Transform Your Home with Google Assistant: The Best Smart Devices to Buy
Google Assistant has revolutionized the way we interact with our homes. With a simple voice command, you can control lights, adjust the thermostat, play music, and much more. But to unlock the full potential of Google Assistant, you need the right smart home devices. This article will guide you through the best smart home devices compatible with Google Assistant, helping you create a truly intelligent and connected living space.
Smart Speakers and Displays: The Foundation of Your Google Assistant Ecosystem
The cornerstone of any Google Assistant-powered smart home is, naturally, a Google Assistant-enabled speaker or display. These devices act as the central hub, allowing you to interact with all your other smart devices using voice commands.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a fantastic all-around smart display. It offers a vibrant display for viewing photos, videos, and information, as well as excellent voice recognition and control. Its Sleep Sensing feature can even track your sleep patterns, providing personalized insights to help you improve your sleep quality. The Nest Hub seamlessly integrates with other Google Assistant-compatible devices, making it a breeze to control your entire smart home.
Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen)
For a more compact and affordable option, the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is an excellent choice. It delivers surprisingly good sound quality for its size and offers all the core Google Assistant features. It's perfect for smaller rooms or areas where you don't need a display. Place them throughout your house to ensure Google Assistant is always within earshot.
Sonos One (Gen 2)
If audio quality is your top priority, the Sonos One (Gen 2) is a fantastic smart speaker with Google Assistant built-in. It delivers rich, detailed sound and can be seamlessly integrated into a multi-room audio system. While more expensive than the Google Nest speakers, the Sonos One offers a premium audio experience that's worth the investment for audiophiles.
Smart Lighting: Set the Mood with Voice Commands
Smart lighting is one of the most popular and accessible ways to start automating your home. With Google Assistant, you can control your lights with your voice, create custom lighting scenes, and even automate your lights to turn on and off at specific times.
Philips Hue
Philips Hue is the undisputed leader in the smart lighting market. Their ecosystem offers a wide range of bulbs, lamps, and accessories, all seamlessly integrated with Google Assistant. You can control individual lights, groups of lights, or even entire rooms with simple voice commands like "Hey Google, turn on the living room lights" or "Hey Google, dim the lights to 50%." The Philips Hue Bridge is required to connect the bulbs to your network, but it allows for robust control and advanced features like geofencing and IFTTT integration.
LIFX
LIFX bulbs are another excellent choice for smart lighting. Unlike Philips Hue, LIFX bulbs connect directly to your Wi-Fi network, eliminating the need for a separate hub. They offer vibrant colors and impressive brightness, making them ideal for creating custom lighting scenes. LIFX also integrates seamlessly with Google Assistant, allowing you to control your lights with your voice.
Wyze Bulb Color
For a budget-friendly option, the Wyze Bulb Color is a great choice. These bulbs offer a wide range of colors and brightness levels and integrate seamlessly with Google Assistant. While they may not have all the advanced features of Philips Hue or LIFX, they provide excellent value for the price.
Smart Thermostats: Control Your Comfort with Your Voice
Smart thermostats allow you to control your home's temperature remotely and with your voice, saving energy and enhancing your comfort. With Google Assistant, you can easily adjust the temperature, set schedules, and even receive alerts if your home's temperature becomes too high or too low.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is a smart thermostat that learns your heating and cooling preferences over time, automatically adjusting the temperature to optimize comfort and energy savings. It also offers remote control via the Google Home app and seamless integration with Google Assistant. You can simply say, "Hey Google, set the temperature to 72 degrees" to adjust your home's temperature.
Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control is another excellent smart thermostat option. It features a built-in Google Assistant speaker, allowing you to control your thermostat and other smart home devices with your voice. It also supports room sensors, which can help you optimize the temperature in different areas of your home.
Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat
The Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat offers a sleek design and advanced features like geofencing and smart scheduling. It also supports room sensors, allowing you to prioritize heating and cooling in specific areas of your home. With Google Assistant integration, you can easily control your thermostat with your voice.
Smart Security: Protect Your Home with Google Assistant
Smart security devices can help you protect your home and family, providing peace of mind and added convenience. With Google Assistant, you can monitor your security cameras, arm and disarm your security system, and even unlock your smart lock with your voice.
Nest Doorbell (Battery)
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is a smart doorbell that allows you to see and speak to visitors from anywhere. It features intelligent alerts that can distinguish between people, packages, and animals, reducing false alarms. With Google Assistant integration, you can view your doorbell's live feed on your Google Nest Hub or other Google Assistant-enabled devices and even respond to visitors with pre-recorded messages.
Arlo Pro 4
The Arlo Pro 4 is a versatile security camera that can be used indoors or outdoors. It features 2K HDR video, a wide 160-degree viewing angle, and integrated spotlight and siren. With Google Assistant integration, you can view your camera's live feed on your Google Nest Hub or other Google Assistant-enabled devices and even arm and disarm your camera with your voice.
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock allows you to lock and unlock your door remotely and with your voice. It also features auto-lock and auto-unlock functionality, automatically locking your door when you leave and unlocking it when you return. With Google Assistant integration, you can simply say, "Hey Google, lock the front door" to secure your home.
Other Smart Home Devices Compatible with Google Assistant
Beyond the categories mentioned above, there are many other smart home devices that are compatible with Google Assistant, allowing you to automate even more aspects of your home.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs allow you to control any appliance or device plugged into them with your voice. You can use them to turn on and off lamps, fans, coffee makers, and other devices. Popular options include the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug and the Wyze Plug.
Smart TVs
Many smart TVs now come with Google Assistant built-in, allowing you to control your TV with your voice. You can use Google Assistant to change channels, adjust the volume, launch apps, and even search for content. Popular options include TVs from Sony, LG, and TCL.
Smart Robot Vacuums
Smart robot vacuums can automatically clean your floors, freeing up your time for other tasks. With Google Assistant integration, you can start and stop your robot vacuum with your voice and even schedule cleaning sessions. Popular options include the iRobot Roomba i7+ and the Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL.