Home security cameras can be difficult to give as gifts, since many are expensive and often come with subscription requirements to enable important features such as cloud storage (which not everyone is comfortable with). But this Eufy camera solves all these problems. It’s affordable, supports local video storage with a microSD card and offers all features subscription-free, including human detection and privacy zones. The magnetic base is also easy to set up and take the camera off to recharge as needed. It’s the best new cam I’ve tested to give as a gift for anyone interested in a security upgrade inside or out. You may want to bundle it with a microSD card so storage is taken care of, too.

This high-tech smart lock is ideal for those who want to keep the look of a traditional lock but get smart features, including support for Apple Home Keys, Google Home, Alexa and more. No subscriptions are required, and the lock includes settings for remote locking, door status detection, auto locking and more. It also has an AAA rating from BHMA, making it very durable. That makes it a particularly good gift to give someone who may not know much about smart homes but can appreciate an effective upgrade. However, I would bundle this with a Level Connect device to enable Wi-Fi, which is more or less necessary and will require an outlet somewhere in the house. 

Many security systems come with required subscriptions or contracts. This Aqara kit includes a 2K camera and several tiny sensors that work right out of the box, subscription-free. There’s a motion, vibration and door/window access sensor, which users can easily place wherever they want with the included adhesive strips and set up the app to get any extra any alerts. The camera can even enable AI recognition features with no extra costs, and serves as a hub so you can add more Aqara devices in the future. There’s even somewhat limited support for Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa. 

I’m a fan of several smart thermostats currently on the market, but between high prices and more complex features, they don’t always make good gifts. This Ecobee model, however, is reasonably affordable and designed to be as simple as possible, while also working seamlessly with Siri, Alexa and Google. Ecobee says it can help save up to 23% on yearly heating and cooling costs, which lines up with my own experiences, too. Plus, most people can handle the installation themselves with a little wiring.

There’s a Nest Gen 3 video doorbell, but I prefer this wireless second-gen model as a gift. You can place it anywhere — it works well against door trim — and angle it outward if needed, so it fits just about any porch. Plus, you still get Nest’s free features, including three hours of cloud video storage to review footage and that very handy package detection tool.

Emporia’s smart plug is extremely affordable, priced at around $10. It provides useful smart features without taking up too much space, attention or setup time. Just plug it into an outlet and download the app. That app lets people track energy use from devices plugged into the smart plug, control it remotely and set schedules for activation. It’s a low-effort upgrade to lamps, indoor fountains, TVs that need to be off by a certain hour and all sorts of other home tricks.

SwitcBot’s wallet tracker is shaped like a card and made to fit into the average wallet if there’s room. If there isn’t room, it can easily work in the pocket of a nice jacket, a suitcase, laptop bag, backpack or other belongings. There’s no subscription, the battery lasts for years and you get automatic alerts when you leave the item behind, as well as the ability to track it. I’ve been using it in my own wallet for a long time now. 

OLight’s flashlight is the light of the future. It’s super compact, super durable, and has multiple modes including a spotlight, floodlight, UV light to spot stains, laser pointer, and soft moonlight mode for dark trails. The flashlight offers brightness levels that can reach up to 1,700 lumens, and multiple recharging methods. It’s an amazing add-on for traveling, camping or general home use, but it’s a bit too expensive for some people to buy for themselves, making it a great option for a special gift instead. 

Technically, smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years or so. If you know someone who could benefit from a new smoke detector, they may appreciate this smart model. It works with the Ring app and Alexa, but can give voice alerts on its own. Users get app notifications when batteries are running low and other useful information, so they don’t have to interpret chirps. Professional fire monitoring is available for a fee, but it’s certainly not necessary.   

Smart light bulbs make a great gift for people who don’t have a smart home yet. They fit in standard sockets, use long-lasting, energy-saving LEDs and offer smart features such as remote control, scheduling (even when you’re away) and voice-assistant support. Affordable options such as this Wiz bulb also include full color settings, so people can choose any hue they want. I recommend the two-pack — one smart bulb feels a little lonely.

I’ve tested many smart floodlights, and I especially love how you don’t need to worry about replacing these LED models very often, as it’s a chore. But my favorite is GE Cync’s four-quadrant floodlight, which can change to four different colors simultaneously for a variety of moods or party lighting. Add in the great app UI and music syncing features and it’s a complete, fun package.

The Kelvin heater is unlike any heater I’ve tested — a slim, portrait-like device that hangs on a wall and uses radiant heat to warm up objects in a room. It’s app-connected for remote control and scheduling — that last part I really like because radiant heaters take a bit longer to heat up a room, and you can schedule the heater to turn on an hour or so before you’re active. A radiant heater doesn’t have the same fire dangers as other space heaters, so it’s also much safer to leave alone while it’s working. Just make sure the recipient has enough room on a wall for it. 

A smart garage is a surprisingly useful addition to a home, and with this controller you don’t even need to replace your motor or rails. It allows you to control your garage with your phone, get alerts about its status and set schedules or automatic closing. It works with most garage doors built after 1993, but it’s a good idea to quietly check the make and model of the gift receiver’s garage before you buy. 

This leak detector doesn’t require any additional hubs or hoops to jump through: You just activate the battery, connect it to the app and put it where you’re worried about leaks, such as under sinks, by water heaters, by pipes that may burst in below-zero weather or behind toilets that sometimes misbehave. The app and siren will let you know if water starts leaking.

Google’s latest smart home speaker has some of the best sound I’ve heard for anything in its size or price range, making it an excellent option for music, especially since it supports all the streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music. Gemini for Home can answer questions, schedule events, control devices and make reminders for free, and I don’t think the paid tiers with continued conversations or other AI capabilities are really worth it for the typical home. Just make sure a smart speaker and voice assistant is something the recipient is interested in before buying, as some people aren’t fans. 

The Echo Show 11 has an 11-inch screen, and Alexa can connect to everything from YouTube videos to your favorite streaming services to catch up on a show while you’re busy in the kitchen, garage, office or other places around the home. The speakers aren’t shabby either, so this touchscreen display can easily double as a speaker. The visual options for reviewing schedules, events, reminders and recipes are also very useful. If the person you’re thinking of has an Amazon Prime subscription, they can access Alexa Plus for free and the AI’s many additional capabilities, such as ordering from Uber or Grubhub. 

Zafro’s smart fan is one of our favorites, dishing out airflow over 40 feet while staying quiet. You can control modes, oscillation and even schedules with the app or voice commands. Our tests showed impressive results when it came to performance, and we really like extras such as the easy-wash design as well as the ability to automatically turn the fan on based on its internal temperature sensor.

The Shark StainForce is both a dry and a wet vacuum, small enough to hold in a hand but powerful enough to deal with tons of different fabric stains, especially with Shark’s stain-eliminating spray, which really impressed our reviewer Ajay Kumar. Ajay tested the kit out on multiple pet stains, but it can work for just about anything as long as users clean out the wet vac canister between uses. Oh, and did I mention the whole thing is entirely cordless?

A pet water fountain is already a good idea, since pets are more attracted to moving water. But this smart version is the best I’ve tested, with two separate tanks and a tray to avoid recirculating water, so it stays fresh much longer. It’s also very smart, including app controls that allow you to adjust refills and other details, even heating the water up for especially picky pets. But that’s only the beginning: This fountain also includes a pet camera that can identify pets when they approach and notify you when they’re drinking. It’s low to the ground, so it’s not a big privacy issue, but gives a person extra eyes on their pet, along with a two-way audio option to talk. There’s a subscription for video logs and other featuers, but I don’t think it’s necessary on this do-it-all model. Just keep in mind, it’s not really suited for especially large dogs. 

The Litter-Robot 5 is incredibly powerful and smart, easily enough to handle multiple cats. It comes with auto-scooping, app controls and a rounded design meant to help with cat safety, although older cats may need a ramp up to it. Not everyone likes all the smart features such as sensors, waste identification AI cameras and so on, many of which require a subscription to use, but if you’re looking for a simpler version of this product to give as a gift, we also really like the Whisker Litter-Robot 4 model. 

This pool robot represents the new age of pool cleaning, thanks to its AI navigation, and ability to suction and collect leaves and even stones. David Watsky says it’s the most impressive out of all his tests, especially when it comes to its efficient three-hour battery life and the “Patrol” mode. Just make sure the recipient doesn’t already have a pool cleaning bot or has one so old that it desperately needs to be replaced.