7 Best Smart Home Hub In 2023
In recent years, using smart home hubs has become increasingly popular to upgrade and streamline your home’s electronic system. With a smart hub, you can enjoy the convenience of controlling all your connected devices from one centralized location. This not only saves you time and energy but also helps you to reduce your overall carbon footprint. Smart Home hubs can be perfect for any room in the house: bedroom, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, etc. Additionally, many smart home hubs have built-in security features, giving you added peace of mind when you’re away from home. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or simply looking for a more efficient way to manage your home’s electronics, investing in a smart hub could be an excellent choice.
Click to learn how to set up your smart home.
What Are the Best Smart Home Hubs?
1. Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Price at time of publishing: $99.99
Key Benefits
- Alexa Gaurd, which can help keep you and your loved ones safe
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 3.5 mm line in/out
Pros
- Sleek Design
- Big Amazon Ecosystem
- Great bass
Cons
- The audio is not as good as #2
Best Smart Home Hub for Alexa Users
With Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee, the Amazon Echo (4th Generation) is most people’s best smart home hub. Thanks to its multiple radios, it can connect to many low-power smart home devices. Alexa’s routines are sophisticated, letting you use several triggers to activate other smart home devices automatically. It also works with Alexa Guard, which will listen for glass breaking and smoke alarms, turn on your lights, and notify you in an emergency. It also connects to scores of smart home devices; you’ll want to check out our list of the best Alexa-compatible devices when putting together your smart home.
The 4th-generation Echo also supports Amazon Sidewalk, a new low-power, long-range networking protocol that will work with things such as Tile trackers and smart lights over much greater distances.
2. Aeotec Smart Home Hub
Price at time of publishing: $134.99
Key Benefits
- Allows you to group devices on one app for easy group control
Pros
- It can be more automated than other hubs on the list
- Works with Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Matter
- Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant
Cons
- It isn’t compatible with HomeKit
- Difficult to upgrade
- No battery backup
Best Smart Home Hub that works with SmartThings
The Aeotec Smart Home Hub has a 528MHz ARM Cortex A7 processor, which uses 2GB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage for its firmware and local settings. The Hubitat has a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage space. While Hubitat is focused on local use in the event of broadband connection failure, Aeotec emphasizes internet connectivity, allowing for remote control of connected devices from anywhere with online access.
The Aeotec hub can connect with Zigbee (including Philips Hue), Z-Wave, and Wi-Fi devices but does not support Bluetooth accessories. It accepts voice commands from Alexa and Google Assistant but does not work with Apple’s Siri or HomeKit ecosystem. However, this may change soon due to the company’s close relationship with Matter. If successful, any supported device could connect with any supported hub, resulting in the closest thing to universal compatibility for smart home products.
3. Apple HomePod (2nd Generation)
Price at time of publishing: $299.00
Key Benefits
- Apple-designed woofer, five tweeters
- 6.6-inch mesh body
- Spatial recognition
Pros
- Integrates well with other Apple Products
- Supports Matter
- Phenomenal Sound
- Great Apple Ecosystem
Cons
- One of the most expensive smart speakers on the market
- No Siri control for Spotify or other music streaming apps
Apple’s Premium Smart Home Speaker
The second generation of the Apple HomePod has received a few upgrades to make it more compatible with the smart home of the future. It now supports the Matter smart home standard, making connecting and controlling a more comprehensive range of devices more accessible. Additionally, the HomePod 2 is equipped with temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to create automation in HomeKit.
The HomePod can also listen for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and notify you in case of an alarm. We found that the HomePod 2 produces the same high-quality sound as the original and is one of the best smart speakers available. However, its price of $299 may be a deterrent for those not heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem. Check out the article we just wrote about the best smart speakers.
4. Amazon Echo Dot with Clock
Price at time of publishing: $59.00
Key Benefits
- Won’t take up much space
- Can act as Wi-Fi extender
Pros
- Inexpensive (Most affordable option on list)
Most Affordable smart home hub
The Echo Dot with Clock rings at just $59, making it a bang for a buck smart home hub for those looking to dip their toes into automation. While lacking in Zigbee or Z-Wave, it makes up for it by accommodating Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices and even extends coverage when equipped with an eero mesh Wi-Fi router.
Thanks to the Alexa app, you can easily create powerful routines, like Alexa Guard, that instantly alert you when doors are unlocked or smoke or glass breakage is detected.
Not interested in a clock? The 5th-gen Echo Dot can be bought without for $49, and the 3rd-gen model, albeit older and flatter, still stands at $49. With these options, you can find the perfect fit for you and your smart home setup.
5. Amazon Echo Show 10
Price at time of publishing: $249.99
Key Benefits
- Built-in motion tracking camera, which is excellent for video calls
- Two-way doorbell and camera audio
Pros
- Wait until you hear the audio
- Can serve as a digital picture frame
Cons
- It takes up 9.7 x 6.9 x 4.2 inches which is a large amount of space to dedicate to a hub
- One of the heftier price tags on list
Alexa Smart Home Hub with a prominent display
The Amazon Echo Show 10, now in its third Generation, is a capable device that seamlessly combines the functionalities of a smart home hub and a smart display. One of its standout features is its ability to rotate and face the user asking Alexa questions, ensuring optimal screen viewing. However, it’s worth noting that the Echo Show 10 takes up more space than its predecessors. Like the Amazon Echo Plus, it comes equipped with Zigbee, which allows direct connections to various smart home devices. Moreover, it also boasts Amazon Sidewalk, a new networking technology that enables low-power devices to connect to the internet over greater distances. At $249, it may seem a bit pricey, but we recommend purchasing it for its impressive features before considering it solely as a smart home hub.
6. Apple TV 4K (2022)
Price at time of publishing: $146.23
Key Benefits
- Siri Remote
- Easily mirror iPhone with airplay
Pros
- It is super easy to setup
- Easy to use remote
- Big Apple Ecosystem
Cons
- Not as great if you’re not a part of the Apple ecosystem
Best Streaming Smart Home Hub
The Apple TV 4K 2022 packs an A12X Bionic processor, the same chip found in the iPad Pro, making it an even more powerful device than ever. It can produce stunning visuals, supporting Dolby Vision and HDR10+, allowing you to experience movies and shows with bright and accurate colors across a more comprehensive range of color depth. Its high-performance processor is also perfect for fast loading times and smooth streaming performance, so you can easily watch your favorite shows without lag or buffering.
The new Apple TV also features AirPlay 2 technology, allowing you to stream content seamlessly from any compatible iOS device or Mac computer directly to the TV. With AirPlay 2, you can view photos or watch videos up to 1080p quality, plus sound tuned to match your speakers’ dynamic range. With HomeKit integration, setting up connected home accessories is as easy as turning on the TV. The Apple TV 4K 2022 is a smart home hub with HomeKit accessories like sensors and lights, allowing you to control all your devices with just one interface.
7. Starling Home Hub (2022)
Price at time of publishing: $99.00
Key Benefits
- The app makes it easy to perform a lot of seamless automation
Pros
- Connect Nest devices to Apple Home
- Temperature Control Capabilities
Cons
- Non-Apple Homekit brands like Amazon Echo or others aren’t compatible
- No Siri capability
- Cannot link devices across multiple networks
Best Smart Home Hub to connect Nest Devices to HomeKit
Introducing the Starling Home Hub: Your ticket to a seamless connection between Nest devices and Apple’s HomeKit smart home platform. Say goodbye to compatibility issues as you unlock the power of the best smart thermostats, smoke detectors, and security cameras on Apple’s turf.
With the Starling Hub, you can view your Nest security cameras within the Apple Home app and tap into HomeKit secure video for supported Nest cameras. That means you can watch things with the Nest Cam (wired), Nest Cam (battery), and Nest Cam with Floodlight – from your Apple ecosystem.
A word of caution: A Nest Aware subscription is necessary to unlock all features, but the peace of mind it brings is worth considering. And guess what? Starling makes it even easier with their iOS app, eliminating the need for a clunky web interface. Ready to effortlessly adjust settings and add new devices? It’s time to embrace the Starling Home Hub.
What Is a Smart Home Hub?
A Smart Home Hub is a device that can connect your home to the internet and allow you to control various appliances, lights, thermostats, and other devices. It can also be used as an entertainment hub for streaming music or movies. The hub works by connecting all the devices in your house so they can communicate and interact in ways you choose. For example, you could set up your lights to turn off when it’s time for bed or adjust your thermostat automatically when you leave the house.
The Smart Home Hub makes it easy to keep track of what’s going on in your home from anywhere in the world. You don’t have to worry about forgetting or leaving something on – the hub will remind you if anything needs attention. It also acts as a security system, alerting you if something unusual happens while you’re away from home.
Using a Smart Home Hub allows for more convenience and control over how things are done around your house. With just one device connected to all your appliances and gadgets, managing them becomes much more straightforward!
How Can A Smart Home Hub Benefit You
A smart home hub can be an invaluable addition to any home, providing many benefits that make life much easier. From automated lighting schedules and blind control to thermostat temperature control and security system integration, a smart home hub brings the convenience of controlling almost every aspect of your home from one single device. Smart home hubs also allow you to connect multiple other devices, such as speakers, TVs, and door locks, creating a genuinely unified smart home experience. On top of all this, many smart home hubs are equipped with AI technology to learn your preferences over time and automate even more processes. With all these features in mind, it’s easy to see how having a smart home hub in your house could make your life more convenient and enjoyable. Keep in mind that many of them do require subscriptions.
Buyers Guide: How We Conducted Our Research
When looking for the best product, I considered a few things.
- Price of each product.
- Features that each product had to offer.
- What each product was missing or lacking.
- If the company offered support, refunds, or a community for their customers.
Conclusion/Wrapping Up
Smart home hubs are an essential piece of technology for any modern household. With a smart home hub, you can easily control your entire connected ecosystem from one central device. Whether setting up automated lights or playing music throughout the house, these devices make life easier and more enjoyable. We hope this blog post has given you some insight into what features to look for when selecting a smart home hub that will fit your lifestyle best. From voice assistants to security systems, there is no shortage of options available today, so be sure to research before deciding which model is right for you! Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular as people embrace new technologies and strive to improve their lives—so why not join in?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why purchase a Smart Home Hub?
A smart home hub can revolutionize how you live, offering a range of convenience and security benefits that make it a worthwhile investment.
What does a Smart Home Hub do?
A smart home hub is capable of a wide range of functions. It can control connected devices from one central location, such as lights, thermostats, music, and security systems. Smart home hubs can also connect to voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home so that you can control your home with just a few simple commands. Some models offer mobile app control, allowing you to access and manage your smart home anywhere. With all these features combined, a smart home hub can transform how you interact with your home!
See our favorite Smart Speakers:
Sonos Era 3
Best Overall
Sonos Move
Next Best
Amazon Echo
Affordable Option
Google Nest
Budget Friendly
