Engadget
Making your first apartment after college a little smarter doesn’t have to cost a ton of money — and it shouldn’t take a lot of effort, either. If you’re just getting settled in your new place or are ready to give your long-term digs some automated tricks, this list can help.
When we test smart home devices for an Engadget guide, we always look for budget options as well as picks that are good for newbies, both of which you’ll find here. Combine a smart speaker with a smart plug and you’ll never have to fumble with a lamp in the dark again. Set your robo vac to clean up while you’re gone and you’ll come home to sparkling floors. We included our favorite streaming stick for a lifetime supply of free TV content, and of course there’s a mini air fryer pick, because every kitchen needs an air fryer, no matter how small.
Plug it into a wall outlet where Wi-Fi strength is low, connect it to your network and presto: instant signal boost.
This extender also has an Ethernet port, meaning you can plug in devices that might benefit from a wired connection: Blu-ray player, game console, etc.
The Blink Mini 2 is a small but mighty indoor security camera with two-way audio, an LED spotlight and 1080p HD video that works day or night. It has a wider 143-degree diagonal field of view compared to the last version, plus a low-light image sensor and infrared night vision.
If you already have the Blink Video Doorbell, the Mini 2 can double as a plug-in chime, which makes it extra handy. You’ll need a Blink Subscription Plan to unlock features like person detection and motion alerts, but it comes with a free 30-day trial so you can see if it’s worth it.
You can even use the Mini 2 outdoors if you grab the weather-resistant power adapter (sold separately). The price tends to bounce between $40 and $20. So, while this isn’t a record-low deal, it’s still a great time to grab a solid DIY security camera at one of its best prices.
I found the tackiest, most amazing lamp in the lobby of one of my first apartment buildings and I still cherish it to this day — but its rotary switch is extremely hard to turn. I’ve since plugged it into one of Kasa’s EP25 Smart Plugs and now it automatically comes on just before sunset and goes off when I say goodnight to Alexa (or ask it to turn off the “ugly lamp”). Many smart plugs out there will do this, but the EP25 is the top performer from our guide because we found it connects easily, works reliably and is compatible with all four major smart home platforms.
A perfect bedside assistant, this little device can play your favorite tunes to help you drift off to sleep, as well as control Alexa-enabled devices and more.
Connected bulbs might be the easiest way to turn your analog home into a “smart” one. A single smart light can ensure you never walk into a dark apartment again. You can set schedules for your daily routines or make it look like you’re home when you’re not. Being able to turn things off with just your voice or via an app can save you from getting out of bed when you’re ready to crash. Our senior commerce editor, Valentina Palladino tested a number of bulbs for our guide and thinks TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Bulbs give you the best value. Installation will be easy, even for those new to smart devices, thanks to Kasa’s clean and simple app. It’s worth noting that voice control is only available with Alexa or the Google Assistant; Siri is unfortunately incompatible.
Whether it’s traffic exhaust in the city, pollen in the suburbs or wildfire smoke everywhere, it’s not always ideal to throw open your apartment’s windows to get some fresh air. An air purifier can help keep your indoor air healthier when you’re shut inside, and we like this small-space unit from Levoit. The Core 300S smart air purifier is an app-compatible gadget that can automatically adjust its fan speed depending on how much particulate matter it detects in the air. We found it to be nearly silent running on low and not too distracting when on high. Plus it’s relatively affordable and the replacement filters only cost around $35.
The Sonos Roam 2 is both a smart and portable speaker, packing a decent amount of utility into a $180 package. While not the cheapest around, it’s relatively low-cost for Sonos, a brand known for quality audio. The Roam will play whichever music service you prefer, delivering clear highs and impressive bass for its size. Alexa is built in and you can access the Google Assistant too, which means you can use the speaker to order around your compatible smart home devices. And when it’s time to relax, you can ask Roam to play just about any song you can think of.
I didn’t really get the air fryer hype until someone bought me one as a gift last year. Consider me a convert. It cooks up food almost as fast as the microwave, but instead of soggy and hot, leftovers, potatoes, nachos and tofu come out crisp and sizzling. The Vortex 2QT Mini from Instant Pot is on our list of the best air fryers as the budget pick. Its smaller size is perfect for one person and the onboard controls are simple to figure out, even for my fellow microwave-only folk. The compact size also means it won’t take up a lot of space on your countertops and its versatility means you can use your oven for other, more important things.
If you've had one of these bad boys on your wishlist for a while, I'd urge you to scoop up this deal while you can. Why? Well, it happens to be a wild 48% off. Roomba and robovacs are pretty much synonymous at this point, and the fact that this one has a three-stage cleaning system that works great on both carpets and hard floors make this markdown one you don't want to miss. It can run for up to two hours on a single charge and recharges itself so you never have to worry about it dying while cleaning.
Some older apartments don’t have built-in lighting, while others sport fluorescent overheads that suck the life out of your eyeballs — the answer to both problems is lamps. You can turn any vintage find into a smart lamp with a smart plug or bulb, but the Govee Floor Lamp Pro has the automation built in. It’s our favorite floor lamp in our smart lights guide because it’s just an all-around cool device. At $200, it’s one of the pricier items on this list, but you not only get a lamp that can produce millions of colors, the base is also a Bluetooth speaker that, as we noted, gets pretty loud. The lights can sync with your music but can also produce a just-right soft white. It’ll output up to 2,100 lumens and the lighting tube rotates 300 degrees. Matter compatibility means it’ll work with the smart home ecosystem of your choice, letting you control it with your voice, through a home app or with the included remote.
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