When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. These are the smart devices I can't live without My household would fall apart without these smart gadgets up and running. I've been covering smart home and security products for years, and I've written about and reviewed scores of smart devices. Yet I can count on one hand (plus an extra finger or two) the number of smart devices that my family and I actually depend on. Sure, I have plenty of smart gadgets in my house that are nice-to-haves.

I recently described how a recent flurry of smart home failures made me turn to Home Assistant, the increasingly polished DIY smart home platform that you can host yourself without relying on the cloud. Starting today, Home Assistant users have an awesome new toy to play with. The Home Assistant Connect ZQA-2 ( 69) is a new smart home adapter with a very tall antenna. And before you ask, it's not for Matter, the latest and hottest new thing in smart home. Instead, the Connect ZQA-2 is all about Z-Wave, an older but widely used smart home technology that's getting renewed attention thanks to its new "Long Range" capability, which allows for connectivity with Z-Wave LR (Long Range) client devices up to a mile--yes, a mile--away.

A great deal doesn't always mean that it's going to be cheap. If you're getting a computer or a couch, you're probably going to be outlaying some cash. We've rounded up the best deals from Amazon Prime Day that are a great deal and easy on the wallet. Whether you need an iPhone case, a screen protector, or a weighted blanket, we have those here. Some of these deals might require a membership, including Amazon Prime or Target Circle. Amazon Prime has a free 30-day trial.

The Flo by Moen Smart Water Leak Detector is a reliable gadget to help protect your home from water damage. Flo by Moen's Smart Water Leak Detector is the very best smart water leak detector we've ever tested, beating out our previous No. 1 pick, the Honeywell Home Water Leak Detector. While the two detectors are comparable, Moen is the more affordable of the two and, most of all, we were impressed by the near-instantaneous alerts (an imperative function of a smart leak detector) the Moen leak sensor sent to both of our iOS and Android devices, as well as via email. The Flo by Moen Smart Water Leak Detector passed all of our tests with flying colors and even continued to function after being submerged in water during our final round of testing. When a leak is detected, the sensor begins playing an alarm sound and flashes red, in addition to sending timely alerts in a matter of seconds. However, what it lacks in voice-control capabilities, it makes up for with a beautifully designed app full of useful data insights. The sensor also keeps track of the temperature and humidity within your home, which can help with moisture control.

This week is starting off strong for deals. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA Today's newsroom and any business incentives. There is no better way to ease into the work week than with a little online window shopping. And if you're going to distract yourself from your work or your to-do list, you might as well start with what's on sale, right?

This is what our readers loved most in February. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA Today's newsroom and any business incentives. Despite being a short month, February was full of deals on some great products. We saw sales on high-end OLED and 4K smart TVs, mattresses infused with green tea, Instant Pots, robot vacuums, and tons of kitchen and tech accessories.