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If, like me, you have gradually built up a collection of smart home devices and appliances, you will likely benefit from a dedicated smart home hub. There are a few things to consider, though, before parting with your cash.
What Is a Smart Home Hub?
Many of the latest home electronic devices and appliances—from lights to vacuum cleaners—now come with integrated smart technology, which means they can be operated from a dedicated remote or a specific app on your smartphone or tablet.
One of the headaches with smart technology is that connectivity to each device differs depending on the brand. Some might use your home Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth, whereas others rely onradio waves such as Z-Wave and Zigbee. Simply put, a smart home hub allows you to manage and automate all your smart devices from a single control point.
Choosing Between a First-Party and an Independent Hybrid Hub
A first-party hub is an all-in-one platform that usually incorporates a voice assistant—think Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri. These systems require a centralized controller, usually a speaker, that links to your smart devices and lets you control them via voice commands.
In addition, these types of home platforms can be accessed from your smartphone when you are away from home, allowing you to monitor your security and change your settings remotely.
On the other hand, an independent hub is a stand-alone device that can be programmed to communicate with any of your smart devices. This type of controller is also known as a hybrid hub because it supports multiple connection protocols, such as radio waves, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infrared.
The great thing about having an independent hub is that you don’t need to be tied to a service package or monthly subscription, and you aren’t limited to that company’s range of smart devices.
Can Any of Your Current Devices Act As Hubs?
You may be able to use an existing device such as your smart TV oran old tablet or smartphone to control some of the smart devicesin your home. However, the main drawback with this solution is that they can only connect using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Alternatively, different types of hybrid hubs with multiple connection methods are available depending on how many smart devices you own and the level of control you require. For example, a simple panel with programmable buttons, like this one fromSonoff, could be sufficient if you only have a few smart lights.
What to Consider When Getting a Smart Home Hub
If you decide that you want a central hub to control your smart home devices, here are the main things you should consider…
Compatibility
If you are on the fence about whether to opt for the ease and convenience of a first-party platform, like Google Home, or to pick an independent hub, your first consideration should be connectivity.
What smart devices do you already own? Do they already work together effectively? If you already own a Google Nest smoke alarm, doorbell, and security camera, or an Apple Mac and iPhone, it might be wise to stick with those platforms for your control methods.
If, however, you have multiple devices and systems in play, remember that one of these hubs might not be able to connect with everything. In addition, some smaller smart home manufacturers develop devices that are only compatible with their controllers, or that have already stopped offering support, so it’s also good to think about any intended future purchases and choose a system that will allow interoperability.
Choose a System That Reflects Your Needs
After identifying all your smart devices and their connection requirements, there are some additional points to think about. Most first-party hubs need to be connected to the internet, and may even use your Wi-Fi connection to communicate with your devices.
This presents a couple of issues. First of all, if you live somewhere with an unreliable internet connection, you may find yourself unable to control your devices remotely, or even when at home.
Since most first-party platforms incorporate a voice assistant, some of their functionality and features depend on the manufacturers' cloud services. This can pose reliability issues if the server experiences downtime.
But, more importantly, this also means that your home security is in the hands of third-party servers and may be vulnerable to hacks or privacy invasions. Using an independent hub allows you to decide if you want the system to be accessible online and to what degree, and allows you full operation of your connected devices during internet outages.
Consider Your Budget
On top of the initial cost of buying a hub, many first-party platforms require a monthly subscription. For example, Google Nest will cost you between $60 and $120 a year, whereas the Apple One Premier plan is a whopping $37.95 a month. By choosing an independent hub, you can say goodbye to monthly subscription fees and have more freedom to connect to non-proprietary smart devices.
A recently developed, open-source connection protocol, namedMatter, aims to be the new standard in smart device connectivityand is already being adopted by the likes of Apple, Google, and Amazon, along with a host of smaller companies. So choosing a controller that incorporates this technology is a good hedge for the future.
TheHomey Prois a next-generation hybrid home hub that retails at a reasonable $399. It uses Matter as standard and can also connect to your devices using Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio waves, or infrared. It also processes the management and scheduling of your devices locally rather than relying on cloud services, which helps protect your data and keeps your devices running even when the internet is down.
Ultimately, the right choice for your home is a system that fully meets your present and future needs. As advancements in smart technology and automation will likely continue to shape our lives, how we interact with those devices will need to keep improving and evolving. But for now, a hybrid smart home hub might just be the smartest option on the market.
