By now, you should have probably heard about the Smart home technology. A lot of devices that we interact with in our daily life are considered Smart devices and that trend seems to be increasing more and more with time. If you want to bring true automation to your home, you will need the best Smart home hub to connect all of your devices.
What is a Smart home hub?
A Smart hub is a central device that allows multiple different Smart gadgets, such as lights, locks, thermostats, plugs, alarms, cameras, etc. to work collectively in a Smart home. The Smart Hub allows you to control multiple devices from a single place — everywhere, where you have an internet connection that is. Having the best Smart home hub is not a requirement unless you want to bring some indeed advanced automation to your home.
What are the benefits of the Smart home hub?
The benefits of having the best Smart home hub are numerous. Depending on what Smart devices you have laying around — you can do some pretty crafty stuff with it. The most significant benefit of the Smart home hub is that it allows you to control all of your Smart devices from one place. That place is most commonly almost everywhere thanks to the wide availability of internet nowadays. Another great benefit is that it will significantly improve the functionality and comfort of your devices. What’s even more intriguing is that…
Having a Smart home hub can help you save money.
The best Smart home hub might cost you a few hundred bucks, but over the course of a few months, it has the potential to pay for itself. Having a Smart home hub and Smart lock, smoke alarms, thermostats, etc. connected to it, for example, could save some money on home some bills costs. Nowadays, a lot of insurance, gas, and electricity companies are giving either lower rates or rebates to customers with Smart technology integrated into their homes. The thermostat can be connected to your heating solution and regulate it accordingly to the current temperature in the apartment. Another financial benefit…
Having a Smart home raises the value of your home.
If you want to improve a house that you want to sell or a house that you want to give for rent — you might want to consider installing a Smart home hub and a few devices. They are very easy to set up and use, mostly done in a few minutes. All you have to do is plug them in and connect them to the Smart home hub. After you are done, all you have to do is pick up your phone. Your whole home is at the touch of your finger at any time, anywhere.
Do I need a Smart home hub?
Improved home security, cost-effectiveness, convenience, futurism and so much more. Having a Smart home hub will open the door to a world of possibilities. The technology in the world we live in has developed at an incredible speed. Huge companies such as Google, Amazon, Samsung and many more have gotten into the race of making the best Smart home technologies. You will see great gadgets in the upcoming years. I do believe it is well worth to invest some money into the future of your futuristic home.
Finding the best Smart home hub might turn out to be a bit of an obstacle. Given the vast diversity of Smart home hubs available, one will wonder which device is best suited for them. There are a few things you need to consider. Do you need it? Do you think it is a worthy investment for your needs? Will you be using it? Do you have extra hundred bucks to spend on it? If the answers to those questions are “yes,” then I will help you find the five best Smart home hubs.
This is our take on the top five best Smart Home Hubs in 2018:
| # | Image | Brand | Price |
| 1 |    |
Wink | $130 |
| 2 |    |
Samsung | $154 |
| 3 |      |
Vera | $110 |
| 4 |      |
Logitech | $300 |
| 5 |      |
NEEO | $369 |
1. Wink Hub 2
- Voice control
- Alexa and Google Assistant support (separate devices)
- Compatible with all major smart device manufacturers
- Wink app for full control
- Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kiddle and Clear Connect
- Up to 530 devices connected at once
When it comes to affordability, connectivity, and functionality — there is nothing better than the Wink Hub 2 for me. This little beast can connect with up to 530 devices simultaneously, making it perfect for the biggest homes or Smart geeks. It works with almost Smart tech brand around the world thanks to the WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kiddle, and Clear Connect connectivity support. If you are looking for a mesh wifi router, feel free to check our review of the top 5 whole-home wireless routers.
The Wink app allows you to control and supervise your entire Smart home from your smartphone or laptop. It allows you to automate various tasks around your house and receive alerts. The app keeps you informed at all times what is happening in your home. There is a very well made set up guide that makes the installation process plain and simple for everyone.
The Wink hub has a 2.4GHz, 5GHz WiFi support and an Ethernet port. About 512 MB is the built-in memory of the device. It is priced at about $130 right comes with way more flexibility than you thought you might have.
2. Samsung Connect AC1300 Home Mesh WiFi with SmartThings Hub
- Multi-room wifi router (pack of 3)
- SmartThings Hub
- Zigbee, Z-Wave and IP Network protocols support
- Up to 4, 500 (1, 500 per unit) square feet coverage
- Adaptive routing technology (chooses best internet patch for best performance)
- One app to control all devices
- Speeds of 866 Mbps @5GHz and 400 Mbps @2.4GHz
If you are looking for a router to buy with your Smart Home hub — the Samsun Connect AC13000 is here to help. It will not only give you a perfect internet connection at any spot in your house, but it will also connect all of your Smart devices. The maximum coverage area can reach 4, 500 sq. Ft. or 1, 500 sq. Ft. per device.
The Samsung app enables you to control everything from your Smartphone at any time. The AC1300 smart home hub comes with ZigBee, Z-Wave and IP Network protocols support. Thanks to the Adaptive Routing technology, the WiFi router will always make sure that you are using the internet channel with least traffic for the fastest speeds. The maximum reachable speeds at 5GHz and 2.4GHz are 866Mbps and 400Mbps.
Compared to the Wink Hub 2, the Samsung Connect AC1300 is slightly more expensive, but it is well worth it. Unlike the Hub 2, the AC1300 comes with not just one but three WiFi routers. It is an excellent investment for your house, especially if you live in a bigger one and the WiFi coverage is not perfect.
3. Vera VeraPlus-US
- Vera app for devices control
- Strong tech support
- About 75 to 125 smart devices support
- Control from any OS
- Z-Wave Plus, ZigBee, and Bluetooth support
Another cheap and great alternative is the VeraPlus Smart Home Hub. It can support up to about 120-125 connected devices simultaneously and can be controlled from any OS. The exclusive app lets you manage and monitor all of your home devices with a single touch from your smartphone or laptop. Regarding connectivity — at your disposal, you will have Z-Wave Plus, ZigBee, WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth support.
If you lack in technical knowledge to fix any issues that might occur with the device, you can always call their customer support. They will gladly help you solve your problem. The device is priced at $110 at the moment of testing and most definitely can connect to all of your Smart home devices.
4. Logitech Harmony Elite
- Remote with a full-color touchscreen display
- Remote Alexa voice control
- Available in a bundle with the Echo Dot
- Up to 15 devices
- One-Touch Activity modes (e.g., “Watch a Movie”)
- Harmony app
- Charging station for the remote
This one is quite a bit more expensive but for a reason. The Logitech Harmony Elite comes with unique remote control. On that remote control rests an HD full-color display with a touchscreen. It enables for seamless touch control of your Smart hub at any location in your apartment. The device features full Alexa voice control and can be bought in a bundle with the Echo Dot (+ $100). The smart remote has its dedicated charging stand for both convenience and display.
The Harmony app lets you control all of your devices from any iOS or Android-enabled smartphones or any laptops. It can connect up to 15 Smart devices, and the One-Touch activity modes let you enjoy the full comfort of your house. The device is priced at $300 and compared to the rest is not the best investment to make, unless you have the excess money. Since other devices can support 100+ connected device, it seems funny that you would pay more for a device that supports up to 15.
5. NEEO Smart Home Hub
- Remote with a full-color touchscreen display
- More than 60, 000 compatible devices
- 3-Inch Remote Screen size with 291 pixels per inch density
- Easy installation
And finally, but definitely not the least — the NEEO Smart Home hub. Just like the Logitech Harmony Elite, this hub comes with a remote that features a touchscreen. It comes with a beautiful full-color 3-Inch display with a 291 pixels per inch density. That is a lot, especially for a small remote like this. Pixels are almost invisible, and touch sensors have zero latency.
The NEEO smart home hub can be installed thanks to the well-written installation guide very easily. It is straightforward and can be done by anyone in minutes and since it requires zero technical knowledge — everyone can do it. More than 60 thousand different devices can be connected and controlled from the NEEO smart hub. The gadget itself is priced at $369, making a lot more expensive than the rest. Unless you want nearly full compatibility or a premium look and workflow — the NEEO Smart Hub is the way to go.
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