Smart Home Starter Kit: What to Buy First

Most first smart homes go wrong the same way: a discounted plug from one brand, a doorbell from a second, bulbs from a third, and six months later five apps, three accounts and two hubs.

None of that is necessary. A good starter setup is mostly about choosing in the right order: pick one ecosystem, make sure your Wi-Fi can carry it, buy a handful of cheap devices that teach you what you actually use, and only then spend money on locks and cameras. That is the order we use across the smart product research on HomePlusDeals.Com, and it is the order this guide follows.

Start with the ecosystem, not the gadget

An “ecosystem” is the platform that ties everything together: the app you open, the voice assistant you talk to, and the hub or controller that runs your automations. In the US the big three are Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home, with Samsung SmartThings and the open-source Home Assistant as the main alternatives for people who like to tinker.

Choose one and treat it as home base. The quickest way to decide is to look at what is already in your pocket and on your shelf:

You can mix ecosystems later; Matter makes that much easier, as explained below. But one platform should be the place where your routines live, or you will end up debugging automations that two apps are both trying to run.

Matter and Thread, in plain English

These two words are now printed on a lot of smart home packaging, and they solve the “five apps” problem.

Matter is a shared smart home standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, with contributions from Amazon, Apple, Google and many other member companies. The Alliance describes it as one protocol to connect compatible devices and systems with one another. In practice, a Matter-certified plug can be set up in Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings without a brand-specific bridge.

A few points from the official Matter FAQ are worth knowing before you shop:

• Matter natively supports Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Thread as network layers, and uses Bluetooth Low Energy during setup.
• Its multi-admin feature lets you connect the same device to more than one platform at once, so an Android user and an iPhone user in the same house can both control the lights from their own app.
• Matter is a local connectivity technology. Devices talk to each other on your home network, but to control them while you are away you still need an internet-connected controller, such as a smart speaker, display or streaming box.
• Only certified products carry the Matter logo. “Works with” claims elsewhere on the box are not the same thing.

The standard keeps growing. The Alliance’s Matter 1.2 release in October 2023 added appliances including robot vacuums, which is relevant if you are also reading our robot vacuum buying guide.

Thread is the low-power wireless network many Matter devices use instead of Wi-Fi. According to the Thread Group, it is an open, IPv6-based protocol built on the power-efficient IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard, designed to extend the internet to low-power devices. Thread devices form a mesh: mains-powered ones like plugs and bulbs relay signals for each other, which strengthens the network as you add more.

The catch is that Thread needs a border router, a device that connects the Thread mesh to your regular Wi-Fi network. Many recent smart speakers, smart displays and streaming boxes have one built in. Check the spec sheet of the speaker you already own before buying a Thread device; if it is not listed, you will need a hub that is.

The short rule: when two similar products cost about the same, pick the one with the Matter logo.

Get the network right first

A smart home is only as reliable as the Wi-Fi it sits on. Before buying anything, run a speed test on your phone at each spot where a device will live — the front door, the garage, the far bedroom.

Practical network basics:

1. Check your router’s age. If it is more than five or six years old or the ISP-supplied box has never been replaced, a mesh Wi-Fi system often fixes dead zones better than a range extender.
2. Know about 2.4 GHz. Many inexpensive plugs and bulbs only connect on the 2.4 GHz band. If your router merges 2.4 and 5 GHz under one network name and a device refuses to pair, that is usually why. Most routers let you split them temporarily.
3. Reserve bandwidth for cameras. Video doorbells and cameras upload continuously during events. Plugs and sensors barely use any data at all.
4. Consider a guest or IoT network. Putting smart devices on a separate network keeps a compromised gadget away from your laptop and phone.

The five starter devices, in buying order

1. Smart plugs

The cheapest, most forgiving way to start. A plug turns any lamp, fan, coffee maker or holiday lights into something you can schedule or switch by voice. Use them for lamps on a sunset schedule, a space heater you want off by midnight, or a “vacation mode” that turns lights on in the evening. Some models report energy use, which helps track down the standby loads covered in our energy bill checklist.

Avoid plugs on anything that should not restart unattended, like an iron or a portable heater without tip-over protection.

2. Smart bulbs or smart switches

Bulbs are simple: screw in, pair, done. The weakness is that someone will flip the wall switch off, and then the bulb is offline. If a room has a single switch controlling several fixtures, a smart switch is often cheaper and more reliable than four smart bulbs, but it does involve wiring and usually needs a neutral wire in the box. Our living room lighting guide covers color temperature and layering if you are planning lighting from scratch.

3. A smart speaker or display (the hub)

This is the controller for your chosen ecosystem, and often the Thread border router too. You only need one to start.

4. A video doorbell

The most useful security device for most homes, and the most demanding on your network. Decide on power first: a wired doorbell uses your existing doorbell transformer and never needs charging, while a battery model is easier to install but has to come off the wall every few months. Also check what the subscription costs; many doorbells record clips to the cloud only with a paid plan, and some offer local storage instead.

5. A smart lock

Leave this until last, when you trust your setup. A smart lock should still work with a physical key or keypad if the battery, Wi-Fi or app fails. Check that it fits your door’s existing deadbolt hole and backset, and whether it replaces the whole deadbolt or fits over the interior thumb-turn — the latter is often the only option for renters. Our essential DIY tool kit covers the screwdrivers and tape measure you will need for the swap.

Privacy and security settings to change on day one

Smart devices are small computers with microphones, cameras and location data. Federal guidance is consistent on what to do about that.

The FTC’s advice on securing internet-connected devices at home starts with the router: change its default administrator username and password, turn on wireless encryption, and keep it updated. For each device, it recommends changing default passwords, not reusing passwords from other accounts, turning on two-factor authentication where offered, disabling features you do not use such as remote management, and disconnecting old devices you no longer use. It also notes that voice assistants can listen continuously and may send recordings to the manufacturer.

CISA’s home network security guidance adds router-level settings: use WPA3 Personal with AES encryption where your router supports it, disable WPS, disable UPnP unless you need it, turn off remote management, and watch for unknown devices on your network. Its Secure Our World campaign boils everyday protection down to four habits: recognize phishing, use strong passwords with a password manager, turn on multi-factor authentication, and update software.

Device-specific settings worth checking:

• Doorbells and cameras: Turn on end-to-end encryption if the app offers it. Set privacy zones so the camera does not record a neighbor’s window or the sidewalk. Review who has shared access.
• Speakers: Review and auto-delete voice recordings. Use the physical mute button in bedrooms.
• Locks: Use unique codes for each person so you can revoke one without changing them all.
• Account: Use the strongest MFA option the app supports. A smart home account is effectively a key to your house.

If you buy a home that already has smart devices installed, factory-reset every one of them and set them up under your own accounts.

Budget tiers

Prices vary by retailer and season, so treat these as rough ranges, not quotes.

Two costs people miss: camera subscriptions, which recur every month, and electrician time if you go the smart switch route without a neutral wire.

What to skip at the start

• Proprietary hubs for a single device. If a product only works through its own bridge and is not Matter-certified, think twice.
• Kits bundling ten devices you have not used yet. Start with three, live with them for a month, then expand.
• Cloud-only devices from brands you have never heard of. If the company’s servers go away, so might the device. Check warranty terms and how long security updates are promised, and see our guide to product warranty rights for what you are owed if something fails.

Quick checklist

1. Pick one ecosystem based on the phones in the house.
2. Test Wi-Fi at every spot a device will go; fix dead zones first.
3. Confirm your speaker or display is a Thread border router, or buy one that is.
4. Prefer Matter-certified products when prices are close.
5. Start with plugs and a speaker, then lighting, then a doorbell, then a lock.
6. Change default passwords, turn on MFA and enable automatic updates on day one.
7. Put smart devices on a guest or IoT network if your router supports it.
8. Budget for camera subscriptions before you buy the camera.

Start small and expand only into what you actually use. For more practical buying guides, browse the full smart products category on HomePlusDeals.Com.