Abode makes some of our favorite home security systems, and the Abode Security Kit is a great value made even better by Amazon's Prime Day sale. For just 60 bucks, you get the foundation of a robust security system that you can expand over time. This is an easy DIY product consisting of a central hub, one door/window sensor, and a keyfob for arming and disarming. Once you have it set up, you can add Abode's reasonably priced motion sensors, smart lock, security camera, video doorbell, and keypad (for arming/disarming) as you need them. You can also arm/disarm the system with the keyfob or the Abode app on your phone.

The Aqara Camera Protect Kit Y100 is one of the easiest to install and set up tech products I've tested, and it does an outstanding job of monitoring a relatively small space. But steer clear if you're looking for a professional monitoring option, as that's not on offer. But before I get too deep into this review, be aware that Aqara does not offer any professional monitoring service, where someone in a central office monitors your security system and can dispatch first responders in the event of a break-in, fire, or medical emergency. While such plans are always paid subscriptions, its absence here will be a deal-breaker for some (Aqara does manufacture a Zigbee smart smoke detector if self-monitoring is all you're looking for). The Matter-compatible Aqara Camera Hub G3 includes a Zigbee radio and a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter.

The fourth generation of Amazon's Echo smart speaker marks a radical departure in industrial design, ditching the familiar columnar form factor of previous iterations for something that looks for all the world like a child's bowling ball. Two things haven't changed: The Echo (and Alexa) remain our favorite tools for smart home control, and the company still trails Sonos in terms of building smart speakers that sound great. The recent introduction of the Nest Audio leaves Amazon in third place behind Google in terms of audio performance (don't forget the powerful Google Home Max). Amazon continues to make strides in terms of audio quality, and the fourth-gen Echo sounds very good, especially if you like your tunes leavened with bass. But in a three-way comparison with the Nest Audio and the Sonos One (which, I should note, costs twice as much as either of its competitors), the Echo comes up just a wee bit short, as I'll discuss a bit later.

Never have I had so much trouble getting a smart home product to work. In fact, Wink Lookout is so difficult to get up and running--and so frustrating in actual operation--that shoppers should categorically look elsewhere for their home security needs. This may come as a surprise, because the Wink Hub 2 is one of our most highly recommended smart home control systems, and that recommendation remains intact. But in July, Wink was acquired by i.am (the tech company owned by musician Will.i.am), and things appear to be in flux. The biggest news since that acquisition is the launch of Wink Lookout, Wink's belated passel of security sensors designed to integrate with the Wink Hub ecosystem.

You've probably never heard of Hive or its British parent, the multinational utility Centrica plc. You might be familiar with Hive's Texas-based sister company Direct Energy, which provides residential gas and electricity services in 13 states as well as several Canadian provinces. I mention these connections because when you're considering signing a two-year contract for smart home services from a brand-new company, you'll want assurances that the company knows what it's doing. You'll also want to know that it has the financial backing to make a go of it. On the first point, Hive's smart home lineage can be traced back to the British manufacturer AlertMe, which was acquired by British Gas (another Centrica plc company) in February 2015.