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Lifx Mini
From $ 24.99, lifx. com | Amazon
Ring Video Doorbell
TP-Link HS100
$ 24.99, tp-link. com | Amazon
Lifx is one of our favourite smart bulbs. Lifx eschews any of the in vogue smart bulb standards such as Zigbee or Z-Wave in favour of good old Wi-Fi, and it actually works. There’ s no hubs or mess, each bulb just installs and falls under the spell of the Lifx app – and after that Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Nest and IFTTT. It’ s a compatibility grand slam. But what about the price? You can pick up a simple Lifx white bulb for less than $ 25, and it’ s $ 20 for the multi-colour version.
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$ 99, ring. com | Amazon
The original Ring Video Doorbell is still going strong, and you can bag a first generation model for around $ 99. You still get to see who’ s at your door, and access two-way audio, but the video feed is only in 720p – which let’ s admit it, is absolutely fine for a doorbell.
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From the range of smart plugs we’ ve tested, the TP-Link HS100 represents some of the lowest priced options from the familiar names out there. The HS100 has recently been updated, so there’ s plenty of deals around on Amazon, and you should be able to bag a plug for around $ 24.99. It’ s pretty no-frills stuff( it’ s a plug), but you get smartphone control without a hub, and it plays nicely with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
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Roost PP3
$ 34.99, getroost. com | Amazon
Smart smoke alarms are pretty pricey, but Roost offers the chance to smarten up your home on the cheap. It’ s a smart battery, which fits into old smoke detectors, but will ping your phone if the alarm sounds. It’ s a bit of a retrofit fudge and it doesn’ t require the certificates and rigorous testing smoke alarms do, due to it piggybacking on tested systems – but you can make three smoke alarms smart for the price of one Nest Protect.
Xiaomi Mi Robot
$ 344, gearbest. com | Amazon
Robot vacuums aren’ t cheap, in fact, the likes of Dyson and Roomba can cost upwards of $ 800. So forgive us the addition of the Xiaomi Mi Robot at $ 334 – hardly budget, but in the grand scheme of things, quite the bargain. It aced our testing, navigating our home – traps and all – with aplomb. There are a few hurdles to overcome – the app is in Chinese for starters and getting new parts( filters and brushes etc) might be tough, but the value is unrivalled. A fantastic buy for smart home bargain hunters.
Google Chromecast Ultra
$ 69, store. google. com
The Chromecast Ultra is a brilliant 4K streaming option for Netflix subscribers and YouTube addicts – and the best thing is it’ s just $ 69. It’ s a top alternative to the Apple TV 4K, which is double the price, and can tap into tonnes of Ultra HD content via YouTube, free of charge. It also plays nicely with Google Home, so you can control your TV with your voice, too.
TD | July 2018 21