A smart home hub allows you to connect your smart devices into a single network to unlock almost endless features that make your life easier, organized, and more informed. You can add your favorite photos to Google Photos and display them in your Google . The possibilities are practically endless via the app. The microphone picks up your voice without difficulty no matter the noise level, and the sound is clear, adjustable, and distortion-free even at its highest volume. Cons. It’s also indirectly compatible with thousands of other devices because it supports SmartThings. On the plus side, the Google Nest Hub is the first to feature what’s known as Soli radar technology for gesture controls. Smart hubs use shared connectivity to discover and network smart home devices, and standard methods include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Google's new and improved smart display is the best bet for most smart homes. You can still make audio or video calls through Duo. Smart home hubs can have software with open source code or use proprietary software with closed source code, and independently of this the application programming interface can be public or closed. Like Google's previous smart displays, the second-generation Nest Hub looks like a 7-inch tablet perched on a fabric-covered oval stand. © 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. Sort them out by opening the Google Home app, then tap Add > Set up device > New devices. IFTTT is a simple-to-use, well-established online tool that helps you automate numerous tasks from a broad selection of apps, sites, and services from any web-connected device. Devices based on the Insteon protocol utilize your home's electrical wiring and radio frequency (RF) wireless technology to communicate. Size: 7 x 4.5 x 2.7-inch You can use voice controls straight out of the box or expand the hub’s repertoire by installing Skills via the Alexa app or asking Alexa to download them. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. My Nest Hub Max completely towers over it. The display, for instance, is more than adequate for streaming movies and TV and viewing your Google Photos. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Google Nest Hub; Amazon Echo Show and Amazon Echo Plus which both integrates a Zigbee hub. Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Zigbee, Bluetooth 5.0. Here are the best smart home hubs to suit all needs, smart home setups, and budgets. Samsung's SmartThings Wifi is another hybrid model that combines a mesh Wi-Fi router with a home automation hub. Some smart home hubs must run on proprietary hardware, while others (like for example Home Assistant) can be installed on generic hardware (like for example a laptop or single-board computer with Linux). The real difference is found with more complex music (especially with vocals), where the Nest tends to not produce all that much definition. I spent more than 14 years on staff, most recently as the director of operations for PC Labs, before hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor. "A smart home [powered by a standard smart hub] unlocks a host of services across a variety of devices to suit your changing needs from day to day," says Bobby Rai, Product Business Leader at Google Nest. We explain what. While I’m not a massive fan of using these smart devices to enrich my everyday experience—ie: having it fire up my espresso machine, tell me the weather, or enrich my investment portfolio—both speakers’ response times were nearly identical when I hit them with the wake word “Hey Google” or “Hey Alexa.”. The new Nest Hub also comes in four colors: Chalk, Charcoal, Mist and Sand. One major drawback of the redesign is that the activation light appears on the underside and is difficult to see. There aren't too many Thread-certified products(Opens in a new window) out there yet, but the list includes a couple of Google Nest devices. Works with Nest along with thousands of smart devices from popular brands. While many of the best fitness trackers and best smartwatches can already track your sleep from your wrist, the Google Nest Hub follows your zzz's from your bedside, no skin contact necessary. Google Home Hub is also a photo frame, but not your average one: it's easy to set up, automatically refreshes the photos that are displayed and features your best shots. Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) at Amazon, Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) Smart Speaker with Clock and Alexa, The Best Smart Plugs for a More Connected Home. Spoiler alert: both models are actually pretty good. At the top right, tap Settings Photo Frame adjust the settings you want. Our biggest complaint is that this range of options can feel overwhelming if you're a smart home newbie. That said, I had some issues learning how to use touch gestures. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Home automation is also finding its way into some of the latest smart security systems. Sure, hip-hop and electronic music—featuring heavy hits of bass—don’t sound all that bad on Google’s loudspeaker, but you do have to crank the volume to get any amount of bite. The downside is that setup can be a little finicky. It has Google Assistant built-in and . How do smart hubs differ from smart displays or speakers? You can also use IFTTT applets to have smart devices work with each other without the need for a hub. While they support Amazon Alexa voice commands for compatible devices, these smart speakers also feature built-in Zigbee connectivity. At my house, Fridays are family night, and sometimes that means a dance-off. If you want a simple audio-only assistant to play your music and follow your voice commands, the newest Echo is the best hub for you . If there are smart home tasks that you carry out regularly and repeatedly, many platforms will let you automate them. Just keep in mind that Wink switched to a subscription pricing model and now charges a $4.99 monthly fee(Opens in a new window) for the same services it previously offered for free. If you want speaker capabilities on a smart hub and are willing to pay more for the highest-quality audio, we highly recommend this compact smart speaker from Sonos One. Our guess is that dedicated hubs will ultimately fade out over time, something we've already seen happening over the last couple of years. It also supports Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets, and will control smart devices from numerous manufacturers including Chamberlain, Ecobee, GE, Honeywell, Nest, Philips Hue, Ring, and Yale. The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)’s sleep sensing abilities, improved smart home UI and refreshed design and make it the best smart display for your bedside. You also need to be standing directly in front of the display for the tool to work. Google Home Hub puts all of the controls at your fingertips. It’s also compatible with Amazon Guard—a free service enabled from the Alexa app that sends notifications if your Echo device picks up breaking glass or a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounding when you're not home. We'll touch on each in this section. This hardware combo doubles as a remote-controlled smart home camera, letting you check in on your home or pets when you’re away. Speaking of setup, Wink added an Auto-Discovery feature, which makes the whole process straightforward. Find Aqara Smart Pet Feeder C1, REQUIRES AQARA Zigbee 3.0 HUB, Automatic Feeder for Cats and Dogs, Auto Cat Food Dispenser with Programmable Portion Control, Can be Controlled by Google, Alexa, Siri, IFTTT and more at Amazon.com The second-generation Nest Hub is available now and costs $99.99, which is $30 less than the first Google Nest Hub's starting price (back when it was called the Google Home Hub.) Google Home Hub is the newest member of the Google Home family, bringing you help at a glance. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. Thread is the protocol that enables future integrations across multiple smart home companies. The benefit of a separate, multi-purpose hub is so that you can control everything in a single app. As mentioned, if you want to control your smart devices with your voice, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant will let you do it, and in some cases can take the place of a dedicated hub. For example, if you cough frequently throughout the night, your Nest Hub might suggest it's allergen-related and recommend it's time to get new bedding. For a hub and a smart home device to communicate with one another and for you to use the hub to control your smart home products, the two need to speak the same “language.” This language refers to the protocols they respectively use, as well as their connectivity options. View and control compatible lights, cameras, TVs, and other devices from a single dashboard. Updated May 17, 2019 Google is folding Nest into its smart-home ecosystem, and Works with Nest will become Works with Google Assistant. She’s had firsthand experience of every smart home hub in this list, as well as a number of others from different manufacturers and of different types. There are currently more than 2,500 Zigbee devices available, including lights, motion sensors, plugs, and sprinkler controllers. There’s no talking about smart-home tech without mentioning the recently-released Matter smart-home standard—which both of these devices are compatible with. Nest Smart hubs refer to products that connect and control multiple smart devices but don’t have any additional functionality. That’s a 19-millimeter tweeter and 75-millimeter woofer for those that are keeping track. Obviously, it’s not going to match the quality of a dedicated stereo system, but it provides a nice full sound—befitting a $100 device. Apple’s Home app also comes with automation features. Look for products that support newer technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread, and Matter. Soli’s sensing abilities, though could be improved, make sleep tracking less cumbersome than you’d expect. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Throughout my two weeks with both smart speakers, I found the Amazon Echo’s sound quality far superior to Google’s Nest Home. When you’re ready for bed, just say, “Hey Google, good night” to set an alarm, turn off compatible lights and TVs, lock the front door (as long as you have a supported lock) and fall asleep to soothing music. These speakers allow you to play music, control smart devices in your living space with the sound of your voice, and a ton more. Press and hold on either one to add or remove widgets. Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread | Works With: SmartThings, Nest, Chromecast, Google Wi-Fi, Hive, and more  | Voice Control: Google Assistant | Ports: Power, “In addition to the practical stuff, technology for the home should be welcoming and complement your decor rather than distract from it. While it’s primarily a smart speaker designed to connect with other Sonos products, the Sonos One’s compatibility with Amazon Alexa (built-in) and Google Assistant vastly increases its versatility. I favor the Nest Hub Max, Sonos One or even my Amazon Echo Show 8. Aside from some exceptions like the Apple HomePod Mini, the Wink Hub 2 will work with many devices. Another benefit of supporting SmartThings is that the Aeotec hub facilitates SmartThings Automations, a software feature that lets you build custom routines that automatically trigger multiple actions. More complex routines might include getting your thermostat and lights to turn on, your door lock to open, your kettle to start boiling, and a notification to be sent to a loved one as soon as your smart camera recognizes you arriving home. These include smart plugs, door and window sensors, door locks, garage door openers, thermostats, and more. Although being “sensed” still sounds a little creepy, I forgot my display was watching me after a few days. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The Echo Dot can automatically connect to other Amazon devices on the same network, from Fire TV sticks to Fire tablets and other Echo speakers to Amazon Sidewalk. ", "Amazon unveils new Echo Show, Dot, and much more", "What Is a Smart Home Hub (And Do You Need One)? It’s missing the built-in Nest camera, which means no video calls or the ability to see your home when you’re away or out, and it lacks HD resolution, but the rest of its features are admirable. Garmin Fenix 7 Pro hands-on — A new heart rate sensor and a built-in flashlight, but is it worth the upgrade? We use our Echo to open Amazon Prime on our Amazon Fire TV stick, turn on our Hive smart lights in our bedroom, and turn down the temperature on our connected Ecobee smart thermostat. With four colors to choose from—Chalk, Charcoal, Aqua and Sand—it’s right for just about any room. Many of the latest home automation hubs support multiple protocols, which means you don't have to settle on just one. If you want the smart home hub benefits of the Amazon Echo without the higher price tag, you can’t go wrong with the Amazon Echo Dot. With so many options to choose from, you’re really spoiled for choice. That's a 19-millimeter tweeter and 75-millimeter woofer . But do you really need one? A smart home hub, sometimes also referred to as a "smart hub", . While we’re talking a game of millimeters here, it’s actually quite noticeable with the sound quality of the Nest. Meet the new Nest Hub, the center of your helpful home. Once again, the display doesn't feature a camera like the Google Nest Hub Max or the similarly priced Amazon Echo Show 8. After weeding through the good, the bad, and the ugly, we landed on Google’s Nest Audio and Amazon’s Echo as two of the best options. The problem is, there is no single hub available that can control all of the different smart home devices out there. Before we start chatting about sound quality—which we all agree can be very subjective—we should get some basic audio terminologies out of the way. The Google Home Hub is a visual, touchscreen-based interface that's designed to help you navigate daily life. I had trouble getting to sleep for a few nights in a row, so I took my Nest Hub’s suggestion of a thunderstorm noise soundtrack. Now, we’re also focused on all our new cameras, doorbells, and floodlights being designed sustainably with recycled materials.” —Bobby Rai, Product Business Leader, Google Nest, Rotating base means the display is always in view, Doubles up as a remote-controlled smart home camera. Me? The Echo Show has Zigbee built in, so you can use it as a smart home hub for devices like Philips Hue lights, smart locks, and other smart home gadgets. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Hey Google, show me the front door . With Routines, Hub can provide you and your family with useful info about the day ahead. Google did boost the bass by 50% this time around, which is an improvement over the total absence of bass in the first-generation model. $39.99 at Walmart See It Google Home devices now go by the Nest moniker, bringing all of Google's smart home devices—thermostats, security cams, smart speakers—under the Nest brand. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. It operates at a higher frequency, and as such is susceptible to interference from 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and other household devices, but it is typically faster than Z-Wave and can support thousands of devices on a single network. A smart home can contain one, several, or even no smart home hubs. With a price of $159.99 (and the current sale price of $139.99), Abode's Security Kit undercuts the competition, as Ring's security system starts at around $200 without sales or discounts . Google Nest Hub fits naturally in any room at home. 82. Best smart home hub overall. You’ll have to pay extra for Google Duo video calls and messaging, YouTube TV, and Nest Aware, which allows continuous video recording and familiar face alerts. Forget about switching between different apps to control your lights, thermostat and security cameras. Linking your devices and third-party services is the hard part. When you buy Hub, you’ll get six months of YouTube Premium on us, so you can enjoy not just YouTube Music, but all of YouTube ad-free. Simple smart home control. Check g.co/nest/matternow for more information on. Some examples of wireless protocols commonly used in smart home hubs are: There are several cabled bus systems, some of which are built directly into electric panels. This feature makes the fourth-gen model the easiest Echo we’ve ever used and the most user-friendly smart hub on our list. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. When fully set up, it's a nerve center for your smart devices too. He was previously a contributing writer for Motor1 following internships at Circuit Of The Americas F1 Track and Speed City, an Austin radio broadcaster focused on the world of motor racing. Some examples of smart home hubs with closed source code are: Some examples of smart home hubs based on free and open-source software are: Some examples of smart home hubs with closed source code, but an open application programming interface are: Various communication protocols can be used between smart home hubs and smart house components. Z-Wave creates a mesh network that allows signals to hop from one device to another, and each network can support up to 232 devices.