The Practical Guide to Buying “Smart” Devices
If you're like me, you love a good gadget. Maybe you were out at K-Mart and you couldn’t resist that smart juicer that claims to keep you better hydrated and says it will keep your berries moister for longer.
But I'm here to tell you STOP!
Don't buy that nightmare! Instead, I've got four tips that you should follow before you purchase your next “smart” device.
And look, I’m a guy who loves smart gadgets. My home is a bona fide smart home with not just smart light bulbs, but smart light switches, too.
Yet, even as a smarthome enthusiast, I am here to tell you that most “smart” devices are simply masked attempts to get you to pay yet another monthly subscription fee. That's just bologna that nobody has time for.
My controversial take is that “smarts” are a load of hooey. I’d argue that for a truly smart home, you need to have dumb—but connected—devices all managed by a central server like Home Assistant.
So how about that list, already? Well, let’s get right into it!
Think Critically
The first step that you must take when considering your next “smart” device purchase is: does this smart device solve a real problem that will add actual value to my life? The answer is probably a resounding “no.”
Most “smart” devices are a cheap approximation of another device that has an embedded bluetooth or WiFi chip and an inflated price tag.
Wait
If you’re still considering the purchase, simply wait. Wait a week. Wait a month. See if the use-case you’re anticipating for the device actually ever comes up in your daily life.
Are you considering buying a “smart” toaster oven that you can turn off while you’re sitting in gridlock traffic during your morning commute? Spend a week or two to wait and see if you ever think “man, this is an instance where I’d love to be able to shut off my toaster oven remotely.”
Do Your Research
Buying a “smart” device on a whim is a recipe for regret. That's why you must NEVER buy a “smart” device without doing a ton of research.
Building a smart home is as much about curation as it is integration. That’s why research is critical.
Learn what other devices compete with the one you’re eyeing. Read the device’s documentation. Read reviews. Find out what technology your device uses to connect to your smarthome.
Is it hardwired via Ethernet? Does it use PoE (power over Ethernet)? Is it WiFi-only? Or is it a Zigbee/Matter/Thread device?
Here’s a maxim I live by when it comes to smart devices:
- If it’s not supported in Home Assistant, it’s not smart
- If it relies on a cloud connection, it’s categorically malware
Recommendations
✅ Generally Good
1 — Zigbee/Z-Wave enabled
Zigbee and Z-wave are dedicated low-frequency smarthome mesh network. That’s honestly too much jargon, so let me explain. To oversimplify, they’re like WiFi, but at a lower radio frequency (think a different “channel”) and most Zigbee device acts like a WiFi router as well as receiver. And if your server sends a command (like “turn off”) to a device it doesn’t have a direct connection to, the command will bounce around the other devices until it finds the correct recipient.
If a device is Zigbee or Z-Wave certified, then there’s a pretty good shot it’s safe for your smarthome.
2 — Thread enabled
Like Zigbee and Z-Wave, Thread is a newer standard that—from what I’ve seen—is entirely offline. If the device uses Thread, then it’s a pretty good shot your device is safe for your smarthome.
Heavy caveat here, though. I don’t have direct experience with Thread, yet… though I’m looking at the possibility of integrating a Thread controller into my home soon.
3 — Hardwired
Hardwired devices (we’re talking Ethernet) are easier to manage and—if a device goes rogue you can take it offline with a simple yank of a cord.
4 — Integrates with Home Assistant
If a device advertises that it integrates with Home Assistant, then that’s a good start. But it’s also worth investigating further. Does the manufacturer produce the Home Assistant integration?
If so, then all of the devices advertised features should work with Home Assistant. If it’s made by the community, then there may be features that are not managed through HA.
Also, check that the IoT Class is Local Polling or Local Push.
⛔ Always Avoid
1 — WiFi
WiFi gives your devices access to your home network. That means not only access to the internet and (probably) a reliance on cloud tech, but it also means it can sniff out other traffic on your network and report back to its CIC server.
Unless you have a secondary WiFi network on a subnet without Internet access, I recommend avoiding WiFi-only devices.
2 — Bluetooth
In my experience, Bluetooth is not well-suited for smarthome applications in most instances. This is because Bluetooth has a (very) limited range and it requires your server to have Bluetooth connectivity.
Don’t get me wrong… there are relevant and worthwhile applications for Bluetooth in a smarthome scenario, but they require rather invasive modifications to your existing infrastructure and may not be entirely worth it.
3 — Requires an Internet connection
I said it before, but if your device requires an Internet connection in order to work it’s categorically malware. I don’t care what “innovative features” the cloud brings to your device… if your device needs an Internet connection to function—and your connection goes down for any reason—suddenly it’s a brick. That’s malicious behavior. That’s an intolerable level of evil and I will not integrate it into my smarthome stack. You shouldn’t either.
4 — Requires a Proprietary Smartphone app
If your device requires a smartphone app to control or interface with, see section 3 above. Actually, scratch that. It’s worse than a device that merely requires an always-online connection. Do you know why? Because smartphone apps are usually worse for your privacy than just having a device sniffing your network. Because at least traffic on your home network is mostly TLS-encrypted.
5 — Always avoid cloud anything
If the device integrates with Home Assistant, check out the integration on Home Assistant's website. If the IoT class is listed as Cloud Polling or Cloud Push they are malicious in my book.
6 — Subscription Fees
Maybe I'm just cheap, but no smart device is worth a monthly fee. Especially if your device has no cloud connection and relies on no external infrastructure. If there's a subscription fee, the device is probably a front for a scam and there's a non-zero chance it violates most of the other recommendations in this section, too.
Wrapping up
Now, please note that these recommendations are not meant to be the definitive list of things you need to check. For example, there are surely devices that support Local Polling or Local Push, but that also require a smartphone app for initial setup or a persistent cloud connection to function.
None of this post should be a substitute for doing your own research!
But hopefully, you found this useful! I appreciate you reading and I'll see you in the next one!