Best Early Black Friday Smart Home Deals

The Arlo Pro 5S is one of the company’s higher-end security cameras. It’s weatherproof and battery-powered, allowing you to place it just about anywhere on your property within WiFi range. It offers decent video quality and features color night vision, a built-in siren, and two-way audio. Additional features like AI object detection and activity zones require an Arlo Secure subscription.

The Blink Mini 2 is a small security camera that offers great video quality and speedy motion alerts. It can also work outdoors and store footage locally without a subscription, but each of those features requires you to buy an accessory. The former needs the Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter, $10, while the latter needs the Blink Sync Module 2, $35, and a USB flash drive. Cloud video storage requires a Blink Subscription Plan. This camera is back down to its fall Prime Day price.

The TP-Link Tapo MagCam C425, now $10 more than during the last sale, is a compact, battery-powered security camera that performs well in our tests. It offers local storage with up to a 512-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately) and features person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, monitoring zones, and more. Best of all, you don’t need a subscription to use any of these features. TP-Link also sells a $40 solar panel that can be connected to the camera to keep its battery charged. This TP-Link security camera is back down to its July Prime Day sale price.

The SimpliSafe security system is one of the best options for DIYers, according to our lab tests. It works with SimpliSafe’s security cameras, the CR-tested SimpliSafe Doorbell Pro SS3 video doorbell, and the company’s smart lock, of course, but you can purchase extra contact and motion sensors, too. Opt for self-monitoring or pay a subscription fee for professional help. Multiple SimpliSafe bundles are on sale, ranging from about 20 to 50 percent off.

The Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit is a budget-friendly system you can easily monitor yourself. It receives strong scores on most of our tests, but it notably lacks battery and cellular backups. The base station has one unusual feature—built-in local video storage for Eufy security cameras and video doorbells. You can also use the system with other Eufy Security products, such as Eufy smart locks. Additional contact and motion sensors cost $30 each.

The Ring Alarm (2nd Gen) is a great DIY home security system, performing well for ease of setup, ease of use, data security, security essentials, and more. The system requires a $10 per month subscription to function, but it works with Amazon Alexa (for voice control) and Ring video doorbells and security cameras. Amazon is discounting a handful of Ring Alarm bundles to their fall Prime Day prices. Costco is also discounting an 8-piece kit down to $120, but the deal is exclusive to Costco members.

One of the best (and least expensive!) doorbell cameras you can buy, the TP-Link Tapo D130 offers a bunch of features—even without a subscription. They include 24/7 recording with local video storage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes, sold separately), AI object recognition (for people, vehicles, packages, and pets), activity zones, and color night vision. The model needs low-voltage doorbell wiring for power. Cloud video storage is available via subscription. This doorbell is 25 percent off its list price, and it’s such a great product that any discount is worth taking.

The Arlo Video Doorbell 2K is one of the best video doorbells you can buy. It provides the flexibility to install it wherever you need it. You can run it using the rechargeable battery or hardwire it to a home’s doorbell wiring for continuous power. Features include geofencing and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as alerts for people, packages, animals, and vehicles) require an Arlo Secure subscription. This doorbell is back down to its fall Prime Day price.

The Google Nest Video Doorbell (Battery) offers impressive data security, speedy response times, and decent video quality in our lab tests. It’s also one of few video doorbells to give you monitoring zones, object recognition (of people, packages, animals, and vehicles), and 3 free hours of cloud video storage without a monthly subscription. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as facial recognition) require a Google Nest Aware subscription. This doorbell has decent discounts in its snow (white) and ivy (dark green) colors.

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is one of the company’s newer doorbells. It doesn’t excel at video quality, but it does provide strong data security, speedy alerts, and quick-loading live video feeds. Features include color night vision, a rechargeable and swappable battery pack, activity zones, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as person alerts) require a Ring Home subscription. This Ring doorbell is back down to its fall Prime Day price. You can also purchase it bundled with a Ring Stick Up Cam, worth $100, for $150 at Amazon.

Interested in a smart lock but don’t like hubs and dongles? The August WiFi Smart Lock connects directly to WiFi, no hub needed. It’s also a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior side of your deadbolt so you can keep your existing keys. It performs quite well in our tests, including those for ease of remote access and convenience. Features include auto-locking and unlocking, access logs, electronic keys, and a door sensor.

As the name suggests, the Yale Assure Lock 2 is the successor to the Yale Assure Lock SL. This keyless model performs well in our tests, holding up against kick-ins and attacks from a cordless drill. It’s very easy to set up, connect to WiFi, and control remotely when you’re not home. With the included Yale WiFi Smart Module (an $80 value), it also supports Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings.

The Meross Outdoor Smart Plug MSS620BHK receives great scores across our user experience tests. It is also the only outdoor plug in our evaluation that works with all four major smart home systems. As a drawback, it lacks energy monitoring. Each outlet can be controlled independently from the Meross app. It’s on sale for about 25 percent off its list price when using the on-page coupon.

Want indoor Meross plugs? The Meross Smart Wifi Plug Mini 4-Pack is also on sale for $30 at Amazon when using a $2 off on-page coupon.

Among the best outdoor smart plugs you can buy, the TP-Link Kasa EP40 is fairly easy to set up and even easier to use, based on our expert evaluations, offering voice/app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. The plug’s two outlets can be controlled independently. The price is down to the lowest we’ve seen in the last year, which is $1 less than it was during Black Friday 2023.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart KL125 smart bulb offers the best deal of the 10 smart lightbulbs we evaluated. It retails for $15 per bulb and has a great array of colors and dimming performance that come close to the pricier Philips Hue. The bulb also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for voice and/or app control.

For a smart light switch that just works without fail, you can’t beat Lutron Caséta. Sure, they’re pricey, but they’re easy to install and set up, and they’re one of the few options that don’t require a neutral wire. (Good news for those in homes built before the 80s). This kit includes the Lutron hub, two dimmer switches, and two wireless remotes. It’s back down to its sale price from Amazon’s October Prime Day event and Black Friday 2023.

To make your holiday light display really pop this year, consider the Twinkly Strings. We tried out these lights a few years ago and found them to be a fun way to put on an elaborate light show. The lights connect to WiFi, so you can customize them from your smartphone, but they also work with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, and Google Home/Assistant.

The Rachio 3 8ZULW-C is a solid sprinkler controller that’s easy to connect to WiFi and highly responsive to local forecasts. It lost a few points in our tests because the wiring instructions are unclear, and it lacks a backup battery and weatherproof casing. (A weatherproof enclosure is sold separately for $30.) It works with up to eight sprinkler zones; four-zone and 16-zone versions are also available. This controller is on sale for about 20 percent off its list price.

If you want to monitor a handful of trouble spots in your home, the X-Sense Wi-Fi Water Leak Detector SWS54 provides the best bang for your buck. You get a hub with a siren and three wireless sensors you can place throughout your home. The sensors are unique in that they can detect water on the ground and water that drips on them from, say, exposed pipes. The sensors each have a siren, too, allowing you to easily identify the source of an alert without checking the X-Sense app. With the on-page coupon, you get the lowest price we’ve seen in over a year.

The Meross MSG100 is the best smart garage door opener controller from our at-home evaluation. It’s relatively easy to set up and install and works flawlessly with all of the major smart home systems (Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings). And now it’s back at the same low price from Amazon’s Prime Day sale in July when using the on-page coupon.