HomeKit Accessories Worth Checking Out - MacRumors
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HomeKit Accessories Worth Checking Out

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Every so often, MacRumors videographer Dan rounds up some of his favorite home products that he's been using. We have another installment of our HomeKit series, this time featuring devices from Lutron, Belkin, Sonos, and more.

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You can see everything in action in the video, and we have links and a short description for the ‌HomeKit‌ products below.

  • Lutron Caseta Light Switches ($195 for a set) - It can be expensive to swap out bulbs for all of the lighting in your home, but with Lutron's Caseta Smart Lighting Switch and Dimmer Switch, you can wire up your house for ‌HomeKit‌ with minimal effort. You need a bridge for the Caseta devices, so it's best to buy them in a kit if you're replacing more than one light switch.
  • Lutron Serena Smart Shades ($600) - Though not inexpensive, if you want a ‌HomeKit‌ house, Lutron makes a series of Serena Smart Shades that can be controlled using ‌HomeKit‌. You'll need to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 per window, so this is pricey home improvement.
  • Wemo Stage Scene Controller ($50) - The multi-button Wemo Stage Scene Controller can be used to control any ‌HomeKit‌ accessory with its assignable buttons.
  • Hunter Ceiling Fan ($180) - Hunter's HomeKit-enabled ceiling fans are surprisingly affordable and can be controlled with Siri, making this a useful smart home addition. Pricing starts at $180 for the Aerodyne, but there are also higher-end models available.
  • Sonos Beam Sound Bar - ($449) Sonos recently released its second-generation Beam, which is designed to work with a TV. It's AirPlay 2-enabled, so it shows up in the Home app and can be used with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 speakers like the HomePod.
  • HomePod mini ($99) - A HomePod mini is an essential component for a ‌HomeKit‌ setup as it can serve as a Home Hub, it works with Thread devices, and it supports ‌Siri‌ commands. Apple just released the ‌HomePod mini‌ in a selection of new colors, so it's a good time to buy.

Have a favorite ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ device that we left out? Let us know in the comments and we may highlight it in a future ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ video.

Tag: HomeKit Guide

Top Rated Comments

PinkyMacGodess Avatar
PinkyMacGodess
57 months ago
I keep wondering where the dimming glass windows are. Are they that expensive, that hard to manufacture, that hard to find, that unreliable?

I remember watching someone pushing a remote control button, and the glass went opaque. Loved it... Is that technology out there somewhere? It wouldn't be 'darkout' type shading, but is a start...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
pubb
57 months ago

That was CGI. Its not technically possible to make glass turn opaque.
Hate to break it to you, but it is. And has been around for years.



There are also versions that are like Transitions lenses that change tint from clear to grey/smokey
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SigEp265 Avatar
SigEp265
57 months ago
HomeBridge is totally worth checking out. I have a lot of non-homekit devices working with Home. I run it on a MacMini.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
gsmornot
57 months ago
$600 per window is pricy. I cant wait for the price to come down or another option to become available. I like the concept and use Lutron around the house just cant commit at this time to shades that cost this much. Those that can, I think you will enjoy the automation you can add with instillation.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeadingHeat Avatar
LeadingHeat
57 months ago

As a homekit noob - I wasn't aware of the nuance between wifi and bluetooth only smart plugs. The bluetooth ones always seem to be out of synch and good wifi (software-wise) ones seem hard to find.
Now go one step further and get the Eve smart plug. It’s thread enabled, so if you have a thread router (HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K gen 2, etc) then it won’t even slow down your WiFi because it creates its own network. (That’s the layman’s terms, Thread can get pretty technical if you look into it)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
_Spinn_
57 months ago
I really like Eve Energy smart plug and Eve Weather. The thread versions are really responsive.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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