Credit:
TP-Link / Reviewed
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
There are small things you can do to your home to make it feel a little more luxurious. From a fresh coat of paint to a few more throw pillows these little things make your home feel refreshed. Aside from changing up your interior, you can still buy a few things without spending too much that will give your home a serious upgrade.
From smart home technology to the little things that make your life easier, these products create simple ways that make your home feel more put together. The best part? All these things cost less than $50, so there's no reason not to invest in these great upgrades.
1. Smart bulbs for a brighter home
You'll feel more sophisticated controlling your lights from your phone.
Smart bulbs are honestly a lot of fun and can make your home seem like it's from the future. Although some fancy bulbs that change color and have Alexa connectivity can cost you over $40+ apiece, you can still find great options for less than $20. These ones from TP-Link are the best affordable smart bulbs we’ve ever tested. We loved this model because you can still do things like dimming the bulb and setting a schedule, which means you can have the lights turn on before you get home late at night or have them turn off automatically when you leave for work.
Get the TP-Link LB100 Smart Bulb on Amazon for $19.18
2. Smart plugs to make anything smarter
Control all your electronics from your phone.
Life is easier when you're able to control things from your smartphone. With a smart plug, you can easily turn on and off your TV, lights, coffee machine, and more from an app without having to spend a bunch on a "smart" version of these products. The Eufy Smart Plug Mini is the best affordable smart plug we’ve ever tested because it works with Alexa and has energy monitoring capabilities, which helps you see how much power your devices are really using and can help you reduce your carbon footprint.
Get the Eufy Smart Plug Mini on Amazon for $20.99
3. A virtual personal assistant
"Alexa, what's the weather?"
Smart speakers may not be completely necessary, but they’re super helpful for the little things in life and can make it feel like you have a personal assistant to do your bidding. The Echo Dot is the smallest and most inexpensive Echo of the bunch at $50 and can be quite useful in your daily life. You can use it to all set a timer for my laundry, check the weather in the morning, and play music while you’re cooking. Amazon even recently upgraded the Dot to improve its sound quality, making it even more appealing.
Get the Echo Dot (3rd Gen.) on Amazon for $49.99
4. An electric kettle for instant hot water
Get you cup of tea in an instant.
Waiting approximately 10 minutes for your kettle to boil is time-consuming and the whistle a kettle makes when it's ready is quite possibly the most annoying sound in the world. With electric kettles, you can boil water faster and free up room on the stove for cooking. This one from Hamilton Beach is our favorite affordable kettle because it had one of the fastest boil times of all the kettles we tested and it doesn’t take up too much counter space. It won’t do anything crazy like boil water to a specific temperature or beep when it’s ready, but we think it’s still a great choice for the average user.
Get the Hamilton Beach 1.7 Liter Electric Kettle on Amazon for $25.14
5. A streaming stick for better TV
Netflix and chill just got an upgrade.
How many channels do you actually use for cable? Think about it. There's probably only a handful of shows you're dedicated to and it's much cheaper to ditch cable altogether while still watching your favorite shows on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Plus, thanks to streaming sticks, you can still watch them on the small screen in your living room (and it's mostly commercial-free). The Roku Streaming Stick is one of the best streaming devices we’ve ever tested and it’s at a great price if you can do without 4K or HDR content.
Get the Roku Streaming Stick on Amazon for $39.99
6. An indoor security camera for peace of mind
Give yourself a boost of security while you're away.
Whether you want peace of mind while you’re on vacation or like to keep an eye on your cat while you’re at work, an indoor camera will do wonders. After testing a variety of indoor security cameras, we gave the Yi Dome Camera 720p our Best Value award. We loved that it had good video quality, you can tilt the camera, it can track subjects, and you get seven days of free cloud storage. Plus, it’ll make your home seem much more secure without dealing with the hassle and cost of installing a whole security system.
Get the Yi Dome Indoor Smart Camera on Amazon for $37.99
7. An essential oil diffuser for fresh scents
Get sweet smells the second you walk through the door.
Coming home to a house that smells amazing can be a game changer to help you unwind after a log day. Thankfully, essential oil diffusers can run during the day so you can smell something amazing as soon as you walk through the door. Plus, unlike a candle, you don't have to worry about it burning the house down if you leave it unattended. This one from InnoGear is the best essential oil diffuser we’ve ever tested and it costs less than $20. Other than the price, we love that it can run up to 11 hours and has a locking feature, which makes it harder to spill when moving it compared to other diffusers we tested.
Get the InnoGear Aromatherapy Diffuser on Amazon for $15.99
8. Smart in-wall light switches for more control
Do more than turn off your lights.
Like smart bulbs, smart switches allow you to control your lights more easily, but you can also use them to control bathroom fans, ceiling fans, garbage disposals, outlets, or anything else that requires a switch. This makes it easy to dim lights or turn something on the other side of the house on or off without getting uop thanks to a smartphone app or by asking Alexa or Google Assistant. The Leviton Decora Smart Switch is our favorite smart in-wall light switch because it was easy to set up, responded to the app quickly, and connects over WiFi, so you don’t need a hub to use it.
Get the Leviton Decora Smart Switch on Amazon for $37.95
9. A plug to keep your shower clean
Cleaning your shower has never been easier.
You might not think that this unusual device will be much of an upgrade, but it definitely is. Showers get really gross and drains get clogged really easily, especially if you have a lot of hair. Instead of wrangling clogs with a drain snake, you just stick this little piece on silicone in your shower drain. It will catch hair and other bits before they can slip down the drain and collect, so you won’t have to deal with the gross removal later. Plus, cleanup is super easy—you just wipe the hair out with a paper towel and pop the TubShroom back in place.
Get the TubShroom Tub Drain Protector on Amazon for $12.99
10. Bed sheets that make you feel like royalty
Sweet dreams.
Getting into bed at the end of the night should feel both amazing and relaxing—and the best way to do so is with a great pair of sheets. Luxury brands charge well over $100, but there are some great options for a fraction of the price. These ones from Mellanni are the best affordable sheets we’ve ever tested. We loved them because they're super soft and cozy, are made from brushed microfiber, don’t wrinkle that much, and don't stain easily, so not only will you feel luxurious, but your bed will look more inviting.
Get the Mellanni Bed Sheet Set on Amazon for $24.70
Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.