9 Of The Best (And Worst) Smart Home Gadgets, According To Consumer Reports

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For those who are interested in smart home gadgets but aren't sure which brands to trust and models to buy, we highly recommend taking a look at reviews of specific devices. You can check shopper ratings on retailer websites, but you should also check for insights from trustworthy websites and channels, and among the most reliable sources is Consumer Reports.

For this roundup, we've identified six of the best smart home gadgets and three of the worst ones, according to Consumer Reports. If you're planning to buy a security camera, video doorbell, robot vacuum, or any similar device, you should check out the products on this list first so that you have an idea of which models to look for and which ones to avoid.

In addition to highlighting Consumer Reports' findings, we compared the assessments of these best and worst smart home gadgets with comments from other professional reviewers. This gives us some degree of confirmation and a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of these devices, in addition to helping you make well-informed decisions for your next purchase.

The TP-Link Tapo C660 is the top security camera in Consumer Reports' rankings, with perfect marks for both daytime and nighttime video quality, with sharp and clear footage no matter the level of light. The device also earned maximum points for its smart features, which include its compatibility with smart home systems powered by the likes of Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, and its algorithms that can recognize people, animals, and vehicles. Consumer Reports also noted that the Tapo C660 is among the security cameras that don't require a subscription for cloud storage, as you can insert a microSD card with up to 512 gigabytes of capacity to save recordings.

You can buy the TP-Link Tapo C660 for $169.99 on Amazon, where the security camera has almost 1,000 ratings from the retailer's customers for an average score of 4.3 out of five stars. Shoppers agreed that the gadget has great video quality, and added that it's easy to install with the included solar panel so that it never runs out of power. It's a "set and forget" device, according to Tom's Guide, with its review highlighting its 4K resolution and 360-degree pan/tilt support that are nice perks for a relatively affordable model. The site's tests also showed that it maintains excellent picture quality, day or night.

At the top of Consumer Reports' reviews of robot vacuums is the iRobot Roomba Max 705. The gadget earned a perfect score in six out of nine tests, namely in cleaning bare floors, navigation, picking up pet hair, ease of use, noise level, and data security. In particular, Consumer Reports said that this device is "hard to beat" in dealing with pet hair and also that it's easy to remove hair from its brush roll afterwards, making it an even more attractive option if you have dogs and cats at home.

Shoppers on Amazon, where it's available for $899.99, confirmed that the iRobot Roomba Max 705 is great for households with pets and also praised its quick setup. However, some customers had a complaint that was also flagged by Consumer Reports, which is that the robot vacuum's height is higher than other models. This prevents the device from slipping under certain furniture, though this is considered a minor issue by most users who commented. Test Planet, meanwhile, said that its powerful suction is suitable not just for pet hair, but also for crumbs and dirt, and its battery lasts long enough to clean a whole home on a single charge.

Among smart thermostats, the model that received the highest score from Consumer Reports is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. The gadget received a perfect score for Smart IQ, which is an evaluation of its connected features, such as its ability to work with voice commands through your preferred digital assistant. It also secured full marks for manual operation, as the settings are easy to adjust through its touch controls or the ecobee app.

On Amazon, where the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is available for $259.99, the smart thermostat has an average score of 4.3 stars after almost 4,200 buyer ratings. TechGearLab also gave the gadget a high rating for ease of use because of its intuitive interface and responsive touchscreen, along with a similarly solid score for its smart capabilities. TechGearLab also praised the device's compatibility with most smart home ecosystems and the user-friendly layout of the app. Amazon's shoppers agreed that this ecobee smart thermostat and its app are easy to use, and some added that it's aesthetically more pleasing than other options on the market.

Consumer Reports gave its highest score for a smart lock to the Yale Assure Lock SL, which is a keyless model that relies on its number pad and the Yale Access app. The gadget received perfect scores in preventing unauthorized entry with strong break-in resistance, both when installed without any changes out of the box and when aftermarket reinforcements are added. It also received full marks for remote access and remote monitoring through its companion app.

With an average score of 4.2 stars and more than 1,200 ratings on Amazon, where its price starts at $255.13, the Yale Assure Lock SL was described by customers as a reliable device that won't take long to set up if you're replacing a traditional deadbolt with it. Shoppers, along with ZDNet, are impressed by the remote features that include opening the smart lock through the app, assigning unique access codes that can be marked as permanent or temporary, and receiving alerts when it's unlocked or when left open. ZDNet also agreed with Consumer Reports' findings that the gadget provides peace of mind, partly because there's no key access that might be prone to being picked.

Among the top five smart speakers as reviewed by Consumer Reports, Sonos models took three spots, and the highest-rated one of those is the Sonos Era 300. The gadget received a perfect score for ease of use, with simple and intuitive operation across its onboard controls and app. Consumer Reports added that the smart speaker's overall sound quality is very good, with options for stereo pairing and support for spatial audio. In terms of versatility, the review highlighted the Era 300's multiroom option for stereo pairing with other Sonos speakers, as well as compatibility with both the Sonos Voice digital assistant and Amazon's Alexa.

The Sonos Era 300 has apparently impressed Amazon's shoppers as well, with a high average score of 4.6 stars after almost 1,300 ratings. At $494, it's more expensive than Amazon Echo smart speakers, but shoppers said that it's worth the price because of the device's seamless integration with Amazon Alexa and amazing audio quality, mirroring the comments of Consumer Reports. What Hi-Fi was also captivated by the smart speaker's spatial audio capabilities, which it said combine with a solid build quality, the ability to play music over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and wide-spreading sound to justify its price tag.

The Logitech Circle View outscored video doorbells from home security-focused brands Arlo and TP-Link's Tapo in Consumer Reports' reviews. The device received top marks in data security, thanks to strong encryption to protect your recordings and personal data. The gadget also excels in response time, sending alerts to the Logitech app at a very quick 4.5 seconds on average. Consumer Reports also highlighted the video doorbell's compatibility with Apple's HomeKit and its sharp video quality for both daytime and nighttime footage that will let you clearly see what's happening outside your home.

You can purchase the Logitech Circle View on the brand's official website for $199.99. Spencer Does Reviews demonstrated that you can have the video doorbell's recording show up on your Apple TV when someone rings it or when it detects motion, but you can also have it appear on your iPhone. This makes the gadget a nice choice for families using Apple's ecosystem, especially since installation is quick when replacing an existing wired doorbell. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum for video doorbells, according to Consumer Reports, is the Eufy S220. While the model earned respectable scores for daytime and nighttime video quality, as well as for its smart features and compatibility with Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit, it got the lowest ratings for data security and response time. Consumer Reports said that the video doorbell is lacking the necessary safeguards to protect your recordings and personal data, and that it takes 9.2 seconds to send alerts to the Eufy Security app. That's a very slow response time that will hinder your ability to react in a timely fashion to any situation that's happening outside.

The Eufy S220, available on the manufacturer's website but only for select regions, may be installed using a wired connection or in wireless mode with its rechargeable battery. LifeHackster, which showed how to use the app to set up the device and access its features, had different results from Consumer Reports during its testing of notifications, as they arrived on the phone at a much faster time of about five seconds. However, LifeHackster found a significant delay when using the two-way audio feature to speak to whoever's at your door, which would slow down your conversation.

If you're thinking of getting a smart scale, the Inevifit EROS appears to be a good choice on paper. The device can calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage, and it works with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit. However, it's the worst-scoring model in the category for Consumer Reports, despite perfect marks in unbalanced weighing. That's because it received the lowest possible ratings for accuracy in measuring weight and for consistency in giving repeatable results. 

On Amazon, shoppers apparently have had a different experience with the Inevifit EROS, as it has an average score of 4.6 stars after nearly 2,700 ratings. Customers said that the $139.99 smart scale is accurate and consistent, which is the opposite of Consumer Reports' findings, and they added that having the gadget send the data that it takes to an app on your smartphone is very convenient for tracking your progress. Fayze Reviews said that the device's app is clean and streamlined but still manages to show all the information that it provides and its ability to track your progress over time. 

Consumer Reports gave the Lefant M210 perfect scores in cleaning bare floors and for its relatively quiet operation compared to other robot vacuums. However, that's where the positives end, as the robot vacuum received low ratings for cleaning carpets, ease of use, and data privacy, dropping it to the bottom of the rankings for this type of smart home gadget. According to Consumer Reports, the device may scatter debris while moving across your floor and make a bigger mess than you had to start with, and it often has trouble moving around furniture and other obstacles.

The Lefant M210, available on Amazon for $199.99, received better reviews from the retailer's customers with an average score of 4.1 stars after 16,300 ratings. While there were some complaints about navigation issues causing it to keep getting stuck or lost, shoppers said that the robot vacuum's app is easy to use, and that it picks up a lot of dust, dirt, and hair. Digital David demonstrated the functions of the app in its review, and testing revealed that it doesn't have a problem going over floors and carpets with the chosen cleaning mode. However, the review described the M210 as more of a robot sweeper than a robot vacuum, as its performance won't match premium models due to the lack of a main brush roller. It also lacks a mapping function to ensure complete coverage.

The smart home gadgets that we've featured in this roundup have received either the best or worst scores from Consumer Reports in their respective categories — they represent the extremes of what the market has to offer, at least according to CR. In each case, we've highlighted why the platform tagged these devices with high or low ratings and compared those conclusions with reviews from other websites or channels for confirmation or contradiction.

We've also provided links to retail outlets where you can purchase these products. Where possible, we link to Amazon listings for wider accessibility and the chance to enjoy Amazon Prime membership perks. Some of the gadgets aren't available on the platform, though, so in those cases, we link to the manufacturer websites instead.