The Ecobee Smart Doorbell (wired) is a reliable, easy-to-use, high-end video doorbell. It depends on hardwired power, but it can trigger a homeowner's existing chimes. As with many of its competitors, you'll need to pay for a subscription to unlock all its features, but it can be incorporated into a robust home security system with professional monitoring at a very reasonable price. If you're already using one of Ecobee's smart home thermostats or security systems--or you're thinking about installing one--you'll want to consider the company's first video doorbell. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) doesn't just compete with category leaders Ring, Nest, and Arlo, it also brings a few smart ideas of its own--and it plays especially well within Ecobee's larger smart home/home security ecosystem.

The all-new Ecobee Essential smart thermostat Ecobee unveiled at CES this week delivers most of the features that we like about the higher-end Enhanced ( 190) and Premium ( 250) models, but at a much more wallet-friendly price of just 130. With the Essential, Ecobee aims to simplify the path to smarter home temperature control for users who want comfort and convenience without overloading on complicated high-end features, such as radar motion detection and a display that streams video from Ecobee's video doorbell and home security camera. Buyers still get a full-color touchscreen, it's just a bit smaller, and the manufacturer says they'll still save around 23 percent on their energy bills every year, thanks to intelligent scheduling and efficiency features. The Smart Thermostat Essential also delivers the ease of use that has made its pricier siblings so popular. Its adaptive learning technology fine-tunes your heating and cooling schedules based on your household's routines, so your is at the perfect temperature when you're there, and you're saving money and energy while you're away by not heating and cooling an empty house.

Apple promised that Siri would reach third-party devices back at WWDC, and now it's clear just what that will look like. Ecobee has started rolling out an update that brings Siri to the SmartThermostat. You'll need a HomePod mini to serve as a hub, but you'll otherwise get to talk to Ecobee's device like you would your iPhone or Apple Watch -- helpful if you want to set the temperature without reaching for another device first. The update should reach all SmartThermostat users within the "next few weeks." The thermostat by itself costs $250, although you'll need to factor in another $99 if you don't have the HomePod.

This year finds us in a much different place than last year. Instead of hunkering down for a chilly, lonely winter, we're flinging aside our face masks and getting ready to return to the outside world. However, if you're having friends over for the first time in almost two years, you might still need help vacuuming the living room carpet. Or maybe you're styling your hair to appear in public for the first time in a loooong time and have forgotten how to do it! If that's the case, we can help!

If you've ever used an iPod, the Nest Thermostat will be familiar to you--in fact, it was designed by Tony Fadell, the designer of the original iPod hardware. Changing the temperature is as simple as rotating the thermostat's dial. You can use the app to set a traditional time-of-day schedule--far simpler than most non-smart thermostats--or let the Nest learn your daily habits and adjust the temperature automatically. This feature is great for those who don't want to put in any effort, but might be a bit too confusing for people who like to fine-tune their schedules, so you can turn it off if you wish. Like many other smart thermostats, the Nest can save you energy by adjusting the temperature when you aren't home, as determined by your phone's location and the Nest's built-in motion sensors, and it's also compatible with the energy-saving plans and rebates offered by many utility companies.

The sirens are not at all loud--just 76dB for each device--and would at best annoy an intruder versus driving them out of the house the way a more robust siren would (not to mention possibly garnering the attention of your neighbors). But the bigger problem with the siren is that it doesn't sound off automatically in the event of breach. Ecobee instead depends on you to push a button in the app to trigger it. So, if you don't hear the alert, or you ignore it, the intruder won't know they've been detected and might be inclined to hang out in your house longer. It's also worth repeating here that Ecobee Haven is a self-monitored security system.

From the moment you see one, a smart thermostat looks cool. The cover plate is smooth, and there's a clear digital read out. Unlike that grimy little hockey puck, with its analog dial and worn-out numbers, the smart thermostat feels futuristic, like something out of a science fiction movie. Yet smart thermostats are real – and they're changing lives. And they also offer a level of convenience that most of us have never imagined before.

Alexa is already everywhere in a lot of homes, thanks to the affordability and ease of installation/setup of the Echo Dot. But Alexa could become even more seamlessly integrated into your home, if you think about it. And Canadian smart home tech maker ecobee did think about it, which is how they came up with the ecobee Switch . Ecobee is probably most known for their connected thermostats, which are one of the strongest competitors out there for Nest. The company's been building other products, too, however, and developing closer ties with Amazon and its Alexa virtual assistant.

You no longer have to be picky about which voice assistant you use to steer Ecobee's smart thermostats. Google Assistant now offers control over Ecobee3 and Ecobee4 models, letting you tweak the temperature from your phone or an Assistant-equipped speaker like those in the Home lineup. It's a relatively simple addition, but it means that Ecobee's thermostats now respond to voice commands from three of the major voice assistants (Alexa, Assistant and Siri) in some capacity -- sorry, Cortana fans. The move gives Ecobee an edge over Nest's thermostats, which already had Alexa and Google Assistant support but still lacks the native HomeKit support it would need for Siri. You don't necessarily want to pick a thermostat just for its voice input options.

For Amazon, hardware has always been a means to an end. From the Kindle e-reader to the Fire tablets to its TV offerings, the company has always treated the space as something of a loss leader – even with its most popular offerings. Amazon has found success in pricing devices much closer to cost than the competition – something a company can only really get away with if it plans to make up for things somewhere down the road, like, say if you're in the content selling business. The Echo line is no different, of course. The goal of the hardware hub is simple: to seed living rooms with its smart assistant and become an essential part of the connected home.