Amazon Prime Days are the time to adopt new smart devices to save time and money. Here’s what I’ve found most useful.
Trust me: Smart home devices make awesome home upgrades as well as handy gifts for the person who has everything. But they’re not all created equal. I’ve been testing home devices for years, and I watch for several factors before I recommend them to people, including real-world results for saving money and energy, daily uses that actually make my life easier and features that help protect our privacy.
Here are my favorite devices that pass the test and are available for big discounts during Amazon’s October Prime Day. They include budget items that cost less than dinner and high-end additions, if you want to spend more to get the best. See what your home could use, below.
A tiny, LED indicator light lets you know the status of your smart plug and if it's rebooting or shut down. / Molly Price/CNET
Smart plugs make great first-time home upgrades, adding app-based scheduling and remote control for typically just $10 to $15. They work especially well with common household appliances, including something as simple as a lamp.
Tapo’s two-pack option is one of my favorites for an important reason: It also adds energy monitoring, which few plugs have but is handy for spotting energy hogs around your home, such as those hungry space heaters you may have brought out for cold weather.
Tapo's plugs are both an easy and cheap upgrade, but my favorite extra is the energy monitoring option.
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