Best Smart Home Products for 2024 That Aren't Made by Amazon or Google

Netgear took a significant departure in price from the inaugural Orbi it introduced back in 2016 with this new Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi System. We liked the original model, but it cost a hefty $400. Fast-forward three years and Netgear is back with a whole new Orbi, this time for just over $100.

For your money, you get a two-pack Orbi system designed to cover up to 3,000 square feet and works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. 3,000 square feet isn't quite enough to blanket the large CNET Smart Home in Wi-Fi, but Netgear does offer three- and four-pack kits for $230 and $300 if you have more ground to cover. 

Read more: The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems

At close range, the Orbi clocked the faster top speeds during our testing, impressing us with its signal strength and general ability to keep up with the pricier Nest Wi-Fi and Eero systems. 

The Netgear app could use a redesign, but the Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi System offers great overall value and is well worth considering if you're not quite ready to make the move to Wi-Fi 6 (but want a solid Wi-Fi connection throughout your house).

If you've overlooked the lowly smart plug up until now, you might want to reconsider. The $30 TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini, available for less on Amazon (as of writing this, it's just $12), makes it incredibly easy to control everyday household devices. 

Connect your smart plug to a wall outlet, then plug in a desk fan, lamp or other small electronic device for easy on/off control straight from your phone -- or with an Alexa or Google Assistant voice command. In addition to the Kasa Smart Plug Mini's reliable performance, I really like that this particular smart plug doesn't block any other outlets -- something that strangely isn't always the case (including with TP-Link's own Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug with Energy Monitoring). 

Read more: The Best Smart Plugs

The Kasa Smart Plug Mini can also be set to control a device automatically on a schedule. For example, if you want your entryway lamp to turn on at 6 p.m. and off at 10 p.m., just go to the app and schedule it. As long as your Wi-Fi connection is solid, your TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini will control your devices for you, so you can focus on more important things.

The Wyze Bulb is an unassuming choice for the best light bulb. It only costs $10 a piece -- a fraction of what Philips or Lifx charges -- and yet, it earned top marks in our testing. That only makes its value all the more impressive.

Wyze's smart bulb is a dimmable white-light LED with a scheduling function and an adjustable color temperature. 

Download the Wyze app, screw in the Wyze Bulb and follow the simple setup steps -- and you're just a few minutes away from having app-controlled lighting. Wyze Bulbs work with Alexa and Google Assistant as well, if you want to use a voice command to adjust them. 

Read more: The Best Smart Bulbs

While the app is easy to use and the dimming, scheduling and color temperature settings work well, I do wish the app had a sunrise/sunset setting that automatically adjusted the schedule based on the time of year. I have three Wyze bulbs in covered outside light fixtures and have to occasionally adjust my schedule to account for the changing seasons. 

Still, they're excellent bulbs at a great price; we highly recommend them. 

Note: Wyze Bulbs are technically indoor lights, so make sure to follow Wyze's guidelines when you install these yourself.

SimpliSafe bridges the gap between professional security systems like Vivint or ADT and standalone home security devices like the Arlo Pro 3 camera. It's a complete, scalable home security system you install yourself. The $200 "Foundation" security kit comes with basics, including a hub, a keypad, a door/window sensor and a motion sensor. Add extra sensors and other devices as needed.

Read more: The Best Home Security Systems

For $25 per month, you get professional security monitoring from a remote call center and access to the SimpliSafe app where you can also check in on things yourself. Unlike professional security companies, SimpliSafe doesn't come with an "early termination" fee or lock you into a contract. If you decide to cancel or move, you can either move your system to your new home or cancel without extra charges. 

SimpliSafe's security system recently underwent a design overhaul making it much easier on the eyes than the last version. Overall, it's an ideal system for someone craving the accessory options of an ADT without a contract.

If you don't already know how I feel about smart displays, this commentary should do the trick: I have enough screens in my life. I don't need a smart display, too.

If we're ruling out the variety of Amazon- and Google-branded smart displays for the purposes of this post, I'm going to side-step all of the third-party displays out there. 

Instead, I'd suggest a regular old tablet: the Apple iPad. I know, two Apple devices in a row. CNET's Scott Stein recommends the iPad -- the 10.2-inch, released in 2021 -- as an obvious affordable choice at the top of his list of favorite tablets. 

Read more: The Best Smart Displays

The iPad has the same Home app as an iPhone, meaning you can check in on and control all of your smart home devices on the iPad's larger display. It also has Siri built-in, so you can use a voice command to turn on the reading light or open the living room shades.