Automate your garage, lights, thermostat, and more: 2021 Smart Home Guide

Automate your home for stress-free maintenance. These smart home gadgets keep everything running with almost no effort from you.

Automate your garage, lights, thermostat, and more: 2021 Smart Home Guide
Automate your garage, lights, thermostat, and more with this guide

Make your home life easier by automating what you can. Luckily, in 2021, there’s seemingly no end to the appliances and devices you can put on autopilot. And we’re rounding up some of our favorites in our 2021 Smart Home Guide. These products are just the thing to enhance an already robust smart home.

Related: The latest smart door locks to buy for your home—which one to buy in 2021

Have you ever wished your doors and windows could open with a simple voice command? There’s a gadget for that below. Or do you want a smart thermostat that operates your AC and furnace when the energy is cheapest? That’s here too. The latest smart home gadgets make your life easier, more affordable, and less stressful. Check them out below.

1. The SmartSlyder Sliding door & window automation gadget gives you smarter windows and doors in just minutes with no special tools.

SmartSlyder on a window

The SmartSlyder Sliding door & window automation gadget makes your existing doors and windows more intelligent. Once you install it, you can use the smartphone app or voice assistant to easily open your windows and doors.

Preorder it for $299 on Kickstarter.

iDevices Smart Wall Outlet in a video

Make managing your home easier with the iDevices Smart Wall Outlet. It installs in your traditional outlet, giving it voice-assistant connectivity. You don’t even need a hub or gateway to use it.

Get it for $89.95 on the official website.

3. The Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug keeps your outdoor gadgets connected to your voice assistant. Plus, it’s weatherproof.

Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug
Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug outdoors

With the Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug, you can add your holiday decorations, floodlights, and more to your smart home setup. Best of all, it has an IP44 rating so that it can withstand tough conditions.

Get it for $34.99 on the official website.

4. The Wyze Smart Sprinkler Controller automates your lawn-watering process. In fact, it follows the local weather forecast.

Automate your garage, lights, thermostat, and more—Smart Home Guide 2021
Wyze Smart Sprinkler Controller front view

Another of our favorite products on our 2021 Smart Home Guide is the Wyze Smart Sprinkler Controller. This useful gadget checks out your weather report and uses the data to schedule your lawn’s watering zones.

Get it for $51.99 on the official website.

5. The Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller helps you manage your lights. Use it for your security gadgets, lighting, temperature, and more.

Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller
Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller on a table

Managing your smart home gadgets becomes so much easier with the Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller. It works with the Apple Home app, allowing you to set up to six different scenes. Plus, it has a removable remote.

Get it for $49.99 on the official website.

6. The Brilliant 2-Switch Panel smart home controller gives you instant control over your appliances with its useful app.

Brilliant 2-Switch Panel smart home controller
Brilliant 2-Switch Panel on a wall

A sleeker alternative to a bulky hub is the Brilliant 2-Switch Panel smart home controller. This gadget made our 2021 Smart Home Guide because it sleekly installs on your current light switch. Use it to control any of your lightbulbs—even incandescent ones.

Get it for $349 on the official website.

7. The ecobee3 lite smart Wi-Fi thermostat helps you save money on your heating and cooling bills with a range of smart features.

ecobee3 lite smart Wi-Fi thermostat
ecobee3 lite on a white wall

Keep those bills down with the ecobee3 lite smart Wi-Fi thermostat. It automatically heats or cools your home when the energy is cheaper. Use the Smart Home & Away mode to intelligently modify the temperature when you’re away.

Get it for $169.99 on the official website.

8. The Nest Thermostat 2020 doesn’t learn your routines. This is a good thing since it stays out of your business—you just let it know when you’re gone.

Nest Thermostat smart temperature control
Nest Thermostat 2020 in gray

If you want to simplify your home smartly, choose the Nest Thermostat 2020. This smart thermostat is easy to operate and works with voice assistants. It even lets you know when it’s time to change your air filter.

Get it for $129.99 on the official website.

9. The Nexx Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Controller NXG-100B works with your existing opener. It uses your Wi-Fi network to open and close your garage.

Nexx Smart Garage NXG-100B in a video

Open your garage door via voice command with the Nexx Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Controller NXG-100B. You can open and close your garage remotely if you have a guest.

Get it for $59.99 on the official website.

10. The Nokia Smart Lighting Keypad lets you manage your home’s lighting from just 1 room. It also works with any sort of light.

Automate your garage, lights, thermostat, and more—Smart Home Guide 2021
Nokia Smart Lighting Keypad in white

The Nokia Smart Lighting Keypad is another useful gadget on our 2021 Smart Home Guide. It allows you to manage 1 or several gadgets from just 1 location. Plus, the minimalist design looks great on your walls.

Preorder it for $59.99 on the official website.

Automating household tasks like your lighting, watering, heating, and cooling helps you save time, money, and stress. With one or more of these gadgets, you can cross an item off your to-do list. Which of these products would you love to add to your home? Let us know in the comments.

Want more tech news, reviews, and guides from Gadget Flow? Follow us on Apple News, Google News, Feedly, and Flipboard. If you use Flipboard, you should definitely check out our Curated Stories. We publish three new stories every day, so make sure to follow us to stay updated!

The Gadget Flow Daily Digest highlights and explores the latest in tech trends to keep you informed. Want it straight to your inbox? Subscribe ➜

Lauren has been writing and editing since 2008. She loves working with text and helping writers find their voice. When she's not typing away at her computer, she cooks and travels with her husband and two daughters.
Join the Discussion

You Might Also Like

The Century Jacket is the last jacket you ever need to buy

The Century Jacket is the last jacket you ever need to buy

Stop buying a new jacket every 1–2 years and get the LIVSN Designs Century Jacket. Designed to last 100 years, this sustainable jacket is wind-, water-, fire-, and abrasion-resistant and uses all natural materials. It’ll last you for life. Tired..
This emergency backup light keeps working even during blackouts

This emergency backup light keeps working even during blackouts

Stay safe during power outages with the Surge emergency backup bulb. This light keeps working during a blackout, helping you and your family avoid accidents and injuries. Imagine this—you’re at home eating dinner with your family when the power goes..
3 Ways fleet maintenance software saves you money

3 Ways fleet maintenance software saves you money

Before sinking money into any software for your business, you want to know if there will be a return on investment (ROI). That’s what you get with fleet maintenance software. Buying vehicles for your company’s needs takes a tangible investment...
The best affordable headphones for under $100

The best affordable headphones for under $100

Need good headphones but don’t want to spend half a month’s paycheck to get them? We hear you. And that’s why we’re diving deep into the world of affordable headphones for under $100. These headphones deliver mind-blowing sound and other..
Top energy-saving smart home gadgets to cut down on your bills this summer

Top energy-saving smart home gadgets to cut down on your bills this summer

Summer is just around the corner. And so are the bills that come from cooling your home and keeping your plants watered. But you know that the best way to deal with summer energy costs is a little advanced prep...
Google I/O 2023—the future of AI and Google products

Google I/O 2023—the future of AI and Google products

Missed the Google I/O 2023 keynote yesterday? Don’t worry, I caught the highlights for you. And they’re chock-full of cool new AI advancements, demonstrating that Google intends to be a major player in the field. Google’s new AI achievements are..