Best smart home products of the year

Ring Alarm Pro remains our favorite DIY home security system. Unique in its class, it incorporates a dual-band mesh Wi-Fi router (an Eero Wi-Fi 6), an LTE radio for broadband backup, a microSD card slot for local storage of video clips from Ring security cameras (you provide the card), and an optional battery packs to keep the entire system operating in the event of a power failure. There’s a Z-Wave radio for connecting motion, contact, leak-detection, and other types of sensors and accessories. And the Works with Ring program includes a host of compatible third-party smart home devices, including smart locks, garage door openers, smart light switches and plugs, smart thermostats, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and even smart water valves. A $20-per-month subscription includes professional monitoring that can summon first responders in the event of an emergency.