Ring Alarm 2 is the most popular DIY home security system in the US. It’s affordable, easy to set up, and plays nicely with the rest of the Amazon ecosystem. It also has a subscription model baked into almost every useful feature – which is fine as long as you know that going in. This … Read more
Most people buy a home security system once, set it up wrong, and forget about it until the battery dies or the monitoring company jacks up the price. That is not a great strategy. This is a straight comparison of the four DIY security systems worth considering in 2026: SimpliSafe, Ring Alarm, ADT Self Setup, … Read more
The short answer: Arlo Pro 5S 2K if you want the best wire-free camera money can buy, and Blink Outdoor 4 if you want something that works without emptying your wallet every month. Everything else falls somewhere between those two. Outdoor security cameras have one problem nobody talks about enough: the sticker price is a … Read more
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is the right call for renters and anyone who wants to keep their existing deadbolt – it sits on top of the interior thumb turn and handles everything from there. If you’re buying a new deadbolt anyway, the Schlage Encode Plus is worth the extra spend: it’s a complete deadbolt … Read more
The Wyze Cam v4 is genuinely good for $36. 2.5K resolution, color night vision, local storage via microSD – it outperforms cameras that cost two or three times as much. But before you buy one, you need to know about the subscription situation (the free tier is nearly useless) and a 2024 privacy incident that … Read more
The Schlage Encode Plus (BE499WB) is the one to buy. It works natively with Apple HomeKit – no hub, no bridge, no extra gear – plus Alexa and Google Assistant, and it’s built to ANSI Grade 1/AAA standards. If you don’t care about HomeKit, the standard Encode saves you $30 and does everything else the … Read more
The best smart light switch for most homes is the Lutron Caseta PD-6ANS – it works without a neutral wire, runs on a rock-solid proprietary mesh, and plays nicely with every major voice assistant. If you have a neutral wire and want Matter compatibility, the Leviton Decora D315S is the cleaner long-term bet. Smart switches … Read more
If you have existing doorbell wiring and are already in the Google Home ecosystem, get the Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd Gen). It shoots 2K video, records 24/7, and the Gemini AI is genuinely useful. If you are renting or your front door has no wiring, the Nest Doorbell (Battery) installs in 20 minutes with a … Read more