Best Apple HomeKit devices to buy for 2023
Looking to control your lights or thermostat with voice control? Or do you want a smart door lock or smart outlet? If you’re the proud owner of an Apple device, it’s time to start looking at a HomeKit accessory — or five.
You see, HomeKit is Apple’s platform for smart home products. It comes baked into every iPhone and iPad the electronics giant sells. Even better, HomeKit integration is a breeze — download Apple’s free Home app, pair it with your HomeKit-compatible devices and presto: an Apple smart home you can control with a few taps or with a Siri voice command.
What sort of smart devices can you connect to HomeKit? You have a lot of options — door locks, lights, a plug, cameras, a thermostat, motion sensors, window shades, you name it — and the Home app can handle all of it in one place.
As for Apple’s assistant Siri, it’ll be happy to lock the door, dim the lights, adjust the air conditioning, run a smart home scene or whatever else you demand of your fancy, voice-activated abode.
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The real question is which of these smart home devices are worth the cash — because a lot of them don’t come cheap. There’s a growing list of options, but we’re here to help you narrow it down to the best HomeKit devices for your smart home. Here are our top picks for Apple HomeKit products, all based on years of tests in the CNET Smart Home, which we update periodically.
Read more: Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 15, landed on devices in late September 2021. Here’s all the new HomeKit and HomePod features in the new iOS.
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Best smart speaker: Apple HomePod Mini
The long-awaited HomePod Mini bridges a strange gap between smart speakers, costing $99 like the Nest Audio and Amazon Echo, but in a small package like the cheaper Nest Mini and Echo Dot.
This smaller, more affordable Apple smart speaker sounds great. Siri is on board for HomeKit control and general voice assistance. The HomePod Mini can serve as the output for your Apple TV, and you can pair two HomePod Minis for stereo. Features like Intercom and Handoff make living with the Mini a little bit more fun.
In short, if you like Apple, you’re going to love this smart speaker. If you’re already living with an iPhone, Apple TV or original HomePod, the Mini makes sense as your next small smart speaker.
Read our Apple HomePod Mini review.
$100 at Best Buy$99 at Apple
Read more: At anApple event in October 2021, we got a look at the HomePod Mini in three new colors: blue, orange and yellow. Those colors are now available in stores and online. You can read more about the colorful Minis here.
Read more: Apple HomeKit is a better smart home platform than you think. Here’s why
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Best smart lock for HomeKit: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock includes a retrofit August lock and a DoorSense open-close sensor. Wi-Fi is built into this model, so you won’t need to purchase an August Connect module to enable remote access.
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is 45% smaller than previous August models, too. It works with Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa for voice commands and smart home integration. You’ll get unlimited user access and codes, as well as a log of every action that happens at your front door.
Wi-Fi enables remote access to lock and unlock your doors from your Android or iOS devices when you’re not home. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is a capable, easy-to-install smart lock and the winner of our CNET Editors’ Choice Award.
It’s certainly not an inexpensive smart lock, but it’s the best one for HomeKit households that we’ve tested to date.
Read our August Wi-Fi Smart Lock review.
$230 at Best Buy$225 at Amazon
Best smart light switch for HomeKit: Lutron Caseta In-Wall Smart Dimmer Switch
Smart switches are another good option if you’re looking to automate the lights in your home — particularly for spots where a single switch controls several bulbs at once. You’ve got several options that work with HomeKit, but our favorite by far is the Lutron Caseta In-Wall Dimmer Switch.
Why Lutron? For starters, Lutron’s been in the business of dimmer switches for decades, and it’s a smart home stalwart, too. Its switches have a good set of features and work with everything, they support three-way setups and they look appropriately distinctive without being gaudy. Along with a wide variety of light switches, the Caseta platform also offers specialty switches for things like ceiling fans and Sonos speakers, as well as luxurious Serena smart shades. All of it communicates with the Lutron Bridge using Lutron’s proprietary Clear Connect wireless standard, which is one of the speediest and most reliable standards we’ve tested at the CNET Smart Home.
That’s a long-winded way of saying these are really, really good smart light switches. Right now, you can get one on Amazon with the Lutron Bridge and a bonus Pico remote that you can dock in the wall as a second switch, or carry around with you for a total cost of $92.
Read our Lutron Caseta In-Wall Smart Dimmer Switch review.
$62 at Amazon
Best smart plug for HomeKit: WeMo Wi-Fi Smart Plug
At $25, the WeMo Wi-Fi Smart Plug is affordable and comes with native Google Assistant, Alexa and yes, HomeKit compatibility. It fits inside the frame of most wall outlets and has a physical button and LED indicator light.
The WeMo app isn’t our favorite app, and you won’t get energy monitoring with the WeMo Wi-Fi Smart Plug. Those shortfalls aside, this smart plug’s space-saving design and solid HomeKit compatibility make it easy to recommend to users in Apple’s ecosystem.
Read our WeMo Wi-Fi Smart Plug review.
$22 at Amazon
