The Best Smart Home Devices for Apple HomeKit of 2021

While pricier than our favorite streamer, the Apple TV 4K is an impressive, high-end streaming box, and it also doubles as an Apple HomeHub. The included remote offers Siri voice control so you can do things like open apps, check the weather, and search YouTube videos. You can even ask Siri to dim the lights as you decide what movie to watch—all from the remote. Additionally, if you have iOS-enabled cameras, like the Logitech Circle View Doorbell, you can use the hub to view smart alerts, live streams, and view recording histories on your television screen.

The Apple TV 4K also supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, has access to the most popular streaming services, and includes Apple’s TV+ service and its TV app, which integrates streaming content from multiple services in one spot. It also offers more robust support for Dolby Atmos than many cheaper devices. The Apple TV 4K is also fast, relatively easy to use, and has a visually pleasing interface. The TV app works well as a one-stop-shop for all your streaming needs, though integration relies on competitors like Netflix and Amazon Prime playing nicely with Apple—which is never a given.

For more, check out our roundup of the best streaming devices.

With the inaugural Apple HomePod on its way out, the Apple HomePod Mini is the speaker to buy for your HomeKit ecosystem. The baseball-sized smart speaker is priced right, sounds bigger than its size, offers quick and responsive access to Siri. The setup is fast and easy, and you can pair multiple HomePod Mini speakers to create stereo pairs or a multi-room audio system.

The speaker feels heavy in your hand, the power cord is thick and has a sturdy connection to the Mini's base, and the lights on top are beautiful swirling colors like you'll see when you summon Siri on an iOS device. Its small footprint, combined with its big sound and control for Apple smart homes, make it an enticing smart speaker.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart speakers.

There aren’t many worthy options when it comes to Apple HomeKit-enabled video doorbells, but the Logitech Circle View Doorbell is one of the best we’ve tested. The Siri-only doorbell works well at quickly detecting motion events and accurately telling the difference between people, animals, and vehicles. The 3:4 head-to-toe view and integration with other iOS devices make it an ideal pick for any Apple-driven smart home.

The doorbell supports facial recognition, an optional feature that can potentially tell you who specifically is at the door by pulling from the photos on your iOS device to recognize your friends and family. It also comes with truly customizable motion zones, meaning you can draw activity zones tailored to your front door view, which is helpful to avoid false notification alerts.

The wired doorbell requires a paid iCloud subscription, which allows the doorbell camera to differentiate between people, animals, vehicles, and motion. It also supports HomeKit Secure Video, which encrypts videos before uploading to iCloud.

For a HomeKit-enabled doorbell, Logitech’s is a fantastic option.

For more options, check out our roundup of the best video doorbells.

For the best HomeKit-enabled smart bulbs, you want Philips Hue LED lights. Across the board, Philips topped all of our tests thanks to an easy setup, a robust suite of features, and an intuitive app. From dimming the lights to changing the bulb color and creating scenes, there's a lot you can do using Siri voice commands to control Philips Hue bulbs.

The only downside is that, unlike some other options, Philips Hue lights do require a Philips Hue Bridge) to work remotely, in addition to an Apple HomeHub. While they can be controlled over Bluetooth, that will only work when you're physically near the bulb. Additional hardware isn’t usually a strong point, but it’s a small price to pay for the sheer performance and reliability that Hue offers—including compatibility with Apple HomeKit.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart bulbs for Apple HomeKit.

Want to be able to check or change the temperature in your house using Siri? The Emerson Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat is one of the best HomeKit-compatible smart thermostats you can buy.

It offers a straightforward installation, a fantastic user experience, an easy-to-use touch screen, and full integration with all of the major voice assistants, including Siri. If you want the same functionality as the Sensi Touch thermostat, but with a cheaper price tag, check out the Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat.

One final note: Almost all smart thermostats require a C-wire; be sure your heating/cooling system is compatible before buying a smart thermostat.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart thermostats.

Lutron makes one of the best HomeKit-enabled smart dimmer switches you can buy. Using voice-activated Siri commands, you can turn on the light, adjust the color/brightness, and activate scenes for a completely convenient smart lighting setup. This dimmer nails the software details, even responding to the scrubbing of the app's digital dim slider in real-time. The app performed beautifully on iOS devices during testing and we were able to connect and control it easily using Siri and the Home app.

The other great thing about the Lutron system is that it will work with the wiring found in older homes, unlike many other smart dimmers and switches on the market. This is because Lutron switches and dimmers don't need a neutral power line, which isn't common in the electrical wiring found in older homes. The Lutron system isn't cheap—extra dimmers and extra switches will cost you—but it's a lot cheaper than getting your home re-wired. The polish of the system is also definitely worth the money.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart in-wall dimmer switches.

Leviton's HomeKit Decora Smart Switch is built with a special hardware chip that’s designated for use only in Apple smart homes and it works great. You can control this switch from anywhere using Siri, the Apple Home app, or the polished and intuitive Leviton Decora Smart Home app to control your lights. It supports dimmable LED and CFL bulbs up to 600W and incandescent bulbs up to 1800W.

The only downside to this switch is that it requires a neutral wire. If you live in an older home without a neutral wire, then we recommend going with the Lutron Caséta Wireless Starter Kit and buying Lutron switches, which also supports Apple HomeKit.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart in-wall switches.

With the Schlage Sense smart lock, you can ask Siri to lock or unlock your door, even through your remote control if you own an Apple TV if you’ve got one. It doesn’t offer built-in Wi-Fi like many other smart locks, but it can still connect to the internet via a Schlage Sense Wi-Fi adapter. It comes equipped with built-in alarm sensors that will issue an alert if it senses an attack, which is great for those concerned about their smart lock being hacked.

If you own an iPhone and have already taken steps to fill your home with Apple HomeKit-compatible products, the Schlage Sense is a standout smart lock that should be on your radar.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart locks.

The D-Link Omna is one of the best indoor smart security cameras that work with Apple HomeKit. The Omna is built with an impressive 180-degree field of view and it offers up good quality video both during the day and at night. The only issue our reviewer ran into was the Omna's smartphone notifications, which offered no scheduling or snoozing and could become pretty annoying at times. It also offers no cloud storage, which could be a dealbreaker for some people. But if you want a security camera that works with Siri, the D-Link Omna is the way to go.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart indoor security cameras.

Water leaks can be costly, so why not protect your home with a HomeKit-enabled water leak detector like the Fibaro Flood Sensor? It's quick and accurate at delivering notifications via the Apple Home app. It also plays nice with Siri, so you can use your voice to check the status of the device, as well as the temperature of the room the sensor is in.

It only works over Bluetooth, which isn't ideal, given the range of issues that might present. Nevertheless, it's one of the few detectors that are compatible with Apple HomeKit and can survive a real flood.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart water leak detectors.

The Logitech Circle View is one of the top-rated outdoor security cameras we’ve tested that works exclusively with iOS. We set this camera up on iPhone XR and were quickly able to add it to Apple’s Home app. Most security cameras are wire-free these days, but the Circle View camera comes with a cord and needs to be plugged into a nearby outlet to use.

Logitech’s Circle View camera offers a 160-degree field of view and good-looking 1080p video resolution. You can ask Siri things like “show me the Circle View camera” and the stream appears almost immediately, which is a nice touch for any Apple ecosystem.

For more, check out our roundup of the best smart outdoor security cameras.

Home security systems that work with HomeKit are few and far between, but the Abode iota All in one system is a winner for Apple smart homes. It comes with a gateway hub that discreetly doubles as a home security camera and offers rare compatibility across all three major smart assistants, including Siri. Apple’s dedicated voice assistant can be used to arm and disarm your system, making it easy to call out to a nearby HomePod speaker as you’re on your way in or out the door.

Abode’s system, which comes with one mini door/window sensor and a key fob, is quick and full of smarts when it comes to managing your Apple smart home. When a sensor is triggered, the gateway makes a chirping sound. The gateway also offers visual cues about the alarm’s status. The audible and visual signals are a nice touch for managing your system as you’re moving throughout your home. However, to get the most out of this system, including access to Siri, you’ll need to sign up for one of Abode’s paid self or professional monitoring plans.

For more, check out our roundup of the best DIY home security systems.