Best overall		Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner (MAW08V1QWT)		SEE IT	Midea’s unique U-shaped design, energy-efficient components, and support for smart features make it our top pick.
Best window		LG Dual-Inverter 18K (LW1817IVSM)		SEE IT	The LG LW1817IVSM is powerful enough to cool off a large one-bedroom apartment.
Best budget		Frigidaire FFRE053WAE		SEE IT	The Frigidaire FFRE053WAE will keep you comfortable on a budget.

No one wants to sit at home, sweating, on a sweltering summer day but staying cool can be a challenging and expensive proposition for those who lack an air conditioning system. Luckily, an energy-efficient AC can help you keep your home cool while keeping your utility bills low. Listen. If you’re reading this, it’s probably hot out (or it will be soon). Do yourself a favor and let us guide you through picking the best energy-efficient air conditioners for every person and space.

• Best overall: Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner (MAW08V1QWT)
• Best window: LG Dual-Inverter 18K (LW1817IVSM)
• Best portable: Whynter ARC-14S
• Best design: Windmill AC With WhisperTech
• Best budget: Frigidaire FFRE053WAE

How we chose the best energy-efficient air conditioners

I live on the bottom floor in a small apartment with no central air conditioning. It can get hot in the summer, with temperatures in our bedroom generally hovering around 80 degrees. That’s not conducive to sleep, and even the best portable fans don’t always provide enough respite throughout the place. In other words, my air conditioner is very important. Therefore, I take buying a new one very seriously.

Our selections are the product of hours of research, including personal experiences, peer suggestions, user impressions, and the foundation we used for Popular Science’s previous air conditioner guides, including the best window air conditioners and best portable air conditioners. I have over 10 years of experience covering consumer electronics for Popular Science, CNN Underscored, Gear Patrol, and XDA Developers, among others.

The best energy-efficient air conditioners: Reviews & Recommendations

If you’re in a situation where fans alone cannot keep you cool, it may be time to get an air conditioner. Now that you know how to pick one, let’s talk about the best energy-efficient air conditioners you can buy today.

Best overall: Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner (MAW08V1QWT)

Midea

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Midea U will quietly cool down your space, thanks to its distinctive U-shaped design.

Specs

• Type: Window
• Energy efficiency: 15 CEER
• BTUs: 8,000
• Energy Star certified: Yes
• Estimated noise level: 42 dB (low) – 47 dB (high)

Pros

• U-shaped design
• Quiet operation
• Support for smart features

Cons

• Difficult installation process

Most window air conditioners feature a box-style design. The Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner takes a slightly different approach. It features a slot between its vents and the housing for most of its hardware. The shape lets you close your window and keep most of the air conditioner’s noise outside your home. It also lets you freely open and close the window without the unit falling out.

The Midea U also uses inverter technology, which helps better regulate energy flow to the unit based on demand. It received an extremely high 15 CEER score, which is incredible considering that most efficient units score an 11 or 12. Lastly, the Midea U supports smart home features so that you can set recurring schedules—and it’s compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to turn the unit on or off with your voice.

Finding an in-window AC unit with great design, intelligent features, and energy efficiency can be challenging. The Midea U hit all those marks, making it a rare and exciting appliance.

Best window: LG Dual-Inverter 18K (LW1817IVSM)

LG

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The LG LW1817IVSM is quiet, energy-efficient, and supports smart functionality.

Specs

• Type: Window
• Energy efficiency: 14.7 CEER
• BTUs: 18,000
• Energy Star certified: Yes
• Estimated noise level: 44 dB (sleep mode) – 59 dB (high)

Pros

• Quiet operation
• Capable of cooling off large spaces
• Smart feature support

Cons

• Pricey

If you need a powerful air conditioner that cools a whole apartment or floor of your home, the LG LW1817IVSM is a high-powered window unit. Like our top pick, it features inverter technology, which makes it especially quiet and efficient for its size. It provides 25 percent more energy savings than the Energy Star certification requirement. It has a CEER of 14.7 and pumps out up to 18,000 BTUs, allowing it to cool spaces up to 1,000 square feet. Meanwhile, it keeps comparatively quiet, hitting just under 60 dB at high power and shushing down to just 44 dB in a specialty sleep mode.

In addition, the LW1817IVSM supports a smartphone app that allows users to set schedules and turn the unit on or off remotely. It also supports Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free control. These features make LG’s air conditioner easy to use, allowing you to stay cool effortlessly rather than fiddle around with settings.

Best portable: Whynter ARC-14S

Whynter

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Whynter ARC-14S portable air conditioner features a slick design and convenient auto-drain technology.

Specs

• Type: Portable
• Energy efficiency: 11.2 EER
• BTUs: 14,000
• Energy Star Certified: N/A
• Estimated noise level: 56 dB

Pros

• Slick design
• Capable of cooling large spaces
• Auto-drain technology

Cons

• Loud

Portable air conditioners often don’t meet the same specs as window units, but the Whynter ARC-14S comes close. It offers a respectable 11.2 EER rating while pumping out an impressive 14,000 BTUs of cooling power. That makes it one of the best energy-efficient air conditioners on the market.

It also offers some convenient features, including an auto-drain function that recycles captured moisture to create more cool air. This helps your room cool and means you don’t have to worry about emptying out a moisture tank (a common feature on portable AC units). It also features a dual-exhaust design, improving its ability to cool your space. Regarding portable air conditioners, the Whynter ARC-14S hits all the right notes with its design, features, and energy efficiency.

Best design: Windmill AC With WhisperTech

Brandt Ranj

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Why it made the cut: The Windmill AC features an attractive design, an app that lets you control the window unit remotely, and a new compressor that helps keep it quiet.

Specs

• Type: Window
• Energy efficiency: 11.9 CEER
• BTUs: 8,000
• Energy Star Certified: No
• Estimated noise level: 42 dB (low)

Pros

• Great design
• Smart home features
• Easy to install

Cons

• Unable to control the direction of the fan
• Not energy star certified

Air conditioners are generally an eyesore. They’re big … they’re bulky … they’re hanging out of our windows or taking up space in the corners of our rooms. Windmill puts extra care in its AC aesthetics, with rounded corners and a clean, pleasing front vent. Windmill also prides itself on making the unit especially easy to install and comes with step-by-step instructions.

The company has just introduced a new model—available in 8,000 and 10,000 BTU configurations—with a variable speed inverted and linear fan. These two design changes allow the AC to operate at volume levels as low as 42 dB. In our first-hand tests, the technology Windmill calls WhisperTech lives up to its name. We could use this air conditioner regularly without needing to crank the TV or leave our living room to nap. Keeping the air conditioner on eco mode cooled the room as quickly as similarly sized units would on their higher settings despite consuming less electricity. This is because Windmill’s air conditioner sucks air from your room through a vent at the bottom while blowing cool air from the top. This design improves its cooling efficiency.

The Windmill AC also features an app, so you can turn it on/off remotely, set it to one of three different modes, and use your voice with support for Alexa and Google Assistant. Air conditioners have looked the same for several years, and while Windmill isn’t reinventing the wheel, its AC is undeniably easier on the eyes than its competition. The fact that it supports remote control and operates more quietly and efficiently is all icing on the cake.

Best budget: Frigidaire FFRE053WAE

Frigidaire

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Frigidaire FFRE053WAE offers quiet operation, a programmable timer, and impressive energy efficiency at an affordable price.

Specs

• Type: Window
• Energy efficiency: 12.1 CEER
• BTUs: 5,000
• Energy Star Certified: Yes
• Estimated noise level: 50 dB (low) – 56 dB (high)

Pros

• Affordable
• Programmable timer
• Quiet operation

Cons

• Noisy on high

The Frigidaire FFRE053WAE includes everything you need in a basic air conditioner for a small room. It features a programmable timer and remote control. Plus, it’s Energy Star certified and very efficient. The unit is also relatively quiet on low at 50 dB but gets relatively close to our noise limit of 56 on high. And there’s no avoiding the fact that this air conditioner is affordable because it isn’t all that powerful. We don’t recommend going for this one to cool off a big room. If 5,000 BTUs will get the job done, then this is a very strong choice.

What to consider when picking from the best energy-efficient air conditioners

It’s easy to get blindsided when picking a new air conditioner. It’s one of those appliances that we don’t think about too much until they stop working. Before choosing the best energy-efficient air conditioner unit for your home, it really helps to learn the basics—knowing the pros and cons of different air conditioner types and energy ratings will help you make an informed decision about balancing energy consumption and cooling power. We also considered factors like smart features and noise level, which can significantly affect the overall experience. 

One programming note: While central air will definitely keep any home cool, the installation is a very involved process that you should sort out with experts, including a contractor. This guide focuses on in-window air conditioning units and portable air conditioners, which you can buy as a quick and efficient way to cool a room or home without any major installation costs.

Window units vs. portable air conditioners

Window and portable AC units offer roughly the same amount of cooling power for around the same price. However, they operate in different ways, which may determine whether one works better for you. Before making your choice, you should know what type of air conditioner you need to shop for.

An in-window air conditioner must be installed in a window, often using a bracket to keep it from falling out. Depending on the unit, you may be able to leave your AC in place all year round, or you may have to take out and reinstall it every year. Once installed, in-window air conditioners are almost always quieter than portable air conditioners and don’t take up any space in your home.

By contrast, a portable air conditioner usually needs to be near a window but is far easier to move around. Simply plug it into an outlet and install a window kit to vent moisture and exhaust. Many portable ACs vent their exhaust through a hose, potentially giving you the ability to cool down a room with a smaller window that couldn’t hold an in-window model.

You definitely want to figure out whether you have a place to install an in-window or portable air conditioner before picking a unit. All things being equal, we’d usually recommend a window unit over a portable AC, but plenty of logistical factors may lead you to go the other way.

How much power do you need?

Air conditioners come in many sizes, often based on their cooling capacity. To figure out what size air conditioner you need, look at the size of the room or home you’re trying to cool. Measure the space to determine how many square feet you need your AC to cover. Energy Star’s buying guide features a geometry refresher to help people calculate a room’s area specifically for this purpose.

Once you know the square footage, you can determine how much cooling power you need from your air conditioner. Appliance manufacturers measure AC cooling power in British Thermal Units, commonly known as BTUs. According to Consumer Reports, you need 20 BTUs per square foot for the area you want to cool down. The amount of cooling power you need may vary beyond this basic calculation, though, based on room-specific factors such as sun exposure.

A 5,000 BTU air conditioner should have enough power to effectively cool 100-150 square feet, which is more or less the standard bedroom size in homes and apartments. To cool more than a single room, your power requirements climb: Realistically, you want 12,000-14,000 BTUs to cool 550-700 square feet.

Some factors may prevent you from using an air conditioner large enough for your space. For example, your window may be too short or narrow to support a large window unit. While it isn’t always up to you, remember that using an air conditioner that’s too small may reduce its effectiveness. Likewise, a large air conditioner may use more power than necessary when cooling a smaller room. 

Understanding energy-efficiency ratings

No matter what you do, your air conditioner will use a lot of power. We recommend picking an air conditioner with energy efficiency in mind for a variety of reasons, from saving money to minimizing the environmental impact of keeping cool. Air conditioners feature several energy efficiency ratings, which indicate certain thresholds for sipping power rather than guzzling it. For this guide, we’re going to focus on three energy standards: The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER), and Energy Star certification.

The Energy Efficiency Ratio measures the ratio of an air conditioner’s output per hour, as measured in British thermal units (BTUs), to the AC’s power draw, measured in watts (W). The EER measures the system’s overall efficiency, with a higher rating resulting in a more efficient system. For example, let’s say a 12,000 BTU air conditioner is powered by 1,000W. For every 1W of energy provided to the AC unit, we will get 12 BTU of cooling effect in return. That’s better than a 12,000 BTU unit powered by 1,400W, which would result in a less efficient rating of 8.57.

Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER) is a standard set by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2014 that rates the energy efficiency of window-based air conditioners. The ratio shows the cooling capacity output, measured in BTUs, relative to the electricity use and standby/off-mode power consumption.

Some of the best air conditioners also have an Energy Star rating, indicating that they meet federal guidelines for energy efficiency and use 10 percent less energy than an AC unit that isn’t Energy Star-certified. In general, picking an Energy Star-certified air conditioner is the way to go. While window and central AC systems offer Energy Star ratings, no portable units are Energy Star-certified.

How loud is it?

All air conditioners are noisy. There’s no way around it, but that’s all the more reason to try and buy one that’s as quiet as possible. Most air conditioners feature an estimated noise level, measured in decibels (dB), to tell you how loud an AC gets at peak performance.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, air conditioners often operate around 60 dB, which is “comfortable” to listen to over a sustained period. That said, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends limiting exposure to indoor noises above 45 dB. Of course, these statistics don’t factor in your personal tolerance for ambient noise. Ultimately, the best advice we can give is that you should look for an AC that runs quietly, especially if you’re buying an AC that you want to last, and avoid any unit that hits above 60 dB.

Are there smart features?

As with many modern appliances, many modern air conditioners feature nuanced controls and internet-enabled “smart” capabilities, such as setting target temperatures and schedules or controlling the device through a smartphone app. These functions make your air conditioner more convenient and more efficient. Of course, these features are considered luxuries, so you may not find them on less expensive units.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best energy-efficient air conditioners

• Best overall: Midea U-Shaped Air Conditioner (MAW08V1QWT)
• Best window: LG Dual-Inverter 18K (LW1817IVSM)
• Best portable: Whynter ARC-14S
• Best design: Windmill AC With WhisperTech
• Best budget: Frigidaire FFRE053WAE

As temperatures rise over the summer, air conditioning can be the difference between a comfortable summer and a sticky, sweaty one. Picking one of the best energy-efficient air conditioners requires a little planning, but it’ll be worth it when you don’t have to suffer through a heat wave. Whatever style you choose, the energy-efficient options on our list will help keep you cool and save you money.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best energy-efficient air conditioners of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

For city dwellers, air conditioners humming is an omnipresent summer sound, as familiar as the melody of birds chirping and ice cream trucks chiming. But what if it didn’t have to be like that? For the past few weeks, I’ve tried the latest generation of the Windmill AC with WhisperTech, and this efficient, easy-to-install, WiFi-enabled window unit is a game-changer for anyone who wants to keep cool without getting an earful of white noise while working or trying to sleep.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Overview

• Windmill developed WhisperTech, a new technology that offers the same air conditioning performance while making less noise.
• Installation and setup can take as little as five minutes, and the air conditioner is compatible with most windows that open upward and downward.
• The air conditioner’s minimalist look isn’t necessary, but Windmill’s focus on aesthetics and simplicity extends from the hardware to the software, creating a welcome harmony.

Pros

• WhisperTech lives up to its name
• Can be controlled remotely using a streamlined mobile app
• Incentives are there to make the air conditioner eco-friendly

Cons

• Expensive
• The most powerful model only covers rooms up to 450 sq. ft.

Verdict: If your window unit’s sound irritates you, but you still need a way to beat the summer heat, Windmill’s WhisperTech makes its latest AC hard to beat.

The build

What if an air conditioner didn’t have to suck? This seems like the question the designers at Windmill asked themselves during the development of their first-generation model, which was released a couple of years ago. The company has just released a new energy-efficient air conditioner, which builds upon the successes of the original with a new technology it developed called WhisperTech, which makes the AC up to nine times quieter than traditional models, according to Windmill. After listening to what the 8,000 BTU version does, or maybe that should be what it doesn’t do, I can recommend the Windmill AC with WhisperTech to anyone looking to upgrade from an old air conditioner before the summer, especially if you need a unit for your bedroom.

To its credit, Windmill didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken in an attempt to make this new air conditioner overly complicated to install or use. It has the same minimalist look as the original model (with its auto-dimming LED display), comes bundled with the same accessories, uses the same app, and has an identical installation process. Windmill simply added a welcome feature, and even offers its original air conditioner alongside the new one.

The setup

Installing the Windmill AC with WhisperTech took about five minutes. All you really need is a single- or double-hung window that’s 23-37 inches wide and can open 14 inches (no through-the-wall, no casement, and no slider windows). The air conditioner comes with strips of insulation, which can be placed on the bottom of your window to prevent outside air from getting in and to ensure your air conditioner fits snugly. The AC unit comes in a single piece, and once it was unboxed, I put it into my window, extended its accordion-like arms, and closed the top window sash on top of it. The top frame of this air conditioner has three holes, which you can use to screw the unit into your window to hold it securely. My landlord doesn’t want any more holes in the window and instead uses a fitted piece of wood between the top window sash and frame to hold AC units in place.

Windmill includes a set of cosmetic side panels, which match the top and bottom of the air conditioner to make the unit look even more sleek, but I actually prefer the out-of-box look. The company went so far as to include a pair of scissors with its air conditioner, so you can cut the panels to fit the exact size of your window—this is a nice touch and impressive detail. The second (and technically optional) part of setting up this air conditioner is connecting it to your home’s WiFi network with Windmill’s app (available for iOS and Android). This allows you to control the AC from your phone at home or remotely (there’s also an included remote if you prefer that when in the house). This might sound like it could be tedious, but Windmill streamlined the onboarding process, and I got it on my WiFi router and added to my many smart devices within about 10 minutes. You can also connect the Windmill AC unit to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control.

The performance

So, how does it sound? It’s weird because I’ve never really listened to an air conditioner before. It seemed unnecessary because the assumption was every AC would sound kind of like a tractor in the far distance. Windmill’s WhisperTech has me rethinking my entire approach. I keep the Windmill AC on eco mode (its default), and my Apple Watch’s microphone registered it at about 57 decibels from roughly six inches away. That number dropped into the 40s when I moved to the couch. This number is impressive because it means you could sit right next to Windmill’s air conditioner all day without it causing any hearing loss—in fact, you’re liable to tune it out as I did.

The reason for this air conditioner’s quiet behavior is the switch from a fixed-speed compressor with a rotary fan to a variable-speed compressor with a linear fan. Switching to more adaptable components allows the Windmill to dynamically cool your room, getting a little louder or softer automatically if need be. Practically speaking, turning up the air conditioner’s fan speed to high, or switching from eco to cool mode, increased the noise some. However, the AC is so efficient at cooling my room that toggling those settings never felt necessary. It’s like the highest gear on a car—rarely important, but nice to have when necessary.

It could be tempting to crank this air conditioner to its highest setting (generally quiet) to cool your room down as quickly as possible, but I never felt the need. Windmill’s air conditioner sucks hot air from your room through a vent on the bottom and shoots cold air out the top. This approach makes the AC much more efficient at cooling a room—I could feel the effects within a few minutes—and gets you to your target temperature more quickly. The eco mode on the Windmill AC, which the company says is 35% more efficient vs. the minimum efficiency standard, works as well as the high cool setting on similarly sized models.

The eco mode will also shut off your air conditioner after it reaches your set temperature rather than continually blasting cool air until you ask it to stop. And if you’re in parts of California and New York, Windmill will also incentivize you to keep the air conditioner on eco mode by offering to enroll you in its Eco Rewards program, which automatically adjusts the AC’s settings to be less burdensome to your power grid. You can opt out of Eco Rewards anytime, but sticking with it can earn you up to $10 in cash or a four-pack of activated-carbon filters (a $65 value), which help protect against fumes, odors, smoke, and volatile organic compounds.

So, who should buy the Windmill AC with WhisperTech?

Plan to purchase an air conditioner in 2023? The Windmill AC with WhisperTech should be near the top of your list, so long as you plan on keeping it in a room that’s not much larger than 365 sq. ft. Its $399 price tag—tack on an extra $100 if you’d like the larger 10,000 BTU model that covers up to 450 sq. ft.—isn’t cheap, but you’re getting what you pay for. The good-looking, easy-to-install air conditioner won’t interrupt you while you work and can keep you cool all summer long.

The post Windmill Air Conditioner review: Silence sounds cool appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best mesh		Netgear Orbi Quad-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System RBKE963		SEE IT	Netgear’s most powerful hardware creates a robust mesh network for fast coverage of a huge area.
Best overall		Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E Router		SEE IT	This powerful router offers everything many homes will need at a very reasonable price.
Best for gamers		Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router XR1000		SEE IT	Gaming-specific features allow players to tune their systems for minimal ping and maximum performance.

A router is an absolutely essential part of any home here in 2023, and Netgear routers have been delivering fast, reliable internet for the better part of three decades. They don’t slack on security, either. In 2021, the company won our Best of What’s New award in the security category for its Netgear Armor technology. And while the company offers strong products across the board, you’ll want to choose the best Netgear router to match your bandwidth, coverage, and speed needs.

Routers are essential components—they work with your modem to create a home network of interconnected devices capable of simultaneously delivering high-speed internet to all your devices. After all, what’s the point of your high-definition television if you can’t stream 4K video quickly? If your wireless connection lags, how can you stream the latest virtual reality, PC, and video games? Netgear routers use the most advanced WiFi technology to deliver low ping rates to gamers (meaning smoother gameplay), glitch-free video conferencing, and high-definition downloads with consistent, reliable speed. This buying guide explores and recommends the best Netgear routers for your home streaming needs.

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E Router
• Best mesh: Netgear Orbi Quad-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System
• Best for gamers: Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router XR1000
• Best for small homes: Netgear Nighthawk 4-Stream AX4 WiFi 6 Router RAX40
• Best for families: Netgear Nighthawk 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router RAXE500
• Best budget: Netgear 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router R6700AX

How we chose the best Netgear routers

Living in a house with two remote-working adults and two obsessed teenage gamers, I know how essential it is to have reliable, fast internet that can juggle multiple devices without lag. For this buying guide, I researched over 20 models of Netgear WiFi routers. All the models I reviewed support WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E, the newest, most advanced (next-generation) WiFi, at least in a practical sense. WiFi 6 and 6E make connecting to the internet more efficient by splitting fast connections across a network of devices. As individuals and families are now connecting to more devices, this is crucial for optimal performance.

Purchasing your router, rather than renting from your internet provider, saves you monthly cash on your internet bill and allows you to select a router model ideal for your home and lifestyle. I compared models based on features like network communication speed, frequency channels, wireless signal range, security, parental controls, customer reviews, and prices. So whether you want the most powerful Netgear router on the market or a high-speed solution for your apartment, we have options to keep your home network lightning-fast and seamlessly connected.

Over several decades, I have covered innovation, tech, and business for the likes of Fast Company, Popular Science, CyberArk, and many others. I specialize in distilling complex ideas and technical data into easily consumable content, providing straightforward recommendations, advice, and explanations. 

The best Netgear routers: Reviews & Recommendations

While we offer specific recommendations for different types of users, it’s worth checking out all the entries before purchasing. There’s always some overlap between needs and models. The best Netgear router for you depends on your specific usage, living space, and needs. While you can buy Netgear routers at most major electronics retailers, many models (especially on the high end) offer a free year of the Netgear Armor security software, usually costing $99 annually.

Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E Router

Netgear

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Specs

• Speed: Up to 7.8Gbps
• Ports: Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports + one (1) 2.5G/1Gbps Multi-Gig port and USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Signal Range: Up to 2,500 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6/6E
• WiFi Streams: 8 simultaneous WiFi streams
• Security: Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• Sleek modern design
• Six antennas deliver stronger connections with less interference
• Netgear Armor provides an automatic shield for cybersecurity

Cons

• Very old wireless products may take some work to get connected

The Nighthawk RAXE300 router is our choice for best overall because, for a reasonable price, it delivers an impressive spec sheet and can easily handle a larger network of devices without compromising speed. For less than $400, you’ll get a powerful router that uses WiFi 6E—delivering the fastest WiFi and the greatest capacity for your new WiFi 6E-compatible devices (such as Apple’s M2 iPad Pro, 2023 MacBook Pro, 2023 Mac mini, and lots of current high-end Android phones). By reducing data loads on the other two bands (tri-band), WiFi speeds increase for all networked devices. The futuristic design, which resembles a stealth aircraft, utilizes six pre-optimized antennas to deliver strong connections throughout your space, up to 2,500 square feet. 

This router will handle networks with multiple users, even all high-definition streaming. With eight simultaneous WiFi streams, your household can all enjoy no-lag AR/VR gaming, 4K streaming (it could handle 8K if that were a thing), and seamless video calls at the same time. Other significant features include many ports that allow for wired connections. For internet safety, this router is compatible with Netgear Armor for state-of-the-art cybersecurity. For families, parents can access Netgear smart parent control, which allows parents to manage screen time and accessibility, all with the Netgear app. If you’re a typical or semi-advanced internet user, this likely has everything you need for a very reasonable price.

Best mesh: Netgear Orbi Quad-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System

Netgear

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Specs

• Speed: Up to 10.8Gbps
• Ports: Three 2.5G connections, nine 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 10 Gig Internet port
• Signal Range: Up to 9,000 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6/6E
• WiFi Streams: Quad-Band technology and Dedicated Backhaul WiFi
• Security: Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• A 3-piece WiFi system, including one router and two satellites, covers up to 9,000 square feet 
• Get max speed connections for up to 200 devices
• 10 Gigabit internet port allows you to connect to the fastest internet plans

Cons

• Pricy to get started

Netgear Orbi RBKE963B Mesh system is our upgrade pick because it’s the most flexible and powerful WiFi system offered by Netgear. With up to 10.8Gbps WiFi speeds and coverage for up to a whopping 9,000 square feet, including front and back yards, this 3-piece mesh system is ready for your smart home and high-definition devices.

An attractive design, the three-piece Orbi system features 12 internal antennas, a 2.2 GHZ quad-core processor, and high-power amplifiers within each device. Style-wise, each device looks identical, but one is your router, and the other two are satellites. Each device allows for wired connections with LAN ports and gigabit ethernet jacks. While this system may offer more than you need now, as more internet companies offer higher speeds and more devices adopt WiFi 6E, this system will prepare your home network for the future.

This package includes one year of the Netgear Armor security software for free if you buy directly from Netgear. The Black Edition is also exclusive to Netgear.com so get it there if you prefer it to the white version.

Best for gamers: Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router XR1000

Netgear

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Specs

• Speed: Up to 5.4Gbps
• Ports: Five (5) 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports—1 WAN & 4 LAN, USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Signal Range: Up to 2,500 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6
• WiFi Streams: 6 simultaneous WiFi streams
• Security: Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• Fast file transfer speeds
• Users can customize and filter game servers with Geo-Fencing
• Ping Heatmap lets you see your connection quality to each server
• Bandwidth Allocation—allows you to prioritize gaming devices

Cons

• May require firmware updates to avoid delayed transmission of WiFi signal

Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR1000 router is our choice for best for gamers because of the unique features and customized controls designed specifically to enhance gameplay. This slim router features a red and black design with four antennas which helps it fit in with the aesthetics of most PC gaming accessories. You can often find this model on sale for up to $100 off its retail price, making it a very solid buy if you don’t need the WiFi 6E functionality.

Gamer-friendly features include DumaOS 3.0 software, which was built specifically for games. It reduces ping rates by up to 93% (which means less jittery gameplay and lower buffering times) and allows for lag-free online gaming. Users can maximize internet speed with custom controls that prioritize applications and devices, eliminate network congestion and enhance the gaming experience. The Geo-Filter setting helps you filter out high-ping game servers and helps you choose the server with the best connection. It takes a little work to get everything set up perfectly for your gaming, but that elbow grease will pay off when you’re lagging a lot less than your competition.

Best for small homes: Netgear Nighthawk 4-Stream AX3000 WiFi 6 Router RAX40

Netgear

SEE IT

Specs

• Speed: Up to 3Gbps
• Ports: Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN & 4 LAN) and USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Signal Range: Up to 1,500 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6
• WiFi Streams: 4 simultaneous WiFi streams
• Security: Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• Stream 4 devices with HD & 4K UHD content at the same time
• Two external antennas help extend strong WiFi signals throughout your home
• USB 3.0 Port allows you to backup and access stored media

Cons

• No WiFi 6E

Netgear Nighthawk AX3000 router is our choice for best for small homes because it delivers speed up to 3Gbps and offers four simultaneous WiFi streams up to 1,500 square feet. While many specs of this router match our choice for best value, this router also delivers a higher internet speed connection at a reasonable price (again, maximized for smaller spaces).

With WiFi 6, this router efficiently delivers faster internet speed to multiple devices in your network, allowing you to stream ultra HD 4K/8K quickly. It also allows you to try out Netgear’s security services free of charge for 30 days (after which you can decide if you would like to pay to continue to use it). Netgear Armor offers a wide range of cybersecurity protections, and Netgear Smart Parent Controls allow parents to monitor and limit access to devices within the network. This reasonable price tag brings bang for your buck and will allow your family to stream multiple devices quickly and precisely.

Best for families: Netgear Nighthawk 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router RAXE500

Netgear

SEE IT

Specs

• Speed: Up to 10.8Gbps
• Ports: Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN & 4 LAN) + one (1) 2.5G/1Gbps Multi-Gig port, two (2) USB 3.0 ports
• Signal Range: Up to 3,500 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6E
• WiFi Streams: 12 simultaneous WiFi streams
• Security: Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• Tri-band offers 200% more spectrum than dual-band
• More high-bandwidth WiFi channels
• Ultra-low latency for an enhanced gaming experience
• High-speed WiFi up to 10.8 Gbps

Cons

• May be overkill for some more casual users

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is our choice for best for techie families because it delivers impressive speed, can juggle multiple users, and covers up to 3,500 square feet. When you have a high-tech household, this powerful router is a great choice; it offers the same WiFi connection speed as the Orbi mesh system. The RAXE500 is under $500 on sale, making this much more comparatively affordable.

With 12 streams of WiFi 6E, your network will be able to connect multiple devices with state-of-the-art speed. A new 6GHz band offers fast speed to new WiFi 6E devices and reduces data loads with three bands (Tri-band). This high-powered router is a great option for a techie family with multiple smart devices and the latest 6E technology.

Best budget: Netgear 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router R6700AX

Netgear

SEE IT

Specs

• Speed: Up to 1.8Gbps
• Ports: Five (5) 10/100/1000Mpbs Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN & 4 LAN)
• Signal Range: Up to 1,500 square feet
• WiFi Technology: 6 Technology
• WiFi Streams: 4 simultaneous WiFi streams
• Security: Standards-based WiFi Security, Netgear Armor, Smart Parental Controls

Pros

• Unleash fast speed on multiple devices with WiFi 6
• 1.5GHz Quad-Core processor for stronger streaming and gaming experience
• Use the Nighthawk app to protect and monitor household

Cons

• Not for larger homes, as the signal range covers up to 1,500 square feet

Netgear R6700AX router is our choice for best value because it is available for less than $100 and delivers strong connections best for smaller households. Using four streams of WiFi 6 technology, you’ll get more consistent speed and connectivity on all your network’s devices. Simultaneous dual-band allows for better connection and less interference.

Setting up your WiFi and managing your settings, speed, and security is managed through the Nighthawk app. You can also use voice control to control your network, as this router is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. With a lower price point, this isn’t the absolute fastest on our list, but for most average users, this affordable router will deliver the speeds they need for fast streaming, gaming, and video calls. The Nighthawk app also allows you to keep tabs on speed and performance.

Things to consider when choosing the best Netgear router

When you are in the market for a new router, there are important things to consider before purchasing. Here are some factors to remember to help you choose the best router for your home:

Compatibility with your internet provider

Before you decide on a router, check with your internet service provider to ensure the router will be compatible with your current modem.

Size of your space

Think about the size of your space and the location where you will install the router. Ideally, a router should be in the center of your home. Wireless coverage is based on square footage; more square footage covered means a more expensive router. Most people should be good with a single router, but if you have a larger space or a spread-out space, you may opt for a mesh system that offers routers and satellites to extend WiFi coverage.

Price

Routers and mesh systems vary in price from under $100 to well over $1,000, with higher-end models offering high-speed connections, more coverage area, and customizable features. 

Netgear Armor

In 2021, we awarded Netgear’s advanced network security tech our coveted Best of What’s New award in the security category. Netgear Armor monitors the network and its devices for malicious activity. Once it identifies something troubling, it addresses the problem while alerting other users and devices of the problem. That keeps you informed about security issues that may pop up on your network and fixes them before they can cause serious harm. Netgear Armor typically costs $99 annually for a subscription, but some routers on this list offer a free year if you buy directly through Netgear.com.

Hardware compatibility

The latest WiFi technology, 6 or 6E, offers significant improvements, but you should check to see if your hardware is compatible to reap the benefits. Your laptop, smartphone, and other smart home devices should also support WiFi 6/6E.

WiFi bands

Most routers are at least dual-band, supporting frequencies like 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) and 5 GHz. Other routers offer tri-band, which broadcasts three signals. Newer routers may include a 6 GHz band. WiFi bands affect speed and range. If you use a lot of smart devices, you should be aware of your WiFi bands for optimal setup.

Ports

While routers provide WiFi, they also can be hardwired with an ethernet cable for devices like PCs and TVs to ensure they operate with the fastest internet speed. Make sure you have enough ports for the devices you want to hardwire.

Security

Routers often come with cybersecurity protection and parental controls. Many of Netgear’s routers come with a free trial of Netgear Armor (internet security) and Netgear Smart Parental Controls, which will cost extra if you choose to use them.

Speed

Routers offer differing maximum speed levels; the faster the speed, the more expensive the router. However, it’s important to consider that your internet provider determines the maximum speed, so ensure you have upgraded your internet service package.

FAQs

Final thoughts regarding the best Netgear routers

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 WiFi 6E Router
• Best mesh: Netgear Orbi Quad-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System
• Best for gamers: Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi 6 Router XR1000
• Best for small homes: Netgear Nighthawk 4-Stream AX4 WiFi 6 Router RAX40
• Best for techie families: Netgear Nighthawk 12-Stream WiFi 6E Router RAXE500
• Best budget: Netgear 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router R6700AX

Even if you have the most basic needs for internet in your home or office, choosing the right router can make a big difference in the quality time you spend on your computer or phone. The best Netgear routers run the gamut from advanced mesh network systems to basic (and rock solid) stand-alone devices that dish out a constant stream of connectivity exactly where you need it. The company’s excellent and hard-earned reputation and broad product offerings will keep the TikToks flowing for years to come.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Netgear routers for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Poor internet is the bane of a modern person’s existence. Looking like you’re streaming in from a potato on a work video call? Breaking up like Pangea? And you can’t even game with your friends because it takes 10 years to download Rocket League? All awful experiences! Help turn your slow internet to something fast and furious with Amazon eero mesh WiFi routers, on sale for up to 30% off.

Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System $319.99 (Was $399.99)

Amazon

SEE IT

You’ll already need a modem if you’re going to invest in the eero, or else you won’t be able to take advantage of the 4,000 square feet of network coverage it provides. You can also connect your smart home devices and control compatible Thread and Zigbee devices with an Alexa device. Plus, you don’t have to worry about how many devices you connect—the eero can handle more than 100 of them. The router also gives you peace of mind, thanks to automatic updates about your network’s safety and security.

If you’d like to take this time to snag a modem—one that you don’t have to rent or return to your provider—check with your internet provider first. We love the Motorola MB7621 Cable Modem, which is on sale for $89.98 and works with Xfinity, Cox, and Spectrum.

Faster internet with more even coverage is just a mouse click away—which equates to a minute or two if you don’t have an eero.

Here are more eero and router deals we’re speeding to get our hands on:

• Amazon eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6 system $319.99 (Was $399.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6 router $159.99 (Was $199.99)
• Amazon eero mesh WiFi router $49.99 (Was $69.99)
• Amazon eero Pro mesh WiFi system (1 Pro + 2 Beacons) (brown box packaging) $229.97 (Was $309.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi system $439.99 (Was $549.99)
• Amazon eero Beacon mesh WiFi range extender $74.99 (Was $99.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router $199.99 (Was $249.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6 system $239.99 (Was $299.99)
• Amazon eero mesh WiFi system $129.99 (Was $169.99)
• Amazon eero Pro mesh WiFi router $79.99 (Was $159.99)
• TP-Link AX3000 WiFi 6 Range Extender Signal Booster for Home(RE715X) $104.99 (Was $119.99)
• TP-Link EAP613 Wireless Access Point w/o DC Adapter $79.99 (Was $89.99)
• TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router (Archer AX21) $74.99 (Was $99.99)
• Linksys Mesh Wifi 5 Router $89 (Was $199.99)
• Wyze AXE5400 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Mesh Router Pro $159.98 (Was $179.98)

The post Save up to 30% and bring internet dark spots into the light with Amazon eero mesh WiFi routers appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best Overall		Ambient Weather WS-2902C WiFi Smart Weather Station		SEE IT	A solar-powered, connected measurement system that’s quick to setup and easy to monitor.
Best For The Money		Tempest Weather System		SEE IT	With a downward-facing intake and 1,000-plus feet of wireless data transmission, this solar-powered, Google Home-equipped station meets all needs.
Best Basic		EZRead Headwind Consumer Products 840-0052 5-in-1 Weather Station		SEE IT	Easy to install and clean, this inexpensive and highly educational station measures more than you’d expect.

With summers getting hotter and hotter each year, wanting a personalized weather statement each day is starting to make more sense. However, if you’re new to the home weather station game, you might not be sure of what you want yet. There are quite a lot of options to choose from, wired and wireless models to deal with, and even some viable analog products out there. When paired with samey-looking digital displays, it can be difficult to decide the overall best product. That’s why we’ve worked diligently to determine customers’ needs in a home weather station, while also avoiding common flaws these systems might have. The result is our list of the best home weather stations purchasable in 2023.

• Best overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C WiFi Smart Weather Station
• Best for the money: Tempest Weather System
• Best with wind speed: WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter
• Best basic: EZRead Headwind Consumer Products 840-0052 5-in-1 Weather Station
• Best budget: Newentor Weather Station

How we selected the best home weather stations

I have experience with consumer weather station usage in a field environment, as per my previous career in the sciences. Used for much the same reason that anyone would want a personal home weather station—the desire to know very local meteorological conditions—I have a bit of insight into what you might desire from a home weather station. Not to mention what problems you might face! For, as it turns out when you have instruments measuring weather, you also have to open them up to the weather, a not always friendly beast. I combined that experience with critical reviews and online user impressions to select our top five models for home weather stations.

The best home weather stations: Reviews & Recommendations

The home weather stations we’ve collected vary in style, functionality, and pricing so that you’ll be able to find something that fits your desires. We’ve also looked at what you’re looking for, such as compatibility with the Google Home system, and found top-ranking products that match those desires.

Best overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C WiFi Smart Weather Station

Ambient Weather

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Ambient Weather WS-2902C is Amazon’s best-rated home weather station and has robust weather monitoring capabilities.

Specs

• Measures: Wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall, UV and solar radiation
• Power supply: Solar with AA-battery backup
• Sensor size: 15 x 11 x 10 inches

Pros

• Solar-powered measurement station
• Connects with Ambient Weather system
• Quick setup

Cons

• Measurement station and display device use different types of batteries

The first home weather station, and the overall winner on our list, is the Ambient Weather WS-2902C. The WS-2902C earns this distinction by having appealing features and being the best-rated home weather station by online shoppers.

First and foremost is the easy setup-and-forget nature of this home weather station. After taking a few minutes to place it on a pole, you won’t find yourself fiddling with it often. Part of this is because of its hybrid solar and battery-powered measurement unit. Another important aspect is how easily accessible your data is via the Ambient Weather app environment.

One of the main problems I found with the product was that the display device and measurement stations used different types of batteries—the former taking AAA’s and the latter taking AA’s (may we recommend rechargeables). Admittedly, this is a minor problem, as the display device can be plugged in and the measurement station only needs batteries for cloudy days.

At the end of the day, this is a fantastic wireless weather station that also has nice power-saving features, making it amongst the best eco-friendly home weather stations as well. All for a sub-$200 price point!

Best for the money: Tempest Weather System

WeatherFlow

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Tempest Weather System provides information on par with a professional weather system but at a much more affordable price.

Specs

• Things measured: Temperature, “feels like” temperature, solar and UV radiation, wind speed and direction, dew point, humidity, barometric pressure, lightning strikes, rainfall
• Power supply: Solar with lithium-ion battery backup
• Sensor size: 11.70 x 4.23 inches

Pros

• Downward-facing intakes on measurement device
• Solar-powered
• Works well with Google Home
• 1,000+ foot wireless data transmission range

Cons

• Periodic measurement quirks

The Tempest Weather System provides a myriad of data points in a well-designed package. With the Tempest reporting around a dozen weather stats, it is hard to believe that it has no moving parts, reducing the impacts of age and wear and tear on the system. Furthermore, the design makes sure that any openings are downwards-facing, reducing the chances of clogging.

Unlike a lot of home weather systems, the Tempest Weather System does not have an indoor display unit. Instead, the Tempest Weather Station is “smart” and updates every 3 seconds to 1 minute to a wireless transmission hub you can locate within 1,000 feet of the weather station. From there, info is sent to your smartphone(s) and Internet-of-Things devices. This includes Google Assistant, making it the best weather station for Google Home. You can then use the data to program your smart home, such as by having fans turn on or off depending on temperature readings given by the device.

All of this advanced measurement isn’t 100% perfect, but once you understand the quirks, you’ll be able to get a good read. The rain gauge, for example, uses touch-based vibrational sensors to get a reading. Each pitter-patter of rain on the side gets interpreted as a raindrop. That’s great, but sometimes other vibrations or small things hitting in on the windiest of days will also set it into rain gauge mode. The lightning detection has its own quirks, with user reviews mentioning that the Tempest Weather Station has mistaken gunshots for lightning. However, once these small quirks are acknowledged and accounted for, you are left with the best home weather station for the money due to just how much it can do.

Best with wind speed: WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter

WeatherFlow

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter is your personal handheld view into the world of wind.

Specs

• Things measured: Average wind speed, wind gust, apparent wind speed, true wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, pressure, dew point, heat index, wind chill, etc.
• Power supply: Internal battery
• Size: Handheld

Pros

• High mobility
• Works directly with your phone
• Gives detailed wind speed analysis
• Multiple app integrations

Cons

• Uses phone’s compass instead of providing one

If you’re here just to know about wind speed, you’ll be delighted with the handheld WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter. This version is the newest update to the popular 2019 model and has the capability to give you a detailed look at your immediate wind conditions, making it a perfect golf, kiting, or overall nature companion.

One interesting thing that the WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter will tell you is both the apparent wind speed and true wind speed. The apparent wind speed tells you how fast the wind is going relative to the device, while the true wind speed gives a measure of how fast the wind is actually going. The WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter also reports gust wind speeds and average wind speeds.

The makers of the WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter clearly have the hobbyist in mind and that shows more in the selection of apps you can use it with than with any other factor. Pair this weather station with any of the following six apps: Wind & Weather Meter, iKiteSurf, iWindSurf, SailFlow, FishWeather, and WindAlert.

What might disappoint you about the WeatherFlow WEATHERmeter is the lack of an internal compass. Instead, you must rely on your phone’s compass for accurate wind direction readouts. However, we wouldn’t count this as too bad of a tradeoff considering phone compasses are getting better every year and you are able to get such an advanced wind meter in such a convenient-to-carry form.

Best basic: EZRead Headwind Consumer Products 840-0052 5-in-1 Weather Station

EZRead

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This analog weather station gives you a hands-on read of your local weather conditions.

Specs

• Things measured: Temperature, wind chill, rainfall, total rain, wind speed and direction
• Power supply: N/A; completely analog
• Item size: 1 x 8 x 10 inches

Pros

• Highly educational
• Easy to install and clean
• Measures more than expected
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Tiny measurement display can’t be read from window

For the weather hobbyist that wants to understand the weather in a way that transcends digital charts and displays, the EZRead 840-0052 is the best home weather station. Considering that it is only ~$20, the EZRead can also be bought in bulk, making it also ranked as the best weather station for kids and student projects.

To get started using the EZRead the only thing you’ll need to do is mount it and wait for weather to happen. The mounting process is relatively simple, as the metal frame has two preconfigured holes in it, which Headwind Consumer Products recommends affixing to a fence or patio support, but feel free to be creative.

The EZRead measures a surprising quantity of things, including total rain and wind speed, and does so in both the good ole American Imperial units as well as the more scientifically customary metric units. The EZRead has a wind chill chart directly on the device, to help you convert the thermometer’s temperature to a “feels like” number. In this way, this home weather station will become an arithmetic booster for your kids and bridge the gap between science, math, and reality.

Finally, for all that has been said about cleaning tubes and open holes in home weather stations, it must be said that nothing can be easier to clean than the rain gauge on the EZRead. It is essentially a removable graduated cylinder and can be cleaned with a vase or pipe cleaner quickly. The manufacturer recommends this rain gauge part be turned upside down during freezing weather to prevent damage, but it can just as easily be moved inside.

Best budget: Newentor Weather Station

Newentor

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This home weather station provides you with the reading and stats you really want without the extra costs and hassles of a premium model.

Specs

• Things measured: Temperature and humidity
• Power supply: AA-batteries
• Display size: 7.5 inches

Pros

• Also includes atomic clock, weather forecast, and lunar phase
• Display unit can accommodate up to 3 sensors
• Gets the fundamentals right without charging you extra

Cons

• Limited valid sensor placements

If the main thing you want to know is how hot of a summer day you are about to face and how much humidity will be bearing down on you, consider looking no further than the Newentor Weather Station. You aren’t being charged extra for delicate wind meters and rain gauges, and the whole apparatus is supplemented by local weather forecasts. This is definitely the best home weather station for those in rural areas where the local station’s rain forecast is good enough but local humidity and temperature change wildly based on local hills, mountains, rivers, and lakes.

This home weather station’s indoor display unit will also give you additional information, such as the time from the WWVB atomic clock system, a weather forecast, the current moon phase, and a mini calendar. A happy/sad/neutral face system will tell you about the outside weather conditions and there are optional temperature alerts. The Newentor should sync with the WWVB system within about 24 hours of initial use, after which all time-based additional features will begin working.

The sensors (this package comes with one, but you can order up to two more for the system) can be installed within 200 feet of your indoor display unit, but some care must be taken in this. Newentor recommends a North-facing wall and that the unit be out of the way of rain and direct sunlight. In my eyes, this makes a North-facing patio the best place for installation, but your personal circumstances may vary. Additionally, the unit requires two AA batteries.

Finally, while our best basic product (the EZRead, discussed above) is technically the cheapest home weather station on our list, we’ve listed this as our best budget pick. The reasoning is simple: The Newentor Weather Station is the best digital weather station under $50.

Things to consider before buying home weather stations

When you first decided to buy a home weather station, you probably excitedly asked yourself a few questions, such as: Can a home weather station measure more than temperature and humidity? Can I get one that is affordable? Where will I be able to put the measuring devices?

As it turns out, there are quite a few things that you will need to consider when making a home weather station purchase that aren’t that obvious, including:

Things measured

The big four for home weather stations are temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. Nearly all home weather stations can measure these but there are things that you might want to be measured, such as the UV radiation level, that are nice to know and can add extra usefulness to your system. Some of our best home weather station picks can also measure other stats, such as dew point, lightning strikes, and gust wind speed.

One issue is that you may discover you don’t really want or need all of the measurements provided by a given home weather station. While being able to measure a lot of different things looks great for marketing, it also drives up costs. For many people, a home weather station that is able to measure a few things well is better than a home weather station that can measure dozens of things.

Additionally, as we’ll see in the next category, you should also consider the ability of each thing to be measured properly based on your local environment. Based on the instrument positioning, see below, measuring rainfall might be difficult if you’re wanting to set up your home weather station near a small-leafed bush.

Instrument positioning

Instrument positioning will likely be the most important, but also most obscure, factor that determines your overall happiness with your home weather station. One of the unfortunate parts of being a weather machine is that you have to experience a lot of, well, weather and nature. You’ll want to think about where you are going to put your home weather station’s measurement device as well as where any intake holes are placed on it.

Commonly, difficulties with instrument positioning will present themselves in an upward-facing hole, usually as part of the rain gauge. One aesthetically pleasing, but operationally sub-optimal installation onto a pole that has a bird feeder or bird house and you’ve got a major problem: bits of seeds or bird excrement clogging up your home weather station.

Other sources of problems include foliage blocking wind meters, mowed lawns kicking up grass into side-facing holes, and overheating equipment. Not all devices are made to withstand all conditions. You want one that’s durable and then you want it positioned thoughtfully so you can, say, find out how much action your home wind turbine might get today or whether you need to be worried for your solar generator’s panels.

Power supply

Are you going with a battery or a wire for your home weather station? The answer to this question is going to be very important for the quality of interactions you have with your home weather station.

While you might think that the choice will come down to having a wired model or something with a battery, the reality is a bit different. Some models tend to work off of solar power, with a battery used as a backup, while other models use solely batteries. We’ll be presenting a mixture of both styles to you, as each can be appealing at certain price ranges and functionalities.

We also have a very basic analog product, the EZRead Headwind Consumer Products 840-0052 5-in-1 Weather Station. This one forgoes the whole power supply problem altogether and relies solely on the power of wind and gravity to make it work.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best home weather stations

Getting one of the best home weather stations in 2023 means that you can get quality without having to spend the sometimes exorbitant amounts for professional weather stations that meteorologists use. Even basic analog weather stations like the EZRead can provide value to the right person, but we recommend the Ambient Weather WS-2902C WiFi Smart Weather Station for the right blend of quality and cost.

The post The best home weather stations of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Logitech Harmony Elite		SEE IT	The Logitech Harmony Elite remains the best universal remote even though it isn’t in production.
Best for home theater		SofaBaton U1		SEE IT	The SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote offers great features in an affordable package.
Best simple remote		One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)		SEE IT	The One for All URC7880 Smart Control 8 enhances traditional remote design with modern day smarts.

Juggling multiple remotes for TV, cable box, soundbar, game consoles, and all the other devices in your living room can get extremely frustrating. Once upon a time, manufacturers made third-party universal remotes, which connected to many devices so you could navigate them all with one magic wand. Despite the fact that we have more devices than ever, universal remotes are a dying breed. You could argue they’ve been replaced by smartphones but switching between a hundred different clunky apps just isn’t as elegant as the defunct, yet still supported Logitech Harmony remote. Here’s the thing, though. There are still a few companies that make universal remotes. And some of the old devices, including the Harmony remotes, still work well if you’re willing to buy a used one. If your coffee table full of remotes needs taming, the best universal remotes can still swoop in and cut out some remote clutter.

• Best overall: Logitech Harmony Elite
• Best premium: Logitech Harmony Companion
• Best for home theater: SofaBaton U1
• Best simple: One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)
• Best for Apple TV: Apple TV Siri Remote
• Best with Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Cube
• Best budget: GE Universal Remote

How we picked the best universal remotes

I have covered the consumer electronics industry for more than 10 years for TechnoBuffalo, Gear Patrol, CNN Underscored, and iMore. The coverage included reviews and reports on TVs and third-party A/V gear, including universal remotes.

To make our selections, I leaned on hands-on testing, as well as extensive research on the current third-party remote market. I checked peer reviews, user impressions, forums, and retailer comment sections to get a sense of what universal remotes are currently popular.

What to consider when choosing the best universal remotes

A good universal remote will consolidate your collection of remotes into a single tech navigation tool. It can dim your smart lights, switch on your TV, and start playing a movie through your streaming devices, with a few quick taps. Or you can program it to do all of those things at once with a single press of a button using a “macro.” 

A good universal remote should also feature broad device compatibility and, like any good gadget, a well-organized layout that’s intuitive for novices and veterans alike. While a display isn’t necessary, it’s a nice perk because it allows users to scroll through their list of customizable activities.

Device compatibility

You want to make sure your universal remote can connect to all of the devices in the space where you plan to use it. You should be able to juggle between 5-10 devices at once (or more), spanning home entertainment, smart home, and other kinds of gear. Broad device compatibility will allow a universal remote to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, and make it easier to get the most out of all your devices.

Battery life

A universal remote can’t do its job with a dead battery. When doing our research and testing, we hunted down options that could last a few months between charges. 

We generally prefer remotes that feature a rechargeable internal battery to minimize the possibility of e-waste. For remotes with rechargeable batteries, we prefer a charging hub over a simple cable, but that is definitely not a dealbreaker. If you’re using a battery that relies on disposable AA or AAA cells, we recommend purchasing rechargeable batteries.

Design

Universal remotes generally share the same design language as the TV and cable remotes you’ve likely used your whole life. In most cases, they have many, many more buttons. Sometimes they also have a small display, which is great because it helps you keep track of what you’re doing. Still, for the most part, the best universal remote shouldn’t be hard to parse.

Beyond our picks’ general shape and size, we looked out for things like a comfortable button layout. Commonly used buttons, including volume, pause, and play, should be easy to find without requiring someone to hunt for them. 

A great third-party remote should also have customizable buttons you can set for specific tasks, like turning on your TV to a particular input. Of course, we also tried our best to find options that look nice and feel good in hand, too.

Price

Strictly speaking, there’s nothing essential about a universal remote. It’s a luxury meant to make your technological life a little more convenient. Given that, every person will have their own thoughts on how much they’re willing to spend for convenience’s sake.

Luckily, there are universal remotes for every budget. The most affordable ones provide limited functionality, akin to a TV remote, but with a wider range of functionality. The prices go up from there as companies add more broad support for many devices, displays for better navigation, charging stations, and more. The very best universal remotes are typically a few hundred dollars.

On top of that, our picks include a couple of remotes that are no longer in production. They are still fairly easy to find, new or used, but they cost a lot more than you’d expect. Do not fret if our top picks aren’t your price range, as there are always more affordable options that can pare down your pile of remotes.

IR, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support

All universal remotes use an IR (infrared) transmitter to send a signal to your TV, which interprets that signal to actions like lowering the volume or changing the channel. Lower-priced universal remotes generally come equipped with an IR transmitter. The best of them should also support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing them to communicate with a wider range of modern devices like game consoles and smart home gear.

The best universal remotes: Reviews & Recommendations

Finding the right universal remote will let you consolidate your collection and bring some order to your living room. Though the list of appealing options is dwindling, there are still a few great universal remotes out there.

Best overall: Logitech Harmony Elite

Amazon Renewed

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: With broad device support, a capacitive touchscreen, and support for one-touch actions, the Harmony Elite is tough to beat.

Specs

• Size: 7.56 x 2.13 x 1.14 inches
• Weight: 0.36 pounds
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• Battery life: 3-7 days

Pros

• One-touch actions
• Custom activities
• A capacitive touchscreen makes it easy to control your devices

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not in production, so may be difficult to find new

Although it was discontinued in 2021, the Logitech Harmony Elite remains the best universal remote we’ve tried. It includes broad device support for over 270,000 entertainment and smart home devices, as well as customizable one-touch macros. It features a small capacitive touchscreen that makes navigating a potentially dizzying array of devices easy to follow. Though Logitech no longer manufactures Harmony remotes, the company still updates them, so they are still a viable option.

That said, getting a Harmony Elite for a reasonable price isn’t easy. It was expensive from the start, retailing for $349. Now that there’s a limited supply, that price has only gone up. Even used models can cost nearly $400 or more. Still, if you’re searching for the versatile, feature-rich universal remote, nothing touches the Harmony Elite.

Best for home theater: SofaBaton U1

SofaBaton

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The SofaBaton U1 offers a similar experience to the Harmony Elite, including a small OLED display, in a more affordable package.

Specs

• Size: 7.7 x 1.9 x 1.2 inches
• Weight: 0.61 pounds
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Battery life: N/A (requires two AA batteries)

Pros

• Small OLED display
• Can control up to 15 devices
• Supports over 350,000 devices

Cons

• Can’t control Wi-Fi-based devices

Though we have a soft spot for the Harmony remote, there are still companies making great universal remotes. Case in point, the SofaBaton U1 can connect to over 350,000 devices from 6,000 brands and features a companion iOS and Android app so you can configure the remote on the fly. It can control up to 15 devices at once using IR blasts and Bluetooth. You can also assign buttons to perform specific actions and even create shortcuts to launch activities. 

The SofaBaton U1 does all this for $69.99, far less than the Harmony remotes cost before scarcity drove up the price. Though it isn’t as easy to program, and can’t control Wi-Fi-based devices like smart light bulbs, it gives the Harmony remotes a run for their money. It’s a convenient, affordable, no-compromise universal remote in a reasonably polished package.

Best simple: One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)

One For All(r)

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The One for All URC7880 looks basic at a glance, but features customizable buttons and controls up to eight devices.

Specs

• Size: 9.4 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
• Weight: 0.46 pounds
• Connectivity: Infrared
• Battery life: N/A (requires two AA batteries)

Pros

• Simple, straightforward design
• Can control up to eight devices
• Customizable shortcut keys
• Remote finder feature

Cons

• Doesn’t work with Bluetooth devices

The One For All Smart Control 8 resembles a stock remote you’d get with a TV but can do a lot more. It can control up to eight devices via infrared and will work with everything from a TV to a set-top box to a Blu-ray player. It also features customizable shortcut keys that you can program via a smartphone app. Our personal favorite feature, though, is the remote finder, which lets you use a companion app on your smartphone to make the remote emit a noise so you can track it down.

The Smart Control 8 only communicates with devices via IR blast, so it’s really just for home entertainment centers, rather than a full suite of smart devices. Still, its comparatively simple construction and narrow focus make a solid, affordable choice looking to combine a few of the remotes around the TV.

Best for Apple TV: Apple TV Siri Remote

Amazon

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished here: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Apple TV Siri Remote features an improved design, precise D-pad, and touch-sensitive jogwheel for easy control.

Specs

• Size: 6.93 x 2.62 x 1.04 inches
• Weight: 0.28 pounds
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• Battery life: Two months

Pros

• Clicky buttons
• There’s a mute button
• Jogwheel controls

Cons

• Kind of expensive if you’re upgrading from an older Apple TV remote

With a lovely aluminum design and precise D-pad, the Apple TV Siri Remote is the best option for the company’s set-top box. The 3rd-generation remote includes a mute button, as well as an intuitive directional pad with a touch-sensitive “jogwheel” similar to the experience of using an old-school iPod. Of course, you can also use the Apple TV Siri Remote for system-level TV functions like power and volume. For people with basic setups, that’s all the “universal control” you really need. Plus, gen 3 charges via USB-C instead of Lightning, which many people will appreciate.

Best for Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Cube

Amazon

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Amazon Fire TV Cube makes it easy to control your entire setup without even touching your remote.

Specs

• Size: 5.5 x 1.4 x 0.62 inches
• Weight: 0.09 pounds (without batteries)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• Battery life: N/A (two AAA batteries)

Pros

• Powerful voice controls
• Preset app buttons
• Simplistic layout

Cons

• Voice recognition isn’t always perfect

It might seem unusual for the Amazon Fire TV Cube to show up on a list of the best universal remotes since it’s a … box. Just hear us out, though. The Fire Cube is a surprisingly powerful device. The set-top streaming device allows you to control your TV and any other Alexa-compatible smart devices in your home with voice commands you speak into its small remote.

When you set aside the Alexa functionality, the Fire Cube remote, which you’ll also find in many new Amazon Fire streaming devices, is fairly rudimentary. Once you get into the swing of using voice commands, though, you won’t care about any of the buttons, anyway.

Best budget: GE Universal Remote

GE home electrical

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The GE Universal Remote is easy to use, offers master volume control, and can connect with up to four devices at once.

Specs

• Size: 7 x 2.24 x 1 inches
• Weight: 0.2 pounds
• Connectivity: Infrared
• Battery life: N/A (requires two AAA batteries)

Pros

• Easy to use
• Connects with up to four devices
• Master volume control

Cons

• The plastic design feels cheap

If you just want to consolidate remotes and have no need for customizable buttons, touchscreens, voice controls, or any of the other features we’ve highlighted in our other picks, then you’re looking for the GE Universal Remote. For about $10, you’ll get a remote that comes pre-programmed with support for thousands of AV devices and can control up to four devices at once. It also supports master volume control, so you can adjust the volume of whatever device you’re connected to, whether your TV or Apple TV. It isn’t special, but it gets the job done and is very cheap. There’s nothing wrong with paying a little when that’s all you need.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best universal remotes

• Best overall: Logitech Harmony Elite
• Best premium: Logitech Harmony Companion
• Best for home theater: SofaBaton U1
• Best simple: One for All Smart Control 8 (URC7880)
• Best for Apple TV: Apple TV Siri Remote
• Best with Alexa: Amazon Fire TV Cube
• Best budget: GE Universal Remote

Clearly, we still have a deep affection for Logitech’s Harmony remotes. That said, there are still a few good options out there, so there’s no reason not to use one if you think it would help. It’s also worth noting that more and more devices can handle basic system-level TV controls, making it easier to get by with one remote if you’re just watching TV.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best universal remotes of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best compact		Level Touch Keyless Entry		SEE IT	This lock replaces your deadbolt, and conceals the technology in a much smaller space than most others.
Best with an alarm		Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt		SEE IT	This smart lock pairs with your security system or Z-Wave smart home.
Best budget		Kwikset Halo WiFi Smart Lock		SEE IT	For under $150, the Kwikset Halo has everything you need in a smart lock.

Smart locks are one of the best home security products of the last decade. Some of the best smart door locks fit over your regular manual door lock and some of them replace it, but instead of using a key to lock and unlock your door, you’ll use your smartphone or a special keyfob. Why would someone want such a thing? Well, for one thing, you can lock and unlock your door from anywhere. Instead of standing outside fumbling with your keys in the cold or rain, you can sit in your car and unlock the door before you get out. Some even have automated door-unlocking features that sense when you’ve arrived home—the best smart lock for you will fit the functions you want.

Another selling point is the fact that you can double-check to make sure your door is locked at any time. Ever been in line at the grocery store and wondered if your teenager remembered to lock the door after leaving on a bike ride? Your phone can tell you … and fix it if the door is open. In addition, you can use the best smart locks to let people in and out of your house when you’re not home. If you’re at work, but need the services of a plumber or housekeeping service, or you’re running late and your child just got off the bus, you can unlock your door for them from wherever you are and lock it up again when you’re ready. And even better, they may even get you a reduced home insurance rate.

• Best compact: Level Touch Keyless Entry
• Best for ease of installation: August WiFi Smart Lock
• Best with an alarm: Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt 
• Best with door handles included: Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt 
• Best budget: Kwikset Halo WiFi Smart Lock

Best smart locks: Reviews and Recommendations

Best compact: Level Touch Keyless Entry

Level

SEE IT

The nice part of this keyless-entry smart lock is that you can’t tell it’s a smart lock; it just looks like a normal deadbolt. But this simple-to-install device is powerful, with options for remote locking and unlocking, touch to lock/unlock, auto-lock/unlock, two included keys, and the ability to send links so guests can open the door. The smartphone app is easy to use and gives you full access to the features. There are five color options, so you’ll easily find a style that fits your home.

Best for ease of installation: August WiFi Smart Lock

August Home

SEE IT

August is one of the forerunners of smart-lock manufacturing, and this is now their fourth-generation model. The August WiFi Smart Lock’s auto-unlock feature still gets mixed reviews (it sometimes stops working unexpectedly), but it works reliably to lock and unlock from your phone, and to provide access to guests.

Best with an alarm: Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt

SCHLAGE

SEE IT

First things first, it’s imperative to mention you’ll need a Z-Wave hub (a mesh network for home automation) in order to use this Schlage smart lock; it doesn’t work on direct WiFi. The benefit to that is less interference and no competition with other devices on a WiFi network, so it should be more reliable. You can pair it with the Ring Alarm, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Iris, Nexia, and others, and the built-in alarm sounds when someone tries to force open the door or tamper with the lock.

Best with door handles included: Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt

SCHLAGE

SEE IT

The Schlage Encode Smart Wifi Deadbolt is a simple-to-use lock with no hub required and a touchscreen keypad that allows for one-touch locking. You can program it to auto-lock at your chosen interval after unlocking, and program up to 100 codes for guests. It includes a forced entry alarm and a keypad light to indicate when the battery is low, and it integrates with Amazon Alexa.

Best budget: Kwikset Halo WiFi Smart Lock

Kwikset

SEE IT

Remote lock and unlock from anywhere with WiFi access with this Kwikset Halo option, which can be programmed with up to 250 guest codes. It integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The Kwikset Halo notifies you each time your door lock is triggered and stores lock activity in the app, and you can also temporarily disable the Kwikset Halo keypad in secure mode. 

How do the best smart locks work?

The best smart locks will function as intended, which is to make life easier. Keyless door locks work using WiFi: When you set up your lock, you’ll connect it to your home network by following the included directions, either directly connecting or through a hub. You should only need to connect it one time and the authentication stays in memory. Then your lock can “communicate” with you via your smartphone or a special keyfob designed for the lock. Many can also be integrated with your smart hub to communicate with Amazon Alexa devices or Google Assistant. It is important to note, however, that smart lock deadbolts run on batteries, and most will last for about six months before needing replacement. 

Many smart locks also come with a keypad with numbers rather than a keyhole. Others allow you the ability to do both—just in case your batteries die or you have issues communicating with the smart lock, you can always go back to your tried-and-true physical key until you solve the problem. Still, others offer a fingerprint sensor in addition to a keypad. In any case, it’s always best to have more than one option just in case anything malfunctions—you don’t want to get stuck outside because your smart lock wasn’t smart enough!

Related: Break-ins happen. Here are products to secure your prized possessions.

Simple guest access to your keyless door locks

Most keyless door locks will allow you to provide access to guests on a temporary or ongoing basis. Depending on the model, you may text a link to your guests that allows them to open and lock your door with their smartphones the same way you do, you may assign them a temporary code, or you may provide a password. 

Smart locks get you the W: Who, What, When, Where, and maybe even Why

One of the coolest features of a smart lock deadbolt is that you can usually customize exactly how you want this guest access to work: You may allow each guest access to your keyless door locks indefinitely, or you may set up specific parameters (the code may expire in four hours, four weeks, or whatever time period you specify; it may be cyclic so that someone with a standing appointment—like a housekeeper—can access it every Monday morning but no other times; or it may be for one-time use). You may revoke access early if someone cancels, or remove someone’s code even if you had set it up originally for permanent access. And you can normally issue several guest codes at once.

Smart locks deliver convenience

The modern world is truly a marvelous place, full of innovations and conveniences. If you play to combine two of these things—namely smart locks and eCommerce—you may find yourself reveling in the ability to let Amazon deliver a package right inside your front door, with an entry alert/timestamp. That’s just one of the many pros for a smart lock.

Budget doesn’t mean you can budge it

Going for a budget smart lock doesn’t mean a less reliable deadbolt, just fewer bells, and whistles. As it’s a budget pick, don’t expect fingerprint sensors or a touchscreen, and be aware that may be more complaints about short battery life and buggy software.

FAQs

Related: Best doorbell cameras of 2023

The final word on selecting the best door locks for your home

The best smart door lock for you will make your life simpler because it will allow you to lock and unlock your door from anywhere, even if you’re stuck at work or at a doctor’s appointment and someone needs access to your home (or needs to leave and doesn’t have a key to lock up). It can give you peace of mind to know that your house is locked up, and it can save you from having to rekey your door in case of a breakup or end of a friendship. Technology has already moved forward in the few short years since they’ve been introduced, so look at all your smart-lock options to see how they have evolved and get more reliable. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best smart locks of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem Wi-Fi Router Combo		SEE IT	This modem-router combination takes the guesswork out of Spectrum compatibilty.
Best cyber secure		Gryphon AC3000		SEE IT	Hackers are no match for this protective router.
Best budget		TP-Link AC1750		SEE IT	Lots of expensive features are packed into this budget-friendly router.

If you work from home—and you’re a Charter Communications customer—you know there’s a huge difference between a bad router and the best routers for Spectrum internet. A bad router means long wait times talking to customer service, annoyingly slow load speeds, and a pixelated presence on work video calls. Choosing the best router for work, play, and just surfing the web makes life easier—and reduces the amount of low to no bandwidth-induced headaches you might get. 

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem Wi-Fi Router Combo
• Best for gaming: ASUS AX5700 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
• Best for streaming: Linksys – Dual-Band AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Router
• Best mesh: NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System
• Best cyber secure: Gryphon AC3000
• Best budget: TP-Link AC1750

How we chose the best routers for Spectrum

We know how important a strong Wi-Fi connection is to effortless, lag-free gaming and streaming high-quality lossless audio. I personally have made the mistake of not doing my research before buying a router—would not recommend spending a few days Wi-Fi-less and with my own thoughts. To prevent you from facing a similar situation, we looked to personal testing, peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions to find the best Spectrum routers.

The best routers for Spectrum: Reviews & Recommendations

The best routers for Spectrum can handle everything, whether it’s a day full of video meetings, nights scrolling TikTok, intense gaming sessions, or streaming lengthy explainer videos on YouTube. These are our top picks.

Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem Wi-Fi Router Combo

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: You don’t have to worry about purchasing a separate modem with this trusted combination device.

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 1,900 Mbps
• Coverage: 1,800 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: Up to 400 Mbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: Four 1-gigabit Ethernet ports; one USB 2.0 port

Pros

• Easy installation
• Independent channels for 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz
• Warrants fast, reliable internet. 

Cons 

• Slow return on investment
• No support for Wi-Fi 6

The Netgear Nighthawk proves that two is better than one: This router also features a built-in modem, meaning you don’t have to shop for a Spectrum-compatible modem. This router covers 1,800 square feet for up to 30 devices and is compatible with Spectrum speed plans up to 400 Mbps. It includes separate networks for 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands, meaning you can organize your devices based on band level. You can plug in gaming consoles and computers to Ethernet thanks to four one-gigabit Ethernet ports, and can share storage with a connected device using the USB port. The router supports Wi-Fi 4 and 5 but does not support Wi-Fi 6. It features a WPA2-PSK security protocol, which is secure enough to protect your home without an enterprise authentication server—simply provide an 8- to 62-character-long passphrase to encrypt your network. However, it will take some time to see a return on your investment with the Nighthawk. Multiple reviews note that owners’ internet speed and performance were improved after setup, making the purchase worth it.

Best for gaming: ASUS AX5700 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router

ASUS

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Reduced lag and latency are a tap away thanks to the router’s game mode and support for Wi-Fi 6. 

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 5700 Mbps
• Coverage: 2,500 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: 1 Gbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: two 3.2 USB ports; one 2.5 G WAN/LAN port; one WAN port; four Ethernet ports

Pros

• Fiber internet compatible
• Easy installation
• Plenty of LAN ports for devices if need be

Cons 

• Upright design can hinder placement 

We are no strangers to the ASUS AX5700—we’ve previously named it the best all-purpose gaming router. And it is compatible with Spectrum’s Internet Gig plan, which can handle up to 1 Gpbs, making it a perfect addition to this list. It’s Wi-Fi 6 compatible and includes MU-MIMO functionality for increased speed and security. Download the ASUS Router app to turn on the mobile game mode, which reduces lag and latency for back-to-back Victory Royales. AiMesh support allows you to bring seamless, interruption-free coverage to your home—and, considering the price of mesh routers, that makes this one a steal. Hackers will be KO’d thanks to free lifetime access to ASUS AiProtection Pro, which includes WPA3 protection—the latest Wi-Fi security protocol—powered by Trend Micro, a cyber security software company. However, you can only set the router vertically, which could pose a problem if you need a horizontal router. 

Best for streaming: Linksys – Dual-Band AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Router

Linksys

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Between the wide coverage range, support for more than 30-plus devices, and splittable price, this router means the only thing your roommates will lag on is doing their dishes. 

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 5.4 Gbps
• Coverage: 2,800 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: 1 Gbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: 4 Ethernet ports; 1 internet port; 1 USB port

Pros

• Easy setup
• Separate guest access
• Easy device connection thanks to a WPS button

Cons 

• Reviews note trouble connecting the router to the Linksys app

We’ve all had the problem of the internet slowing because it’s slogged down by everyone’s respective phone, laptop, and gaming system streaming at once. This problem is exacerbated if your roommates like Internet-of-Things smart devices that connect to the network. Expect the slog to stop with this dual-band router, which can connect to more than 30 devices. Additionally, this router is Wi-Fi 6 compatible, meaning it’s fast and futureproof. This router includes four Ethernet ports, one internet port to connect the router to the modem, and one USB port. Also, the router can create a guest access network so your roommates’ siblings or frequent callers don’t cause security problems or snag too much bandwidth when they add their binge-watching to what’s pulling down all the data. A WPS button makes device connection easy, and you can use your smartphone, tablet, or computer browser for quick set-up. The second biggest problem with this router is deciding who will take it at the end of the lease. The largest problem is connecting it to the Linksys app.

Best mesh: NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System

NETGEAR

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Up to 5,000 square feet of coverage and an included satellite extender means you can take meetings almost everywhere in your home without lag.

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 4.2 Gbps
• Coverage: 5,000 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: 1 Gbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: 1 Ethernet WAN port; 3 Ethernet ports; 2 Ethernet ports on satellite extender

Pros

• No dead zones
• Wide coverage area
• Tri-band Wi-Fi

Cons 

• Must pay Netgear to service software issues
• Expensive
• App capabilities are only free for 30 days

We’ve all experienced the pain of being laggy and pixelated on a video call, either from weak signals or dead spots in the home. Say goodbye to all that with the Netgear Orbi, which covers 5,000 square feet and includes a satellite extender for more reach. This router, our pick for working from home, can support up to 40 devices and has a crazy-fast data transfer rate of 4.2 Gbps, plus support for Wi-Fi 6 for futureproofing. Unlike other routers, this one supports a tri-band frequency: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band for connecting your devices, and a separate 5 GHz band so the router and included satellite can communicate with each other. Netgear Armor Antivirus and data theft protection powered by Bitdefender means business secrets will stay secret. However, there is a catch: this capability, along with others in the Orbi app like parental controls, are only free for 30 days. Afterward, you’ll need a subscription. And you’ll have to pay Netgear for software troubleshooting—that can be a lot of money to spend after purchasing an already-expensive router.

Best cyber secure: Gryphon AC3000

Gryphon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This router does not use a web browser for configuration, making it less likely that a hacker will jack your info. 

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 3 Gbps 
• Coverage: 3,000 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: 1 Gbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: 1 WAN port; 3 Ethernet ports with backhaul capabilities

Pros

• Easy installation with Gryphon app
• Free intrusion detection in the first year
• Responsive support team

Cons 

• No advanced customization options

You won’t need to worry about hackers and internet thieves with the Gryphon AC3000, which offers advanced security thanks to its Wi-Fi 6 functionality, vulnerability scans, and app configuration that prevents hackers from accessing your network via the web. It also secures connected devices and sends alerts when it detects vulnerabilities, weak passwords, or infected devices. The router has fantastic basic security and you also get one year of intrusion detection for free with purchase. Afterward, it’s $89 per year. It covers 3,000 square feet—an average 2-3 bedroom home—at lightning-fast speeds thanks to its 3 Gbps data transfer rate. If you purchase multiple Gryphon routers, you can create a mesh network for even stronger, wider coverage. The Gryphon Connect app includes robust parental controls, including content filtering, screen time, and usage monitoring. Its user interface is incredibly streamlined and simple. However, reviews note that there could be more advanced customization options, like more device categories and fields for categories that should be blocked.

Best budget: TP-Link AC1750

TP-Link

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The TP-Link AC1750 features high-end capabilities at a fraction of the cost. 

Specs

• Data transfer rate: 1750 Mbps
• Coverage: 2,500 square feet
• Plan speed compatibility: 400 Mbps
• Parental controls: Yes
• Ports: 1 USB port; 1 WAN port; 4 Ethernet ports

Pros

• VPN Server
• Alexa compatibility
• Bandwidth prioritization (QoS)

Cons 

• Not compatible with Wi-Fi 6

The TP-Link AC1750 tops Amazon’s list of computer routers for a reason: it includes a VPN server, bandwidth prioritization, parental controls, Alexa compatibility, and can connect up to 50 devices—all for under $100. A 2,500-square-foot range means you can take video calls outside and bandwidth prioritization allows you to assign devices to either of the dual bands to prevent congestion and slow internet speeds. Connect it to Alexa to turn the guest Wi-Fi on or off using your voice, or use the TP-Link Tether app to set up and manage your network. WPA/WPA2 wireless encryption keeps the entire family protected from hackers, and parental controls protect your kids from looking up mature content on the internet. The only downside of this router? It’s not Wi-Fi 6 compatible, which means it could become obsolete as new Wi-Fi protocols come out.

What to consider when buying the best routers for Spectrum

Routers are not one-size-fits-all. Here is what you need to know when shopping for the best routers for Spectrum:

Modem vs. router

A modem connects you to a wide area network, or WAN—the internet that Spectrum provides. A router connects your devices to a local area network, or LAN—your own little piece of the internet that Spectrum provides. You can’t connect to a router without a modem. Spectrum customers are required to use an authorized modem, and the company provides a preconfigured Wi-Fi router for a monthly fee. However, that adds up, and purchasing your own can save money in the long run. If you buy your own router, you don’t have to give it back if you cancel your service—you can use it with your new internet provider.

Compatibility with Spectrum

Make sure that the router your purchase is compatible with Spectrum. Otherwise, you’ll have to return it. You can find a list of Spectrum-compliant routers on the company’s site. Although buying the correct modem is more important, it never hurts to double-check. Also, the router can only run as fast as your internet plan provides. For example, if you have a router that can only reach speeds of 300 Mbps and have an internet plan for 200 Mbps, you’ll only max out at 200 Mbps.

Wireless protocol

The wireless protocol, or Wi-Fi standard, determines your router’s throughput and range. You can determine the protocol by finding the number 802.11 and a certain letter combination:

• 11ax (Wi-Fi 6): Wi-Fi 6 is the newest standard and delivers speeds up to 10 Gbps. However, not all devices and internet connections support Wi-Fi 6. You may not need to upgrade just yet, but switching to Wi-Fi 6 will help futureproof your internet connection. This standard is the fastest.  
• 11ac (Wi-Fi 5): This standard appears on most routers, and supports speeds up to 3.5 Gbps. 
• 11n (Wi-Fi 4): This standard supports speeds up to 600 Mbps and was the first to allow both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. This standard, compared to Wi-Fi 5 and 6, is the slowest. 

Range and signal strength

Wi-Fi range is determined by the kind of router you’re using, the wireless protocol the router follows, and the space you’re in. Wi-Fi signals have a harder time permeating through concrete, compared to wood, stucco, and other building materials. For example, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi routers can reach up to 150 feet indoors and 300 feet outdoors and should be used if you’re looking for long-distance Wi-Fi. Routers running on 5 GHz bands can reach around one-third of these distances since it uses narrower wavelengths—because of this, you should choose a 5 GHz router for speed but only if your devices can be located nearer to your internet access point. Newer routers operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to reach greater distances and achieve maximum throughput for devices in closer proximity.

Budget

The best routers range from $50 up to $500. The best Wi-Fi extenders can help with spotty internet, but Consumer Reports recommends using a mesh router system that relies on multiple systems to spread strong Wi-Fi signals. However, a mesh router system can be pricey. On the flip side, Wi-Fi extenders are cheaper and can be a perfect solution if you’re looking for more reliable coverage in certain areas of your home. However, poor placement of your extender won’t help your Wi-Fi woes and can cause more connectivity problems if your Wi-Fi extender creates a separate network that your device has to switch between.

Extra features

Many newer routers are compatible with voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, have parental controls, and provide separate networks for guests. Built-in VPNs and routers with multi-user, multiple-input, and multiple-output technology—also known as MU-MIMO—can help with security and network speed, respectively. However, if you would not benefit from the bells and whistles—and the added costs associated with them—then there’s no shame in going for a basic router.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best routers for Spectrum

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem Wi-Fi Router Combo
• Best for gaming: ASUS AX5700 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router
• Best for streaming: Linksys – Dual-Band AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Router
• Best mesh: NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System
• Best cyber secure: Gryphon AC3000
• Best budget: TP-Link AC1750

Whether you decide on a router that helps you jumpstart your streaming career, keeps your new battlestation in sync with the rest of the squad, or feeds your OLED TV buttery-smooth 4K video, the best routers for Spectrum will be suited to your lifestyle and internet needs. It doesn’t matter if you go ham-handed on the features or keep it simple—the best routers will get you streaming, web surfing, online gaming, and working with ease.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best routers for Spectrum of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best for large rooms		Mila Smart Air Purifier		SEE IT	This all-purpose smart air purifier adapts to room size and comes with a carbon monoxide detector and sleep and white noise modes.
Best HEPA		Coway Tower True HEPA Air Purifier		SEE IT	This HEPA model features four layers of filtration in a stylish design.
Best for allergies		InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier		SEE IT	Certified to keep you safe from dangerous levels of ozone gas.

Air purifiers suck in pollen, dust, smoke, other allergens, and even viruses—pummeling them and then circulating clean, filtered air. It sounds simple enough, but not all purifiers are created equal, and there isn’t one that’s right for every person. Your particular environment and the size of your home are huge factors in choosing the best option for you. Is allergy season wreaking havoc on your sinuses? Do you live in a smoggy city? Have there been wildfires? In short, even the finest filters aren’t guaranteed to fix all that ails you and your home. But if you’re wondering whether air purifiers are really worth it … we think so. They can help distribute cleaner air, and that’s always a good thing, considering the link between air quality and health. So, read on as we clear the air on what we think are the best air purifiers.

• Best overall: Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde
• Best for large rooms: Mila Smart Air Purifier
• Best for small rooms: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home Bedroom
• Best for quiet: Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max
• Best HEPA: Coway Tower True HEPA Air Purifier
• Best with UV light: Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier
• Best for allergies: InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier
• Best for smoke: Alen BreatheSmart 75i
• Best portable: WYND Smart Plus Personal Portable Air Purifier
• Best budget: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home, Core 300

How we chose the best air purifiers

As pet owners and parents, we’ve experienced our fair share of smells and toxins—and that’s just from inside the house. To create this list of the best air purifiers, we relied on peer recommendations, critical reviews, online research, user impressions, and plentiful personal testing. We also examined what each air purifier claims to eliminate from the air, HEPA square footage, and MERV ratings.

The best air purifiers: Reviews & Recommendations

Pollen, pet dander, smells, smoke, germs, and other airborne goblins are no match for the best air purifiers. This list includes quiet air purifiers, ones that double as humidifiers, and even ones that claim they can help with a majority of airborne pathogens.

Best overall: Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This three-in-one smart device automatically adapts to changes in air quality and humidity.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 400 square feet
• Dimensions: 36.66 x 11.02 x 12.23 inches
• App connectivity: Yes
• Max decibels (dB): 59.8 dB

Pros

• Connectivity with Siri and Alexa
• Three products in one
• Air quality reporting

Cons

• Expensive

Between its TikTok- and Insta-famous Airwrap multistyler to its line of powerful vacuums, Dyson has made a name for itself in sucking—which we don’t mean negatively. The Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde proves yet again that Sir James Dyson really knows what he’s doing when it comes to pushing air out and in. This air purifier uses an intelligent sensing system and Air Multiplier technology to purify, humidify, and cool the air. You don’t even need to touch the stylish, distinctive unit—it automatically senses and reacts to changes in air quality and humidity (we’ve watched one enthusiastically spring to life time and time again after a particularly aggressive sauté session in the kitchen). It even features a solid-state sensor to detect and destroy formaldehyde emitted by household items—a boon if you’re in a newly renovated/refurbished space, as fresh carpet and new mattresses are emitting odd things.

You don’t have to worry about airborne baddies getting re-released into the air since the entire purifier-humidifier is fully sealed to the HEPA H13 standard. If you love numbers, neat tech, and data, this machine will tickle your brain when it reports your air quality in real-time on the LCD screen and DysonLink app (which you can use to tweak/schedule usage). The filters are low-maintenance and easy to replace, and the machine features a deep-clean cycle to get rid of mineral build-up and bacteria that may be lurking in the water system. Although it’s almost $1,000, you’re getting three devices for the cost of one. Talk about smart.

Best for large rooms: Mila Smart Air Purifier

Mila

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This mold- and carbon monoxide-detecting air purifier comes in different filter configurations for custom air purification.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 1,000 square feet 
• Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 15 inches
• App connectivity: Yes
• Max decibels (dB): 62 dB but lowers to 24 dB while in room

Pros

• Stylist
• Small
• Carbon monoxide, mold detection, and white noise machine built-in

Cons

• Reviews note excessive air quality notifications

This classy, app-controllable large room air purifier adapts to the size of whatever room it’s placed in. It also looks great in any room it’s placed in. The filter has 45 square feet of HEPA, and with 447 CADR, it’s effective in rooms up to 1,000 square feet. Additional features include a sleep mode and white noise so that it won’t interfere with your sleeping habits. The device also features a carbon monoxide detector. It will monitor your room’s humidity and let you know if it detects any mold. If you’re not a fan of notifications, disable them if you go with the Mila—reviewers note that the Mila app sends lots of alerts.

Best for small rooms: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home Bedroom

Levoit

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Take this lightweight, compact air purifier from room to room to experience dual-filter, three-stage filtration in your entire home.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 161 square feet
• Dimensions: 6.69 x 6.69 x 10.43 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 52 dB

Pros

• Aromatherapy
• Dual-filter, three-stage filtration
• Specifically targets hay fever

Cons

• Not for large homes

The Levoit promises to help relieve allergies, congestion, and sneezing and is our pick for the best small air purifier. Although we can’t vouch for the unit’s specific efficacy against rhinitis, we can vouch for the fact that it has three filters (one more than most other units): HEPA for dust, pollen, and dander; carbon for odors; and polyester for lint and hair. One fun additional feature is that this one has an aromatherapy option if you’d like a little lavender to help lull you to sleep at night.

Best for quiet: Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Particles down to .1 microns are no match for this quiet-but-powerful air purifier.

Specs

• Recommended room size: Up to 929 square feet
• Dimensions: 19 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches
• App connectivity: Yes
• Max decibels (dB): 50 dB

Pros

• Removes particles down to .1 micron
• Stylish
• App connectivity

Cons

• Reviews note occasional problems with auto-sensing

Blueair makes svelte cylinders with Scandinavian style packed with highly effective electrostatic and mechanical filtration. The Blue Pure 311i Max is HEPASilent but deadly … against microbes in the air. This stylish, small air purifier features five fan speeds and a one-touch auto mode with a fine particles (PM 2.5) sensor to monitor concentration and adjust speed according. This air purifier can clean a 387-square-foot room in 12.5 minutes and a 929-square-foot space in 30 minutes (there are both larger and smaller models, so something for every home). And, it snags all those particles (99.97% of them down to 0.1 micron) all nearly undetected, clocking in at 23 dB on low/night mode—louder than a quiet natural area with no wind but softer than a whisper. And it never runs above 50dB, which makes it QuietMark certified and perfect for a bedroom, TV room, any room … plus it’s only 8 pounds, so it’s easy to move around while you decide between your study and your yoga studio (or realize it’s easiest to buy two).

Is it working? We barely hear it. But we also don’t hear ourselves sneezing and wheezing and complaining about our watery eyes, so we’re going with yes. If we need more confirmation, we can look at a five-color LED that changes according to Air Quality Index (AQI), or we can reference an app that gives insight into indoor vs. outdoor pollution and lets you control mode, tweak LED Brightness, set a schedule, and more (assuming the 311i Max and your phone are connected to WiFi). And if we don’t want it to be working, Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility let us turn it off with voice commands if our phone isn’t convenient. While some reviews note that the auto-sensing feature is not as accurate as they hoped, we’ve observed the Blue Pure 311i Max react firsthand thanks to a low smoke-point cooking oil incident or two. It was lively even from across a loft apartment—and helped with the post-coming odors. And the washable pre-filter fabric cover (shown above in “Stockholm Fog” color) meshed effortlessly with the decor to boot.

Best HEPA: Coway Tower True HEPA Air Purifier

Coway

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Stylish-meets-powerful with this True HEPA air purifier that features four levels of filtration.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 330 square feet
• Dimensions: 10.5 × 32.7 × 10.7 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 52 dB

Pros

• Real-time air sensing
• Washable pre-filter
• Air quality indicator

Cons

• Noisier compared to other air purifiers

Multiple fan speeds, a timer, an air-quality assessor, and a filter-replacement indicator light make this the best HEPA air purifier—not just quiet and effective, but user-friendly. At just under $200, it’s neither cheap nor exorbitant for an air purifier, and it’s also aesthetically pleasing. Reviewers note that this air purifier is noisier than most.

Best with UV light: Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Germ Guardian

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This quiet air purifier uses CARB-compliant UVC light and titanium dioxide to reduce airborne bacteria, viruses, and mold spores.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 153 square feet
• Dimensions: 10.25 x 6.75 x 21.5 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 61.2 dB

Pros

• Quiet
• Reduces odors
• Pre-filter traps allergens

Cons

• UV light can be bad for the environment

UVC light (the most destructive of all the UVs) in an air purifier works as a UVGI—ultraviolet germicidal irradiation—disinfection method by attacking the DNA of cells floating through the air, like mold spores, viruses, and bacteria. (This means, like all other filters, it cannot do anything for particles that have settled into fabric). An activated charcoal filter reduces odors. The 22-inch purifier filters air four times per hour at maximum speed in rooms up to 153 square feet. The four fan speeds, whisper-quiet operation, and CARB compliance make this air purifier an especially good pick for allergy sufferers. California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliance means you can rest easy about its environmental footprint.

Best for allergies: InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier

InvisiClean

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: CARB compliance plus four levels of air purification equals an exorcism for your sneezes.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 319 square feet
• Dimensions: 12.34 x 6.25 x 17.75 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 55 dB

Pros

• Four fan speeds
• Quiet
• CARB compliant

Cons

• No auto-sensing

The four fan speeds, whisper-quiet operation, and CARB compliance make this air purifier an especially good pick for allergy sufferers. The California Air Resources Board requires purifiers to produce .050 parts per million of ozone or less, so any device with this certification keeps you safe from unsafe gas levels.

Best for smoke: Alen BreatheSmart 75i

Alen

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Detailed air quality indicators, a B7-Pure filter, and a CADR of 347 mean that this air purifier will stop smoke in its tracks.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 1300 square feet
• Dimensions: 12 x 19 x 27 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 51 dB

Pros

• 8 colorways
• Quickly cleans large rooms
• Auto-adjusts based on air quality

Cons

• Expensive
• Little warranty

This is an easy pick for the best air purifier for smoke, thanks to its CADR of 347 (out of 450). Thanks to automatic air-quality detection, when any type of smoke is present, the unit will kick up to turbo. When no irritants are present, the device goes into energy-saving mode. Five air quality colors give you a more detailed visual indicator of air quality—other air purifiers only include three color indicators.

Best portable: WYND Smart Plus Personal Portable Air Purifier

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Take clean air onto the airplane or into the office with this water bottle-sized air purifier developed by NASA and MIT engineers.

Specs

• Recommended room size: N/A
• Dimensions: 9.57 x 8.62 x 4.33 inches
• App connectivity: Yes
• Max decibels (dB): 55 dB

Pros

• Small
• iOS/Android app
• Medical-grade filter

Cons

• Expensive for size

This small-but-mighty air purifier designed by NASA and MIT engineers fits in a cup holder and can purify the air in a car in under 15 minutes—that’s eight liters of air per second. And that comes in handy in a world of wildfires and other pollutants you might encounter as you travel—something we know from experience, as one accompanied three passengers in a Honda CR-V through the smoke-heavy American West during fall 2021. And, if you like numbers, the WYND air purifier connects to an iOS/Android app to track real-time hyperlocalized data on dust and other particulates. It also enables you to switch between different purifier presets, like auto and night, control other WYND devices, and alerts you when encountering poor air quality. The included desktop kickstand accessory lets you position the air purifier to direct a clean bubble toward your face (as shown above), giving your nose and lungs instant access to medical-grade filtered air in an office or elsewhere.

Best budget: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home, Core 300

Amanda Reed

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This compact air purifier tackles smoke, dust, pollen, bacteria, and viruses without hurting your wallet.

Specs

• Recommended room size: 219 square feet
• Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.7 x 16.25 inches
• App connectivity: No
• Max decibels (dB): 50 dB

Pros

• Filter life indicator
• Timer
• Quiet

Cons

• Louder than other air purifiers

This cheap air purifier targets smoke, dust, and pollen, along with some bacteria and viruses. Four specialty replacement filters include a pet-allergy option and a toxin absorber for particularly smoky or smoggy areas. Like higher-end air purifiers that are more expensive, this Levoit air purifier features timer settings and a sleep mode. And the display lights can be turned off to ensure a pitch-black room when sleeping. Although the air purifier is louder than some competitors, it resembles a whooshing fan at its highest setting—if you can deal with that, this air purifier is for you.

What to consider when buying the best air purifiers

The best air purifier for you might not be the one your best friend or neighbor loves. You want a HEPA filter with a high MERV rating that’s designed to cover the amount of space you have in your particular room or dwelling. Beyond that, consider whether you want other features like pathogen-killing UV light, smart controls, and/or odor elimination. Do you need the best air purifier for pets or perhaps something portable? Air purifiers for mold or models to get rid of smoke? Air filters work only on airborne particles. To get at anything that’s settled into upholstery or rugs, you’ll need a handy vacuum, a helpful robot, or something else that offers deep-clean suction.

Size of space

There’s an alphabet soup to make sense of when choosing the best air purifier for your home. ACH (air changes per hour) correlates to the airflow of your device. It’s calculated based on the volume of your space, ceiling height, and how many cubic feet per minute the device can cover. It’s independent of other factors, e.g., the filter’s efficacy—to calculate that you need the CADR (clean air delivery rate) rating; because a HEPA filter is more efficient, its CADR rating may be lower, which is deceptive.

The most important thing to note is that an air purifier’s efficacy cannot be calculated based on square footage alone. You can find handy calculators online to determine the proper purifier for your needs, but here’s what to consider with any device: Will it successfully rid your home of odors with carbon or other comparable filters? Is it a good choice for pet owners? Does it feature UV light? Read the fine print.

HEPA

You’ve likely heard of high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filters. They are a type of pleated air filter that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, “can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of .3 microns.” The smaller the particle, the more penetrating and nefarious it can be. So when you’re shopping for air purifiers, check out their filters’ MERV (minimum efficiency reporting values) rating. The higher the MERV rating, the better it is at trapping the tiniest particles.

Suppose it’s the coronavirus that has you shopping for purifiers. In that case, it should be said that though a HEPA filter should be able to catch a virus of that size, there’s no conclusive proof that an air purifier can kill airborne COVID-19-carrying air droplets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that any room housing a coronavirus patient “should be exhausted directly to the outside, or be filtered through a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter directly before recirculation.”

If your main concern about your indoor air quality is lingering food or cigarette smoke odors, make sure the model you’re considering specifically targets fumes and other volatile organic compounds. HEPA filters aren’t good at eliminating odors on their own.

The HEPA filter was initially designed to capture radioactive particles when the atomic bomb was being developed because it can capture 99.97 percent of particles as small as .3 microns, which can evade other types of filters. (This is sometimes referred to as “true HEPA,” as European HEPA standards are required to trap only 85 percent of particles.) It works by ensnaring, sieving, and rerouting irritating particles.

A HEPA air purifier is considered the gold standard, but it does have limitations. Any particle smaller than .3 microns—for example, some viruses and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) like aerosols, ammonia, and other toxins—will slip right through. Changing your filter often enough is key. A HEPA filter does a great job of capturing mold. If you don’t change the filter, the purifier can redistribute that mold back into the air.

Allergies

The best air purifiers for allergies depend on what your particular triggers are because different filters work on different-sized particles. Pet hair and pollen are large particles, dust is medium-sized, and smoke is small. A combination HEPA-carbon filter is your best bet for filtering the maximum number of irritants to help reduce your allergies.

The addition of an ionizer and UV light, if you’re comfortable with it, adds a belt to your proverbial suspenders. Because UV light does create ozone particles, we recommend choosing an air purifier with UV light that’s approved for sale in California.

Smoke

Pollutants—like smoke and soot—can aggravate asthma, irritate your eyes, and stress your lungs and heart. An intuitive HEPA purifier with multiple fan speeds, maximum air circulation, and zero ozone output is the best one for allergy sufferers and people who are sensitive to smoke. The best air purifiers for smoke have a higher CADR rating. This means your device will be better at eliminating smoke and its odor, whether you’re talking about cigarettes, cannabis, or wildfires.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best air purifiers

• Best overall: Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde
• Best for large rooms: Mila Smart Air Purifier
• Best for small rooms: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home Bedroom
• Best for quiet: Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max
• Best HEPA: Coway Tower True HEPA Air Purifier
• Best with UV light: Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier
• Best for allergies: InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier
• Best for smoke: Alen BreatheSmart 75i
• Best portable: WYND Smart Plus Personal Portable Air Purifier
• Best budget: LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home, Core 300

In almost every category, the best air purifiers have a true HEPA filter and a carbon filter. Together, they get you the most coverage regarding the breadth of pollutants the purifier will attack. Beyond that, the most important qualities are energy efficiency and picking the right model for the size of your room. Everything else—design, whether the device is app-enabled, UV lighting—is just gravy.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best air purifiers for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Aura Mason Luxe Smart Frame		SEE IT	With unlimited storage, an intuitive app, and the ability to be oriented either portrait or landscape, the 2K Aura Mason Luxe frame truly has everything you could want.
Best touchscreen		Sammix Digital Picture Frame		SEE IT	Maximum usability is the name of the game with the SAMMIX digital picture frame, which boasts touchscreen capabilities, motion-sensor activation, and more.
Best budget		Aluratek Digital Photo Frame		SEE IT	This frame is all about simplicity: Just plug in your USB full of photos and watch a slideshow of memories come to life.

Whether its Mother’s Day, Grandparents’ Day, or just any day that ends in “y,” a digital picture frame helps make even the smallest moment make a big impression as favorite memories and unexpected flashbacks pop up. Created to store your most cherished memories and put them on display, these smart frames—many of them wirelessly connected—exponentially increase how many photos can be showcased. For the indecisive among us, this is really good news. And for those who hate clutter, getting rid of 25-plus picture frames and replacing them with a single digital one is even better news. And a digital picture frame you can remotely update for a loved one truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Which leads us to the most important question: How do you pick just one? By reading our informative guide, that’s how! Here’s our selection of the best digital picture frames.

• Best overall: Aura Mason Luxe Smart Frame
• Best large: Pix-Star Digital Photo Frame
• Best small: Atatat Digital Frame With IPS Screen
• Best touchscreen: Sammix Digital Picture Frame
• Best budget: Aluratek Digital Photo Frame

How we chose the best digital picture frames

To make our selections, we honed in on the following criteria:

Storage: Whether in the cloud or on your USB flash drive, photos have to live somewhere. We looked at what kind of storage each photo frame provides and the pros and cons of each option.

Design: If a photo frame is going to live in your home or office long-term, it has to look good. All of the frames in this list are not only functional but aesthetically pleasing as well.

Usability: With any technological advancement comes the difficulty of adjusting to new tools and gadgets. We made sure to select picture frames that provide a friendly user experience.

Size: Like traditional picture frames, digital ones come in different sizes. We included several different options in this category and explained the benefits of each.

Customization: Looking at family photos can be an intimate experience; we made sure to include what level of personalization each picture frame provides.

The best digital picture frames: Reviews & Recommendations

On the surface, a digital photo frame looks almost exactly like the traditional photo frame it was designed to replace. But with many hidden technological features and perks, these well-rounded rectangles are a whole new ball game.

Best overall: Aura Mason Luxe Smart Frame

Tess Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Aura app enables anyone in the family with a smartphone to add photos to the Mason Luxe picture frame from anywhere, making it the best choice for a household with lots of memories or members to put on display.

Specs

• Screen size/type: 9.7-inch screen
• Connection type(s): WiFi enabled
• Storage type(s): Unlimited cloud storage

Pros

• A sleek, stone-inspired hand-speckled design makes this frame appropriate for almost any room
• Portrait or landscape orientation
• Extremely high resolution for an ultra-crisp display
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Cons

• The most expensive frame in this roundup

Aura makes digital picture frames that stand out for the full-featured technology contained in their chic minimalist design. Thanks to 2.4GHz WiFi capabilities and free unlimited cloud storage, you could send tens of thousands of photos (or short videos) to any Aura Mason Luxe frame on a home network and still not run out of space. Once invited to contribute, anyone with the Aura app on on iOS or Android phone or tablet can edit and add photos from anywhere in seconds, with none of the hassles that come with using email. Once the photos are in the frame, the 2K 2048×1536 (256dpi) display—which can be set up either portrait or landscape, and automatically rotates the screen if reoriented—presents them intelligently cropped in chronological order or randomly shuffled, though you can adjust the speed as you see fit. Auto-dimming technology automatically adjusts brightness for the environment, plus shuts the frame off at night. And an interactive touch bar lets you change photos, view details, and more if you don’t want to reach for your phone.

A straightforward setup process makes it easy to gift an Ausa Mason Luxe, which will display a personalized welcome message/image as soon as its online. Gunning for the “Best Son of 2023” award, the PopSci gear team’s associate managing editor sent one of these frames to his mother for his birthday, and she’s been constantly delighted as new pictures of her other son in Japan, grandchild on the soccer field, or contemplative granddog (shown above) pop up every few days. From the recipient herself: “What I have enjoyed the most … is the burst of joy every time I see a photo of a loved one or a picture a loved one has shared with me!”

Got a bigger family or group of friends but want to spend a little less? Consider the $149 Aura Carver Smart Frame, which has a 10.1-inch HD (1200×800 150dpi) display with a landscape orientation within its modernist setting. While it’s a lower resolution than the Mason Luxe and vertical images will be displayed as pairs, the horizontal alignment means there’s still lots of room for a crowd of smiling faces, as well as beautiful vistas. Aura’s convenient, beautiful digital picture frames check every box regarding usability, accessibility, and aesthetics.

Best large: Pix-Star Digital Photo Frame

Pix Star

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Why it made the cut: This extra-large photo frame from Pix-Star is best for displaying your loudest, proudest moments (in both photo and video form).

Specs

• Screen size/type: 15-inch IPS LED screen
• Connection type(s): WiFi enabled, USB stick, SDHC card, or SDXC card
• Storage type(s): 8GB internal memory
• Additional features: Motion-sensor activated

Pros

• Share photos and videos via the Pix-Star app
• 8GB internal memory
• Motion sensor activated

Cons

• Large display could make low-res images look pixelated

Pix-Star made this 1024×768, 4:3 photo frame with your biggest memories in mind: those moments that, even when condensed into a photo, seem to jump out from the screen. Think weddings, graduations, international vacations—the memories that really deserve front and center display are about to have a serious moment.

Conveniently, Pix-Star has an app via which you can share images from anywhere in the world, meaning that even if you can’t be with your loved ones at the moment, you can still send them memories of a happier time. Pix-Star doesn’t have cloud storage, though, so you’ll have to rely on the frame’s internal storage. But with 8GB (around 30,000 images), it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of room. Additionally, you can connect a social media account and share photos directly from your Facebook or Instagram profile, for example. Other ways to share include a USB stick, SDHC card, or SDXC card. Simply pick the 25 photos you’d like to display on this (huge!) screen and connect via whatever form is easiest for you.

Best small: Atatat Digital Frame With IPS Screen

Atatat

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Why it made the cut: This digital photo frame allows you to add background music, adjust the brightness, edit the slideshow, and more, making it one of the most customizable picture frames.

Specs

• Screen size/type: IPS screen
• Connection type(s): USB
• Storage type(s): 128GB
• Additional features: Adjustable brightness, background music

Pros

• IPS screen for optimized viewing
• Comes with a remote control
• Multiple slideshow modes

Cons

• No app or WiFi capabilities
• No cloud storage

This digital photo frame may not have the bells and whistles of a more technologically advanced frame, but what it lacks in features, it makes up for in customization of what it does and does well. Here you’ll get an alarm clock, calendar, personal music (uploaded via USB), multiple languages, a remote control, and adjustable slideshow settings to create a truly personalized viewing experience. 

With only 7 inches of screen, this is also one of the most compact digital photo frames. Despite being physically small, it has tons of storage: 128GB, to be exact. What’s more, an IPS screen makes for a much better viewing experience than an LED screen, so every photo you upload will look its best. Take this frame with you wherever you go, or find it a permanent home in your space. The options are endless with a small, portable screen like this one.

Best touchscreen: Sammix Digital Picture Frame

Sammix

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Why it made the cut: It’s never been easier to set up, share, and enjoy a digital picture frame. Sammix’s laundry list of capabilities empowers every user, and a separate app means you can share photos from anywhere in the world.

Specs

• Screen size/type: 10-inch IPS touchscreen
• Connection type(s): WiFi enabled
• Storage type(s): 16GB

Pros

• Easy setup with an IPS touchscreen
• Turns on and off via motion sensor
• Built-in 16GB storage

Cons

• Instant sharing only works with a 2.4GHz WiFi network
• No built-in battery

Sammix makes sharing images with loved ones easy; it’s as simple as downloading their app, Ourphoto. With a 2.4GHz WiFi network, adding photos to the frame can happen in seconds. Other features include a motion-activated on/off switch so that the slideshow automatically starts up when you walk into the room; a user-friendly touch-screen interface; and a sleep mode for evening or naptime. 

This Sammix frame isn’t perfect; the instant sharing only works with a 2.4GHz network (so if you have a 5GHz network, this may not be the frame for you). And the frame won’t work unless it’s plugged in since it doesn’t have a built-in battery. Otherwise, Sammix does an excellent job of making the user experience accessible, and the IPS screen keeps things looking crisp. Lastly, additional features like background music, video compatibility, an alarm clock, a calendar, and daily weather reports make this digital picture frame a winner, though not quite top of its class.

Best budget: Aluratek Digital Photo Frame

Aluratek

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Why it made the cut: Though Aluratek lacks a lot of the fancier features seen in other products, it’s much better priced than those items and still performs the most important duty of a photo frame: displaying your photos!

Specs

• Screen size/type: 7-inch screen
• Storage type(s): USB flash drives, SD cards
• Additional features: Automatic slideshow, high-quality wood frame

Pros

• Compatible with both USB flash drives and SD cards
• Various display and transitions options for your slideshow
• Frame adjustable for both horizontal and vertical orientation

Cons:

• No built-in battery
• No remote control
• No touchscreen

It’s back to basics with the Aluratek digital photo frame. It’s wallet-friendly, but there’s a price: It doesn’t boast many of the features that come standard in other frames. There’s no battery, no remote control, no touchscreen, and no built-in memory. However, let’s not be deterred by the overt simplicity of this frame. For a very affordable price, the Aluratek frame performs the same basic function as the pricier frames. And without all of those gadgets, you may find it’s much easier to use, too. 

Regarding storage, no built-in memory means that capacity will depend entirely on the size of your USB or SD card. Further, you’ll have to keep this frame plugged in for it to work, so be sure you have a spot in mind to display it that’s near an outlet. Choose from landscape or portrait orientation, select from several slideshow options, and you’re all set to enjoy this frame.

Things to consider before buying a digital picture frame

Unlike traditional photo frames, purchasing a digital picture frame isn’t necessarily a small expense. So it’s important to be intentional about what features you prioritize and whether or not there are features you can live without. And as technology advances, we should all be conscious of what gadgets could become obsolete in the near future. For example, will you really still have that SD card in 10 years, or will everything be on the cloud? Here are some more considerations:

Essential features

First, ask yourself if you’re OK with a digital picture frame that requires an outlet or whether you would pay extra for a built-in battery. Then do the same for features like motion-sensor activation, WiFi capabilities, and the like. Do you need them, or are they irrelevant?

Style

You won’t be able to change out the color or size of your frame, so make sure it’s timeless.

Extra perks

When so many digital picture frames boast almost the exact same set of tools, it’s the additional features that really start to stand out. Think about those extra features—the motion-sensor activation, the background music, the weather reports—and decide which ones are make-or-break for you. Understanding your own preferences and priorities is the easiest way to weed out imperfect options and find the right frame for you.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best digital picture frames

• Best overall: Aura Mason Luxe Smart Frame
• Best large: Pix-Star Digital Photo Frame
• Best small: Atatat Digital Frame With IPS Screen
• Best touchscreen: Sammix Digital Picture Frame
• Best budget: Aluratek Digital Photo Frame

After looking at each of these five digital picture frames, we can clearly see that there are several options and priorities to consider before purchase. The capabilities and perks run the gamut, and so do the prices. But, compared to the other four options or simply viewed as a standalone product, the Aura Mason Luxe Smart Frame is unmatched. Combining high-tech features with an easy user experience and a chic design, this photo frame will stay useful—and beautiful—for years to come.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best digital picture frames for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apparently, I am a baby. 

I’ve always treated sleep like a punishment, putting it off until I pass out in awkward places and positions. Put “I’m just resting my eyes” on my couch-shaped crypt—which, apparently, I’ve always wanted to occupy sooner than later when I look back on the way young me embraced sleep deprivation. Sleep is good for heart health, boosting antibodies, and other things I think about more at 46 than I did when all-nighters were routine. So when offered a restorative experience, I traveled to New York—the city that never sleeps—and called it a night early cradled in a Bryte Balance AI-powered mattress that gently rocked me to bed. When I woke up, I felt more rested than I’d been in ages. Apparently, I am a baby, and I’m adult enough to admit it. Here’s what it was like to have some dynamic downtime.

The setting

The promise of this trip was an adaptive, sensor-stuffed platform optimizing my sleep by monitoring weight distribution, motion, respiration, heart rate, and other metrics to compensate. Before we get deeply into the Bryte Balance, however, we need to get to the Bryte Balance. The company’s mattresses (Queen/King/California King) are available for homes but were first adopted by hospitality. They’re featured in two dozen luxury hotels and wellness resorts nationwide. While a five-star stay is rarely inexpensive, it’s a cheaper, less involved way to audition the bed than in your bedroom (though Bryte does offer a 100-night trial). 

My one night of serenity took place March 16 in Midtown Manhattan at the Park Hyatt New York, centrally located a block south of Central Park between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The hotel’s 210 rooms occupy 25 floors at the base of the 90-story One57 building, the elevated lobby above and beyond the oversized brass doors that swung open as I approached thanks to welcoming doormen with responsive clickers. 

Rounding the corner from the Living Room restaurant and lounge, with its floor-to-ceiling waterfall glass windows overlooking 57th Street, aka “Billionaires’ Row,” I passed through a seating area that offers a first glimpse into the hushed modern classic hues throughout the hotel. The polished marble and timeless neutrals—elegant grays, whites, and browns—usher you into a world apart for world travelers (or an urban oasis for regional Amtrak passengers, in my case). 

Rooms average 500-625 square feet and extend up to a 2,300-square-foot presidential suite. Most have a king bed, though there are some with double beds. All have a bed of some sort (shocker). But just five have a Bryte Balance. Ensconced on the 19th floor, my Restorative Sleep Suite was 900 square feet with a partial view of the park and well-appointed furnishings. Sure, there’s a large flatscreen on the wall but dark wood sliding doors, automated blackout curtains, and a nightstand topped with a prominent Vitruvi Diffuser and SLEEP Essential Oil Blend (plus a sleep mask on each pillow) establish the bedroom as a cocoon for attempting to recalibrate mind and body. I’ve had insomnia in plush surroundings before, however, when the bed is too pillowy. I certainly don’t lay off an afternoon coffee or dinner cocktails, and melatonin abuse is real, so I look to what I lie on to defrag my sleep cycle.  

The setup

After a short walk to and from a fabulous bowl of Ippudo ramen, I considered the heated indoor saltwater lap pool, where if you can’t wash away your troubles, you can at least swim them into submission with an underwater classical soundtrack curated by neighboring Carnegie Hall. There’s also a spa, though the bathroom in the suite is plenty spa-like, with its rainfall shower and Le Labo amenities. I opted to stay in and enjoy a warm bath; studies have shown that a relaxing soak or shower at around 105 degrees Fahrenheit an hour before bed can hasten falling asleep. And though it may sound counterintuitive, it will help you stay cooler at night because it increases blood flow to hands and feet and improves heat release as you rest. Temperature, on both ends of the spectrum, plays a big part in sleep. Science.

Speaking of cooler … the bed itself. There’s other technology offering a customized experience in the suite—like a Toto bidet toilet, equally purpose-built and dramatic as the lid opens when it senses your entry … however, I wouldn’t say it’s relaxing. But you’ve made it through all the scene-setting because you want to hear about the bed (then maybe take a well-deserved nap).

Outwardly indistinguishable from any other rectangle wrapped in smooth, soft sheets, the Bryte Balance’s signature features are—like many of the best innovations—intuitive and mostly in the background. Beneath the fabric-wrapped foam layer are 90 “Rebalancers,” which are basically independently controlled air pockets that inflate and deflate silently based on your body profile—back, front, side, or hybrid. This is ongoing through the night, with firmness and support adjusting to shifts in PSI that indicate which of the five stages of sleep your body is in and any pressure points that might interrupt sleep.

This reactive repositioning is in service of both sleep quality and quantity, which can’t be decoupled according to Bryte’s sleep science advisory board led by Dr. Matthew Walker, Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Human Sleep Science and author of Why We Sleep—found on the Park Hyatt coffee table among related books. (It’s a highly informative read, but you might not want to crack it right before bed … being confronted with the compounding physiological and psychological interest of your sleep debt could lead to restless nights.)

To guide its proactive approach, the Bryte Balance AI learns your patterns over time—establishing a snapshot in about a week, according to the company. However, a guided 14-day process, including open dialogue with Bryte team members, can take place to tailor comfort. Wi-Fi-enabled, the bed’s settings are configured via an app (iOS and Android)—beginning with support settings (20 grades soft to firm) on dual independent zones, or the entire mattress. I accidentally had a cup of tea on the opposite side of the bed as I sat down rather aggressively, and it remained undisturbed … not a drop spilled. That’s a testimonial for sleeping comfortably with a partner. The same app gives you insights into your sleep duration, efficiency, sleep stage composition, and recovery.

Where things settled

I didn’t have 14 days to spend with the mattress; I had barely 14 hours. I also didn’t have access to the full native app; rather, I scanned a bedside QR code to bring up a web-based one (so settings but no insights). But in my one night certain functions did stand out while I was laid out. Bryte offers a hero feature called Somnify, an expanding library that lets you select custom soundscapes synchronized to complementary motions that lull you to sleep. (You can opt out of the audio, which plays on your phone or personally paired earbuds or speaker, etc., and still get silent movements; they are intended as harmonious content, however.) I was skeptical—that’s probably what they should put on my crypt—but this multisensory approach to relaxation was one of the most potent sedatives I’ve taken.

Concerned I’ll be left alone with my own thoughts, I commonly travel with a compact portable Bluetooth speaker—a Marshall Emberton II, in this case. I connected my iPhone to it, pushed play, felt the bed gently ripple beneath me, and … woke up the next morning to the gradual wake assist vibrations I set the night before (over time, the AI picks up on the optimal rhythm to rouse you). According to my Apple Watch Ultra, I experienced more intervals of Core and Deep sleep than on either the night before or after (apparently, my REM intervals are fairly regular).  

Something innate, deeply neurological was triggered in my brain—the calming reflex of a newborn. Was it deliberately paced, gently repeating oscillations in my inner ear—in any way related to why I find rocking trains or listening to William Basinski compositions soothing? I don’t know. I do know that the last time I passed out that quickly an anesthesiologist was involved. While coming around from that procedure was surprisingly refreshing, the Bryte Balance mattress is preferable for dozing off and waking on.

During a follow-up with Bryte’s Chief Product Officer Rex Harris to see if I have any questions, I joked about the opportunity for Somnify collaborations, inviting artists to do sound design and pattern programming the way you can pick different navigation voices for Waze. And, of course, the potential for hacking a bed and causing it to convulse as a prank. Neither is a consideration or concern at the time.   

Once back home, I started thinking more about my sleep routine—and how it takes practice to really nail one. So I’ve been working on ways to make my sleep more regulated and replenishing in order to fine-tune my daily metabolism and accumulated memories without a smart mattress; I’ve got a Purple 3, and it’s always been pretty good to me. One night isn’t enough to benchmark how restorative my sleep would truly be with a Bryte Balance. Still, it did a good job of lowering my stress and raising my awareness in our brief time together, and I’m keeping it in mind for our mattress and smart home coverage in the future. I do sometimes wish I could get more of that Somnify function, but I’m trying not to be a baby about it.  

The post I celebrated Sleep Awareness Week 2023 on a $7,000 smart mattress and here’s what I learned appeared first on Popular Science.

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For the better part of two weeks, I’ve made lunch and dinners almost completely from scratch without neglecting my work or partner. This sudden burst of culinary creativity came courtesy of Tovala, an appliance maker and meal delivery service that’s just released its Smart Oven. I’ve tried the $249 countertop multipurpose oven, and it’s the first kitchen gadget that’s reliably got me out of a takeout or thrown-together dinner rut, though not without some compromises.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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What is the Tovala Smart Oven?

If you look at the Tovala Smart Oven from the outside, it looks like any ordinary countertop smart oven—because it is. The Smart Oven has Toast, Bake, Broil, Air Fry, and Reheat settings, along with buttons that allow you to select the time and temperature of your cook (a Pro edition adds in a steam function, as well as an additional cost). The Reheat button, which has become standard on newer countertop ovens, will set the Smart Oven to 400 degrees for 10 minutes—a perfect way for me to enjoy the warmed jelly donut shown above. At its heart, the Tovala Smart Oven is a 5-in-1 device that wants to fill your stomach with delicious meals while it empties your kitchen of other appliances—maybe not my stand mixer, but countertop ovens feel almost as essential at this point. Still, the Tovala is far from the only multipurpose oven on the market.

None of the Smart Oven’s features are remarkable except for the top-most function button, Scan, and that button makes all the difference. Pushing the Scan button turns on a scanner that reads QR codes printed on recipe cards. These cards are bundled in a small package along with individually wrapped preportioned ingredients that, when assembled, allow you to cook a single-serving meal in roughly half an hour with minimal effort.

Tovala is so confident in the quality of the meals developed by its chefs that it’ll slash the Smart Oven’s price from $249 to $99 if you order meals six times (you pay for the oven upfront when you set up your subscription). Having made roughly a dozen Tovala meals, the Smart Oven is a straightforward gadget to recommend if you’re concerned about eating more healthily, saving money (compared to dining out), and fighting against the choice paralysis that comes with meal planning. Tovala’s system isn’t perfect, but it beats the sinking feeling of realizing you won’t have time to cook as planned.

Setting up the Tovala Smart Oven

The Smart Oven may have a neat trick up its sleeve, but it’s a Wi-Fi-enabled countertop oven at the end of the day, so setting it up doesn’t require much time or technical know-how. After removing the oven from its packaging, I installed the crumb tray into a slot beneath the door, then slid its wire rack into the middle position. Tovala also includes an air fryer rack and baking tray, which can be used if you cook using those functions. Sometimes, the baking tray will be necessary to cook Tovala’s meals. The Smart Oven’s functions are all clearly labeled. The same is true of the appliance’s time and temperature setting buttons.

Once the oven was set up, I downloaded Tovala’s app (iOS and Android), created an account, entered my credit card information, and ordered some meals. It’s important to note that most of Tovala’s meals aren’t pre-made dishes you’re simply heating up. Each is a mini meal kit with fresh ingredients that can be unboxed, prepared, scanned, and put into the oven in about two minutes.

Tovala’s meals start at $9.99 but can balloon to nearly $18 if you choose a premium entree with an optional extra. To keep things fresh, Tovala offers a rotating list of 25 options that appeal to many diets—whether you have a food restriction, allergy, or want to keep track of your calories. You can instantly see which of the meals Tovala offers will fit within your diet by tapping a button under the “meal type.” You can order between four and 16 meals per week and change the number you get each week. You also have the option to skip weeks if necessary or cancel your Tovala meal subscription entirely with no penalties. Tovala will e-mail you about its new menu a few days in advance so you don’t feel rushed when making your selections. If you don’t choose the meals you want by 6 pm CT, Tovala will choose the meals for you.

Using the Tovala Smart Oven

If I had to give Tovala credit for one thing, it’s that the company has perfected the process of getting its meals from a raw state to your plate in under half an hour while requiring virtually no effort. Each meal kit comes in a small paper box with an easy-to-read label (featuring ingredients, weight, and expiration date), a simplified recipe card, and pre-portioned ingredients. There’s no chopping, cutting, or marinating required. Instead, putting together a Tovala meal is a matter of assembly: Remove your protein from its vacuum-sealed plastic bag, place it inside a disposable foil tin, cover it in a sauce, cheese, or other condiments, and similarly prepare a side dish. Once the meal has been assembled, hitting the Smart Oven’s Scan button will allow it to read the QR code on the meal kit’s recipe card and automatically set the correct time and temperature for that recipe. Hitting the Start button will begin cooking your food, and you’ll hear a ding (and get an app alert, in case you’re out of earshot) when the meal is done and ready to be removed.

This plug-and-play cooking style may irk some home chefs who are used to the flexibility of tailoring a recipe to their taste—Tovala does include an optional ingredient with some meals to offer some variability—but the focus here is on sheer efficiency. The truth is that while I love cooking, using Tovala’s Smart Oven to make fresh meals twice a day was refreshing. I didn’t have to plan my lunch hour around meal prepping something for dinner or worrying about whether I was missing an ingredient that would require an inconvenient trip to the store. All the common mishaps that can derail dinner plans were taken care of.

None of this would matter if Tovala’s meals tasted terrible, but that was typically far from the case. The from-scratch meals were very good, including a BBQ Cheddar Chicken Sandwich, Italian Meatballs & Penne in Marinara, Chicken Parmesan, Gyro-Spiced Chicken Breast, Lemon Garlic Rice & Toasted Carrots, and the Kung Pao Chicken & Fried Rice Bowl. In all of those cases, I was impressed with how well-seasoned the meat was, the amount of additional flavor provided by the sauces, and the fact that both the main and side dishes were cooked simultaneously without one element being over or underdone. My only disappointing Tovala meal was its Beef Lasagna, which came preassembled and only needed to be unwrapped and heated up. In this case, the food looked (and tasted) like a leftover rather than something cooked that night.

Tovala’s approach combines the convenience of heating a frozen dinner with the taste of fresh food while requiring no additional kitchen tools or cooking skills. This combination is successful as long as you continue to order food from Tovala, but what happens when you don’t? It turns out Tovala has accounted for this in a few ways. The first is making the Smart Oven compatible with thousands of frozen food items from dozens of companies. A full index of compatible meals is available in the Tovala app, which we recommend reviewing before considering the Smart Oven. If you have a recognized meal, you can scan its barcode using the Smart Oven’s QR reader to set its time and temperature automatically. This is the same behavior you’d get when cooking one of Tovala’s meals. In my tests, the Smart Oven successfully cooked a handful of relatively healthy frozen items from Whole Foods with no fuss.

If you’d like to use the Smart Oven to cook your own concoctions, Tovala’s app contains recipes from the company’s chefs. You can use this digital cookbook to make everything from chicken wings and pigs in a blanket to brownies and roasted shishito peppers. The ingredient list for all of Tovala’s recipes is always reasonable, and the directions are incredibly easy to follow. Most steps are only one sentence long; you can read the entire recipe without scrolling. Just assemble the ingredients, put your dish in the oven, and hit start in the app. It’s clear that the Smart Oven was designed with Tovala’s meals in mind, but this appliance needs to be just as useful if you’ve paused your subscription.

So, who should buy the Tovala Smart Oven?

Waking up with the desire to cook—only to have the traffic report, a long meeting, an unexpected phone call, or some other unforeseen circumstance—derail your plans can be very disappointing, especially if you spend twice the money on takeout and or end up having to throw out spoiled ingredients. Tovala’s Smart Oven can help save you time in the kitchen and cut down on food waste even if you only order four meals per week. If you pause your subscription but later find more time, gather your ingredients or run by the store for your favorite frozen feast. Tovala’s Smart Oven will heat up faster than your full-sized one, and Tovala’s recipes can inspire you on what to cook. Countertop ovens have never been better, but Tovala’s unique approach helps its appliance stand out as a kitchen gadget I’d add to my favorite smart home devices. If you’re a frustrated home cook, the Tovala Smart Oven may help get lunch or dinner onto your table instead of reaching for the delivery app on your phone.

The post Tovala Smart Oven review: Cooking up a winner? appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		KEF LS50 Meta		SEE IT	The proper pick for audiophiles who demand stunning sound.
Best powered		PSB Alpha iQ		SEE IT	Your top choice if you want to fill tight spaces with less wires and more fidelity.
Best budget		Edifier R1280T		SEE IT	The best bookshelf speakers for $100.

An excellent set of bookshelf speakers will enhance your listening experience with a wider stereo image and a more vibrant sound than what you get from a TV, laptop, or the average connected speaker. Whether you’re enjoying the lossless tier of a streaming service or admiring sleeve art as an LP revolves on your turntable, higher fidelity is often accompanied by an appreciation for upgrading your system. Regardless of the source, properly positioned home stereo speakers present audio with a true soundstage—the original immersive audio. Here are some of the best bookshelf speakers to deliver a rich response for any budget. 

• Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta
• Best powered speakers: PSB Alpha iQ
• Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives
• Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless
• Best smart speakers: Sonos Five
• Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5
• Best budget: Edifier R1280T
• Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)

How we chose the best bookshelf speakers on any budget

While we here at PopSci love portable party speakers, we spend as much, if not more, time looking through hundreds of choices to find the best true stereo speakers for music—but we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all the specs and requirements when online comparison shopping. So we combined our decades of collective experience, the impressions of trusted listeners, and the consensus of experts attuned to meticulous details to narrow our core choices. The speakers on this list range in price, but all lean more toward affordable (compared to so many easily recommendable but hardly affordable audiophile options) and present their case for value when it comes to the research, engineering, and, most of all, performance they represent.

The best bookshelf speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

Despite the prevalence of wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and compact Bluetooth speakers, people are rediscovering the high-quality, space-filling audio that can come from bookshelf speakers. While many still listen to music on budget ’buds and battery-powered party speakers, there’s a growing appreciation for high-resolution audio formats on streaming services—like Apple’s Spatial Audio—and the analog warmth from vinyl and even cassettes. Don’t get us wrong; we love headphones for a close, critical listen … but even the best headphones can only approximate the visceral thrill of hearing your favorite songs fill the air. Of course, even the best-recorded album will sound like crap on subpar transducers, so the following list identifies the best bookshelf speakers for different situations, desires, and budgets.

Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta

KEF

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Why it made the cut: KEF speakers stand out with the impeccable sound that audiophiles revere just as well as they stand out in appearance.

Specs

• Frequency response: 79 Hz-28 kHz
• Power handling: 40-100W amp recommended
• Connectivity: speaker wire binding posts
• Drivers: 12th-generation Uni-Q driver, embedding a 1-inch tweeter within a 5.25-inch woofer
• Dimensions: 12 x 8 x 11 inches each (HxWxD)
• Weight: 17.2 lbs. each

Pros

• Entirely transparent sound
• Extraordinary detail
• Singular style

Cons

• Pricey
• Not as good in the low end as some passive speakers

KEF speakers, particularly 2012’s LS50, have dazzled audiophiles for years, but the updated LS50 Meta two-way bass-reflex speakers take the stunning clarity of sound to an even higher level. A new 12th-generation Uni-Q driver embeds the 1-inch tweeter within the 5.25-inch woofer, giving the LS50 Meta ($1,499 a pair) a stark, single-cone look and stunning off-axis response. New, proprietary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) is integrated behind the driver to reduce distortion. The result is a beautiful design and an even more satisfying sound. These hi-fi speakers deliver a frequency response of 47Hz-45kHz and a maximum output of 106dB from a relatively compact enclosure of 11.89 inches (H) by 7.87 inches (W) by 10.94 inches (D). Because the LS50 Meta is a passive system, you’ll need to supply it with ample power. As a starting point, the NAD D 3045 is an excellent, unobtrusive 60W-per-channel hybrid amp/DAC for building the best-sounding bookshelf speakers system to project powerful audio without taking up much area (it’s also a convenient hub for digital and analog connections, plus adds a subwoofer output).

If you’d prefer to achieve the same pinpoint imaging in all-in-one self-amplified speakers, the $2,799 KEF LS50 Wireless II is the premium pick because it builds in 100W of power; HDMI, analog, and digital audio ports; plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, including 24-bit/96kHz wireless streaming and compatibility with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon, HD and Ultra HD music from Amazon Music, and more. And the impact that the sonically and aesthetically complementary KEF KC62 subwoofer can have when it comes to extending the low end and opening up the headroom cannot be overstated.

Best powered speakers: PSB ALPHA iQ

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: Pint-sized but persuasive, these connected speakers offer a comprehensive hub for expressive audio whether your sources are dusty or digital.

Specs

• Frequency response: 64-20,000 Hz
• Power handling: 180 watts (60 watts/woofer & 30 watts/tweeter)
• Connectivity: Ethernet; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX HD); MM phono input; HDMI eARC port; Toslink optical digital input; 3.5mm auxiliary input; USB port for external drive/files
• Drivers: 4″ polypropylene mid-bass driver w/ steel basket and rubber surround; 3/4″ aluminum dome tweeter w/ neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling
• Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.7 x 7.6 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 8.2 lbs. (each)

Pros

• Wireless connection between speakers
• DSP crossover and tuned rear-firing ports for bass extension
• MQA decoding for TIDAL Masters streaming
• Roon support
• BluOS whole-house audio setup compatibility
• Subwoofer output

Cons

• You’re only going to get so much bass out of a 4″ woofer
• While sized to fit any shelf, these speakers are still best for a smaller room

All great things are made up of many small parts. And with the ALPHA iQ, Ontario, Canada’s PSB Speakers has shown that an eye (and ear) for details can mean small things play a great part in a deeply satisfying, space-saving sound system. Compact enough to fit any shelf, tucked between diaries or beside a computer display, the ALPHA iQ speakers offer natural, nuanced playback from any imaginable source. Yes, they’re $1,499 a pair (in satin white or black) and may not look like much for that price, but you’d be mistaken. Packed with class D amplifiers and wirelessly paired together, the primary and secondary speakers only require two wall sockets and Wi-Fi to give you access to AirPlay 2 and countless high-resolution streaming services through the BluOS app (while also allows you to sync/pass off audio between compatible speakers on your home network, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M).

There’s TIDAL Connect with MQA decoding, and Spotify Connect built-in. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC, AAC, aptX HD), a Toslink optical input, and you can play files off an external USB drives. If (up to) 24-bit/192 kHz digital isn’t your jam, a moving magnet phono input (or 3.5mm aux-in for preamp-equipped platters) invites analog albums to the party. An HDMI input lets you make it a movie (or gaming) night. No matter how you feed the Alpha iQ, the active, two-way design maintains its composure and delivers full-fidelity finesse. Balance and separation are top-notch, aided by PSB’s signature driver inversion—the woofer on top/tweeter on bottom configuration helps keep frequencies in phase, whether standing or sitting. And the pair’s proportions can be deceiving; the ALPHA iQ speakers push impressive air for their size, capable of reaching a punchy 90 dB without breaking up (not recommended for medical reasons). No, they can’t defy physics, so fans of hip-hop, hyperpop, etc., may wish for more bass, but there’s more than you’d expect and a subwoofer output if you require reinforcement. In a typically sized room (or tighter space), the ALPHA iQ will allow you to fill the space with sound, not cords.

Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives

Klipsch

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Why it made the cut: The Fives make it easy to set up a big, bold sound for both music and your home theatre.

Specs

• Frequency response: 50-25,000Hz
• Power handling: 160 watts RMS
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC port, optical digital audio input, RCA stereo analog input, USB Type B input, 3.5mm stereo input, RCA mono output for optional powered subwoofer
• Drivers: 1-inch titanium dome LTS (Linear Travel Suspension) tweeter with a 90° x 90° Tractrix horn, 4 1/2-inch long-throw woofer
• Dimensions: 18.5 x 17.5 x 13.5 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 23.60 lbs

Pros

• Generous connectivity, including HDMI ARC for TVs and Bluetooth
• Classic vintage look

Cons

• Larger-than-average bookshelf speakers
• Somewhat lacking bass response for the price

The Fives ($600 a pair) flaunt a retro-chic style in both black and walnut finishes. Still, these speakers also accommodate a technologically diverse modern lifestyle with connections for your turntable (RCA phono/line), mobile devices (Bluetooth and line Aux input), gaming consoles (digital optical), computer (USB), and, more uniquely, your TV (HDMI ARC). Just connect your flatscreen, set the output to PCM stereo, and you’ll get to enjoy video accompanied by rich mids and clarity emanating from the 1-inch titanium dome LTS tweeter and long-throw 4.5-inch woofer. You select the input from a dial on these powered speakers or with the remote control, which can also control your TV’s volume, a rarity for bookshelf speakers. The Fives are somewhat large for bookshelf speakers at 18.5 inches by 17.5 inches by 13.5 inches, but they get loud. Their maximum output reaches 109dB with a frequency range of 50Hz-25kHz. For even more thunderous vibes from movies, games, and music, connect a subwoofer from The Fives’ Sub Out. Two subwoofers that have earned reputations for an all-around excellent low-frequency roar include the $129 Polk Audio PSW10 10-inch subwoofer, which delivers 100W of power and a frequency response of 40-160Hz from a simple, all-black cube design that can fit into most home listening setups. For a step up in power, size, and price, with an appropriate step down into the lowest depths of bass, try the $299 BIC America Acoustech PL-200II 12-inch powered subwoofer, a 1000W behemoth with gut-punching 22-200Hz frequency response.

Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless

Audioengine

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Why it made the cut: The Austin, Texas-based Audioengine manufactures many of its speakers’ own components, such as woofers and tweeters, and its commitment to affordable, quality sound has made its speakers favorites since its founding in 2005.

Specs

• Frequency response: 65Hz-22kHz
• Power rating: 60W peak power (2 x 15W RMS)
• Connectivity: USB input, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, stereo RCA I/O, stereo mini-jack input
• Drivers: 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofer
• Dimensions: 5.25 x 4 x 6 inches each (HxWxD)
• Weight: 6.61 lbs. total

Pros

• Warm and clean sound
• Impressively loud for small speakers
• High-quality components and design

Cons

• A little less bass than medium-sized smart speakers and desktop speakers
• Sound cohesiveness gets lost in large spaces

Audioengine combines a non-intrusive footprint of 6 inches by 4 inches by 5.25 inches with versatile connectivity and crisp sound in the A2+ Wireless powered speakers for bookshelves and desktops. This small set ($269 a pair) utilizes ¾-inch silk dome tweeters and 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofers, with a 60W peak power total, max output of 88dB, and a frequency response of 65Hz-22kHz. There are analog RCA and minijack connections, as well as USB for computer audio. But the juice comes from Bluetooth 5.0 for compatibility with high-quality audio streaming codecs like aptX HD for Android users (up to 570kbps) and AAC for iOS users (up to 256kbps, with no additional loss from conversion). They are some of the best computer speakers for music you can buy.

Best smart speakers: Sonos Five

Sonos

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Why it made the cut: Sonos helped popularize Wi-Fi hi-fi, and the company makes great speakers if your preferred source of music is streaming.

Specs:

• Frequency response: 23Hz-18.8kHz
• Power handling: N/A
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3.5mm analog input
• Drivers: Three high-excursion woofers, two angled side tweeters
• Dimensions: 14.33 x 8.03 x 6.06 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 14 lbs. each

Pros

• The cornerstone of a connected audio ecosystem
• Can produce stereo from a single unit, or expand the soundstage with a second speaker

Cons

• No Bluetooth
• Requires speedy home Wi-Fi

Three tweeters and three woofers help the most powerful speaker from Sonos stake the best claim to providing stereo sound from a single, horizontally placed unit. In addition, placing two Sonos Five speakers ($1,000 a pair) vertically automatically pairs them to emit beautiful, true stereo separation with a wider soundstage. In the vertical position, one Five speaker takes up 14.33 inches by 8.03 inches by 6.06 inches of space, and its output has been measured at approximately 23Hz-18.8kHz for the frequency range and a peak volume of 94dB. A single line input lets you connect turntables, disc players, and more, but the Sonos Five thrives on being a source using Wi-Fi (or wired Ethernet) for playback of streaming audio over Apple AirPlay 2 and the Sonos S2 app, which purportedly integrates hundreds of streaming services for listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, and Internet radio.

Admittedly, these are not “smart speakers” in the now-standard sense that they have an integrated mic and respond to voice commands (we’re concentrating this guide on great speakers for listening, not speakers that are listening). Still, Sonos speakers are genius because optimized placement is far less labor-intensive than with some standard speakers, considering there’s no stringing of speaker wire or fiddling with EQs as Trueplay software tunes the Five based on the acoustics of your room. Pioneers of network-connected audio, Sonos speakers can also be synced throughout rooms for whole-house sound. And, if your focus is shifting more to spatial audio than pure stereo (though it can do both), the Sonos Era 300 is another option we’ll evaluate in 2023.

Want to explore another Wi-Fi multi-room ecosystem? Bluesound offers several speakers, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M, which manage wide dispersion from compact form factors and can sync/pass off audio with other speakers using the BluOS system on your home network (including our powered pick, the PSB Alpha iQ, above).

Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5

PreSonus

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Why it made the cut: These monitors allow for studio reference sound even if your workstation space is limited.

Specs

• Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz
• Power handling: 25X per speaker
• Connectivity: bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, balanced ¼-inch inputs, 3.5mm input
• Drivers: 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter
• Dimensions: 9.45 x 6.42 x 7.09 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 2 lbs. each

Pros

• Compact and accurate
• Headphone jack

Cons

• Only so expressive because of size limitations
• Not the most bountiful bass

Small-studio musicians, producers, and DJs all love the PreSonus Eris E4.5 powered monitors for their accurate, reference-level sound coming from compact speakers that merge studio monitor and bookshelf speaker attributes. The Eris E4.5 ($200 a pair) has both bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, and balanced ¼-inch inputs, plus a front-facing power switch, volume control, headphone jack, and aux input. Its 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter pump out a maximum volume of an even 100dB with a frequency response of 70Hz-20kHz. The 9.45 inches by 6.42 inches by 7.09 inches monitors also come in a Bluetooth-equipped model for $30 more, but if you have a little extra space and don’t need the front-panel features, check out options such as the Pioneer DJ VM-50 studio monitors if you’re building a more traditional workstation/listening post. Studio monitors can easily cost costs hundreds of dollars each (see the exemplary but expensive Focal Alpha 80 Evo), so these are a killer deal.

Best budget: Edifier R1280T

Edifer

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Why it made the cut: In a word, price—this set lets you can enjoy every note for around a C-note.

Specs

• Frequency response: 75Hz-18kHz
• Power handling: 21W x 2
• Connectivity: 2 x RCA inputs
• Drivers: 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter
• Dimensions: 6.9 x 9.5 x 5.8 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 10.80 lbs.

Pros

• An inexpensive go-to for two-channel sound
• Clean, retro look
• Bass, treble, and volume dials

Cons

• Limited connectivity
• No subwoofer out

While there are even lower-priced bookshelf speakers, the compact and attractive wood-veneer Edifier R1280T delivers a surprisingly warm and balanced sound for just over $100 so that music lovers on any budget can enjoy a step up in sound. These powered speakers take up only 9.5 inches by 6.9 inches by 5.8 inches of space and come with cables for the two aux inputs, a remote control, and removable cloth grilles. The maximum output is 96dB with a frequency range of 75Hz-18kHz coming from the 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter. For only a few dollars more, you can score the R1280Ts with subwoofer output to boost that bass. And for a few hundred more, you can pick up the Edifier S1000W—some of our favorite powered workstation-friendly speakers—which for $449 is no longer “budget,” per se, but is still a bargain considering the performance:price it delivers.

Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)

Erin Behan

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Why it made the cut: A stylish way to enjoy soundwaves and airwaves, whether they’re FM or streaming from your smartphone.

Specs

• Frequency response: Unknown
• Power handling: 21W x 2
• Connectivity: DAB+/FM Radio Tuner, Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Optical, 3.5mm Aux-In
• Drivers: Unknown
• Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.7 x 4.5 inches
• Weight: 3.40 lbs.

Pros

• Good for old-fashioned aerial broadcasts, as well as modern streaming services
• Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2
• Optical and 3.5mm Auxillary inputs for TVs and turntables, etc.
• Alarm Clock
• Remote Control Included
• Attractive three wood cabinet finishes

Cons

• Not stereo

This is cheating a little since we’ve talked stereo up so much, but maybe your favorite things to listen to are the radio, or podcasts, or other content that doesn’t necessarily need the separation. The DNA of the Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) traces back to 2005 and a mid-century-styled tabletop receiver. However, the latest permutation of that analog original adds AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast to increase connectivity and clarity for audiophiles (and others) who have embraced streaming. The Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) (which we thoroughly reviewed) can still pick up DAB/FM radio broadcasts, but it can also present anything your smartphone throws at it with a rich, detailed response. Admittedly, this speaker differs from the rest because it’s mono and won’t have anywhere near as expansive a presentation as others in this round-up. But not every bookshelf is a big bookshelf, and sometimes you want a convenient concert for one in the living room, kitchen, etc. Perfect for nestling between art books or cookbooks, this is a compact wireless speaker that sounds as good as it looks. And it looks gooooooood. Plus, if you want something more robust in the same vein, you can upgrade to the Tivoli Audio Music System Home (Gen. 2).

What to consider when shopping for the best bookshelf speakers

Bookshelf speakers—sometimes called standmount speakers because they can be isolated and optimized on stands rather than shelves—are smaller and usually less expensive than floorstanding speakers (though there are certainly boutique exceptions). Their relative affordability is because bookshelf speakers may have a more narrow frequency range, less power, and less presence in the low-end than the best floor-standing speakers, but that doesn’t mean their sound quality is significantly less than that of floor-standers, which can be overkill and unimpressive if you don’t have a properly sized, optimized space or won’t play them loudly enough to make them necessary. 

For small to mid-sized rooms at middle-to-mildly loud volumes, bookshelf speakers stand at the locus between price, footprint, and performance, while also presenting an enormous amount of options in the price range, design, and features. That means there’s something for everyone, but also several factors to consider, including size, price, appearance, and compatibility with the devices and electronics you will use with the speakers. 

Bookshelf speakers are not standardized in size to all fit on, say, the average Ikea bookshelf. They vary in dimensions, so figure out where you will put them and measure the height, width, and depth you have available for the speakers. Also, settle on your target price range since bookshelf speakers can cost tens of dollars on the low side and thousands of dollars at the top. 

The devices from which you want to playback on the bookshelf speakers will also inform your decision. If you’re a vinyl lover, you’ll need phono inputs for a turntable. If you want the convenience of streaming from your phone, you’ll need Bluetooth or some other wireless capability, and so on.

The visual style of a bookshelf speaker set may be a priority for some and not as important for others. However, with all other factors being equal, you will still have a variety of speaker aesthetic designs from which to choose, so pick something you’ll be happy to see every day in what’s likely to be a prominent place in the space the speakers occupy. 

Finally, you have to know whether to purchase passive or active (powered) speakers. The last thing you want to do is to buy a set of passive speakers that you thought were active, or vice versa.

Passive vs. powered bookshelf speakers

Before shopping for bookshelf speakers, you must know the difference between passive and active—also known as powered—speakers. Passive speakers require external amplification from an audio/video receiver, digital audio converter (DAC), or amplifier component. Passive speakers tend only to have speaker wire hook-ups that connect to the amplifier, which has inputs for your audio devices and other electronics. 

On the other hand, active speakers are powered with internal amplification, thus the “powered” label. Active speakers also have all their connections for audio or even video devices. Still, the quantity and variety of those connections are features that differentiate sets of powered speakers and also can affect their price. 

Audiophiles often lean toward passive speakers because they allow the users to try out different amplifiers and DACs and upgrade components as their taste or budget dictates, all while keeping the same speakers. Passive speakers don’t have to plug into a power outlet, which may open up more placement options in your space (though they require speaker wire, which poses its own challenges). Without the internal amp electronics, passive speakers can be lighter and possibly smaller than active speakers while offering comparable sound.  

Active speakers’ advantages include simplicity of setup and fewer overall components and cables. Theoretically, the amplifier within a set of powered speakers should already match the speakers’ capability. 

Whether you opt for passive or active speakers, there are plenty of options at all price ranges to suit various needs. And both passive and powered bookshelf speakers can pump out the satisfyingly spacious stereo sound that single-unit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speakers, TVs, and laptops cannot match. 

Do you want more bass?

The smaller size of bookshelf speakers imposes some natural limitations on the bass that emanates from them. Woofer sizes in the speaker systems in this round-up range from 4 inches to 5.25 inches. Bookshelf speaker woofers don’t come much larger than that; adding to their challenges, they must take care of mid-range frequencies alongside the low end. Even though some bookshelf speakers exhibit impressive bass response, the physical size of a woofer within a speaker does matter for moving enough air to create the kind of low-end thump that shakes the room while you’re shaking your butt. Boosting the bass through EQ can have some effect but won’t let you exceed a speaker’s inherent limits. Too much EQ boosting in the low end can result in subtle-to-nasty distortions.

Larger floor-standing speakers have larger low-end drivers on average than bookshelf speakers to produce more rumbling responses. However, they also tend to cost more and take up more space. 

Bookshelf speaker users can instead add a subwoofer to their system. Subwoofers are dedicated to low frequencies, usually in the 20-200Hz range. When paired with a bookshelf speaker system, subwoofers almost always extend the system’s frequency range lower and relieve strained bookshelf speaker woofers of the burden of creating all the bass tones. With a subwoofer, you can crank the bass higher without distortion to experience the full power and presence of music, movies, and games that the artists originally intended. And the midrange and treble will benefit from the increased headroom that comes from offloading the lows.

Once you commit to expanding your frequency horizons with a subwoofer, any choice you make will let you enjoy the low-end of your music and other audio, not just in the auditory space but also in the physical space with a bass response you can feel.

FAQs

Final thoughts on choosing the best bookshelf speakers for you

• Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta
• Best powered speakers: PSB Alpha iQ
• Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives
• Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless
• Best smart speakers: Sonos Five
• Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5
• Best budget: Edifier R1280T
• Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)

Bookshelf speakers offer a relatively quick and painless way to improve your audio listening experience, beating built-in device speakers and single-unit wireless speakers without giving up the expense and real estate that floor-standing speakers require. Finding the best bookshelf speakers for you comes down to settling on your preferences for size, price, connectivity, and style and then narrowing down the wealth of options that exist as both passive and powered bookshelf speakers.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best bookshelf speakers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best wired		Google Nest Smart WiFi Video Doorbell		SEE IT	Image quality and robust features make this a doorbell security camera worthy of having a permanent place on your home.
Best budget		Blink Video Doorbell		SEE IT	This doorbell camera is wallet-friendly and has motion detection and a two-way speaker.
Best no-subscription		Kasa Smart Video Doorbell Camera		SEE IT	Great features and no storage fees give you more freedom.

A doorbell camera allows you to protect your property while adding an extra watchful eye to the neighborhood as a whole. Whether placing battery-powered wireless cameras at all angles or installing a wired model to replace an existing doorbell, the right tech tools protect that piece of mail and that peace of mind. Here are our selections for the best doorbell cameras featuring motion detection, affordable data subscriptions, and more innovative ways to secure a house or apartment.

• Best overall: Ring Video Doorbell 4
• Best wired: Google Nest Smart WiFi Video Doorbell
• Best motion-detecting: Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
• Best for apartments: Ring Peephole Cam
• Best battery-powered: Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell Pro
• Best no-subscription: Kasa Smart Video Doorbell
• Best budget: Blink Video Doorbell

How we chose the best doorbell cameras

Not all models are made equally, and quality matters when it comes to smart home security. The biggest differences between models are image quality, power source, and storage. We considered what the doorbell can do without a subscription service: Do they shine independently? Or is the video doorbell magic unlocked at the lowest subscription tier? We also conducted our own testing, looked at reviews and recommendations, and researched, researched, and researched the heck out of the doorbell camera market. It also helps we have a former home security reporter on staff.

The best video doorbells: Reviews & Recommendations

Great wired and wireless doorbell cameras detect motion and record HD video day or night. They are great security tools for spotting would-be thieves or capturing videos of hilarious animal encounters. And the two-way speakers allow for safe interaction with strangers or scaring away furrier intruders. But how do you know which digital doorbell is the best? Any camera from our list will help see the world (or at least your neighborhood) from a whole new angle. 

Best overall: Ring Video Doorbell 4

Ring

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Specs

• Resolution: 1080p
• Storage: Unlimited cloud storage with Ring Protect Basic
• Field of view: 160 degrees horizontal, 84 degrees vertical field of view
• Installation: Wireless or wired

Pros

• Easy to install
• Clear images
• Multiple installation options

Cons

• Alert-heavy software

When you think of video doorbells, “Ring” is most likely the first company to come to mind. All that brand recognition is well-earned, thanks to this video doorbell’s clear imaging and easy installation. It carries a 1080p HD resolution and can be installed wirelessly thanks to an included rechargeable, quick-release battery. However, you can also hardwire it into your existing doorbell for constant charging. We love that one device can accommodate two installation styles—usually, you must choose. Set-up only takes minutes, and you get lots of included features without having to subscribe to Ring Protect—although the device really shines at even the $3.99 Basic tier, which allows you to record and save all video and review 180 days’ worth of it. Plus, you can share videoes and photos with friends. We also love the Alexa integration that lets you see what is happening at your front door from your Echo Show, Fire TV, or Fire Tablet. You’ll feel like you’re manning your own security office in no time, no uniform necessary.

Best wired: Google Nest Smart WiFi Video Doorbell

Google Nest

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Specs

• Resolution: 1,280 x 960 pixels
• Storage: 30 days of event storage with Nest Aware subscription
• Field of view: 145 degrees diagonal
• Installation: Wired

Pros

• No subscription required
• Two-way audio
• Night vision

Cons

• Need existing wiring to work

The Google Nest Doorbell gives one of the sharpest views of even the best doorbell cameras. With HDR video and a 4:3 aspect ratio (to reduce the chances of a face being cut off), the 2K sensor means you can clearly see who’s coming and going. It includes all the best features of smart doorbells: night vision, 24/7 streaming, sound alerts, and facial detection (some features require a Nest Aware subscription). You can even deploy a prerecorded message to anyone at the door. The unit does need to be connected to the existing wiring. Still, the image quality and robust features make this a doorbell security camera worthy of having a permanent place on your home.

Best motion-detecting: Arlo Essential Video Doorbell

Arlo

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Specs

• Resolution: 1080p
• Storage: 30-day video storage in cloud with Arlo Secure
• Field of view: 180 degrees
• Installation: Wireless or wired

Pros

• Wire-free option
• Weather resistant
• Intruder deterrence

Cons

• Subscription required

The Arlo Essential video doorbell has all the features you’ll need (1080p HD video, a two-way speaker, etc.) accessible through an easy-to-use app. Plus, setup is easy thanks to its wire-free construction. A 180-degree field of view with a 1:1 aspect ratio lets you see who is at your door from head to toe. You can answer video doorbell calls on your phone with the coordinating app, and interactive notifications let you take action right from your lock screen. And, it’s weather-resistant and can withstand heat, cold, rain, and sun. For something that lives outdoors, that gives us peace of mind that it’s built to last.

Best for apartments: Ring Peephole Cam

Ring

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Specs

• Resolution: 1080p
• Storage: 180 days with Ring Protect plan
• Field of view: 155 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees vertical
• Installation: Wireless

Pros

• Advanced motion detection
• Two-way talk
• Alexa compatibility

Cons

• Notification-heavy
• Only compatible with certain-sized peepholes and door thickness

Once again, Amazon’s Ring line is a winner with a great doorbell camera for apartments. Installation is a snap, thanks to the included tool used for peephole removal. The knock detection is responsive and accurate. Video quality is fantastic. And you can program and optimize the doorbell camera for your specific apartment. For instance, set the light detection level high if the apartment faces out into a hallway instead of facing direct sunlight. You get great features without the Ring Protect plan, but paying $3.99/month lets you record and share videos. It’s only compatible with standard-sized peepholes (1/2-9/16 inches) and door thickness ranging from 1.3-2.2 inches.

Best battery-powered: Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell Pro

Wyze

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Specs

• Resolution: 1440p
• Storage: Unlimited cloud storage with CamPlus
• Field of view: 150 degrees by 150 degrees
• Installation: Wireless

Pros

• Six months of battery life
• 30 second installation
• Built-in intruder deterrence

Cons

• Easy to steal

Installation is easy: Simply place the 3M mounting plate where you want the video doorbell, attach the doorbell, and you’re done! With easy installation comes the easy chance someone could rip it off your porch. There’s also no subscription fee to use the basic features of the video doorbell. Motion detection is also included for free, although you can get smarter notifications—like package and person detection, along with unlimited cloud storage —with CamPlus. The battery life on the doorbell camera is crazy long for its category: six months. If you’re looking for a no-fuss doorbell camera packed with features, you’d be wise to go with Wyze.

Best no-subscription: Kasa Smart Video Doorbell

Kasa

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Specs

• Resolution: 2K resolution
• Storage: 128GB of local storage with microSD card
• Field of view: 160-degree diagonal field of view
• Installation: Wired

Pros

• Local storage
• Chime included
• IP64-rated

Cons

• Wired

So, technically, the Kasa Smart Video Doorbell does have a subscription plan. Sue us! However, unlike other video doorbell companies, you’re not forced to participate in the subscription plan. And its baseline features are so robust that you can get away with the free, no-subscription life. You get live streaming, push-to-talk capabilities, activity zones, and activity notifications for free. The latter two options usually are only available with some sort of subscription plan. See, you’re welcome! And 128GB of local storage with a separate microSD card means you don’t have to pay for cloud storage.

The doorbell camera packs an impressive and crisp 2K resolution. It has a 160-degree diagonal field of view, so you can see everything outside of your door in the Kasa app or on an Amazon Echo Show (it’s Google compatible as well). You can also engage in two-way audio from the app, meaning you can answer the door when you’re not home. IP64 weatherproofing lets it withstand rain and harsh particles, and a built-in IR sensor lets you see up to 30 feet away in the darkness. Having all of this this for free feels criminal, but we certainly aren’t complaining.

Best budget: Blink Video Doorbell

Blink

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Specs

• Resolution: 1080p
• Storage: Local storage on USB or subscription-based cloud storage
• Field of view: 135 degrees horizontal, 80 degrees vertical
• Installation: Wired or wireless

Pros

• Motion alerts
• Two means of installation built-in
• Local storage

Cons

• Live-view and two-way audio only available with doorbell press or motion event

Blink—an Amazon company—is Ring Video Doorbell 4’s cheaper cousin with all of the same wonderful Ring Video Doorbell features. Blink has motion detection; Blink can be installed wirelessly or connected to your existing wiring upon arrival; Blink is Alexa-compatible. Blink, however, does not come with the Ring Doorbell 4 price. You get 1080p video resolution and a 135 degrees horizontal/80 degrees vertical field of view. Although live-view and two-way audio only happen at a doorbell press or motion event, a Sync Module device gives you these things on demand. You can also access local storage with a USB drive and a Sync Module. This is a basic doorbell camera and a great introductory unit for a new homeowner.

What to consider when shopping for the best doorbell cameras

Knock-knock. Who’s there? You know. You know who? I sure do. With a WiFi doorbell camera, you can be alerted to porch pirates, annoying salespeople, trash pandas, and other unwanted guests before confronting them physically. Easy to install and even easier to use, these smart doorbells let users remotely monitor blind spots and heavy-traffic areas. And they have become even more valuable as home deliveries increase.

What if I have an existing doorbell?

The best doorbell cameras come in two varieties: wired and wireless (and the occasional oddball that can be both). Wired doorbell cameras draw power from the home’s existing doorbell wiring. You may need to drill a few holes and do some basic wiring, but installing a wired doorbell is not as difficult as it may seem. The benefit of a wired doorbell camera is the lack of battery. Wireless doorbells eat up battery power and—depending on use and outdoor temperature—can run out of juice every two months. A wired doorbell is always ready to defend your home. After all, if a smart doorbell is out of power, the doorbell isn’t so smart. 

Wireless doorbell cameras are easier to install. With a charged battery and a few screws or some double-sided tape, you’ll be able to keep track of the neighborhood in no time … make that real-time. Wireless doorbell cameras are also easier to replace and upgrade. New features may come along that make your current model obsolete. The ability to swap out an old model for brand-new technology can be a plus. If you don’t mind replacing and charging the battery every two to six months, a wireless doorbell camera is great. If you’d rather set it and forget it, a wired doorbell is worth the few extra minutes needed to wire.

What if I need to know what happened before something happened?

Good doorbell camera systems come loaded with an assortment of features worthy of James Bond’s summer house. The modern video doorbell is much more than an electronic peephole and offers many literal bells and digital whistles. While many doorbell cameras offer HD video, two-way speakers, and motion detection, new features give you even greater control of the front door. The almost magical pre-roll feature has a regularly refreshing recording buffer that allows you to see video from a few seconds before the visitor triggers the motion detection. This gives you a look at what happened before it happened, a nice feature for catching vandals and porch thieves. 

Facial recognition will let you know if it’s someone you care about at the door, making it even easier to ignore another annoying solicitor. And night vision has come a long way from the days of grainy footage of green blobs. More elaborate features, such as smart locks and tilting cameras, come at a price and may not be worth the extra money. Dedicated smart locks are more dependable than a lock/doorbell combo. And tilting cameras seem like a great idea, but a well-placed fixed-angle camera with a 160-degree-wide field of view can see everything that’s important. 

But what if I live in an apartment?

One of the most overlooked smart home devices is a wireless doorbell camera for apartments. Designed to fit into and onto peepholes, these specific smart doorbells offer all the features of the other models but with special mounting for apartment dwellers. 

You will need to remove the existing peephole on your door, but most peephole cameras come with a tool to remove the old tiny telescope easily. Setup should be straightforward, and online product videos can answer most of your installation questions. 

As for features, you’ll want motion detection that is easy to customize. The point of view of an apartment’s front door can vary greatly from building to building. Knock detection is also great for visitors who can’t reach the high doorbell button or those who don’t even realize the door has a bell at all. While a smaller peephole camera can be cheaper than bigger models, you will still need to store all the video data somewhere, and that means monthly subscription fees. But having a peephole camera makes apartment living easier and safer. 

Does the doorbell camera have ongoing monthly fees?

Some of the best doorbell camera systems are more expensive than you think. Shoppers may be hit with a wave of sticker shock to learn the new gadget requires monthly fees. A doorbell camera can capture hours and hours of HD video, and all the video data has to live somewhere. Cloud-based storage isn’t free, so many smart doorbell makers charge ongoing fees to cover the cost of storage and data security. Subscription prices start from $3/month for basic 30-day storage and increase based on how much storage you need or how many cameras are being used. The good news: some designs don’t rely on the cloud and have no ongoing fees.

These video doorbells have limited internal memory, but if you’re good at data management, it’s no problem—pick a model with expandable internal or cloud storage. Depending on image resolution, the internal memory may only hold a few hours or weeks of video. While the possibility that someone will steal the camera and all recorded evidence with it, a cloud storage breach remains an equal or even greater threat. For those who want optimum data security, and an optimized budget, internal storage is a smart option.  

What can I get for less than $50?

The lower cost may also mean the user experience suffers. A slow connection between your smartphone and the camera can be the result of poorly designed UX or the result of a doorbell camera that struggles to detect your WiFi router. Cheaper doorbell cameras will be a bit harder to install, slower to respond, and more likely to have glitches. Those can be serious issues when your security is concerned, so don’t use a model if the brand name isn’t well known or if the product looks too good to be true. 

On the plus side, there are plenty of doorbell cameras that keep costs low and video resolution high. HD cameras are not as expensive as they once were, so even low-end doorbell cameras can capture nice video. If you’re willing to install it yourself and don’t mind slogging through less intuitive apps, economic options are available. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best doorbell cameras

• Best overall: Ring Video Doorbell 4
• Best wired: Google Nest Hello Smart WiFi Video Doorbell
• Best motion-detecting: Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
• Best for apartments: Ring Peephole Cam
• Best battery-powered: Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell Pro
• Best no-subscription: Kasa Smart Video Doorbell
• Best budget: Blink Video Doorbell

Outside of a well-trained attack dog or well-armed butler, the best home surveillance is a simple doorbell camera. A wired doorbell camera can be tougher to install but easier to maintain. And a wireless doorbell camera is as simple as doorbells can get. Find a camera with excellent image quality and simple controls. Integrating the doorbell camera with your virtual assistant (Google Home or Amazon Alexa) is a huge plus. And, most importantly, use a doorbell camera with the best motion detection. With the right camera, you can say hi to the pizza guy and goodbye to some of your worries. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best doorbell cameras in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro		SEE IT	Breville’s smart oven has actual smart home functionally that doesn’t futz with its ability to cook.
Best smart oven air fryer		Ninja DCT401		SEE IT	This smart oven’s dual-door design isn’t just a flashy gimmick.
Best budget		NuWave Bravo XL		SEE IT	The NuWave Bravo XL is big, powerful, inexpensive and has some really handy features.

Smart ovens simplify and speed up cooking. These convenient countertop ovens feature cooking modes that make them highly versatile, including air frying, reheating, dehydrating, and even steaming. You’ll also find units with extra “smart” features to save you time, like the ability to reorder food as you use it or digital thermometers that alert the oven to turn off when a dish is done. In other words, the best smart ovens can help a lot in the kitchen if you find one that fits your cooking workflow. 

• Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
• Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven
• Best smart countertop oven: Brava Smart Oven
• Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite
• Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
• Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven
• Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave
• Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401
• Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

What is a smart oven?

Though it sounds catchy, “smart oven” is a somewhat nebulous term. Smart ovens are multifunctional cooking devices that can heat food in many different ways. Whereas a toaster oven may be able to bake and broil, a smart oven may also feature convection-based heating, microwaving, or other techniques specific to certain kinds of foods. Many also have features that allow you to monitor and/or control your cooking more easily throughout the process.

Though there are full-size ovens that replace a stovetop or wall oven, many companies and home cooks use the phrase to refer to countertop ovens, so that’s what this list covers. These smaller convection ovens offer the benefit of often heating up faster than stovetop and wall ovens. It might be best to consider these as amped-up toaster ovens or more versatile air fryers. (That said, we threw an appliance-sized oven in there, just in case.)

Despite invoking the “smart” motif popularized by smart home devices like security systems and speakers, connecting to Wi-Fi or a smart home ecosystem is not a core feature among countertop smart ovens. Ironically, it is more common among full, appliance-size smart ovens.

How we picked the best smart ovens

I’ve tested and reviewed kitchen and home products for five years for sites like Business Insider, Tom’s Guide, and Reviewed. To choose the best smart ovens, we thoroughly researched and considered approximately 50 different models, including popular options like the June Smart Oven, Brava Smart Oven, Tovala Smart Oven, and WLabs Smart Oven. To find the best, we considered each design’s physical size, capacity, power, temperature range, and additional helpful features, like Wi-Fi connectivity and digital thermometers. Of course, we weighed each oven’s feature set against its price to see which ones offered the best value.

The best smart ovens: Reviews & Recommendations

With smart ovens becoming so popular, there are more options to choose from than ever before. You’ll have your choice of brand, with different oven sizes, features, and price points. Having lots of options is great, but can make finding the right option a challenge. Our selections for the best ovens span seven categories and a wide range of culinary needs. Whether you’re looking for a smart microwave, a smart air fryer, or the most versatile smart oven, there’s something for everyone.

Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Why it made the cut: The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro features a compact design and 10 smart cooking functions.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 21.5 x 17.5 x 12.7 inches
• Weight: 38 pounds 9 ounces
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Toast, bagel, bake, air fry, broil, roast, pizza, cookies, proof, reheat, slow cook, keep warm, dehydrate
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $319.95

Pros 

• Smart features encourage you to cook
• Large LCD display is easy to read
• 13 cooking functions

Cons

• Expensive

Of all the smart ovens we’ve tested, Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the one that truly lives up to its name. This smart oven works with a companion app that can send you alerts when the oven is preheated and let you know how much time is left on your cook. Having this information at a glance is helpful, and I checked the app often during longer bakes—looking at you, banana bread.

The front of this smart oven is packed with dials and buttons, which may give the impression that it’s complicated to use. We never found this to be the case. Each knob serves a single important function—cook time, temperature, setting select—while buttons handle standard functions like turning on the oven’s light or changing the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius. It’s a lot easier to have these functions mapped to a physical knob or button rather than a touchscreen, in our experience.

Regarding performance, Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro worked flawlessly. French fries, croissants, the aforementioned banana bread, and anything else we put inside came out correctly without any intervention. Eventually, we began trusting this smart oven as much as our full-sized oven—which it could easily replace for most functions.

One of the problems with kitchen tools is that we buy them intending to cook more but often never use them to their full potential—if at all. The Breville Joule App (available on iOS and Android) is packed with step-by-step recipes courtesy of the team at ChefSteps. The site’s staff sweats all the small details, so their recipes always turn out. Many ovens come with a physical recipe book that’s easy to lose or cast aside, but you’ll spend enough time within the Breville Joule app that one of them will likely catch your eye.

Many smart ovens don’t live up to the promise of that lofty adjective—this one is an exception to that rule.

Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven

Billy Cadden

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Why it made the cut: For the ultimate convenience, you can order chef-prepared meals through a subscription service developed to be cooked in this smart oven. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 12.32 inches D x 18.5 inches W x 11.75 inches H
• Weight: 24.9 pounds
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Air fry, steam, bake, broil, reheat and toast
• Wattage: 1525W
• Price: $269.99

Pros

• Six cooking settings, including air fryer and convection oven
• Programmable with more than 100 presets 
• Option for affiliated meal service subscription 

Cons

• Smaller cooking space

Tovala’s smart oven comes equipped with six cooking modes: air frying, steaming, baking, broiling, toasting, and reheating. But what sets this option apart is what you can pair with it. The company has a subscription service called Tovala Meals that allows users to order chef-prepared meals through their smartphones (for a separate fee). You get a $50 credit for three to five meals with the purchase, but the subscription service is separate. 

The app also comes with more than 100 presets and allows users to scan popular foods for cooking instructions that are transmitted to the countertop oven. The oven also features a basket for air frying and a sheet pan, though some users have noted that the cooking space is smaller than they would like.

Best smart countertop oven: Brava Oven Starter Set

Billy Cadden

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Why it made the cut: The small but mighty Breville Mini Smart Oven with Element IQ can toast four slices of bread and cook an 11-inch pizza with minimal counter space.

Specs

• Dimensions: 17.3 x 16.4 x 11.3 inches
• Weight: 54 pounds, 14 ounces
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Toast, slow cook, reheat, dehydrate, rice cook
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $1,295

Pros

• Ten preset functions
• Multiple heating zones
• Growing recipe list

Cons 

• Price

Once you get over the initial sticker shock of Brava’s smart oven, you can begin to understand why it’s the most powerful, versatile option for serious home cooks. The oven has 10 functions and can be controlled via a touchscreen atop the oven or through Brava’s mobile app. You can also use the screen and app to cycle through a growing list of recipes, searching for ones that feature a certain ingredient or fit under the restrictions of a particular diet. Part of the Brava’s appeal is its ability to adjust the intensity of its heat in three different zones, so sets of ingredients that cook at different rates will be finished simultaneously. This means you’ll need to be cognizant of where you’re putting inertness on its tray, or else you risk having over or undercooked food. This shouldn’t be an issue, but it’s something to consider.

We recommend the Brava Smart Oven because of its consistent performance, made possible by its heating elements, which can reach their maximum temperature in seconds. We made s’mores, and they went from raw ingredients to ready-to-eat in about three minutes. Any home cook who values their time will appreciate what this smart oven offers. On the other hand, it also has some fun, techy extras, like cameras that allow you to monitor your food as it cooks. The Brava Smart Oven is the most interesting, fully-featured item in its category. Still, its high price may make it hard to justify unless you’re making a serious kitchen upgrade.

Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Why it made the cut: Wolf Gourmet’s Elite smart oven is one of the best-constructed kitchen tools we’ve ever used, and the results speak for themselves.

Specs

• Dimensions: 22.4 x 16.7 x 12.5 inches
• Weight: 46.6 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Proof, warm, roast, bake, broil, toast/bagel
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $749.95

Pros 

• Ample cooking space
• Premium look and feel
• Comes with a lot of accessories

Cons 

• Price

Let’s get one thing out of the way: This smart oven was designed for home chefs looking to create their dream professional kitchen, and its price reflects that reality. That said, we can’t imagine a single serious home cook that would be disappointed by the machine. Every detail—from how the oven door opens to the click when cycling through settings—feels premium. The Elite oven looks simple compared to many of our other recommendations, but focusing on usability is necessary for this type of device.

We couldn’t find any fault with how Wolf Gourmet’s Elite performed. There was enough space to roast an entire chicken or reheat leftovers and sides simultaneously. The oven’s temperature probe—one of many accessories Wolf Gourmet includes—made it easy to assess meat’s doneness without poking at it or relying exclusively on visual and recipe clues.

The Wolf Gourmet Elite is a premium piece of kitchen gadgetry, and it’s only worth the investment if you’re set on replacing your full-sized oven for day-to-day baking and cooking. If you’re not cooking for a big crowd frequently, this countertop oven will likely become the workhorse of your kitchen.

Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven

Cuisinart

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Why it made the cut: With space for nine slices of bread and “always even” toasting, the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven speeds up breakfast and lunch quite a bit.

Specs

• Dimensions: 11.42 x 16.93 x 20.87 inches
• Weight: 32 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Bagel, waffle, pizza, sandwich, roast, dual cook
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $299.99

Pros 

• “Always even” toast control
• Comes with pizza stone, cooking racks, baking and broiling pan
• 15 cooking functions for versatile, precise cooking

Cons 

• Extremely heavy
• Expensive

Most ovens can serve as a toaster, but the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven puts toasting first. It can heat up to nine pieces of bread at a time and features unique cooking functions for sandwiches and quick convection cooking. When toasting bread, the Chef’s Convection Toaster has a feature called “always even” toast control, which allows you to tune your toaster based on what shade of golden brown you prefer. It’s a level of granular control you won’t find on most toasters or smart ovens.

Though its toasting duties come first, the Chef’s Convection Toaster works well as a general smart oven, too. Its 15 cooking functions make it one of the most versatile ovens. It also has more accessories than your typical smart oven, including a pizza stone, two cooking racks, and an enamel baking and broiling pan. With its 0.95-cubic-foot capacity, it’s a larger oven that can cook a pizza or a whole chicken. While it does cost more than our top pick, the Breville Smart Oven Pro, this oven’s toasting precision makes it an excellent choice if you’re looking for an oven that truly doubles as a quality toaster. 

Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven

Samsung

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Why it made the cut: The Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven features a large capacity, Wi-Fi compatibility, and intuitive digital controls.

Specs

• Dimensions: 28 3/16 x 29 ¾ x 26 ⅝ inches
• Weight: 130 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Bake, broil, keep warm, bread/proof
• Amperage: 20 amperes
• $1,299

Pros 

• 5.1-cubic-foot capacity
• Full-touch display for easy use
• Pairs with the SmartThings App for control from your phone

Cons 

• Expensive, especially compared to traditional built-in ovens
• Black stainless steel finish costs nearly $100 more than stainless 

Unlike most of the ovens on our list, the Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven is a conventional oven rather than a secondary appliance made to sit on your counter. By connecting it to Wi-Fi, you can control the oven with your phone via Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem. That means you can preheat your oven or adjust its temperature from another room.

We also appreciate that it’s Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, meeting certain specifications around maximum high-forward reach for controls, one-handed controls, and safety measures without tight grasping or twisting. These specifications make it possible for anyone to use the oven.

Unsurprisingly, the exceptionally well-made smart oven with connected features costs considerably more than a traditional wall oven. Compared to other smart wall ovens, however, it isn’t poorly priced. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Wi-Fi connectivity, self-cleaning options, and ADA compliance set it apart from most competitors.

Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave

Amazon

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Why it made the cut: Smart features allow you to create presets and activate all of the features of this Wi-Fi-enabled microwave.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 16.6 x 20.4 x 12.4 inches
• Weight: 35 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Popcorn, Kitchen timer, Eco mode
• Wattage: 1100W
• Price: $143.99

Pros 

• Pairs with Alexa for easy voice operation
• Powerful
• Affordable

Cons 

• Requires an external Alexa device for voice commands
• Not as powerful

Toshiba’s ML-EM34P offers an updated approach to microwaving food. Instead of cooking preset buttons, you can press a button to ask Alexa to operate the microwave with commands like, “Reheat 8 ounces of rice.” You need an external Alexa device to use those commands, but you also have the option to operate it using an app if you don’t have one yet.

At $179.99, this 1.3-cubic-foot capacity microwave is right in the middle of the pack price and size-wise, but it has features our other recommendations lack. Our only complaint is that at 1100W, it’s a little less powerful than some of the larger ovens. That’s par for the course for a microwave, but something to consider.

Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Why it made the cut: The Ninja DCT401’s dual-door design is no gimmick—it’s genuinely useful.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 16.39 x 21.5 x 13.26 inches
• Weight: 31 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Dehydrate, air fry, air roast, whole roast, pizza
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $329.99

Pros 

• Can cook multiple dishes simultaneously
• Compact design
• Easy to use

Cons 

• May be too small for some applications

We’re generally wary of kitchen gadgets built around a fancy-looking design. It’s easy for a company to choose style over substance to catch your eye while compromising performance. Thankfully that isn’t the case with Ninja’s DCT401.

This is the only smart oven with two doors, a niche feature you’ll only see in a handful of full-sized ovens. Pushing a button on the handle will open the top door while pulling the handle without the button will open both. It’s an incredible-looking party trick, but once you get over the “oohing” and “ahhing,” you’re in for the real treat. The DCT401’s chambers can be operated independently, meaning you can set their time and temperature individually.

If you’re cooking protein as your main dish and starchy vegetables as your side, you can time your recipes so that they finish simultaneously. Dual-chamber air fryers have been around for a bit, but this is the first time we’ve seen that concept in a smart oven, and we hope the trend continues to grow. The 401 was smart enough actually to heat both chambers appropriately, and the recipes we tried turned out. Now, the downside to this oven is that Ninja had to split up the vertical space of this smart oven into two sections. This means you won’t be able to cook as much in the bottom as in a single-chamber smart oven.

We think this tradeoff is worthwhile given the feature you’re getting, but it’s something to consider if you plan to rely more on a countertop appliance than your full-sized oven. We’d argue that the Ninja 401’s design is more efficient for many applications and could replace a pair of appliances rather than just one. All you need to know is that this smart oven isn’t just a flashy-looking tool; its performance matches its pretty face.

Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

NuWave

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Why it made the cut: The NuWave Bravo XL features a three-speed convection fan and a large capacity perfect for evenly cooking pizzas, whole chickens, large roasts, and more. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 23 x 19 x 14 inches
• Weight: 24.6 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Air fry, dehydrate, grill, frozen, slow roast, yogurt
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $177.75

Pros 

• Adjustable heating elements for precise cooking
• Digital temperature probe
• Wide temperature 50 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Huge interior

Cons 

• Weighs nearly 25 pounds

The NuWave Bravo XL smart oven is primarily a convection oven but can do much more. Its three-speed convection fan ensures an even and thorough cook, but it also features top and bottom heating elements that you can adjust independently. It also has a built-in digital temperature probe that automatically ends the cooking cycle when your food reaches the right internal temperature. 

The XL in the name isn’t just for show. The Bravo XL’s cubic-foot interior can accommodate six slices of toast and even a 10-pound chicken. In comparison, the Cuisinart AirFryer Toaster Oven has a 0.60-cubic-foot interior, while the Emeril Power AirFryer 360 has a 0.53-cubic-foot interior. And it has the power to match. Most countertop ovens feature temperature ranges from about 120-450 degrees Fahrenheit; the NuWave Bravo XL Smart Oven features a range of 50-500 degrees F.

That spacious interior and wide cooking range come at the expense of space: It’s also a big oven and weighs almost 25 pounds, so it’s for larger kitchens only.

Things to consider before buying the best smart oven

Smart ovens are a relatively new kitchen gadget, but they’re rapidly gaining popularity. Even for cooks with an oven, the increased range of cooking types adds versatility to most kitchens in a single package. Meanwhile, they also offer presets that cater to cooking specific types of food, which can take some guesswork out of meal preparation. With plenty of smart oven brands and models, it can be tricky to tell which option is best. Here’s how to ensure you choose the best smart oven for your kitchen.

Oven size

Smart ovens come in many sizes, so it’s important to consider what you’ll need and what will fit in your space. Consider whether the smart oven will replace an appliance in your kitchen, like a toaster oven or air fryer, then figure out how much room you have to spare. Remember that, depending on what you hope to cook, you may not need the biggest possible oven. Bigger isn’t always better: While you want an oven that can handle the dishes you prepare most often, larger ovens can take longer to heat up. It’s best to look for a smart oven large enough for your typical cooking needs and no bigger.  

Cooking modes

A smart oven is a utilitarian appliance that usually offers many kinds of cooking. Basic oven features like baking, broiling, toasting, and reheating are all common options. Some more advanced models offer seven or even 10 cooking modes in a single device, though, including reheating, air frying, roasting, and pizza making. Those more advanced models tend to be bigger and more expensive, so you may have to compromise between getting the features you want and the smart oven that makes the most sense for you and your home.

Automated features

Smart ovens set themselves apart from conventional countertop ovens with automated features, which allow you to prepare foods without having to monitor the oven as intensely as you need to watch a traditional oven. For example, many ovens feature automated settings that will bring the oven to the correct temperature, then monitor and adjust that temperature throughout the cooking process. They may also automatically turn down the temperature after cooking and switch to a warming setting so the dish is ready to enjoy without getting overcooked. These capabilities are often accompanied by features like oven cameras that you can access from your smartphone to check the dish’s progress from another room. Some ovens even learn which settings you use most often and automatically select them to save you more time.

Extra features

You can also look for a smart oven with extra features that enhance its performance and ease of use. Options like an in-oven camera let you keep a close eye on your food without opening the oven door, a must-have for sensitive foods like a souffle. Some ovens even feature the ability to cook two dishes at different temperatures simultaneously. Others feature generously sized touchscreens that you can use to watch videos or check your social media. Remember that while these extra features are fun, they can increase the oven’s price. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best smart ovens

• Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
• Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven
• Best smart countertop oven: Brava Smart Oven
• Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite
• Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
• Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven
• Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave
• Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401
• Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

Combining a lower price point with plenty of versatility and a more compact design, smart ovens like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro greatly expand the range of things you can do with a countertop oven. If you’re looking to simplify your cooking workflow and consolidate appliances like your toaster oven and air fryer into a single device, a smart oven may make sense for you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best smart ovens of 2023: Tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Eve Energy		SEE IT	It sets up easily, works with the Matter platform, and monitors usage.
Best for outdoors		Wyze Plug Outdoor		SEE IT	This smart plug can stand up to the rigors of the outside.
Best budget		Govee Smart Plug		SEE IT	This inexpensive accessory doesn’t make major sacrifices, which is especially impressive.

Search the shelves of the local big-box electronics store, and you’ll find digital assistants built into a litany of devices—from lofty surround-sound components to the lowly plug. Microwaves now take commands from Alexa. Fridges can converse via Google Assistant. Voice commands can control just about everything in a smart home, but there are some exceptions. We chose the best smart plugs to help bring those not-connected devices into the world of the smart home. 

Many crucial items in your home only understand two settings: on and off. The solution to getting older elements of your home to “wise up” is Wi-Fi-enabled smart plugs. These simple-to-use devices can turn the power to a device on and off with a simple voice request through Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Google Home, or Apple’s HomeKit interfaces. So, whether it’s the lights on your turtle tank, the old-school coffee maker you can’t give up, or your favorite old lamp that can’t fit a smart bulb, these smart plugs can bring all of them into your voice-controlled smartphone with ease. 

• Best overall: Eve Energy
• Best for Alexa or Google Nest: Wyze Plug
• Best for HomeKit: Wemo Smart Plug
• Best power strip: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip
• Best for outdoors: Wyze Plug Outdoor
• Best dimmable: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug-In Dimmer
• Best in-wall: Leviton D215R-2RW
• Best budget: Govee Smart Plug

How we chose the best smart plugs

We combined our personal experiences, those of tech-savvy friends and colleagues, and testimonials from the most trustworthy sources. We have also had first-hand experience with many of the products on this list. We’ve whittled down the world of choice into a few recommendations. The key elements we considered were reliability, price, compatibility, and convenience. Size and form factor are also especially important here because fitting a smart plug into your space can be trickier than it seems. 

The best smart plugs: Reviews & Recommendations

The best smart plugs have become more and more affordable. Our first recommendation is under $15 per plug. Their reliability and responsiveness have improved as well. Durability was once an issue with smart plugs, as they would wear out relatively quickly, but that, too, has become less and less of a consideration. Overall, the best smart plugs offer a simple service—Wi-Fi-enabled power control—but do so exceedingly well. The future truly is now.

Best overall: Eve Energy

Stan Horaczek

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The first Matter-certified smart plugs, it’s extremely easy to set up, monitor, and control as long as you have an Apple Home hub, Google Home hub, or SmartThings hub.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 120 volts
• Size: 2.36 x 2.76 x 1.52 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit

Pros

• Built-in power meter tracks usage and displays data in a handy app
• The onboard button turns off the power
• Certified to work with Matter platform
• Data collected stays local rather than going to the cloud for security
• Button can be child-proofed

Cons

• Expensive
• Functionality is limited without a hub

This isn’t the cheapest smart plug around, but it does offer some advanced functionality that makes it worth the extra price. This is one of the first Matter-certified smart plugs, which means it sets up very easily as long as you have an Apple Home hub (Apple TV or HomePod), a Google Home hub (Nest Hub or Nest WiFi Pro), or a SmartThings hub. I set it up in my HomeKit setup with an Apple HomePod as the hub, and it was simple to get going.

Once the Eve is part of your home network, you can turn it on and off with a tap in the app or a voice command. I have it attached to the light in our turtle tank, which requires a special fixture and heat bulb. In addition to simply turning the light on and off, the dedicated smartphone app also helps track the power usage for whatever is plugged into it. The app then relays the projected cost to let you see how much the juice will set you back when the bill comes.

The smart switch allows you to schedule the device to turn on and off from afar. That’s useful if you’re traveling. If you’re home, however, there’s a dedicated button on the smart plug that turns the power on and off manually. That’s handy when the network is down.

While there are certainly cheaper smart plugs out there, this one currently provides one of the smoothest and most robust experiences you’ll find at the moment. We’re looking forward to more smart plugs hitting the Matter platform going forward.

Best for Alexa or Google Nest: Wyze Plug

WYZE

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Wyze plugs do the job reliably on the cheap, and they get even more affordable if you buy in bulk.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 110 volts
• Size: 2.75 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant

Pros

• Reliable
• Reasonable price
• Good companion app
• Alexa and Google Assistant compatible

Cons

• Not HomeKit compatible
• A slight bit bulky compared to som

Seattle-based Wyze, started by former Amazon employees, has, in two short years, become really prominent in the smart plug space by offering a good proposition: a plug that works well, works for a long time, and rarely doesn’t work for a price that’s hard to complain about. While competing plugs can run for $15-$25 per unit, Wyze undercuts all of them. The Wyze Plug is solid all-around with nearly no points for style; these plain white blocks know the assignment. Amazon Alexa and Google Nest compatibility means they’re easy to install and command, and the free Wyze app lets you set timers, group different plugs together, and create schedules. The Wyze app itself is cleaner and easier to use than some competing apps. 

Best for HomeKit: Wemo Smart Plug

WeMo

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Finding affordable plugs compatible with Homekit can be a challenge, but this model fits the bill nicely. 

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 110 volts
• Size: 1.34 x 2.05 x 1.81 inches
• Smart home platforms: Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit

Pros

• Compatible with all three major voice-control systems
• Slim profile for more efficient use of space
• Robust features in the app
• Reliable and sturdy construction

Cons

• Slightly more expensive per unit than Wyze
• No grouping options in app
• Only comes in white

If you’re an Apple HomeKit user, your options on the smart plug market are unfortunately limited compared to Alexa and Google. Wyze is a great basic option for most; for dedicated Apple fans, however, Wemo is the way to go. The Wemo casing is significantly smaller than the Wyze and a bit more stylish as well. The app is a little more bare-bones but still has all the functionality most users need.  There’s a very solid 3-year manufacturer’s warranty, meaning you can rely on Wemo to get the job done. They set up super easily and there’s a physical button on the side in case you don’t want to use a voice command to toggle the power.

Best power strip: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip

Kasa Smart

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Offering two options with a ton of plugs, individual control, and surge protection all in one package, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip offers even more than what a single plug does.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 125 Volts
• Size: 10.24 x 2.5 x 1.52 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Nest

Pros

• Individual control of plugs
• Surge protection on strip
• USB slots means no need for USB power adapters to power or charge devices
• Sturdy and reliable

Cons

• Not compatible with Apple HomeKit
• More convenient six-outlet model is more expensive than two three-outlet models
• USB is always-on, not controllable

A lot of us have more devices than we do plugs, so there are already probably a few power strips in your home. However, plugging a power strip into a smart plug will only give you the option of turning off the entire strip. The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip gives you far more control, allowing you to use the Kasa app to control each individual plug on the strip while also offering surge protection and USB power slots. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip is available in a 3-plug version that has 2 USB slots and a 6-plug version that includes 3 USB slots. However, in a weird quirk of pricing, two smaller Kasa strips cost significantly less than the larger one. Depending on your open plug availability or needs, you might be better off buying multiples of the small version; assess your needs accordingly.

Best outdoor: Wyze Plug Outdoor

WYZE

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: If you need power on the patio or by the pool, the Wyze Plug Outdoor has all the same benefits as the Wyze plug, plus some extra features and even stronger protection from the elements.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 120 volts
• Size: 3.93 x 2.68 x 1.42 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Alexa or Google Nest or control from Wyze app without a hub

Pros

• Additional power-saving and monitoring features
• Durable, weather-resistant casing
• Competitive price
• Wyze reliability

Cons

• No HomeKit compatibility
• Short cord
• Bulky

Decks, pools, porches, and balconies can be as power-hungry as indoor areas, with lights, fans, and grills greedily gulping current. Wyze makes an outdoor-use dual-plug system that can handle anything Mother Nature throws at it while giving you not only complete control, but also a better understanding of your power usage. Unlike the typical Wyze Plug, the Wyze Outdoor Plug features options to view power usage by connected devices and also control those devices based on the power they use. Bulkier than the Wyze Plug by design, the two plugs of the Wyzer Outdoor Plug are independently controlled in the app, and have covers to protect the inside of the plug when not in use. Both Google and Amazon—unfortunately, the only two systems compatible with Wyze—offer battery-powered versions of their smart speakers that are perfect to use as outdoor hubs, as you don’t need to tether them to the wall for them to be in voice range. 

Best dimmable: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug-In Dimmer

Kasa Smart

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Control dimmable lights outdoors without worry.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 120 volts
• Size: ‎3.13 x 1.53 x 2.76 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Alexa or Google Assistant compatible

Pros

• Offers functionality traditional smart plugs do not
• Versatile
• Reliable
• Grouping and scheduling possible.

Cons

• Only offers a single plug
• Bulky due to being built for outdoor use
• Short cord

Basic smart plugs typically only have two settings: on or off. But if you have a dimmable lamp or, more commonly these days, dimmable string lights for accent and mood lighting, a typical smart plug won’t do. You need a dimmable plug. Because it’s built for the outdoors, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug-In Dimmer fits inside a burly, weather-resistant body. The black casing is good for concealing the plug outdoors, but stands out a bit indoors, so you’ll need some strategic placement or a color scheme that works with the plug. Grouping and scheduling options are available in the Kasa app. While there are indoor plugs that blend more seamlessly, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug-In Dimmer offers versatility. 

Best in-wall: Leviton D215R-2RW

Leviton

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It’s like having a pair of smart plugs built into your wall.

Specs

• Electrical specs: N/A
• Size: 2.75 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit

Pros

• No protruding plugs
• Two smart outlets
• Works with all three major smart home platforms

Cons

• Harder to install and disconnect

If you don’t mind a little DIY project, Leviton’s D215R-2RW is the best smart plug solution out there. Instead of making a traditional smart plug, Decora created a two-outlet receptacle, which can completely replace an existing one. Installing the D215R-2RW requires you to turn off the electricity in the room it’s in, remove your current outlet, hook the new one up to your home’s wiring, and screw it back in. If you’re uncomfortable with that, you can always call an electrician to do the job for you.

The biggest benefit to choosing the D215R-2RW over a regular smart plug is that you can plug your electronic device directly into the outlet. There’s no bulbous plug protruding out of it, which can limit your access to an adjoining outlet or make it impossible to plug a bigger AC adapter into it. The space savings may seem minor, but they can make a big difference. You also don’t have to worry about “vampire power,” aka the slow drain of electricity when an electronic is plugged into an outlet but turned off. On the other hand, resetting or disconnecting the D215R-2RW is a lot more cumbersome than unplugging a dongle from an outlet.

This smart outlet is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Homekit, which is great because it’ll probably be in your wall for many, many years. It’d be annoying to switch from one smart home platform to another only to realize you’re stuck with smart outlets that don’t work. You always have the option to control these outlets using an app on your phone, too. If you’ve been putting off getting smart plugs because of how they look or because they haven’t worked with your smart home platform of choice, Leviton’s D215R-2RW is a great option.

Best budget: Govee Smart Plug

Govee

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Make your home smart for a fraction of the cost.

Specs

• Electrical specs: 15 amps, 120 volts
• Size: 2.68 x 2.28 x 1.65 inches
• Smart home ecosystems: Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant

Pros

• Compact size
• Compatible with multiple smart home platforms
• Price

Cons

• No Homekit support

At just over $10, Govee’s Smart Plug is not only the best budget-priced smart plug, but it’s also one of the top values in the entire smart home device category. Govee offered this smart plug at such a low cost without making major sacrifices, which is especially impressive. It supports Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant but, unfortunately, not Homekit. Apple device owners can still control the smart plug using an app. You can also use the app to set devices connected to this smart plug on a timer. For example, connecting it to a lamp will allow you to turn the lights on and off at specific times, so you don’t have to open the app if you’re on a set schedule.

The value of this smart plug goes up even further if you decide to pick up more than one at a time. Govee is currently offering a $5 off coupon on Amazon, which brings the price of a four-pack down to $25. That’s just $6.25 per plug. If you’re starting your smart home, this is an unbelievable value. The lack of support for HomeKit is the only factor differentiating this smart plug from the higher-priced ones we’re recommending. If that’s not an issue for you, don’t hesitate to pick up one—or more.

What to consider when shopping for the best smart plugs

There are certainly a few considerations to make when you’re looking to smarten up your surroundings: 

Socket count

Clearly, how many plugs you need and how close together they are is key. If you have many devices that need a smart plug all clumped together, a smart power strip will be a better choice. Smart power strips are more expensive than their smaller counterparts but have independently controllable plugs, making them cheaper overall than several plugs. They also almost always have USB inputs for charging devices.

Smart home platform

You’ll have to choose a smart home platform like Google Nest, Apple HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa to support the devices in your smart home—through those, you can find a way to automate everything from light bulbs to doorbell cameras to security systems, and you’ll want to make sure your plug is compatible with your chosen system. Alexa typically works best with an Amazon Echo device, of which there are many varieties. If you’re yet to invest in an Echo, Amazon often has deep discounts on the devices during their summer Amazon Prime Day sale event or during other big sales holidays like Black Friday. 

Google Nest, previously known as Google Home, usually interfaces through a Google Nest smart speaker, similar to the Amazon Echo. Google has aggressively offered Google Nest speakers cheap or free as add-ons to various other Google products or through third-party retailers. Apple’s HomeKit is the newest smart home system, and, unfortunately, far fewer devices are compatible with this ecosystem. 

The HomePod (2nd gen.) and HomePod mini are the Amazon Echo / Google Nest speaker competitor. Still, you can also use an iPad or newer-generation (4^th) Apple TV devices as hubs for smart homes outfitted with HomeKit.

SmartThings, a Samsung-led competitor to the above, moved away from hardware in mid-2020 and is now concentrating on software while working with other companies to provide hardware. The install base for SmartThings objects is much lower than Amazon, Google, or Apple, and is a tough recommendation because it seems to be losing the market share battle. 

Between the big three companies, the choice really comes down to which company you’re already using. If you’re a big iPad/iPhone user, HomeKit might be the best and easier option for interfacing with your smart plugs, even if it means fewer plugs on the market will work with your system. Echo and the Nest speaker are already in many homes; if you already have one, there’s nothing wrong with kitting out with both as your centerpiece. Even if you use an iPhone, there are compatible apps for both systems.

Indoors or outdoors?

If you have a cool outdoor lighting set-up for your deck or balcony, you must invest in outdoor-fitted plugs to avoid issues when the weather gets unpleasant. There are far fewer options to stay smart while heading outside, but the items on the market are suitably heavy-duty and weather-resistant. Indoors, you have more options, from single-plug replacements to multi-plugs to power strips, with and without USB.

Extra features

Some smart plugs go beyond simply turning devices on and off. They can create schedules or timers, for instance, to customize their functionality. Timing features can be handy when you’re away from home but want the home to seem occupied as a precaution against break-ins. 

You can also create dynamic power set-ups for different situations. Pair your smart plugs with smart bulbs in different lamps and fixtures. You can create multiple colored light combinations for reading, watching TV, romantic encounters, parties, or any other situation. The smart home apps can also give you information about power usage for each device.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best smart plugs

• Best overall: Eve Energy
• Best for Alexa or Google Nest: Wyze Plug
• Best for HomeKit: Wemo Smart Plug
• Best power strip: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip
• Best for outdoors: Wyze Plug Outdoor
• Best dimmable: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug-In Dimmer
• Best in-wall: Leviton D215R-2RW
• Best budget: Govee Smart Plug

Smart plugs are a vital part of developing a larger smart home system, including appliances, thermostats, light bulbs (for color changing and self-contained dimming), and speakers. Once you acclimate to the control and convenience of a smart home, it often becomes difficult to return to “dumb” devices. Individually, smart plugs are quite reasonably priced, but once you start outfitting your entire place with intelligence power, the cost can climb quickly, which is why it’s vital to choose the best devices on the market. This guide should point you in that direction, whether you’re dipping your toe into the new present or trying to fully future-proof your surroundings. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best smart plugs of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Air purifiers aren’t a gadget many of us thought much about until a few years ago, but they’ve become nearly ubiquitous because they filter dust, some bacteria, and smells that might irritate our noses and lungs. If you’re looking to pick one up or upgrade from an older model you got when options were sparse, Coway has discounted a whole bunch of its latest air purifiers. The home goods company has even thrown in a few bidet deals to keep you as clean as your environment.

Coway Airmega AP-1512HHS $222.52 (Was $299)

Coway

SEE IT

While the deepest discount is 51% (nearly $400) off the Coway Airmega 400 True HEPA Air Purifier, that might be too much air purifier/cost for many people. So we’re highlighting the Coway’s Airmega AP-1512HHS, which has all the features you could want from a compact connected air purifier. The WiFi-enabled model allows you to adjust its settings and monitor your air quality through an app on your iPhone or Android device. It even supports Amazon’s Alexa, so you can control it with an Echo or other compatible smart speakers. Coway says this air purifier’s filters can reduce 99.999% of pollen, pollutants, and other allergens up to .01 microparticles in size.

An LED on top of this air purifier will let you check the air quality of your room at a glance. The Airmega AP-1512HHS was designed to be used in rooms up to 788 square feet and clean all the air inside within a half hour. If you’d like it to filter air continuously, you can set the air purifier to run for one, four, or eight hours. Don’t miss this deal if you have allergies or a room that always smells slightly funky.

Here are other air purifier and home deals to keep your place so fresh and so clean:

• Coway Airmega 150(K), $124.59 (Was $152.38)
• Coway Bidetmega 400R, $363.62 (Was $599)
• Coway Airmega 400, $363.85 (Was $749)
• Coway Airmega 250, $219.87 (Was $286.86)
• Coway Bidetmega 200R, $297.38 (Was $449)
• Coway Airmega AP-1512HH, $198.99 (Was $229.99)
• Coway Airmega 240, $239.40 (Was $299)
• Coway Tower True HEPA air purifier, $202.39 (Was $229.99)
• Coway Bidetmega 200E, $328.94 (Was $449)
• Coway Bidetmega 400E, $539.99 (Was $599)

The post Take hundreds off Coway smart air purifiers at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi Mesh Extender (EAX80)		SEE IT	The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 is a large extender … because it can also serve as a mesh network access point.
Best outlet		TP-Link AC2600 Range Extender (RE650)		SEE IT	The TP-Link AC2600 delivers almost as much range as our top pick, but in a compact form factor.
Best for outside		Netgear Orbi Outdoor Satellite Extender (RBS50Y)		SEE IT	The Netgear Orbi Satellite Extender was made to bring a mesh network outside, but works well as an outdoor extender for any router.

You’ve just set up your new, top-of-the-line router to take full advantage of your high-bandwidth home internet connection, but are horrified to discover that the wireless signal—despite getting blazing-fast speeds in most of your home—just doesn’t extend to your office. Between the limitations of your router’s range or physical interference from solid walls and other obstacles, it may be difficult to cover your home with a single, centralized WiFi router. Don’t worry! Rather than start from scratch, you may be able to buy an extra peripheral to strengthen your router’s signal and reach those awkward, out-of-the-way corners and make sure you’ve got complete wireless coverage throughout your home. Tapping into your existing network and then rebroadcasting the signal from a new location, the best WiFi extenders should be capable of covering small dead zones in the far corners of your space.

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi Mesh Extender (EAX80)
• Best outlet: TP-Link AC2600 Range Extender (RE650)
• Best for outside: Netgear Orbi Outdoor Satellite Extender (RBS50Y)
• Best budget with WiFi 6: D-Link EXO AX DAP-X1870
• Best budget: TP-Link AC750 Range Extender (RE220)

How we chose the best WiFi extenders

The best WiFi extenders are understandably made by the same companies manufacturing the best routers that they enhance. Hence, the expertise and familiarity with networking gear I’ve gained from covering the space for Popular Science carry over here. Based on testing, reading professional reviews, and consumer impressions, I made my selections to ensure that these picks have top features on paper and are well-liked in practice.

The best WiFi extenders: Reviews & Recommendations

Hopefully, you know whether you should be looking for a WiFi extender, a WiFi booster, or to replace your router completely. You’ve come to the right place if you’re just looking to fill a gap in your network. We’ve picked out the best WiFi extenders you can buy right now, with options for various price points and user needs.

Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi Mesh Extender (EAX80) 

Netgear

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: Amazon

Why it made the cut: The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 offers an incredible range boost, extra ports, and more.

Specs

• WiFi Version: 6 (802.11ax)
• Coverage: 2,500 sq ft
• Ports: 4 Gigabit Ethernet
• Data transfer rate: 6 GB/s

Pros

• Great performance and range
• Mesh compatibility with Netgear routers
• Security and customization features

Cons

• Large 
• Expensive

Unlike most outlet-mounted WiFi extenders, the Netgear EAX80 is a large, freestanding monolith that resembles a regular router or modem. It’s pricey and can’t be wall-mounted, so you’ll need to find some table or shelf space for this imposing slab, but it’s the best-performing WiFi 6 range extender out there. It adds up to 2,500 square feet of coverage and features four Ethernet ports, giving your home network a solid and fast new foothold. It also offers a generous suite of security customizations through an app or browser, including access control for individual devices. It can even serve as an access point in a Netgear-powered mesh network, giving you the option to upgrade if a simple extender doesn’t give you enough coverage.

Best outlet: TP-Link AC2600 Range Extender (RE650)

TP-Link

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: Amazon

Why it made the cut: The TP-Link AC2600 snaps into your wall outlet and pushes your signal far.

Specs

• WiFi Version: 6 (802.11ax)
• Coverage: 14,000 sq ft (estimated)
• Ports: 1 Gigabit Ethernet
• Data transfer rate: 2.6 GB/s

Pros

• Great performance
• Mesh compatibility with TP-Link routers

Cons

• Bulky, may block neighboring outlets

If you prefer a less obtrusive outlet-style extender but need the full power of WiFi 6, TP-Link’s AC2600 extender is an easy choice, promising up to 2.6 GB/s combined over its dual 2.4 and 5GHz bands. It’s easy to set up with an app or browser controls. It can even be an access point in a mesh network with compatible TP-Link OneMesh routers. Its performance is second only to larger, freestanding models like our top choice, making it a kind among outlet extenders. There’s only one minor drawback: It’s quite large (3.4 x 6.4 x 1.6 in), so you may find it hard to plug other devices into adjacent outlets.

Best for outside: Netgear Orbi Outdoor Satellite Extender (RBS50Y)

Netgear

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Orbi Satellite Extender offers best-in-class performance and a rugged exterior, so it can bring your signal outside.

Specs

• WiFi Version: 5 (802.11ac)
• Coverage: 2,500 sq ft
• Ports: n/a
• Data transfer rate: 3 GB/s

Pros:

• Solid range and performance
• Rugged IP66 weatherproofing

Cons:

• Expensive
• No ports

Netgear’s Orbi line is one of the most popular home mesh network systems, and the Outdoor Satellite RBS50Y is an excellent way to extend your Orbi network into the backyard. With IP66 weatherproofing, it’s designed to sufficiently withstand dirt, rain, snow, sprinklers, and all the elements in your yard. It can transfer an impressive 3 GB/s of data over three bands, with a second 5GHz band reserved for communicating with the mesh network. Although it was previously only compatible with other Orbi routers, subsequent firmware updates have made it possible to pair it with non-Orbi routers as an extender. While it’s an expensive option, especially if you don’t plan to use it as part of a mesh, the RBS50Y is one of the best WiFi extenders and a great way to bring the internet outside safely.

Best budget with WiFi 6: D-Link EXO AX DAP-X1870

D-Link

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The D-Link DAP-X180 makes it cheap and easy to extend a WiFi 6 signal.

Specs

• WiFi Version: 6 (802.11ax)
• Coverage: 2,000 sq ft
• Ports: 1 Gigabit Ethernet
• Data transfer rate: 1.8 GB/s

Pros

• Solid performance
• Simple setup
• Discreet, clean design

Cons

• Lacks WPA3 security

D-Link’s DAP-X1870 is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to extend the power of your WiFi 6 network. It has a clean design with internal antennas, easily disappearing into your wall to do its job. Reviews praised its performance, and the only major criticism we found was some users pointing out that it did not seem to work with the latest WPA3 security format, which is supposed to be a part of the WiFi 6 specification. If WiFi 6’s enhanced security was a crucial factor in your choice to update, the cost saved on this isn’t worth it; however, it should be as secure as previous-generation routers and could improve with firmware updates.

Best budget: TP-Link AC750 Range Extender (RE220)

TP-Link

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The TP-Link RE220 doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles but offers a strong signal extension for a low price.

Specs

• WiFi Version: 5 (802.11ac)
• Coverage: 1,200 sq ft
• Ports: 1 Ethernet
• Data transfer rate: 1.8 GB/s

Pros

• Great 2.4GHz performance
• Small and discreet
• Very inexpensive

Cons

• Underwhelming 5GHz performance
• Slow LAN port

The TP-Link RE220 is like a cheap slice of pizza—it isn’t high art but gives you exactly what you need for a low and accessible price. It only operates at WiFi 5, its 5GHz performance isn’t quite as stable and fast compared to the 5GHz networks on more expensive range extenders, and the Ethernet port doesn’t support Gigabit Ethernet. All that said, it adds plenty of distance to your 2.4GHz network, with enough bandwidth for basic internet use and streaming. It’s also compact and discreet, easy to stash away at any wall outlet or power strip. For less than $50, that’s hard to beat.

Things to consider when buying the best WiFi extenders

Our houses are becoming increasingly connected, packing our networks with robots, speakers, and security systems. These smart devices aren’t so smart without a stable WiFi connection, however, which is where extenders come in. Of course, you should ensure before buying a WiFi extender that you need one. Consider whether you need a new router that supports the latest, fastest protocols. If you’re happy with what you have, try adjusting the position of your router to expand its connectivity. Ideally, you want to place your router as close to the center of your home as possible, in a position that is both high and far from any walls that might block your signal. (We see you trying to hide your router in your TV stand. Bring it out!) You also want to keep it away from other interfering electronics that may impede signal strength and range. It may be time for an extender if you’ve still got dead spots no matter where you place a router. 

Also, temper your expectations about what the extender can do. A router’s listed coverage range, given in square feet, is the manufacturer’s estimate of the area the extender could potentially add to your network. Remember that these are estimates and may change depending on your home’s layout and your network’s wireless strength. 

WiFi extenders can’t magically extend the full force of your existing network forever. Any signal going through the extender has to make an additional step between your connected device and the modem: That process will reduce the bandwidth of your wireless signal by about half. That means you don’t want to rely on an extender for areas where you intend to do a lot of high-bandwidth activities like 4K video streaming or playing online games. Position your router to prioritize the room where you use your WiFi the most, like your living room and home office, and use the extenders to bring some WiFi to less important areas.

Extender or mesh

If you have more substantive network coverage gaps, you want to skip a WiFi extender and replace your router with a mesh WiFi system. These multi-router networks allow you to place multiple WiFi access points around your home to generate signals from multiple places rather than simply expanding or “boosting” the signal of a single, centralized router.

A mesh network distributes the network more evenly and widely, with less loss than an extender. It also lets you keep your entire house on a signal network with one name and password, while third-party extenders usually create a new, secondary network. Some modern WiFi extenders will work within the same WiFi network as your router, so long as both the router and extender come from the same manufacturer.

That said, a mesh system is a more expensive upgrade. It may be overkill if you simply need to get a better signal in one more room.

Outlet or freestanding

Many of the best WiFi extenders plug directly into an outlet, which can be conveniently discreet. Freestanding models that resemble conventional routers are stronger, given their reduced spatial constraints. Freestanding models are also more likely to offer Ethernet ports to enable stronger connections for gaming laptops or streaming devices. Both have their merits, but it’s wise to understand the pros and cons of each form factor.

WiFi 6

Depending on when you last bought a router, you may be wondering what WiFi 6 is and whether you need to care about it. In short, WiFi 6 is the newest wireless internet standard, which offers better connectivity when you have many devices on your network, among other things.

The changes from one generation to the next are fairly incremental and always backward-compatible with previous hardware, so you can never go wrong with getting the latest. That said, the best rule of thumb is to simply make sure your extender can cover the highest standard supported by your router. If you need to push a WiFi 5 (802.11ac) signal, then there’s no need to spend more on a WiFi 6 (802.11ax) extender.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best WiFi extenders

• Best overall: Netgear Nighthawk AX8 Wi-Fi Mesh Extender (EAX80)
• Best outlet: TP-Link AC2600 Range Extender (RE650)
• Best for outside: Netgear Orbi Outdoor Satellite Extender (RBS50Y)
• Best budget with WiFi 6: D-Link EXO AX DAP-X1870
• Best budget: TP-Link AC750 Range Extender (RE220)

The best WiFi extenders offer a great solution to covering gaps in your home network when you don’t want to start over with a new router or mesh network. As WiFi 6 supplants WiFi 5 as the new standard for more routers, extenders will naturally benefit as well. Leave no corner of your home unconnected with a great range extender.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best WiFi extenders for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Google Nest Learning Thermostat		SEE IT	Google’s Nest Thermostat is still the best designed, simplest to set up, and easiest to use.
Best for multiple zones		ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium		SEE IT	If you need to evenly heat or cool a large home, ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium has you covered.
Best budget		GE CYNC Smart Thermostat		SEE IT	Support for external sensors and integration into a larger smart home accessory ecosystem help this smart thermostat stand out.

Heating and cooling bills can quickly skyrocket if you don’t have a systematic method for controlling your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system—which is why you want a smart thermostat. This gadget gives you one of the most hands-off ways to combat cost and conquer comfort. It can monitor the temperature in your home, automatically make adjustments based on your schedule, and allow you to turn up the heat or air conditioning remotely. The best smart thermostats will keep you and your home’s heating and cooling system in sync and work so seamlessly that you’ll forget how much work it’s doing behind the scenes.

• Best overall: Google Nest Learning Thermostat
• Best for Alexa: Amazon Smart Thermostat
• Best for electric heating systems: Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard and in-Wall Heaters V2
• Best for multiple zones: ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
• Best budget: GE CYNC Smart Thermostat

How we chose the best smart thermostats

A smart thermostat is one of the most important internet-connected gadgets you can install in your home, so we took great care when sifting through the dozens of options available today. This smart home accessory will literally impact how comfortable you are at home and how comfortable you are with your monthly utility bill. Getting a flaky smart thermostat is not an option. We conducted some hands-on testing along with our research and only recommended options from the most well-established players in this space.

Installing a smart thermostat used to be one of the more expensive smart home upgrades, but our research revealed companies like Amazon and GE have stepped in to provide genuinely competitive options for under $100. You’ll still have to shell out a lot more for the most premium smart home thermostats, but you won’t need to if your needs are basic. If you’ve already gotten comfortable with some basic smart home accessories, this is the next logical step to take your house into the future.

The best smart thermostats: Reviews & Recommendations

Smart thermostats offer distinct advantages over traditional models by taking home temperature control to a new level. These models use WiFi or Bluetooth to connect to an app that lets you monitor and control the temperature from anywhere you can get a connection. Through the app, you can set weekday or weekend schedules, access temperature controls before you step foot into the house, and get detailed analyses of your energy use or temperature patterns. 

Smart home thermostats don’t skimp on technology. Some models feature geofencing, GPS, and touchscreens among their features and options. Advancements now allow some models to learn your behaviors and preferences, then adapt the temperature schedule to anticipate your needs. It comes down to the fact that the best smart thermostats give you one less thing to worry about while saving money on your energy bill. 

Best overall: Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Google

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Specs

• Smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
• Supports external sensors: No
• Price: $210

Pros

• Easy to see at a glance
• Color display
• Physical buttons

Cons

• Price

The Nest Thermostat was a phenomenal success years before Google acquired its parent company, and it’s still the best option based on our hands-on testing. Instead of relying on touch controls, which can be finicky and harder to use for less tech-savvy, you turn the temperature up and down by twisting the thermostat’s outer ring. You’ll feel resistance and hear the sound of a click every time you increase or decrease the temperature. This is a big user experience win, and easy to explain to folks staying at your place while you’re away.

Setting up this thermostat took about a half hour, which included the time it took to remove the old thermostat, screw in the Nest’s backplate, plug the wires into said backplate, attach the Nest, and connect it to our WiFi network. Google provides all the tools you’ll need (a screwdriver) to install the thermostat yourself, and the included step-by-step instructions make said installation a breeze. Just make sure to have your home’s WiFi password handy since you’ll need to input it during the setup process.

Once the Nest was set up, we could control it through the Google Home app (iOS and Android). Tapping on the thermostat within the app showed its current temperature, allowing us to turn it up or down or set the thermostat on a schedule. You also have the option to have the Nest Thermostat learn your schedule to manage your HVAC system more efficiently.

We’d argue that this smart thermostat’s best feature is its large color display. The screen makes it easy to see your current temperate at a glance, and it’ll turn blue or orange when you twist its outer ring to make your home cooler or warmer. Monochrome displays look cool but are more challenging to read—literally.

In our experience, the Nest did a commendable job learning our schedule, but we ultimately opted to use it manually most of the time. We appreciated having complete control over our HVAC system instead of relying on AI, but this says more about us than it does about the Nest. You may rarely have to touch this smart thermostats’ dial after giving it a couple of weeks to learn when you and the other people in your home are active and go to bed.

It may be expensive, but the Google Nest Thermostat’s intuitive interface and top-notch hardware make it the top choice.

Best for Alexa: Amazon Smart Thermostat

Amazon

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Specs

• Smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa
• Supports external sensors: No
• Price: $64.99

Pros

• Has a model with a C-Wire adapter
• Made with recycled materials
• Supports Amazon Home Services installation

Cons

• Only works with one smart platform

If you’re all-in on Alexa, Amazon’s smart thermostat is an easy buy in. It uses hardware developed by Honeywell Home, the consumer tech arm of a company that’s been around for nearly 120 years. It has an all-white minimalistic industrial design, with a digital readout of the temperature featured front and center. We’d prefer it if the temperature color on the smart thermostat were a color rather than all-white, but this won’t matter very much if you control it using the app (iOS and Android) or through an Alexa-enabled speaker.

Amazon offers this thermostat in two configurations; the only difference is that one comes with a C-Wire adapter if your home doesn’t have one. The C-Wire (known as the common wire) provides your smart thermostat with a constant source of power. Most newer homes have a C-Wire running from the HVAC system to the thermostat, so this shouldn’t be an issue. That said, it’s nice that Amazon has an option for those who don’t.

The functionality of this smart thermostat is pretty basic. Still, Amazon has differentiated itself by offering installation via its Home Services program for an added fee in case you’re uncomfortable doing any electrical work. It’s also prioritized sustainability by making parts of its thermostat out of recycled materials. If you’re cost-conscious and have bought into Amazon’s hardware ecosystem, this is an excellent choice.

Best for electric heating systems: Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard and in-Wall Heaters V2

Mysa

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Specs

• Smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit
• Supports external sensors: No
• Price: $118.99

Pros

• Unobtrusive look
• Very simple controls
• Supports all three smart home platforms

Cons

• Designed for heating only

This is the only smart thermostat designed exclusively for one type of heating system, but if you have baseboard heating, there’s a lot to recommend. This is the smallest smart thermostat we’re recommending, and its gray color will look understated but nice against almost any wall. We’re pleased Mysa went with a gray body because it makes the temperature, displayed in white, easier to see. While we’d still prefer a color display, we like that an arrow up and arrow down—used to change your home’s temperature—are clearly visible and easy to tap.

Of course, you also have complete control over the thermostat via an app on your phone (iOS and Android). The most important thing to understand is that this smart thermostat only works with heating systems, not cooling. So if you have central air, you’ll have to look elsewhere. This won’t be an issue if your home’s cooling system consists of individual window air conditioning units. We’re pleased that Mysa went through the trouble of designing its smart thermostat with compatibility with Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple Homekit, so it’ll work regardless of your smart platform of choice.

If you only need a smart thermostat for your home’s heating system and have either a baseboard or in-wall heating system, Mysa’s Smart Thermostat is a great choice.

Best for multiple zones: ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

ecobee

SEE IT

Specs

• Smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit
• Supports external sensors: Yes
• Price: $237

Pros

• Monitors air quality in addition to temperature
• External sensor support
• Support for all three smart home platforms

Cons

• Price

If you want to control the temperature in a large home, your best bet is to use a smart thermostat that supports external sensors. This will ensure that every room of your place—even those furthest from the thermostat—will be heated or cooled evenly. The best option in this category is ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium and it isn’t even close. The face of this thermostat is black, which makes the temperature, which is displayed in white, stand out. You’ll be able to clearly see the current temperature at a glance and change it with a couple of taps. You can also make changes through ecobee’s iOS or Android app.

Ecobee bundles its smart thermostat with a single sensor, but you can get more based on your home’s needs. The sensor needs to be plugged into power but will wirelessly communicate data to the thermostat. Both the thermostat and sensor can also monitor the air quality in your room, which is a nice touch. If your smoke alarm goes off, this smart thermostat can detect it and notify your phone.

All of our smart thermostat recommendations work with one or more smart home assistants, but this is the only one with a built-in microphone that allows you to communicate directly with Amazon’s Alexa. This is a great feature if you don’t have an Echo or the one you use isn’t in the same room as your thermostat. The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium also works with Google Assistant and Apple’s HomeKit; however, using these assistants with the thermostat will require additional hardware.

If you’ve been struggling to get your HVAC system to moderate the temperature of your entire home and don’t mind spending the money on a smart thermostat and sensor, ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium is your best choice.

Best budget: GE CYNC Smart Thermostat

GE

SEE IT

Specs

• Smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Assitant
• Supports external sensors: Yes
• Price: $64.50

Pros

• External sensor support
• Part of a larger smart home ecosystem
• Price

Cons

• Bulky

This smart thermostat is a little bigger than our other recommendations, but its value is undeniable if you don’t mind its size. This is one of only two smart thermostats we’re recommending that work with external sensors to provide consistent heating and cooling to every room of your home. GE doesn’t bundle its smart thermostat with any sensors but only charges $17 for one. You could outfit several rooms with these sensors at that price without hitting the price of ecobee’s smart thermostat. However, that one supports HomeKit, has Amazon’s Alexa built-in, and can sense smoke detectors, which are features this model lacks.

Still, GE made smart design decisions, like making the front of its thermostat black so its temperature reading and controls are easy to see and manage. You can also access these settings through GE’s iOS or Android app. While it doesn’t work with Apple’s HomeKit, this smart thermostat can be integrated into smart homes based on Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. And unlike our other smart thermostat recommendations, this one from GE is part of a larger ecosystem of smart home accessories. If you invest in GE’s Cync light bulbs and smart plugs, you can manage them through a single app.

If you want a budget-priced smart thermostat that punches well above its weight, GE’s Cync Smart Thermostat is the clear choice.

What to consider when shopping for the best smart thermostats

Supported smart home platforms

Every smart thermostat can be controlled using an app on iOS and Android, but many can also be connected to smart home platforms designed by Amazon and Google. This will allow you to adjust your home’s temperature by using smart home assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.

Size of your home

If you have a multi-story home, there’s a good chance it’s been split into different heating or cooling zones. You’ll know this is true if your house or apartment has multiple thermostats. If that’s the case, you’ll need to replace every thermostat in your home with a smart one to gain complete control over your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. You can install one smart thermostat at a time, but you’ll only be able to adjust the temperature in that zone.

Remote sensors

If your home has a single zone, there’s still the chance that one room far away from the thermostat and HVAC system won’t be comfortable. This is because the thermostat’s temperature sensors, which determine when to turn it on and how long to engage your HVAC system, can only use data from the room they’re in. Some smart thermostats work with remote sensors, which can be installed in those rooms to feed additional data to the thermostat. If you use a remote sensor, your HVAC system will stay on until every room in your home reaches your specified temperature.

C-Wire

The common wire (abbreviated to C-Wire) is a cable that needs to run from your HVAC system to your smart thermostat to provide power. The color of this cable is typically blue, so you can check whether your current thermostat is connected to this wire by removing it from your wall without disconnecting it. If you don’t have a C-Wire, you’ll need to call an electrician to run one.

HVAC system

Many smart thermostats will work with multiple types of HVAC systems, but some were designed with specific heating or air conditioning equipment in mind. The more limited smart home thermostats are less expensive but may not work if you upgrade your HVAC system down the line or take them with you to another home.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best smart thermostats

• Best overall: Google Nest Learning Thermostat
• Best for Alexa: Amazon Smart Thermostat
• Best for electric heating systems: Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard and in-Wall Heaters V2
• Best for multiple zones: ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
• Best budget: GE CYNC Smart Thermostat

The best smart thermostats monitor the temperature for you. They collect information that helps you (or them) make informed decisions about energy usage. These new thermostats take work out of your hands, so you can relax in your home’s cozy warmth or blessed chilliness, depending on what you prefer. Look for features that work with your lifestyle, like geofencing if you want your house to jump to attention when you pull up or learning capabilities if you want it to adapt the schedule to your preferences. In the meantime, the best smart thermostat will reduce your energy bill, save time, and make your home look ultra-modern.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best smart thermostats in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Many of Shark’s vacuums are some of our favorites—from cordless vacuums to vacuums that tackle stairs, Shark has something that fits your needs. If you want to experience that top quality for a low price, consider this Shark RV1001AE IQ Robot Vacuum, which is 50% off—down to $299.99 from $599.99.

Shark RV1001AE IQ Robot Vacuum $299.99 (Was $599.99)

Shark

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This robot vacuum offers ample capacity: You can go 45 days without emptying the chamber. In fact, you rarely have to touch the vacuum at all, thanks to its self-emptying and app-control capabilities. It works on carpets and floors, and a self-cleaning brush roll removes long hair and pet hair as it cleans. Row-by-row, room-by-room cleaning means it won’t miss the very obvious dust bunny that other robot vacuums love to ignore. You can even beckon the vacuum using your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. A non-bothersome, cheap, and easy-to-use robot vacuum that does a task you don’t want to? Sounds like a welcome addition to your home.

This robot makes cleaning less of a worry, and this SimpliSafe 10-Piece Wireless Home Security System—our best overall pick for best smart home security system—removes the worry of leaving your house. It’s 20% off from $429.99 for a final price of $343.99, and comes with an outdoor camera.

Don’t wait to grab these deals—they’re bound to disappear, just like that dust bunny you saw a minute ago.

Here are more home electronics we dig that are on sale:

• Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker $169.99 (Was $199.99)
• Ninja BL660 Professional Compact Smoothie & Food Processing Blender $99.95 (Was $119.95)
• TP-Link AC1200 WiFi Extender $33.49 (Was $49.99)
• TP-Link AX1500 WiFi Extender Internet Booster $54.99 (Was $89.99)
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System $299.99 (Was $399.99)
• BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner $109.59 (Was $123.59)
• Ring Video Doorbell Wired with Ring Chime $63.99 (Was $79.99)
• Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer Oven $109.95 (Was $159.99)
• Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker Combo $119 (Was $169.99)
• Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer Oven $109.95 (Was $159.99)
• Instant Vortex 5.7QT Air Fryer Oven Combo $99.95 (Was $139.99)
• Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner $89 (Was $119.99)
• De’Longhi ECP3420 Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, 15″ $139.95 (Was $207.95)
• De’Longhi Magnifica Evo with LatteCrema System $699.95 (Was $899.95)
• De’Longhi Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, 15″, Stainless Steel $136.42 (Was $199.95)
• LEVOIT 3L Humidifier for Bedroom/Large Room $29.21 (Was $43.99)
• Motorola MG7700 Modem WiFi Router Combo with Power Boost $157.98 (Was $199.99)

The post Save half off this Shark robot vacuum that self-empties everything but your wallet appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

You only have two ears, but you don’t hear solely in stereo. Oh, you can tattoo “L” and “R” on those fleshy receivers, break out the protractor, and align your posture perfectly with a sound source. Your localization is still working in three dimensions. Reflecting on those reflections, Santa Barbara-based wireless sound system company Sonos set out to develop a speaker that recognized yet defied the tyranny of two-channel. Previewed at the company’s headquarters in February, then officially announced March 7, the Era 300 is the company’s first connected speaker purpose-built from the ground up for Dolby Atmos-powered multidirectional audio. 

This $449 smart speaker, on sale March 28, plays stereo content without upmixing, conveying the artist’s intention. But its six positional drivers yearn for more immersive mixes. With a completely original acoustic design, it’s not a refresh. But is that refreshing? Let’s look at whether a sideways hourglass-shaped speaker’s time has come.

Tony Ware

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The build

Unique is not always utilitarian. But in the case of the Era 300’s cinched chassis, available in matte white or black, everything is deliberately calibrated to make the audio presentation stand out just as much as the speaker’s body does. Unlike the simultaneously released Era 100, which draws an obvious lineage from the Sonos One, the 9.85 lb. Era 300 has no precedent. Its 6.30 x 10.14 x 7.28 inches (HWD) present themselves as an oval when facing forward, but a closer look from any lateral angle reveals the sideways cylinder’s distinctive high-waisted style. Not everybody will love it, but it’s more compact and less concave than pictures might portray.

On the top of the Era 300 runs the “trough,” a shallow capacitive canal you can swipe to change the volume. This tactile control is intuitive to find with just a finger. Toward the front, you’ll find equally touch-sensitive Play/Pause, Rewind, and Forward icons. Toward the middle, a speech bubble allows you to temporarily deactivate your voice assistant of choice (Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa). If you want to take privacy a step forward, a hardware switch on the back of the speaker cuts all power to the microphone. The back of the speaker is also where you’ll find the Bluetooth pairing button, a socket for the 90-degree flush-fit power cable, and a USB-C port. 

Yes, I said Bluetooth pairing button. While spatial audio is getting most of the fanfare for the Era 300, the acceptance that Bluetooth no longer undermines but rather underpins the habits and homes of many modern listeners is equally revolutionary for Sonos. So now Bluetooth 5.0 (with SBC and AAC codecs) has migrated from the company’s portable, rechargeable Move and Roam speakers into its multiroom line alongside the wireless networking that has long formed the foundation of the Sonos multiroom audio vision. In this case, it’s Wi-Fi 6 that’s supported, ensuring the Era 300 can place nicely with your new high-speed router for 4K streaming and all the accompanying high-resolution audio, etc.

That final noteworthy part, the USB-C port, allows you to connect an external audio source—whether that’s a CD player, laptop, cassette deck, or preamp-equipped turntable with a patch cable—via a $19 dongle featuring a 3.5mm line-in jack. A more expensive $39 adapter includes that same aux input alongside an Ethernet jack if you prefer to hardwire your speakers into your network. This speaker may be intended primarily for spatial’s sonic revolution, but it’ll play nicely with an LP’s revolutions per minute, too. It’s worth noting that because the dongle is introducing analog-to-digital conversion, it can also introduce minor signal delay.

All that and we’ve barely scratched the surface because beneath the surface is where the majority of the innovative components lie. Inside each Era 300 are four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one up-firing), and two woofers (left/right). Each custom driver is powered by a dedicated class-D amplifier and paired with a custom waveguide to help direct and correct its response for clarity. The reason the Era 300’s control panel is pushed forward? It’s because of where the upward-facing driver’s directional horn needed to be to disperse the optimal ceiling reflection of Atmos height effects.  

As you can see, a lot went into the Era 300. And also less. Sustainability and repairability played equal parts in the speaker’s design, so to minimize waste, the Era 300 has less virgin plastic. The exterior’s specific shade of white, which differs from older product, is a result of including 40% post-consumer plastic. In addition, the speaker’s construction uses far less glue; everywhere possible, screws (stamped with a subtle “Sonos” around the head) were used instead to make repairs easier and, alongside more replaceable grilles to circuitry, promote products that last. The Era 300 even consumes less energy while idle than previous speakers (less than 2 watts). And the packaging is 100% recyclable (though it’s so thoughtfully designed, with its built-in locking mechanism, you’ll want to hold onto it if you need to move/store your speakers). All this is in service of the Sonos roadmap to be carbon neutral by 2030 and net zero by 2040.

The setup

Plug it in. Wait for the blinking light. Open the Sonos S2 app (available for iOS and Android). Create an account. Add in your Wi-Fi network password. Not to belittle the process, but it’s super simple whether you’ve set up a Sonos product before or not. And if you have, it’s that much easier. Add the Era 300 to an existing system or establish a new one. Whether you want to use one standalone Era 300, create a stereo pair, or group two as surround channels for a Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) soundbar, it all takes little more than a click—a guided one at that as the app is quite intuitive. 

Once the Era 300 is added to a system, you can activate Trueplay, which uses speaker-generated impulses and your smartphone’s microphone to Quick Tune the hardware for your room—a previously iOS-only feature now extended to Android. You can also access Treble and Bass sliders, as well as a Height channel adjustment. It’s worth noting that you won’t have access to Bluetooth pairing until after you’ve done the Wi-Fi network setup, but once that’s done, you can run both protocols at the same time (after all, you don’t want to give your Wi-Fi password to every visitor with songs to share).

The bigger consideration for the Era 300, more so than other Sonos speakers, is physical placement. Sonos offers guidelines that you can read later, so feel free to skip a couple paragraphs. But if you want a summary to know whether spatial is right for your space: Because of those side-and up-firing drivers, it’s recommended to place an Era 300 speaker on a surface with 8 inches of clearance on each side, and 2 feet clearance above it. Those numbers are a starting point that should be combined with common sense, however. An enclosed space is not optimal (even if the top shelf is 3 feet from the top of the Era 300). Nor are 20-foot ceilings. 

If you’re using two Era 300 speakers as a stereo pair, you might want to try more traditional sweet spot rules, with the speakers 7-9 feet apart and where you sit an equal distance from each, forming a triangle. However, Sonos claims the Era 300 is off-axis forgiving. And suppose you’re using two Era 300 speakers as L/R surround channels. In that case, you want each about 5 feet off where you sit while considering that 8-inch side clearance rule, plus keeping an inch or two between the speakers and a rear wall (Sonos produces both finish-matched stands and wall mounts for minimizing vibration/positioning reflection).

Also of importance is your source. You can stereo stream music from dozens and dozens of services through the Sonos app or send it directly to the Era 300 via lossless Apple AirPlay 2 and TIDAL Connect or lossy Spotify Connect. If you want better-than-CD quality (24-bit/48kHz), you need to subscribe to either Qobuz or Amazon Music Unlimited. 

To enjoy the spacious contours of multidimensional music, however, your options are not equally wide. You have only two choices: Amazon Music or Apple Music (following a March 28 firmware update). Plus, to be properly decoded on the speaker, the tracks must play through the Sonos app. Unfortunately, the app has no spatial filter or flags, so you can either preview a few seconds of songs to see if an Atmos label pops up or make a conveniently labeled and organized playlist in one of the native apps, then locate it through the Sonos one. It’s not as elegant a process as Apple Music on a HomePod via AirPlay, one and done, but the end results with a well-mixed album are worth the hassle.

The sound

I’ve spent a week with two Era 300 speakers, playing with one standalone, as well as both in stereo and grouped with an Arc and Sonos Sub to form a 7.1.4 surround system (if you have two Subs, you can even go 7.2.4). In that short period, my initial impressions on the hardware—which will be updated over the coming week as more time is spent putting the Era 300 up against speakers like the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) and wireless surround systems such as the Sennheiser AMBEO Plus—have been nothing but positive.

For starters, however, let’s put the Era 300 in context with the Sonos lineup. The 300 was announced in conjunction with the Era 100 (which we’ve thoroughly reviewed here)—a “remastering” of the Sonos One that adds two angled tweeters and a larger woofer into a familiar cylindrical form factor. And the Era 100 may set a new standard for a compact stereo connected speaker. Still, it can’t come close to the experience that is the Era 300.

I’ve also had the opportunity to listen to the $549 Sonos Five in the past, both standalone and in a stereo pair. With its three high-excursion woofers (and three tweeters), the Five still outputs more punch than the Era 300. Regarding soundstage, however, the Era 300’s directional treble adds expansiveness alongside expressiveness. The Five has more force and finesse, as each speaker has six forward-facing drivers, but the Era 300’s array wins in overall width.

Now, let’s put me in context. I’ve been playing with audio surround sound formats for almost 20 years. SACD, DVD-Audio, DualDisc, HD DVD, Blu-ray, ISOs—like Pokémon, I collected them all. I secured my fair share of speaker wires along the baseboards and under carpets for 5.1 systems. What I like about Dolby Atmos spatial audio and the Era 300 is that I no longer hear the gaps between components that could easily creep in, whether because of a gimmicky mix or poorly calibrated system. 

Take the track “No Reason” by the Chemical Brothers—mentioned in passing during a February presentation by Sonos Sound Experience Leader (and legendary mix engineer) Giles Martin as an Atmos session that elicited immediate elation from the artist when played back in the studio on a prototype Era 300. There’s an ability in this pairing of hardware and 360-degree encoding to have discrete elements remain in motion without as perceivable a disconnect as the old channel-hopping daze. The intro to “No Reason” begins as diffuse trills and fills until it finally coalesces into a more centralized martial rhythm before fanning out again in waves of whoops and puddles of reverb, stomping up percussive splatter.  

Played back on just one Era 300, the song is a day-glow procession, with plentiful though slightly loose low-end. Pair two Era 300s, and everything is magnified—more sprawling but no less anchored. The inward-facing channels are digitally deemphasized to avoid a shouty center image. The sound never reaches fully behind you, but it flanks you convincingly.

Turning to a standard stereo track like Massive Attack’s “Angel,” there’s obvious processing, a Sonos saturation, but it maintains much of the honesty from the buoyantly menacing bassline. No, it’s not so articulate it will convince me to give up the KEF LS50 Wireless II and KC62 subwoofer. But It’s also not really fair to compare an $898 pair of speakers to a $4,298 listening station. The KEF kit is for an audiophile that wants to sequester with old acquaintances, while the Era 300 is for anybody that vibes off of making new friends. It’s an attainable, out-of-the-box wow factor that’s welcoming for everybody. A great way to have a party or check out a hot producer’s lewk. That doesn’t mean you can’t fine-tune the response, however. 

Integrate the Sonos Sub with the Era 300, which you can do with one or two speakers, and the midrange opens up noticeably. Handing off the bass opens the Era 300’s headroom and does what a well-integrated sub should do: refines rather than merely reinforces. It might initially feel that the bass quantity dips, but it’s in the pursuit of quality. Really what’s happened is stray resonance has been corralled, and the sense of separation has increased. You may prefer thick kick, while I like things a little less congested. This is not a choice you can make with Apple’s closed hardware ecosystem, for comparison, and the HomePod can get surprisingly, sometimes distractingly rumbly.

The gradients fill in even further with the Era 300s as surround speakers with the Arc. Tethered via eARC to a TV connected to an Apple TV, the Arc can receive object-based audio directly from Apple Music and render the most immersive expression of any track. Are you going to be disappointed at times? Sure, there’s nothing that Sonos can do about a bad mix. And there are plenty of bad Dolby Atmos mixes. They can’t all be Giles Martin’s take on the Beatles’ Revolver. But you’ll be engrossed more than grossed out most of the time. One note: Adding the Era 300s as surrounds deactivates Bluetooth and the USB-C port; it’s Wi-Fi streaming only from now on.

I know I’ve dedicated a million words to music, so I’ll just touch on movies briefly (check back later for thoughts on where post-Era 300 Sonos ranks in wireless surround sound systems). I’ve watched a smattering of films—standard demo fare like Top Gun: Maverick, Ready Player One, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Baby Driver, and John Wick. Well, in the words of Mad Max: Fury Road, “Do not, my friends, become addicted to Atmos. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence.” You get, well, constantly unfurling atmosphere. Pinpoint cues and disembodied voices. Tension and release. The Era 300 has gone to battle against the ordinary and emerged victorious.

The conclusion

In the Venn diagram of immediate-immersive-impressive, the Era 300 sits in a roomy overlap. That overlay broadens with two Eras, and it becomes closer to a single circle once you’ve graduated to an Arc+Sub+Era 300×2 setup. But you don’t need more than one Era 300 to enjoy gratification. On some tracks, you’ll hear more elements fly around the room. Sometimes you’ll just hear more room. All without a room-filling setup. If you’re more interested in simplicity than specs and don’t mind the slowly unwinding song distribution system, the Era 300 is expensive but a splurge that will pay off as artists embrace spatial audio’s full potential.

The post Sonos Era 300 Dolby Atmos speaker review: Prepare for glory appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		eufy by Anker RoboVac G30 Hybrid Robot Vacuum		SEE IT	This robot vacuum and mop uses laser navigation to create accurate maps of your home.
Best for hardwood floors		BISSELL SpinWave Hard Floor Expert Wet and Dry Robot Vacuum		SEE IT	This robot automatically avoids carpets and rugs while mopping.
Best budget		iRobot 240 Braava Robot Mop		SEE IT	The Braava jet pad type determines the cleaning mode—which the robot automatically detects.

Say goodbye to soggy mops with the help of the latest smart home appliance: a robot mop that—you guessed it—sops up spills and scrubs schmutz off of your flooring. If a mopping robot sounds right up your alley, you might be excited to know that you can get a combined robot vacuum and mop (although, for reasons that will become clear, you might not want to). This guide will give you the insider info you need to help you find one of the best robot mops for your home.

• Best overall: eufy by Anker RoboVac G30 Hybrid Robot Vacuum
• Best vacuum combo: Ecovacs Deebot T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum Cleaner
• Best smart: iRobot Braava Jet M6 (6110) Ultimate Robot Mop
• Best for hardwood floors: BISSELL SpinWave Hard Floor Expert Wet and Dry Robot Vacuum
• Best self-emptying: Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+
• Best budget: iRobot 240 Braava Robot Mop

How we picked the best robot mops

There’s something about the task of mopping that just seems really onerous. Maybe it’s because there are no shortcuts, and all your hard work can be undone instantly by one muddy footprint or the tiniest amount of food spillage. So, little wonder that the concept of the best robotic vacuum with mop is an attractive one. However, before you get carried away, it’s worth noting that these robots are still in their relative infancy and come with certain limitations. Even the best mopping robot isn’t going to do what a person-powered mop can. We still think robot mops are worth a go if you have kids or pets and need a device to do constant little cleanups to keep the chaos at bay.

Think about how you’d clean a floor the old-fashioned way. In that case, you’d probably vacuum it first, then use a combination of water and detergent over the surface, and once you’ve done that, you’d get a clean bucket of water and rinse away the dirty water and soap.

That’s not how mopping robots work. Most are more akin to a Swiffer-style sweeper mop in that either they spray the floor with water (a lot specifically advise against using any form of detergent, although some do have proprietary formulations) to loosen any grime. They then drag a cloth over the floor to remove schmutz, or, in the case of “dry mop” robots, use damp cloths or pads to go over a surface. That said, there are also scrubby spin mops and the best robot vac and mop combos to consider. We vetted dozens of the best robotic mops of all types before arriving at our recommendations.

The best robot mops: Reviews & Recommendations

You already know about robot vacuum cleaners—you might even have one running around in your carpeted living room right now. Maximize the cleaning of all surfaces in your home by upgrading to a robot mop. Here’s a rundown of our favorites for a variety of needs.

Best overall: eufy by Anker, RoboVac G30 Hybrid Robot Vacuum

eufy

SEE IT

Specs

• Dimensions: 12.8 inches L x 12.8 inches W x 2.85 inches H
• Power: Corded electric and lithium-ion battery
• Battery life: 110 minutes 

Pros

• Mop and vacuum in one
• Works on range of surfaces
• Good for pet owners

Cons

• Less suction power than other models

Vacuum with 2000Pa of suction power and an interchangeable mopping module with adjustable power settings for different surfaces. This robot vacuum and mop uses laser navigation to create accurate maps of your home and returns to the base station to recharge before returning to the place where it stopped with pinpoint accuracy.

Best vacuum combo: Ecovacs Deebot T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum Cleaner