💡 Most of the people reviewing Smart Home gear have some gear list on their websites. Mine will be no different.
⚠️ This page is currently being updated. A lot has happened this year, including the death of my mother, so obviously a lot of shit has taken a backseat. I have invested heavily in my smart home/apartment so expect to see some updates about this. You can also find me on Suburban Smarts, my smart home Substack, as well as checking out my new project, the documentation of which you can find at Suburban Smarts Docs.
Smart Home Gear
- Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen
- I have two of these, one in my office and one in my master bathroom.
- Amazon Echo 2nd Gen
- I use this as my main smart home speaker.
- Apple HomePod, White
- Office stereo and shortcuts runner.
- SmartThings Motion Sensor
- This is an amazing little motion sensor I use in my office that connects to the SmartThings hub where you can automate all kinds of things.
- SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor
- I have one on my front door and one on my patio door.
- Samsung SmartThings Outlet
- Recommended by Smart Home Solver and something I am trying to find a use for1.
- Sonos One Gen 2 White
- This is a nice speaker for my bedroom but it doesn’t have much in the way of automation abilities.
- Aotnex for Wyze Cam Pan Outlet Wall Mount
- The Dot Genie Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen Wall Mount
- Tabletop Bulb Base
- I have this sitting on my bookshelf in my office and I love the way it looks. Thanks Smart Home Solver!
- Nanoleaf Rhythm
- Got it and it’s awesome.
- Wemo Mini Smart Plug
- Another set of HomeKit compatible devices strewn about my apartment. Just recently bought one for the office to automate my office fan.
- Refurbished: Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (1st Gen.) 128GB
- I mounted this in my entryway for quick-hitter automations.
- PROPER iPad Pro Case (12.9”)
- I mount my iPad to the wall in this case
- PROPER X Lock Wall Mount
- I have two of these, one black, one white for my two mounted iPads.
- Refurbished: Apple iPad Air 2 Silver
- I have my mom’s old iPad Air 2 mounted in my kitchen for recipes and small automations instead of buying an Echo Show and sitting it on the counter.
- PROPER X Lock Case
- This holds my iPad Air 2 in the kitchen on the Proper X Wall Mount.
- eufy Security 2K Indoor Cam Pan & Tilt, Plug-in Security Indoor Camera
- More of my HomeKit initiative, this camera has some issues with iOS 14 Home app. I like it a lot though.
- HomePod - Space Gray
- I have two of these as smart speakers for my living room Apple TV. I have 4 HomePods in total, which, I know. It’s ridiculous.
- ASAKUKI Smart Wi-Fi Essential Oil Diffuser, App Control Compatible with Alexa
- I bought a few diffusers to hook up to a couple smart plugs but unfortunately those diffusers need a physical power-on. I bought these more expensive diffusers to make the rooms in my apartment smell great and even better than that, automated.
- VOCOlinc HomeKit Smart Power Strip Multi Outlet Surge Protector Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- I wanted a way to automate turning on the studio lights whenever I record a video. 😉 This was an idea I got from Eric Welander, one of my favorite smart home YouTube creators. Check out his channel if you’re into HomeKit.
- Ring Alarm 5-piece kit (2nd Gen) – home security system
- As things start adding up in here, and with crime picking up as many people are struggling2, I felt increasingly paranoid about the safety of myself and my belongings. I live in the suburbs within a high crime city. I felt like I needed something.
- TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 3,800 sq. 2-pack
- Since moving here I have had constant dropouts on my network, despite gigabit speeds. I was also not getting the speeds advertised to me with the ISP’s router. I decided to get a mesh system as I have 45 or more devices connected to my network and it has been great so far; faster network speeds, and more.
- HomePod mini - Space Gray - Apple
- I got rid of my Sonos One thinking I could use two HomePod Minis as default speaker for the Apple TV 4K I just recently got for my bedroom3 but apparently you can’t set them as default speakers for your Apple TV 4K just yet. Hopefully that feature is added to the Minis in the next iOS release.
Homepod minis for the Apple TV Fitness+ experience. - Echo Show 8 – HD smart display with Alexa, Sandstone
- I wanted a dedicated recipe machine for the kitchen and maybe another for viewing who is at my door. My apartment complex has okay’d a video doorbell, as long as I don’t drill holes in the door, and so I am most likely getting another Echo Show 8 for my office and a Eufy Video Doorbell Camera.
Recipe screen in my small kitchen. - I decided to get another one for viewing the Eufy Video Doorbell I just bought.
- August AUG-SL-CON-S03 Silver Smart Lock Pro, 3rd Generation-Dark Gray
- I have been debating getting a smart lock for some time and finally pulled the trigger. Nice part about this is it fits over your existing deadbolt, making it perfect for us apartment dwellers.
- eufy Security, Wireless Video Doorbell (Battery-Powered) with 2K HD, No Monthly Fee, On-Device AI for Human Detection, 2-Way Audio, Simple Self-Installation
- The fact that there are no peepholes on these doors is criminal. I asked about a video doorbell and they gave me permission to add one. They thanked me for asking them and that seemed weird. Guess people do whatever the fuck they want here. Guy has an Arlo camera and I am glad. Crime is on the rise.
- Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (8gb)
- I am running my new hub on this.
- Philips Hue Play White & Color Ambiance Bar Smart Light Extension, White
- Moving most of my smart lights off of LIFX and on to Philips Hue4, which I’ll write about more later.
- Philips Hue Play White & Color Ambiance Bar Smart Light, 2 Pack, Black (Requires Hue Hub
- Philips Hue White Ambiance E12 LED Candle Light Bulb, Bluetooth & Zigbee Compatible
- Roborock S6 Pure Robot Vacuum and Mop, Multi-Floor Mapping, Lidar Navigation, No-go Zones, Selective Room Cleaning
- Philips 473371 Hue Smart Dimmer Switch With Remote (Installation-Free, Smart Home, Exclusively For Hue Smart Bulbs)
- Philips 461004 Hue White Ambiance A19 60W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Bulb
- Philips Hue Indoor Motion Sensor for Smart Lights (Requires Hue Hub, Installation-Free, Smart Home
- Philips Hue White A21 High Lumen Smart Bulb, 1600 Lumens, Bluetooth & Zigbee Compatible
- Philips Hue 548610 Smart Light Bulb, 2, White and Color Ambiance (16 Million Colors), 2 Count
- TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit Switch, Easy Smart Managed, Plug & Play
- I am using switches to route a lot of my smart home/electronics through the mesh wifi ap I have in my office. This one allows me to create a VLAN on my network in order to separate my IoT devices into their own network.
- TP-Link TL-SG108, 8 Port Gigabit Unmanaged Ethernet Network Switch, Ethernet Splitter, Plug & Play
- Basically an ethernet extender.
- Philips Hue Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus 2m/6ft Base Kit with Plug
- Wyze Bulb Color
- These. Are. So. Bright.
- Nanoleaf Essentials 80” Lightstrip Starter Kit - Apple
- Haven’t set these up yet but they’re going under the kitchen cabinets. I need to cut them and connect them with an LED strip connector in order to avoid sticking them under the microwave between the cabinets.
- Synology 4 bay NAS DiskStation DS920+ (Diskless), 4-bay; 4GB DDR4
- I have Homebridge running in a Docker container on this. There are a couple other things I want to do with this as well.
- Flic 2 Starter Kit
These are just some of the things I’ll be reviewing over the next year.
Retired Gear
All the gear I don’t use anymore
- SmartThings Hub
- Logitech Harmony Hub
- LIFX A19 Bulbs
- Switching everything over to Philips Hue. More in an upcoming post.
- LIFX A19 Mini Day and Dusk White Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb
- Hue again.
- Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - Previous Generation
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- Eve Room - Indoor Air Quality Monitor for tracking VOC, temperature & humidity with Apple HomeKit
- Roborock S5 Robot Vacuum and Mop
- Eve Door & Window - Wireless Contact Sensor with Apple HomeKit Technology
- Koogeek WiFi Plug Smart Outlet Compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant
- LIFX Z LED Strip
- VOCOlinc Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Strip (Starter Kit)
- Wyze Sense Starter Kit
- Wyze Cam Pan
My biggest inspiration for starting this channel, blog, and the like is Smart Home Solver’s YouTube channel. I’ve devoured all of their content. For starters, check out Reed’s new Smart Home.
Pretty rad.
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