We aspire to be the top smart home blog online, but we certainly can’t cover everything. There are some great resources out there that you guys should be aware of if you’re into smart home automation.
Smart home and home automation have been the major buzzwords in recent years, and suddenly everybody is seemingly talking about it.
On the other hand, with all the new devices, trends, and even totally new technology being released every other day, it’s easy to get lost in the influx of information.
With that being said, below we will discuss some of the best smart home automation blogs available, as well as several valuable resources of information. With these blogs, you can rather easily keep yourself up-to-date with the latest information, from reviews for the latest smart home devices to practical how-tos to the latest news in the industry.
Let us begin.
First Things First: How We Pick Our Choices
Revenue in the smart home industry has grown tremendously in the past few years, increased by 28.3% from last year alone.
As a result, consumer interests surrounding the niche have also grown in recent years, and now we have hundreds—if not thousands—of quality blogs covering smart home products, DIY smart home tips, and home automation, among other related niches.
With that being said, making our choices here hadn’t been easy, and we’ve ranked these blogs and websites based on several criteria:
1. Content Quality
Fairly obvious, but also a very subjective aspect to rank.
We mainly focus on:
- How well the content is written (and if it’s a video or podcast, how well it was recorded, etc.)
- How relevant it is to the smart home niche (i.e. if it’s a product review, is it accurate?)
- How up-to-date the content is. The smart home industry is moving rapidly, so what’s relevant a few months back might be obsolete today
2. Consistency
We are focusing on blogs, not blog posts, so the quantity of the published content, how often they are published, and consistency in maintaining quality post-by-post is very important.
3. Technical Factors/Miscellaneous
How fast the blog will load on a standard 3g connection, mobile-responsiveness or mobile-friendliness, whether the menu is easy to navigate, and so on.
Pretty simple, and we also try to be as objective as possible. Let’s dive right into our list.
Top 20 Smart Home and Home Automation Blogs
First, a quick disclaimer. The blogs in the list below are not put in a particular order, but we will mention why they are good for a specific aspect(s).
Let us begin with the first one.
1. CNET Smart Home
Why it’s good: A great resource of unbiased and trusted professional reviews for smart home devices.
CNET—or more correctly, c|net—, has been a technology blog for over two decades now, has been around since 1994.
With that being said, CNET has been one of the most trustworthy reviewers for consumer electronics and technology in general. In recent years, they have launched their dedicated blog for smart home that has become our favorite resource to learn about new devices and tech-related news.
2. At Home In The Future
Why it’s good: beginner-friendly, not too technical content and reviews. Feels authentic and “homey”
At Home In the Future is a blog run by Eric and Lauren Murrell, a married couple that simply loves smart home and technology, and they do know what they are talking about.
With that being said, At Home In The Future often covers smart home devices from a unique angle of an authentic consumer/user, and their guides and reviews are designed to be more practical instead of technical.
3. All Power Moves
Why it’s good: One word, simplicity.
A very simple blog with a unique content format where they will directly compare two products (I.e. Roomba D7 VS Neato D7).
Let’s be honest, sometimes our main reason to read reviews is just to decide between two products, and so All Power Moves’ content can be really useful in this case.
4.Tech Hive
Why it’s good: an all-round source of smart home information
Kind of similar to CNET or the famous WireCutter, but specifically focuses on smart, connected home.
A great source of information not only for product reviews but news about the latest product release, latest deals and discounts, how-to guides, and entertainment-related news.
5. All Home Robotics
Why it’s good: plenty of “Top 10s” and “Best Of” content, also a good resource if you like technical stuff
As the name suggests, All Home Robotics especially focuses on home robotics (i.e. robot mops and mowers), but they also cover various smart home devices and technologies.
They tend to be a little technical in their content which might not be a good thing if you are a smart home beginner. However, it can be a major plus for those who value in-depth information and technical know-how.
6. The Ambient
Why it’s good: up to date news, neat tips especially for Alexa and Google Home
A sister site to Wareable, a popular blog covering trends and reviews on wearable technology.
The Ambient is an especially good site to follow for its coverage on the latest news and trends surrounding the smart home technology. However, it also offers tips and tutorials about smart home devices, and also a good source of reviews.
Also, if you are a fan of Alexa or Google home, there are plenty of tips and tricks on The Ambient you might be interested in.
7. Lifehacker Smart Home
Why it’s good: actionable and practical tips for smart home devices and activities
Lifehacker—as many of you is probably already familiar with—, is a blog dedicated to tips about doing anything better, faster, and more efficiently, or lifehacking.
Unbeknownst to most, Lifehacker also has a dedicated smart home section, offering various tips from really simple ones like “How to preorder your Nest Wifi” to really technical ones like “How to secure your WiFi router”.
8. Z-Wave’s Blog
Why it’s good: a relevant and trustworthy resource for actionable tips regarding home automation
Z-Wave is a popular wireless connectivity protocol developed by Zensys, and has powered various popular smart home devices including Samsung Smartthings and Amazon Echo.
With that being said, Z-Wave’s official blog offers various interesting and relevant tips related to home automation.
9. SmartHomeBlog.Net
Why it’s good: actionable tips for DIY smart home automation, a great source of reviews for uncommon and affordable devices/hubs.
Based in NYC, Smart Home Blog is quite unique compared to others in this list by covering unusual smart home devices (i.e. Shelly 2.5, Etekcity WiFI, OpenHAB and so on), and unusual how-tos that might actually be useful. These products tend to be more affordable, so this blog can be a great resource for those in a budget.
That, however, doesn’t mean that SmartHomeBlog.Net doesn’t cover popular devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo, because they do. A great and unique blog that is frequently updated.
10. Pocket-Lint Smart Home Blog
Why It’s good: Pocket-lint always delivers high-quality content from trustworthy reviews to unique tips and comparison guides.
Pocket-lint has been a very popular tech blog founded by Stuart Miles and a team of professional US and UK journalists since 2003. Quite recently they added a specific section for smart home devices and home automation—where they have quickly gained popularity due to the quality of its content—.
A really good blog to follow, especially due to their various buyer’s guides that are often very useful.
11. Build Your Smarthome
Why it’s good: great “Top X” guides and various useful DIY tutorials
Build Your Smarthome offers various resources in their site that is structured really well, so you can easily find any information quickly.
Need to decide between several products? Simply go to the “Top Product Reviews” section and find the relevant comparison guide. Need any inspiration for your smart home design? Go to “DIY Tutorials” and then “Inspiration.”
12. Automated Home
Why it’s good: up-to-date news, useful smart home case studies, and reviews for unique products
A UK-based, website, Automated Home is rather unique in actually being architectures and smart home designers, so there are various case studies and even content where they shared their latest home designs that you can use as inspirations.
Automated Home also covered the latest news surrounding the smart home niche, as well as trustworthy reviews for both popular and relatively unknown smart home appliances.
13. Blog.Smarthome.Com
Why it’s good: good content with unique angles and actionable tips.
Blog.Smarthome.Com, or just SmartHomeBlog, is a relatively unknown blog compared to some others in this list—at least for now, but the blog is filled with plenty of high-quality content from unique tips and tricks, relevant reviews, and even a YouTube channel to support the blog.
Frequently updated, and often the first to cover the announcement of new products and devices, so worth following.
14. Raspberry Pi Home Automation Blog
Why it’s good: great DIY and technical tips
Raspberry PI is a popular, single-board computer that is often used for home automation purposes—much like Arduino—.
This blog mainly includes tips and tutorials on how to use Raspberry PI to create smart home and home automation applications, so it’s a great resource for those who prefer technical stuff and DIY-based approaches to home automation.
15. Smart Thermostat Guide
Why it’s good: solely focusing on smart thermostat products, and really good at it
As the name suggests, Smart Thermostat Guide only focuses on smart thermostat reviews and related accessories (i.e. wiring), but due to this focus, their reviews and buyer’s guides are really in-depth.
It also covers the latest news surrounding smart thermostats and how-to tutorials.
16. How-To Geek’s Smart Home Blog
Why it’s good: the go-to blog for DIY enthusiasts
How-To Geek has been around for more than a decade and is now one of the top 500 websites in the US.
As the name suggests, the blog mainly focuses on tutorials and practical how-tos—in this case for various smart-home related activities like how to install a smart lock—. It does discuss some devices and appliances in its tutorials, but in general, you shouldn’t expect any review in a traditional sense.
17. Techlicious
Why it’s good: reviews for many uncommon and unique products (but also the popular ones!), many actionable tips and tutorials.
Techlicious—as the name suggests— is not a blog solely focusing on smart home, but the overall technology niche. However, there are plenty of reviews and tips for smart home devices and home automation.
Also, you’ll find great “deals” where you can find discounted smart home products and special offers.
18. Digital Trend’s Smart Home Review Blog
Why It’s Good: Trustworthy and up-to-date reviews for a lot of products—popular and unknown ones—
Digital Trends—according to them—, is the “largest independent premium technology publisher in the world”.
With that being said, Digital Trends offer a dedicated section about smart home reviews, covering many different devices, often as soon as they were released (or even before the public release date).
19. The House Tech
Why it’s good: in-depth reviews and product comparisons
The House Tech is a blog especially focusing on smart home reviews, from smart doorbells to smart locks and smart thermostats, among other appliances.
Great, unbiased reviews, and can be a good resource when you are in the process of deciding between different appliances
20. TechGear Lab
Why it’s good: well-structured and comprehensive “Best of” guides
TechGear lab—as the name “lab” suggests—, is more geared towards technical reviews, really useful “best of” buyer guides and product comparisons, and numerous technical how-tos and expert advice.
A good resource if you want in-depth information.
Other Helpful Smart Home Resources
Reddit subreddits
With Reddit being the front page of the internet with millions of users, there are several interesting subreddits where you can get useful information regarding smart home and home automation, as well as to discuss with others.
Here are some interesting ones you can follow:
Facebook Groups
Similarly, there are various Facebook groups that can be valuable resources for smart home and home automation-related discussions. Here are some select few we’d recommend:
- Smart Home Automation, 17k members, 10 posts/day
- Smart Home User Group, 5.6k members, 2 posts/day
- SmartThings Users Group, 13k members, 10 posts/day
- Z-Wave Home Automations, 7.1k members, 2 posts/day
- Philips Hue Community, 12k members, 30 posts/day
Conclusion
There are certainly other resources and informative blogs you can find out there, but the ones we’ve discussed above are—in our humble opinion—, some of the best available at the moment, each with their own unique values and character in their content.
Hopefully, this has been a helpful reference for you, and a helpful resource to assist you in the hunt for your perfect smart home.
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