Top Tens Smart Home Devices - Stuff South Africa

SMART HOME DEVICES

TIPS & TRICKS

Have your news delivered right to your ears right after a relaxing meal using Alexa Flash Briefings. Or you can stick with more random trivia facts. Your call.

Teach Alexa to recognise you and your family’s voices to get more personalised recommendations. Perfect for families with different music
subscriptions.

Not a Prime Music subscriber? You can make Spotify or Apple Music Alexa’s default streamer by heading to More > Settings > Music & Podcasts.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)

R1 300 / makro.co.za

It still can’t compete with a full-scale Echo in terms of sound quality, but the 5th Gen Echo Dot makes a damn good attempt of it anyway, with larger drivers that immediately prove their worth. It’s the smartest of Amazon’s kin, turning out lights on a whim. You don’t need the ‘with Clock’ model (but yes, actually, you do).

Stuff says ★★★★★

It’s no Scarlett Johansson, but it’s the closest you’ll get for the time being.

• NOW ADD THIS
PHILLIPS HUE STARTER KIT
Alexa-compatible, voice-controlled lightbulbs were not what we were expecting after watching Back to the Future II. Not that we’re complaining.
R2 400 / zeekonline.co.za

Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen)

R850 / geewiz.co.za

If you live in Google’s world (and let’s face it, most of us do) then the Nest Mini is the best, cheapest way to get into the smart home game. Just like the latest Echo Dot, this latest version features upgraded speakers and mics compared to older models. It’s a slightly better bet than the Echo Dot with Clock if you want close integration with your Google calendar and apps. The only reason not to buy is if you want more powerful audio – for that, get the Google Nest Audio instead.

Stuff says ★★★★★

Louder and cleverer than ever… and it’ll only improve with updates.

Ecoflow River 2 Max Power Station

R8 000 / za.ecoflow.co.za

Load shedding isn’t going away anytime soon and if you believe otherwise, we’d like a sip of whatever the ANC’s snuck into your drink. For the rest of you, portable power has become as essential as anything else. It doesn’t take the job lightly, turning up with app support, LED display, 1,000W power draw and more ports than you’ll ever
need. Its charge speed is fantastic, as is the pass-through function that means you’ll barely even notice Eskom turn the power off.

Stuff says ★★★★★

Premium products demand premium prices. Ecoflow’s Rixer 2 Max is certainly that.