Stuff - UK (2020-02)

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FOR FULL REVIEWS OF THE BEST SMART HOME DEVICES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMART-HOME-DEVICES

TOP TENS SMART HOME^92

Amazon Echo (3rd gen)

£90 / stuff.tv/AmazonEcho

The 2nd-generation Echo was a

great-value smart speaker... right

until you asked it to play music.

But that shortcoming has been

thoroughly addressed in v3, which

is basically an Echo Plus without

the ZigBee connectivity. It’s a fine

listener and a fine speaker.

Google Nest Mini

£49 / stuff.tv/NestMini

For anyone living in Google’s

world, the Nest Mini is about the

best, cheapest way to get into the

smart home game. If you want a

small smart speaker to stick in the

kitchen, this one gives you a radio,

encyclopaedia, recipe book and

timer all in one.

Tado Smart Thermostat

+++++from £200 / stuff.tv/TadoV3Plus

This heating system roasts the competition

with its blend of simplicity and smarts.

Netatmo Welcome

+++++£155 / stuff.tv/NetatmoWelcome

A neat security cam with loads of features and

storage options.

Nest 3.0

+++++£195 / stuff.tv/Nest3

A simple and mess-free smart thermostat with

Alexa compatibility.

Brisant-Secure Ultion Smart

+++++from £229 / stuff.tv/UltionSmart

Tradition and tech partner up in a smart lock to

please everyone.

Philips Hue Starter Kit

+++++from £60 (white) / stuff.tv/PhilipsHue

Become an indoor god with the smartest way

of lighting up your home remotely.

Arlo Pro

+++++£199 / stuff.tv/ArloPro

A good home cam that becomes a great one

outdoors. Your shed has never been so secure.

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Amazon Echo Dot

with Clock

£60 / stuff.tv/EchoDotClock

The Echo Dot smart home assistant has for a

long time been one of the best bargains in tech;

now you can get one with a clock on it for a

few quid extra. If you don’t want the clock, save

money and buy the cheaper one. Everyone’s

happy. But with solid Alexa performance, the

Echo Dot with Clock is really difficult to fault at

this price. The only downside is that you’re going

to have one less excuse for being late to work.

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O NOW ADD THIS

Small Transparent Speaker

Plug your Dot into this glass sound

system to create an eye-catching

smart speaker with sonic oomph.

£450 / transparentspeaker.com

Stuff says +++++

It’s hard to see how the Echo Dot could

get much better than this

Stuff says +++++

Louder and cleverer than ever...

and it’ll only improve over time

Stuff says +++++

For a smart speaker under the £100

mark, you can’t argue with this Echo

The Dot’s display

doesn’t just tell the

time – ask Alexa for

the temperature or

to set a timer.

It also automatically

adjusts to ambient

light, so it won’t glow

too brightly in the

middle of the night.

TIPS &

TRICKS

Pairing the Dot with

a second one creates

stereo sound, even if

you’re linking it to an

older 3rd-gen model.

HOT

BUY

Google Nest Hub Max

++++,£219 / stuff.tv/NestHubMax

A fine smart display... and see also the non-Max

version for a whole £100 less.

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