There are a ton of tricks that smart displays can do. But not all of them are created equal or are worth doing on this style of advice.
The basics are easy—just about anyone knows how handy it is to ask any smart speaker or smart display to tell you the weather or play music. And you should! It’s their best use case, especially since smart displays like the Echo Show can give you more weather details onscreen. But that’s not all these handy devices do, and for the price you should get the most out of any smart display you buy.
Amazon’s Echo Shows have their own special tricks and ways to activate them. Here are my three favorite uses for an Echo Show and how to fix my least favorite feature. Do you think you would prefer another system? Don’t forget to check out our guides to the Best Smart Speakers and How to Set Up Your Smart Home.
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Play With Widgets
Widgets are my favorite casual feature of Echo Shows. They’re little squares with shortcut content that you can customize, ranging from a sticky note or calendar to managing your smart home, quick access to certain music, and so much more.
Originally, they were only on the massive Echo Show 15, but they’re now available on the Echo Show 8 and 10 as well. On the Echo Show 15, the widgets are constantly onscreen thanks to the large real estate, and there’s a widget panel that can fit up to 10 widgets. For the Echo Shows 8 and 10, they appear in the slideshow that rotates onscreen. You can display up to four widgets on the Echo Show 8 and up to six on the Echo Show 10.
I love using mine to put a calendar view, my smart-home favorites, and the weather in an easy-to-see place. They’re great for customizing your smart-home control if you want your device to focus on that; the Echo Hub (8/10, WIRED Recommends) depends entirely on widgets as a smart-home-focused device.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Check on Your Kids and Cats
Echo Shows also have a camera at the top of the screen that can be used for both video calls and as an indoor security camera–well, sort of. There are two main features under this umbrella: Live Feed, which allows you to view live feeds happening from an Echo Show device, and Home Monitoring, which you can use with other smart-home devices and set up routines.
You can ask any Echo Show to give you the live feed of another Show device, as long as you know the name of the device (or you can just choose it from the device list if you don’t want to use voice commands). This is an easy way to quickly check in on say, pets and kids, without a full-blown security camera. The device will alert anyone in the room that someone is using the Echo Show to monitor the room, so it’s not as discreet as a true security camera.
As for sound, it’s the most powerful and quietest air purifier I’ve tested. The maximum setting has a published ultrafine particle removal rate of 650 cubic meters per hour. (This is the measure of how fast and effectively an air purifier removes dust.)
According to my certificate of testing, at its highest setting the Atem X maxes out at 63 decibels, which is slightly higher than conversational speech in a restaurant, or from an air conditioner. At half that fan speed, the Atem X effectively cleans at a rate of 326 m3/h, well above its published rate of 250. It’s also one decibel above a bird call at 45 dB. It’s barely noticeable. Several times I put my hand over the grille to feel for airflow. I wasn’t sure whether it was on.
An HVAC Replacement
While it’s true that my 135-year-old Brooklyn apartment is not the Berkeley Laboratory, it is the perfect location to test a consumer air cleaner. Aside from my two cats and a dog, there’s my close proximity to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a constant source of gasoline fumes that produce the cancer-causing volatile organic compound benzene as well as particulate matter.
My apartment also has vintage steam radiators. That viral tweet, “The hottest summer I ever spent was a winter in a New York City apartment,” is true. That’s by design. The steam radiator system was intended to keep the apartment warm when you open the windows for airflow. Fresh air is healthy … on good air days, at least.
Like many of my neighbors apartments, mine won’t be retrofitted with an HVAC system complete with MERV filters to clean my air anytime soon. What happens when the air outside is toxic? I rely on portable air cleaners, especially at times like last spring, when New York City turned orange with heavy PM 2.5 from wildfires in Canada. At one point that day, New York had the worst air quality on Earth, with an index of 218. For context, Mumbai has the worst air as I’m writing this at 182. New York mayor Eric Adams said out loud what we were all thinking that day: “I went outdoors and basically said, you know, What the hell is this?”
The fact that it’s quiet—rustling-leaves quiet—on its lower settings makes the Atem X an ideal investment for those without a central HVAC system with MERV filters, which are those pleated 1-inch-thick square filters that fit into a furnace or central air system. (MERV filters can also cover a box fan to make an inexpensive DIY air purifier.)
What doesn’t the Atem X do? Unlike IQAir’s GS Series or the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool, the Atem X doesn’t have a carbon filter and cannot clear the air of odor, gases, or volatile organic compounds, like benzene. The Atem X uses a hyperHEPA filter, which captures all the tiny but potentially deadly stuff, like viruses such as Covid-19, bacteria, and PM 2.5. That designer cleaning has a cost: A replacement filter four-pack costs $199.
It’s been over four years since the world went into lockdown and indoor air quality became a main character. In a few short decades, we went from a society that smoked on airplanes to wearing KN95 masks in business class and coach. The minimalist white disc that IQAir says is “made in Germany with love” might signal a new way to think about air filters, a statement piece that brings the room together in a burning world. Even with the Atem X’s price tag, I would buy one. It’s playing the long game, a well-made handsome air filter made to go the distance.
The mobile app has a wealth of options, and the web interface is even more in-depth. It’s easy to split bands or set up a guest network. I also found that the app recognized most devices correctly (sometimes, it’s difficult to identify devices from the attributed hardware names in router apps). And there’s support for AiMesh, which means you can easily add other Asus routers to expand your Wi-Fi system. The dedicated backhaul channel, the way the router speaks to its nodes and vice versa, is extremely fast, ensuring you get the full speed of your internet connection even from that node you placed near the backyard.
On the downside, my XT8 node initially refused to update its firmware, which took a couple of attempts to fix. I also had an issue with my Sonos speakers disappearing, but resolved it with a factory reset. Overall, using the XT8 has been a smooth experience. It’s easy enough for just about anyone to operate, but the depth of options will satisfy power users.
Best Budget Mesh Router
This affordable Wi-Fi 6 package folds in parental controls and antivirus protection while delivering decent coverage and performance, making it ideal for an average family home. I tested the AX1800 3-pack, and it was very easy to set ’em all up. The three routers are quite small and sport a cylinder design that blends in well. This is a dual-band system (2.4-GHz and 5-GHz). There are two gigabit Ethernet ports on each router.
Coverage and speeds are OK, falling well short of the Asus XT8 but beating the Eero 6 (below). The app is straightforward, and it’s easy to set up a guest network. TP-Link’s HomeCare is free, and it enables antivirus protection powered by Trend Micro and robust parental controls. It’s a breeze to set up profiles with time limits and scheduled bedtimes, there are basic filters by age, and you can review activity on both the app and website.
The Quality of Service feature lets you prioritize activities like gaming or streaming or set priority devices. Importantly, you can split the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands to show as two separate Wi-Fi networks. This is handy, as some smart home devices only operate on the former band. Similarly, there’s a mixed mode for WPA2 and WPA3 security. Only a few devices work with the newer WPA3 standard, and some routers force you to choose one or the other, which can lead to issues. This mode ensures all your gadgets are on a compatible standard.
The web interface is basic and doesn’t add much, so I preferred using the easy-to-use app. However, it’s a little slow to update, and settings are still limited. It didn’t recognize many devices and listed obscure hardware manufacturer names, making it tough to figure out which devices to add to my kid’s profiles.
It wasn’t the speediest performer, but this system is fast and dependable enough for the average home. If you have a connection that’s 500 Mbps or better, it might be worth upgrading to the Deco X60 AX3000.
Best for Smart Homes
Amazon’s Eero 6 mesh system is one of the easiest to set up, offers fairly wide coverage, and delivers stable connectivity. It’s an elegant system, available as three identical routers or (a bit cheaper) as a main router and two small nodes. The Eeros blend in on a table or shelf, though the compact design leaves no room for any ports. (There are just two gigabit ports on the routers and none on the nodes.)
Although the basic Eero 6 was one of the slower systems I tested, particularly at longer distances, the speeds from the nodes were close to what I got from the main router. There were no drops, and it proved adept at sharing limited bandwidth. The mobile app is straightforward, giving you an overview of connected devices with the option to pause the internet and set up a guest network. I was also able to create profiles, group devices, set schedules, and fix bedtimes. Unfortunately, content filtering, other parental controls, advanced security, ad blocking, and activity insights require an Eero Plus subscription at $10 per month or $100 per year.
Remember the allure of the Clapper? No more getting out of bed to hit the light switch! It seemed cutting edge at the time (you can still buy it), but technology has come a long way since then. Now you can control the lights, set timers and schedules, and change colors with your smartphone or your voice if you have a voice assistant—no clapping required.
Smart bulbs are a great place to start when creating a smart home. Most options are relatively cheap, they’re easy to install, and they’re something you use everyday already. Plus, there are no cameras or door locks for someone to hack into, and no wiring to mess with. Do you want to try voice controls? Consider getting a smart speaker or smart display, but you can always use the smart bulb’s app. Of the dozens we’ve tested over the years, these are the best smart bulbs.
Updated February 2024:We’ve added new testing notes on bulbs from Nanoleaf, Philips Wiz, and Philips Hue.
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Inside or Outside Mount: For the cleanest look, you should install your shades or blinds in the window frame. Measure the depth and account for window handles or anything else that might collide with the shade. Think about where you can drill holes to fit the mounting brackets and whether your chosen spot can handle the weight of a shade. An outside mount doesn’t look as good, but it is easier to install and can cover the window completely to block more light. Inside-mounted shades always have small gaps that light can get through. If you are after a pitch-dark bedroom, combining inside mount shades with curtains is the best way to go.
Material and Finish: You can get shades and blinds in so many different styles. Take your time choosing the material and color you want and think about the opacity. If you just want a privacy shade for a street-facing living room, then choose something that lets a lot of light through. If you’re trying to conserve or block heat or reduce noise, a thicker shade can help. For the neatest look, it’s worth thinking about a valance that will cover the top of the shade (most manufacturers offer these as an added extra).
Power: Smart shades and retrofit smart blinds and curtains all require power. Most come with a rechargeable battery and they can generally be charged in situ with a long enough cable (if you don’t have an outlet close, use a power bank). Some shades take standard batteries you can swap in and out, though we recommend rechargeable batteries for these. Small solar panels are another common option that will keep your shades topped up, but you might not like how they look from the outside. In any case, always fully charge the battery before installation.
Connectivity: Most shades come with a remote control. But to put the smart in smart shades you need a hub that your shades can connect to. This will allow you to control the shades from your phone or using voice commands. Think about your current smart home setup and preferred voice assistant when you are shopping for shades to ensure compatibility. You can sometimes connect to shades via Bluetooth, but it is flaky, low range, and slow compared to Wi-Fi or Zigbee.
Automation: The number one reason to get smart shades is automation, so make sure you research what is possible when shopping. While any smart shade can be automated to open and close at set times, some can adjust to close at sunset and open at sunrise. You can also have motion sensors to trigger some shades to open when you walk into the room in the morning, or have your shades close automatically when a certain temperature is reached in the room. You may need some extra gadgets for more complex automation.
