15 Best Smart Home Blogs, And Other Awesome Resources

I try to provide awesome content but there’s tons of stuff I’m missing. I have a pretty good general knowledge of smart home stuff and some expert knowledge in a few areas. But, I can’t cover everything. So, here’s a list of other places that might have the answer to your question. I’ve provided links to sites with lots of great reviews, product comparisons, and smart home ideas.

You’ve probably seen a few other lists like this out there in the wild. But, this one is a little different. Instead of a massive list that contains every smart home site I can find in a google search, I’ve narrowed down my selection to sites that actually provide valuable content. I actually put some thought into each of these and have read them. Plus, I have a little description next to each so that you know what to expect.

How I Ranked Them

The rankings are based on both quality of content and quantity of content. I weighted quality more than quantity. There’s no mathematical formula. This is just my current opinion.

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Top 15 Smart Home Blogs

Blogs are going to be your best place to find a formal product review. Depending on the site, you might also find some recent product update news, industry news, or how-to guides

1. Smart Home Solver

Lots of recent, quality content and a great Youtube channel, too. This couple is awesome at answering the questions that smart home owners have.

2. Build Your Smart Home

Nice mix of news, reviews, and how-to’s. Regularly posts new relevant content.

3. Automated Home

On the verge of becoming too big for this list but still has the feel of a smaller site. They’ve been online since 1996 so they cover lots of old-school home automation as well as the new smart stuff.

4. Tech Gear Lab

Tech Gear Lab is filled with super detailed reviews. They take a very mathematical approach to their review scores.

5. Smart Home Gear Guide

Visually appealing site with lots of quality quick reads and a few deep-dive guides.

6. At Home In The Future

Well written reviews with a personal touch. I would rate higher if there was more content.

7. Power Moves

Power Moves has a unique format. The content is almost all product comparisons. The comparisons are well done with lots of bulleted information. The author clearly knows what he’s talking about.

8. Home Alarm Report

This site’s main focus is on subscription based home security systems but they have reviews of other smart home stuff too.

9. The House Tech

Does a good job of explaining the basics and making smart home recommendations for the average buyer.

10. My Smarta Home

Has some deep-dive product comparisons written by someone who obviously knows what he’s talking about.

11. House-o-matic

Lots of fun product ideas and smart home related news/updates.

12. Smart Home Reviewer

Quick, engaging product reviews. Not afraid to tell you about the cons of a product. I would read more of their content if there was more.

13. All Home Robotics

Well written and researched articles. Lots of content on robot vacuums.

14. Smart Thermostat Guide

For anything smart thermostat related, this site has you covered.

15. For The Smart Home

Covers a wide range of smart home product reviews with long format but easy reading articles.

Top 5 Best Big Smart Home Sites

These sites are generally large technology sites that have a dedicated section for smart home. I felt they deserved a separate category from the dedicated smart home blogs listed above.

1. How To Geek

Great mix of product reviews and useful “how to” information. How-To Geek is similar to what I would like thesmartcave.com to look like some day.

2. Digital Trends

I find the majority of reviews on Digital Trends to be more entertaining than most. They’re not afraid to express an opinion about a product, whether it’s good or bad.

3. Tech Hive

My go to site for “best” product lists used to be thewirecutter. Now for smart home stuff, its TechHive. They tell you what you need to know and keep their articles up to date.

4. The-Ambient

The Ambient is the sister site to wareable.com. Instead of general tech like Wareable.com, it focuses on being a smart home specialist. Reviews and best lists tend to be straight forward and packed with relevant info.

5. CNET

CNET is a big name that everyone knows. Much of the smart home area on CNET is generic information and news with shiny pictures. However, some of the product reviews are really well done. Look for the ones that are several pages long to find quality.

Facebook Groups

If you’re looking for quick answers to relatively simple questions, I’ve found that a Facebook group is one of the best places to look. You’re most likely to find quality answers to your question if you can find a group that is specific to the product you have a question about. The most sizable groups are those that focus on a platform or suite of products.

Here’s a few that I have joined:

Smart Home Automation

Philips Hue Community

SmartThings Users Group

Z-Wave Home Automation

Forums

Forums can be a great place to find expert opinions. If your question is difficult and requires an in-depth answer, you might have the most luck using a forum. You probably won’t get an answer as quickly, but believe it or not there’s a ton of people out there that love giving advice and helping other people.

Reddit Home Automation

Home Automation subreddit is a great resource. Last I checked, there was over 300,000 members so no matter how obscure your question, there’s a good chance you might find someone who has an answer.

SmartThings Community

Lots of expert coders hang out here. If you need know what your device can do with Samsung SmartThings, this is the place to go.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much information out there that it’s easy to be overwhelmed. I hope this list helps you find what you need.

If you:

a. feel I left out a valuable resource

b.think your site deserves to make the list

c. think my rankings suck

let me know why in the comments below.

Also, where do you think The Smart Cave belongs on this list?