Apple's HomePod is promising to be the smart speaker of every Apple fan's dreams. It'll have Siri integration and incredible audio. And you'll be able to control all of your HomeKit-enabled devices with it, which you means you need some HomeKit-enabled devices!
These are the best accessories to pick up when you get your HomePod!
- iDevices Switch smart plug
- Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 starter kit
- ecobee4 smart thermostat
- August Smart Lock Pro
- Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit
iDevices Switch
If you don't have any smart home devices just yet, then the iDevices Switch is a great place to start. It basically turns any device with an on/off switch into a smart device! The plug connects via Wi-Fi and is HomeKit-enabled, so you can control it from the Home app on your iPhone or iPad or by asking Siri to turn something on or off with your new HomePod.
This is Mikah Sargent's favorite smart home plug and the only one he says hasn't had connection issues in his testing. At $30, it's a steal of a deal and will work wonderfully with your HomePod.
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 starter kit
When someone says "smart home devices", the Philips Hue lights might be the first things to come to mind. That's because they're the best smart lights around and work with just about every platform around — including HomeKit!
The White and Color Ambiance starter kit is the perfect point of entry for smart lights, since it comes with the Hue Bridge and two to four bulbs. You can add up to 50 lights and there are millions of colors to choose from to help you set the mood just right. You can create custom schedules, adjust brightness on the fly with your voice (via your HomePod, of course!), and add other Hue accessories as you go, like the Hue dimmer and Hue motion sensor.
The four-bulb starter kit is about $180 on Amazon.
ecobee4 smart thermostat
Turn the temperature up or down and more with just your voice and your HomePod. The ecobee4 is one of the best smart thermostats on the market, and it learns your habits and how you like your home temperature as you use it. You can perform more complex actions using Scenes in the Home app.
Mikah Sargent loves the ecobee4 because it also includes Wi-Fi-connected sensors, which can help regulate the temperature of your whole house by placing them in rooms where the ecobee4 isn't. When you're not at home to tell your HomePod to turn up the heat, you can use the Home app to do so from anywhere in the world (so long as you have an internet connection.
ecobee4 starts around $250.
August Smart Lock Pro
You've just crawled into bed way up on the second floor when it hits you: "Did I lock the door?" With the August Smart Lock Pro, you don't have to worry about that, since you can lock your doors with Siri and your HomePod. "Hey Siri, lock the front door." Boom. Done. You can also ask if the door is locked or not. To unlock, HomeKit requires you to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID.
The August Smart Lock Pro can be set to automatically lock when you leave the house and automatically lock when you come home (super convenient if you've done a big grocery shop alone), and it uses your existing deadbolt, so installation isn't too difficult. Check it out for around $230.
Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit
Yeah, we already have smart lights on this list, but those are practical. These are just cool as hell. Nanoleaf Aurora panels aren't so much lights as they are luminous works of art. In the Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit, you get nine panels, which you can orient in any design you'd like, as well as the Rhythm add-on, which bridge your Nanoleaf panels and your music! The colors and patterns will change depending on what you're listening to.
At $230, this kit isn't cheap, but it starts you off beautifully and may be the only bunch of panels you ever need. That being said, you can have up to 30 panels on one controller, so you might just want tons more down the road. If you're looking for gorgeous ambient lighting that doubles as wall art, then you have to check out Nanoleaf Aurora.
What will you control with your voice?
Sound off in the comments below with your favorite voice-controlled smart home products!
