The best smart home hub for Alexa
Originally published at Gadget Flow on July 12, 2019.
- Do you need an Amazon device to use Alexa? No, you don’t. Alexa is available to download on smartphones, and it works on many third-party devices.
- Why would you buy an Alexa hub that’s not made by Amazon? While Amazon does make great products, other brands offer strong competition.
- What are the best Alexa-enabled smart home devices? Take a look at our Amazon Alexa category to see the latest smart lights, smart plugs, smart TVs, and more.
This year, Alexa seems to have edged ahead in the great voice assistant race. Amazon Echo products are flying off the digital shelves, and many other brands are also making great Alexa-powered devices. To help you choose between the magic and the tragic, we decided to go looking for the best smart home hub that money can buy. Here are the most appealing options we found.
Wink 2 Smart Home Hub
When it comes to compatibility, Wink 2 is the ultimate smart home hub. This thing supports Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kidde, and Lutron Clear Connect, with powerful 5GHz Wi-Fi to boot. Along with Alexa, the hub works with IFTTT. In layman’s terms: you can manage and control just about any smart device with this setup.
Price: $99 USD
SmartThings 3rd Generation Hub by Samsung
Compatible with over 40 brands of smart home appliances, SmartThings doesn’t actually run on Alexa. However, the Hub is compatible with Amazon’s voice assistant. Using vocal commands, you can control lights, switches, speakers, cameras, sensors, and more, plus have access to the SmartThings ecosystem.
Price: $67.66 USD
Libratone ZIPP 2 Smart Portable Alexa Speaker
Although the ZIPP 2 is more of a smart speaker than a smart home hub, it still allows you to control other devices via Alexa. Along with the smart functionality, it’s also stylish, portable, and impressive in the audio department.
Price: $250 USD
Brilliant Control Smart Home Hub
This control panel replaces a traditional light switch with a crisp touchscreen. Brilliant lets you control all the various smart devices in your home, and you can use Alexa for voice commands. Because it installs right on your wall, your home will feel like a truly smart home.
Price: $299 USD
Lenovo Smart Tab P10 Family Entertainment Tablet
With a 10.1-inch FHD display and four speakers, the Lenovo Smart Tab P10 was made for enjoying movies and music. However, the tablet also works perfectly as a portable smart home control panel, with full Amazon Alexa integration.
Price: $262 USD
Triby IO Smart Home Speaker Hub
Triby IO is a portable smart speaker that can do so much more. The back is magnetic, meaning you can stick it to your fridge. From this position, you can command Alexa, make voice calls and leave notes on the e-paper display. This versatile device might not be around for much longer, so snap it up while you can.
Price: $108.86 USD
Amazon Echo Show 5 Alexa Enabled Smart Screen
Designed to reside on your nightstand, the Echo Show 5 is somewhere between an alarm clock and a smart home hub. You can use it to control other devices, play music, and watch videos. In addition, the screen gets brighter in the morning to wake you up gradually and naturally.
Price: $89.99 USD
Amazon Echo Plus Alexa Speaker Hub
All things considered, the Amazon Echo Plus is probably the best Alexa hub right now. It’s really easy to use, good at picking up your vocal commands, and blessed with great 360-degree sound. All this comes at a surprising price tag considering its functionality.
Price: $149.99 USD
Best smart home hub for Alexa
No matter what kind of smart home set-up you have, these hubs should have you covered.
