Smart Home

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro takes the winning formula of Ring's more affordable smart doorbells and puts it in a slim package that looks more like a traditional doorbell button. It has the best video quality of any doorbell camera we tested and is one of the easiest to install and use.

In many ways, Nest helped define the modern smart home by transforming utilitarian devices such as thermostats, smoke detectors and security cameras into attractive, innovative products. The Nest Hello smart doorbell is one of the latest examples of this.

On paper, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 and the original Ring Video Doorbell are nearly identical. However, the Ring 2 has better video quality, is slightly easier to use and is much easier to install. These improvements are enough to make the Ring Video Doorbell 2 the best smart doorbell available.

The August Doorbell Cam Pro is an excellent video doorbell that lets you use your smartphone to see and speak to people at your front door. In addition to recording HD video, this model has a number of services and features that make it one of the most convenient smart doorbells around.

The SkyBell HD has a unique circular visual aesthetic that makes it stand out among smart doorbells. It has a wealth of smart home options, but mostly for home security systems. We like its customizable LED button and 1080p HD video.

The Ring Video Doorbell was one of the first smart doorbells upon its release in 2013. It was the best doorbell camera you could buy until its successor, Ring Video Doorbell 2, hit the market in 2017.

The Emerson Sensi is missing many of the energy-management, design and support features found on other programmable thermostats. However, it makes it easy to program temperature settings to align with your lifestyle.

The Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi thermostat is a lean version of the Honeywell Lyric Round.

The Carrier Cor smart thermostat has plenty of features to help you conserve energy and save money on your utility bills. It monitors indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity, and it adjusts the inside temperature using this information.

The LUX/GEO smart thermostat doesn’t have a particularly modern design, but it performs well and is affordable.

The ecobee4 is an exceptional smart thermostat that builds on ecobee's previous successes. It's the first thermostat we've tested that directly incorporates Amazon's Alexa service. This means you don't need a separate Amazon Echo device to get the benefits of voice control.

ecobee's budget smart thermostat, the ecobee3 lite, uses intuitive technology to keep your home comfortable.

Overall, the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is a capable programmable thermostat. It has a simple onscreen interface, and its companion smartphone app is easy to use.

The Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation successfully blurs the lines between home security, automation and climate control. Over time, it learns your habits and adjusts to your lifestyle to conserve energy and lower your utility bills.

The Venstar ColorTouch T7850 is a good option if you are ready to upgrade your thermostat. It's attractive and easy to navigate.