at a good distance; I've noticed it doesn't need to be pointed directly at the in-wall device to work properly. I give this product 4 stars because it is a little slow on dimming and brightening. It turns off slowly, as it goes through the dimming process, which is nice. However, when trying to dim the lights, from the wall or remote, you have to press the button slowly, you can't just quickly click. Overall, I think this is a great product and I would definitely purchase again. The main highlight, to me, is how easy it was to set up from installation to app.Christina

Rock solid! As an electrician of over 30 years I trust the Lutron name. These switches have been dependable and work without wifi. They have their own hub and will not clog your wifi network. Geofencing works great for not coming home to a dark home. Integration through alexa works great to trigger outdoor lights from motion detection from outdoor cameras. These are a golf standard by which all others are measured. They cost more but there a reason they do.Dave

I am using this for my basement lights. I wanted to have a switch added at the top of my stairs for the rear lights in my basement. Installation was a breeze. I added the pico remote to the top of the steps. Now, if I forget (or the kids forget) to turn off the rear lights, I can do that from the top of the stairs without having to go back down into the basement. Not having to run any wires was a HUGE plus for me and truthfully, if wires would have had to be run, I would not have done it as it would not have been feasible. I have the pico remote mounted about 30 feet from the light switch. There is little or no delay using the pico remote and I have not had any connection issues. I have not installed the Lutron bridge yet as none of my basement lights use voice control. I am planning on replacing several more switches with this set-up (minus additional bridges), so at that time, I will install the brige to enable voice-control. Very happy with the purchase and it is a must-have if you don't want to or are unable to run wires to add an additional switch for three-way control.3nvy

I've been using this lock for a couple of weeks now and I really like it, except for the fingerprint recognition. The lock and user accounts are easy to set up via the app, and I like that I can quickly assign codes — like for my contractor, cleaning people etc. The fingerprint recognition does not work well for me — I don't know if this is a flaw with the lock or with my hands. But I still like the lock.Rebecca

If you have an older timber door like mine it will take some time to do the fine adjustments with the instalment. As all locks are made, there is not much room to manoeuvre and with the smart lock it needs to run freely. If you are not handy, then I would get a specialist to do the installation. It took me a whole day and now I love it even more. It is cleaver designed and easy to operate. I love it, love it, love it! Cheers Chris form smart door locks AU. Luisalois l.

I have 3 Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro locks. The locks are exactly what I needed for Entry control on two homes. Entry by key, fingerprint, code, or phone covers all the bases for me. Long battery life via the BT/wifi connection is the finishing touch. My oldest Ultraloq has been in service for about 6 months.Steven

I would advise anyone who buys the Ring Alarm system to thoroughly read the instruction manual, lay out the products and accessories before starting. Installation will go smoother if you are familiar with the manual, products and accessories. The instruction manual is very helpful and it guides installation step by step from beginning to end. The instruction manual during set up mentions the Base Station will need to update the software when it connects to the internet. I would suggest connecting to the internet via an Ethernet cable to the modem instead of using WI-FI. This will speed up the software update to the base unit. Once the Base Station has been set up the rest of the installation will go very quickly. The white contact sensors and white motion detector is a breeze to install and are inconspicuous. When each sensor is installed verification is performed to ensure the sensor is working. The Ring Alert product has great features such as being able to purchase additional products, like contact sensors. The Base Unit and Keypad contain audible settings for volume of chimes/tones. Different audible chimes/tones can be selected for each door entrance into the home. Even if you choose not to have your home monitored by a third party, the system is still functional for home monitoring. Home monitoring without a third party will still allow alerts to be sent to your cell phone. I would recommend this product to anyone.norris47

I have been using the gen 1 Ring system for a couple years now and love the service. The system is incredibly easy to set up. You just take it out of the box, install the app, and follow directions. At the end, you're set up with a security system that rivals the big names that require expensive subscriptions and professional installation. You can monitor and control status away from home, set up custom codes, and many other cool features that are too numerous to list. The function from gen 1 to gen 2 seems to not have changed much, but the design and form of the hardware has improved dramatically. You can see in the photo the gen 1 system on the right and the gen 2 system on the right. The motion sensor and contact sensor have improved size considerably. The keypad has improved as well, and is way more attractive visually, and also more intuitive to use. Ring also made some good improvements on battery selection on the devices. The gen 1 motion and contact sensors both use CR123A batteries. Ring has now made it so the motion sensor uses AA, and the contact sensor uses CR2032. While it was nice that both gen 1 use the same batteries, they are not as readily available as the gen 2 selection. You can go to any local store and find both easily. Overall, Ring knocked it out of the park with the design improvements. They have taken an already great platform and improved the hardware in both size and aesthetics. Bravo, Ring!Rodney D

Before you purchase any Ring alarm system you must know that the app doesn't require your code to disarm. If a home invader knows this then the Duress code used on the keypad is worthless. All the invader has to do while you are under duress is to have you disarm from your smart home. I unfortunately invested in one of these systems found this out after getting to know the app and getting to know the system. Sure, the app can be deleted but what good would that be when you are away and not able to monitor from your smartphone? The Ring company builds their reputation on being able to use the app to monitor your home while away while away so you wouldn't want to delete the app. The app is a friend of the home invader since a code isn't needed to disarm your system. Perhaps readers might I just tipped off home invaders with this review. Well maybe because of this Ring will correct this major mistake. I already informed Ring about this. Ring also doesn't have a review section on their website for anyone to use to write a review. Buyer Beware!!!Disappointed

So we bought this smart dimmer thinking it would be more economical in our current living room ceiling fan, than replacing all of the bulbs with hue light bulbs, so we could control things with our Amazon Echo system. Turns out, this is true. The down side is, to install this “smart dimmer” you need to meet a couple difficult criteria. 1.). The switch needs to be a single switch. This can not replace a double switch, such as one the would have both a fan and light in a single switch plate for example. 2.) You need to have a free power wire in the back of your switch socket for this to work. Most switches, have a circuit in, ground, and a circuit out. When you flip the the switch you close the loop and your light turns on. With the “smart dimmer” you need an additional “always live” power wire to keep the switch itself powered up, even when the switch is turned off. This makes sense, considering what it is, but after checking my house, there was only 1 location that actually met this criteria. My house is 2 stories and was built in 2015. 3.) And lastly, if you plan on using something like this via remote control or Alexa or something like that, it can get really confusing if it’s linked to a circuit with multiple switches. Alexa or your smart home device will be very confusing to operate remotely. Depending on the position of the other switch/switches on the circuit, your on/off on your smart hub, could actually be the opposite depending on the positions of the other switches on the circuit at the time you left your house. Just a couple things to think about. Bang for your buck, it’s quite nice, but you need to really have the perfect application to take advantage.Ryan

I had read online that Kasa doesn't make a 3-way dimmer and everyone is waiting for one to be released. I turned this dimmer into a 3-way dimmer. I replaced two 3-way switches with the Kasa dimmer and a Kasa 3-way switch for our kitchen. I was disappointed at first because they didn't act connected. The directions from the 3-way said to press and hold for 5 sec. I tried that on the dimmer but nothing happened. I then realized that this is a software problem. If you go into the Kasa app, click Smart Actions, press +, select "control with a switch". Then you select the first switch so that when it's on, the second switch will also be on. And set up another smart action for the reverse direction. Tada! You've got a 3-way dimmer with no waiting for Kasa to launch one! Note: in retrospect, I may not have needed a 3-way switch, just a regular single pole since the software logic is what controls the switches, not the wires. HTH.S.

This was my first attempt at networking a light switch. It was straightforward, but still took me about 45 mins, primarily since my junction box had more wires in it than I was anticipating, so it took a bit of effort to clear out sufficient space in the junction box to fit the bulkier smart switch. There are many instructional videos online, or the Kasa app walks you through it. I just wish there was a physical set up guide in the box rather than going straight into the app. Switch is working great, and it was also really easy to hook up to my Google Home. I only rated 4 stars because I notice a delay when I switch on the lights now, compared to what it was before. You can set up a double click on the switch to do "instant on", but I wish that could also be set up for single click.cornford

Pretty simple to install, although I would give a huge heads up that this thing is designed to replace a simple standalone deadbolt. If you have an increasingly common handle and deadbolt combo like I did or if you're replacing other common smart locks, this will be a lot more work if you're worried about the cosmetics of your door. I had to sand down and repaint the area around the lock because the SimpliSafe is smaller in area than what it was replacing. And then the newly painted area looked out of sorts, so I wound up repainting the entire door. With that behind me, it works well. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this device. It simply locks and unlocks without fanfare or exotic functionality. You access it remotely through the SimpliSafe app which is bare. I have another smartlock on a different door that has a dozen more useful features, but elected this because it's the only thing compatible with my SimpliSafe alarm system. It does the job. Only other observation is that there is a second or two lag between keying in the code and when the lock does something whereas other locks are more instant. I do like the minimal design for what that's worth.DAS9

what a convient way for someone to unlock their door without all the effort of digging for keys in that bottomless purse us women like to carry around or for the person with their hands full of stuff and only got a finger or voice command from the cell phone to open the door . i really loved how easy this was to install and get going didn't take much tools or assemble required just a few steps and your on your way to making your life easier . i love that i can use my voice commands to make it work and it lets me know whenever someone tries to unlock my door which is some neighborhoods you got them kids that like to touch everything that dont belong to them lol . this product is nicely made and well put together and looks like it can withstand for many years. i highly recommend this productregina r

I installed the simplisafe door lock on 11/7. Immediately I had problems with the lock. It was not working right out of the box. So I called simplisafe customer service to trouble shoot. They said it was just the lock and they would send a replacement. So I got the replacement and installed that one on 11/12. It seemed to connect easily and was working well. I loved that I could see the lock status on the simplisafe app and didn’t need to download another app. However, by 11/30 it was not working again. I had a dog sitter at the house since I was out of town and it stopped working while she was there. Major inconvenience. When I got home I immediately began to trouble shoot and did all the same things that customer service had me do the first time. No luck. The base station couldn’t connect with the lock and the keypad was showing an error saying it couldn’t calibrate the lock. So I called customer service again. She had me walk through all the same steps. Resetting my system. Checking for updates (which they informed me if the system needed updating the lock would not work. So if the system doesn’t update on its own you’re locked out of your door?!). The lock finally connected. the customer service rep said if it happened again they would send a new base station. Everything else in my security system works and connects fine to the base station so thats not the problem. When googling my problem there are a lot of other people reporting similar issues.I’m returning the lock and purchasing the Yale smart lock. this is an inferior product in a market with many other options.meaghan daly

This is the coolest thing ever! I bought a new floor lamp for my bedroom and was trying to finagle ways to attach the floor switch to the side of my headboard so I can reach it when I'm in bed, but I don't have to worry about that bc of this smart bulb. I can turn it on/off from my phone and I like that I can now set it to fade on as my alarm (and it's set to do this on weekdays only) and I've set it to auto off every night in case I pass out. It's so freaking cool, I've been facetiming my friends and family to show them! ^_^Emilie

Exactly what I asked for. Before purchasing, keep in mind this bulb doesn’t change colors just different shades of white (warm-white to cool-white). The bulb is a little wider than typical standard size but will fit most standard lamps and light fixtures. Will connect to Google and Alexa for voice control options!Santo

I’ve had nothing but problems with these bulbs. Connecting them was very frustrating. Finally got that done. But it’s been nothing but issues since. They work as intended…when your connection is 100%. But if you’ve got any sort of blip in your internet (little glitches happen often), your lights flicker and have issues. I also have a dimmer and it just creates problems. Honestly, switching them out for regular bulbs. Way too annoying for me.Lianne

Been using these timers for the past 60 days. Pros: only occupy one outlet, quick and easy connection to home router, Kasa app is very easy to use, multiple settings available down to a minute, can use sunrise and sunset times, easy to check to see if timer is on/off and what the future settings are, easy to turn on/off remotely, programming has been reliable since installed. Each timer is connected to a low wattage device. Cons: Did not realize these have an operating range limit of 104 degrees. One was outside and the day it hit 105 the wifi function stopped working. The timer continues to operate the program that was last input but I have no way to change that. If you plan to use one in a potentially hot location, like in a dry outdoors location or an indoor outlet in So. AZ that gets afternoon sun you might experience the same problem. There are other units with higher ratings. I only deducted one star for that as post-wifi demise I researched and found it is clearly stated the unit has an operating range of temps.t.

So let me begin by saying I already had the Kasa app on my phone and a wifi plug set up already. I got this and it took literally seconds to add this to my app. I use this to turn off a camera looking out a window that doesn't work well at night so I have it programmed to shut that camera down at sundown and back on at sunrise. The existing wifi plug controls a lamp that I program to go on and off when I am away. Now that is great in itself, but I added them to Home Essentials Direct Alexa and now I can also control them with my voice. Got to love these things. Oh yea the other one is for my C hristmas tree when the season comes. Never have to worry about turning things on and off kneeling down and unplugging things. These make things much more convenient. My wife like that when we go out The lamp comes on at sundown so if we forget to turn it on the dogs will still have light. Oh and I can even control them on my phone if I need too. Great device.g.

If your setup fits (i.e. seems like it only works with 2.4Ghz signal) and other factors such as wifi connectivity is not a problem, then you will love this ! I have set it up and tested it, works great and it does exactly what it stated on the box and product description. The away mode is very useful when you are away to control lighting for example. There are many uses you can do with this product but different people's situation are different. So basically you just have to understand it and turn ON and OFF with scheduling feature and can remotely power ON / OFF or schedule your Power ON/ OFF with the Kasa app which hasnt' crashed on me yet or other problems such as not responding. Simple App, nothing super Fancy. Not sure why people would complain the setup time or hard to setup…if they know what they're doing and have the proper wifi connection (remember 2.4, read the instruction dont' be lazy) it took me less than 2 mins to setup 1. Plug it in (just plug it in, nothing else – ck and see blue and orange flashing), using your phone with installed Kasa app just follow the prompts and your Plug will be setup in less than 2 mins (literally, from the time you have your app up on your phone). I haven't found any operation error yet (i.e. when I press Power Off there is no response or something like takes two clicks to enable the power etc etc)Robert

I've been very impressed with this system and what comes in the box is a great mix for the first time setting one up. I have a lot of windows on my lower level so I will be purchasing a 6 pack of sensors but I like that additional items can be purchased separately so I'm not stuck in some specific package. I work in software development so I'm very techy but this system was incredibly simple to set up and the app guides through each step so even if you aren't great with technology I don't think you should have any concerns on that piece. One area non-tech people would struggle with is moving all of their existing non-security devices (like you phone, computer, smart TV, etc) to using this WiFi…if you go that route. It is great because the Alarm Pro router (the big device) has excellent WiFi, pairs incredibly easily with the WiFi extender (one of the other devices in the box) which will solve most issues if your house doesn't have good WiFi coverage, AND it has backup cell service built in which could cover all your devices. Meaning, if your normal internet from Xfinity, AT&T, etc, goes out then it automatically switches to use the built in cellular backup and you won't even notice other than it'll be slower speed. You do have to pay if you go over 3gb which you likely will if the outage is long, but it's nice to have it available. I already have a great router and tons of devices connected that I don't want to change to a new router so this system is plugged into my other router and just being used for the Ring security devices. The only downside is if my internet has an outage I won't be backed up but I'm ok with that and it made the setup really simple so I don't need to do anything to my existing devices. As far as the security system goes, I love it! the sensors respond immediately, setup took just a couple minutes per sensor, and I've had no false alarms. You can also customize everything so for example during the day I have the system disarmed so there will be no alarms but I still get beeps when a door/window is open (you can customize the tone or if there is a sound for each sensor which is great). I set the schedule to arm the alarm at night automatically and I can control which sensors will sound the alarm and how long before the alarm sounds so if I forget and open a door late then I hear a quiet notification for awhile before the loud alarm wakes up my kid. The only thing I don't love about this is that it is kind of odd requiring two apps, one for the alarm portion and one for the router/WiFi. It makes sense because this is combining two independent (Amazon owned) company devices into one, and they make it clear when to switch between the two apps so it's not terrible and at least means they are two apps that function very well instead of messy broken stuff in one app. But for example the Ring app will let you change how bright the blue circle LED is (which is pretty bright by default) but then to turn off the white LED which is an inch away on the same device you need to go to the eero app. A lot of devices won't let you customize these things so I'm not going to complain, just an example of how some small areas can be a little strange using two apps for the same device. Overall this is certainly a 5 star system. I love that I can add monitoring if I want (costs $ but is cheap compared to others) or leave it as just a system for me to monitor (free). I think it's also wise to go with Ring because they keep adding more devices and innovating so you don't have to worry about the system becoming obsolete in a couple years, it is worth getting!JonC

This Ring Alarm Pro kit is a great value! I love that the Alarm Pro base station serves as an eero router! eero is the best mesh Wi-Fi solution on the market right now, and I love having the option to extend my mesh Wi-Fi network with additional access points in the future as I add more devices to my home. The Alarm hardware itself is quite nice. The individual sensors were surprisingly small and have a sleek modern/minimalist look. The dedicated hardware keypad is very convenient. I like that I can control my home's alarm system with Alexa, the Ring app, or the keypad for extra convenience. I was able to do a DIY install without much trouble. The hardest part was swapping out my existing router with the Alarm Pro base station and getting everything on my network reconfigured. However, if you've ever set up a Wi-Fi router before, it's very similar. Mounting the contact sensors, motion detector and keypad was very easy. The keypad includes a handy bracket for mounting to the wall, and the motion detectors adhere to the wall near windows and doors. I'm not sure how long the batteries will last in each component, but hopefully they work for the claimed 1-year without any hassle. The included range extender is great for flexibility. I had trouble getting reliable connectivity to a contact sensor located in my garage, but placing the range extender halfway between the base station on the sensor eliminated all reliability issues. The Ring app is very simple to use. It's very intuitive to switch between Home and Away, or disarm the whole system with a single button. The Ring app itself is a little annoying. I don't like that it it's trying to upsell me a subscription or advertise other Ring products. It gets the job done, but it's a bit bloated for my needs. I also don't like that I need to use the separate eero app to change my Wi-Fi network settings. It'd be nice if I could control everything from a single, dedicated app. The Ring Protect Pro subscription is a great deal, compared to other monitored security solutions on the market. I found that you can qualify for a home insurance discount from some providers. My insurer offers a 10% discount on my premium for having a monitored alarm system in my home. These savings nearly offset the entire cost of the subscription! I love having access to a backup LTE Internet connection through the Ring Protect Pro subscription. It's very reassuring to know that my home will continue to be protected and that I'll be able to continue to get on the Internet even if my primary connection is down The included eero Secure web filtering, ad blocking and usage stats are very compelling features! Overall, this Ring Alarm Pro kit offers a great value for everything it provides.KyleH

This alarm kit comes with a decent amount of features- key pad, four contact sensors, motion Detector and a range extender. From what I had read, the eero Wi-Fi 6 router has great reviews for speed but did not realize it only covers up to 1500 square feet. Which depending on the size of your house- that might not be adequate. Unfortunately that has been the case with our house. But they do offer eero extenders which are also sold separately. I personally had a tough time with set up, as I am not that skilled with technology, and using the two different apps became confusing during the process. The keypad is easy to use, and I really like that there is the opportunity to have access to alerting local police, emergency responders, and 24/7 professional monitoring (with additional subscription) but I still this this is a great option if you can afford the addition subscription. Also, it will send notifications right to your phone. I really like that there are no commitments and it can be month to month. A lot more affordable than other security options! The base and the keypad both give off a siren noise when the alarm is set off. The base sound is a lot louder than the keypad so it can easily be heard. Just by testing the system it seems accurate and I have more peace of mind when it is installed. Additionally, the sensor pieces are easy to set up and easy to change locations without much effort which is a really nice feature. The key pad can be plugged in or used wirelessly which is a great feature! It’s also cool that you can adjust the keypad settings in the ring app easily. I personally did not like that our internet had to be set up through the router that came with it. For me, this was a disadvantage as it didn’t provide enough coverage that we needed for the size of our home. Due to that reason I had disconnected it until we are able to purchase the additional extenders.Ginger20

I decided to try this out for 3 reasons: 1) we have the baby monitor and it's lasted longer than any others AND when I dropped it eufy replaced it for free, next day. 2) no monthly service fees and local storage so you control all the data 3) All of their security products interact with each other so we got the doorbell and lock together So far it's been amazing. A few things to note: 1) Incredibly easy to install. Even comes with a measuring sticker so you can easily find the hole spacing to drill. You will need tools. 2) UI is super smooth and the tech is also great! Not buggy at all, so far, and seems a little more intuitive than Nest. LOVE the finger print sensor also – amazing feature since it's simplifies the unlock process especially if you have lots of bags, etc. 3) All the benefits of its competitors but perfected them and easy to share access on individual products/groups of products with features and benefits I didn't even know about To be seen how long it lasts but if anything like the other Eufy products we own, not concerned. HIGHLY recommend.VHappy

I recently installed this product in May 2022, a week before this review. I bought this particular lock because fingerprint scanner was one of my must haves and I'm really glad I didn't buy the one without it. Its a hassle to put PIN or use phone every time and also the risk of PIN being pried. Installation is made easy by providing steps in each packaging and can be done in half an hour for a layman with a screw driver. Product looks great, finishing is perfect and feels like a good quality lock. Fingerprint scanner works great and has been working flawlessly since installation. Unlocking is quite quick once you scan your finger and I didn't feel any lag. So far I'm happy with the product except few things. The entry and exit event history is not 100% accurate. It misses 10% of the time and shows 2 locking or unlocking events simultaneously and misses the in-between events. Sometimes App shows door unlocked even when its actually locked. I'm not sure if these are installation issues but I have tried and installed the lock perfectly and deadbolt moves freely without any resistance at all. If these issues are resolved, I won't have any problem giving it a 5 out of 5.Andy Dhak

Pros: This lock is easy to install and looks like a regular deadbolt/knob so it’s stealthy. It is very seamless….. when it works, but more on that later.
Overall, this is a good product in theory, but the execution is piss poor in my opinion.

Cons: The touch function is very finicky. In my experience having this product for 2 years, the touch function maybe worked 40 – 50% of the time. For a lock costing several hundred dollars, I need EVERYTHING to work ALL the time. I switched to Auto Unlock since the touch wasn’t working and I will admit that the Auto Unlock was much more reliable working about 85 – 90% of the time. But again, this cost several hundred dollars and I’m sorry, 85 – 90% just isn’t good enough at that price point. I was ok with the unreliable locking and unlocking, but I cannot forgive Level’s support. After I broke my phone and had to get a new phone I was no longer able to add my lock to my phone. Level said it wasn’t my lock in the app. Jesus Christ. I had to reset the whole lock. After doing that, all those who I sent keys to lost their keys. I tried resending them their keys but it just says “Pending”. I went on Level lock to find troubleshooting options and the “help” is useless. As of this comment, none of my family members have been gotten the text message link with their Level keys and I have no idea why. The moral of this bad review is, this product is nice, but it just doesn’t work the way how I thought it would. I’ve had other smart locks and they worked 100% of the time every time every day. Of course those locks were slightly simpler and didn’t have all the bells and whistles as this Level lock and I think that’s the issue. Level bit off more than they could chew. On a scale of shit – 10. This product is a fart.Madison 3

I recently got this smart deadbolt by Level Lock and this lock is absolutely amazing! I chose the satin nickel finish to match my existing doorknob and it is a beautiful finish. In the nicely packaged box you get the lock, the strike plate, the needed screws, the CR-2 battery, 2 regular house keys and 2 key cards. Replacing my deadbolt with this smart lock was super simple and within ten minutes it was installed. I downloaded the Level app and it walked my through each step of the process. Pairing my new lock only took a few minutes. The app itself is very easy to use which made customizing the settings simple. There are multiple ways in which you can use this smart lock and it can all be customized in the app. If your phone is in range, you have the option to lock or unlock the door simply by touching it. You can also customize this lock to automatically unlock when you are a certain distance from your door as long as your phone is in range. I love this feature as it is super helpful when I have my little one in my hands or groceries! With this lock you can also use the auto lock feature which will lock your door for you and again this can be customized in the app. I love that I no longer have to worry about remembering to lock my door as this smart lock will atomically do it for me! Another feature to lock or unlock your door is using one of two access cards. These cards work great, you just simply hold the card by the lock, and it will lock or unlock the door for you! These cards are like the room cards you receive at hotels, they are super convenient! You can also use the 2 provided keys to manually unlock your door which is a great backup system if the battery dies or something occurs with your phones network. No matter which way I use to lock or unlock my door, they all work effortlessly. You can also create passes in the app to share with your family/friends to gain access to your home when needed. You will also get notifications from the app that your door was locked or unlocked. I like that this deadbolt appears to be just a regular lock and is not bulky and keeps the look of my door simple. The finish of the lock looks as good as the first day I got it absolutely no scratches and we are constantly in and out using the various features. If you are looking for a smart lock that is high quality, I definitely recommend this one by Level Lock. This would also make a fabulous gift!Crystal19

I was a little nervous about installing this but after downloading the app, there's some nice visuals that walk you thru the process and it's honestly painless – I have some experience with installing "dumb" locks and I have some experience with smart locks, having previously owned a Schlage Sense, but I was excited to try this out because the Schlage was honestly a pain to install and remove when moving. Nonetheless, got everything installed and I was "calibrating the lock" when I discovered the first flaw. The motor is not powerful enough to turn the deadbolt if there's even the slightest bit of resistance. In other words, in my apartment, it's new construction and the buildings settled some since then so you have to give the door a little extra push with this lock – a normal lock the deadbolt engages in a way where this isn't necessary because the force of you manipulating the deadbolt with a key just means you give the lock a little more wrist action and it fixes itself. So after discovering this flaw I found that the lock works – in the sense of – there's a longer and shorter deadbolt bit and the default one engaged in a way where the door was successfully locking just not via the app. So already I was tossing up the idea of – okay it comes with a key, but then it's like that kills the whole smart lock concept completely and a dumb lock is significantly cheaper than this $300+ one. So I decide to go ahead and take it down and I go to unlock the door when the door refuses to open. I quickly discovered a severe second flaw with this lock. The deadbolt is essentially a twist on/twist off and it houses the battery and there's a little spring in there – so essentially you push down and rotate the piece with the Level logo and essentially that "locks" the battery in place; however, somehow the battery and the cage sprang out and the battery lodged itself in between the lock and the door frame – so effectively I was locked inside my apartment. On the third floor. My only way in/out. So trying not to panic I thought fast and started disassembling the lock – it DOES seem like some thought was put into this as the motor piece can be removed from the deadbolt – however third flaw, there's no way to "grip" or "grab" the motor piece once you unscrew it as everything is really tight in that little door cut out hole. So after about 30 minutes of using a screw driver to try to push the battery back into the deadbolt and it popping out because of the spring, I finally wedged the screw driver into the door frame and used a putty knife to push the battery the other way and eventually the door popped open and I immediately removed this lock. I say all that to say I was very fortunate that this happened while I was inside. Had this happened when you're outside (especially in my scenario, third floor only entry/exit) you would've likely had to break the door down to gain entry because even with the key the issue was not the deadbolt itself – it was actually disabled -it was the battery got caught half in the deadbolt half in the door frame and there's just enough of a gap where this really could've been a lot worse. For reference the cap that attaches into the end of the battery is a magnet and that part was also lodged into the part of the frame where the deadbolt engages which is the other reason the door got jammed the way it did. I reached out to support to see if this is a defect or if they'd be willing to replace the lock, but we'll wait and see what happens. Brief note from using the app – the lock/unlock functionality is not very intuitive. I kept looking for how you use your phone to send the command (it turns out you press and hold on the Level logo) – after a while a popup came up informing me of that. Similarly, there's no clear instructions on how to program the NFC cards and I finally figured out lay it on the counter and touch the phone to it but it was very picky about how – i.e. when I tapped the phone on it sideways I got a popup about a bad read. Maybe putting a little icon on these to indicate this would be nice. In summary, it is a quality product as evidenced by the build quality — there's definitely some areas of improvement so I give it fair marks for value and it was easy to install although there's some work that can be done in the app and with evaluating some of these flaws so fair marks for that. Considering I got locked inside my apartment, obviously wouldn't recommend it to my friend.Gadgeteer

I own two Sonos Ones, a Move and a Boost. The Sonos Move is designed to be a standalone speaker. It is battery powered and Bluetooth compatible. Since it has a battery and does not require Wi-Fi, it is very portable. Sound quality is good and battery life is great. You can take this portable speaker anywhere you have Bluetooth. The Sonos Move is NOT compatible with the Boost (SONOS) network. I was very disappointed this fact is NOT mentioned in the sales information, documentation or online help. The Move seemed finicky on my Wi-Fi EERO mesh network. Reinstallation with the incompatible Boost required extensive research of Sonos documentation, help and user forums. I eventually uninstalled both the iOS and Windows apps and performed several factory resets before the Move worked on the EERO mesh network. Because most of the documents does not mention the Move is NOT compatible with the Sonos network installation was not straight forward. Adding the Boost using the iOS app did not work as documented. The Sonos documentation and help were no help. The user forums sent me down a couple wrong paths but eventually provided the answers I needed.Bill White Hair

If you are already invested into the Sonos ecosystem, this speaker is a no brainer. I’ve owned many of the JBL portable speakers over the years and was hesitant to spend this much on a portable speaker. However, it’s Sonos and they are known for superior sound quality and functionality. Once the speakers was delivered and tested, I had no problem with how expensive it was. Pros: The battery life is fantastic. I’m getting over 10 hours between charges. The bass is very impressive for a speaker of its size. The mids and highs are just right. You also can adjust all of the EQ settings as well as automatic trueplay in the app just like their other speakers. Just like their other speakers, when at home on wifi, you can sync it to your other Sonos speakers. Take this speaker outside in the backyard and keep your whole home audio synced up. It also has Bluetooth so you can still connect to it via Bluetooth when taking it with you away from home. It also has Alexa, Google Home and the new Sonos Voice features. These work flawlessly. Charging was well thought out. It comes with a ring stand with plug that it sits on when not carrying around. It stays on like all other Sonos speakers when on the ring. When off the ring, it will power itself off after about 15 mins of no audio playing to conserve battery power. If you are away, it has a USB C port that you can use to charge it or leave plugged in when away from the ring base when needed. Cons: At this point, I’ve yet to come across a single con. If I had to nit pick about anything, I would say that the wire from the base to the plug isn’t removable so if the wire were to break for whatever reason, the whole base needs to be replaced. I say this is minor because technically, the base isn’t necessary for charging since there is also a USB C port as an option as well. Over all, if anything ever happened to this speaker, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it again unless they release a new version of it by that time. The sound is just crazy good as is most of Sonos speakers. If you’re on the fence, don’t be. You will not be disappointed in it.x1PateintZero1x