Smart home suites match up devices for security and convenience

With a name like iHome, you'd think the brand would be a natural to enter the smart domicile space. Actually, iHome is a relatively recent entrant. However, the company has delivered a strong differentiator -- its products are based on Wi-Fi rather than the Z-Wave standard that is used for many sensor-based home automation products. First known for home audio products and now dabbling in light therapy and aromatherapy, iHome's smart home products include a Wi-Fi-based leak detector, motion detector smart plug, and door and window sensor. One of its more unique products, though, is a 5-in-1 smart monitor that includes a small display for such indoor comfort factors as temperature and humidity, as well as motion, sound, and light.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

Nest, the division of Alphabet that may or may not be part of Google at any given time, got off to a slow start after acquiring Dropcam and trotting out a smoke detector. More recently, though, it had its biggest product line expansion with Nest Secure, a thoughtfully conceived suite of products that include a combination door/window and motion sensor and Nest Guard, a hub, and standalone keypad that can be deactivated with the touch of a key fob. They join Nest Hello, a doorbell camera that's one of several camera options to have grown out of the Dropcam acquisition and Nest Protect, its smoke and carbon monoxide sensor.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

Most consumers who know Ooma think of it for its Telo VoIP product that provides free long-distance calls. Ooma was early to hop on the Alexa bandwagon. But the company recently got a lot deeper into home security, coming out with its own motion and water sensors, door and window sensors, and a siren. It also sells a garage door sensor produced by VTech and bought up Kickstarter darling Butterflye, which focused on cameras that did not need to be plugged in. The Telo itself acts as the smart home hub and anchors a startup kit that includes a motion sensor and two door or window sensors.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

It seems that the savvy Amazon marketers at Anker pushed past their original markets of cables and portable battery packs into portable audio products just this year. But now, the company is expanding into several subbrands including Eufy, its collection of smart home products. The Eufy line itself is segmented into product families. Health-related products include blood pressure cuffs, smart scales and humidifiers, while the lighting products include bulbs, desk lamps, string lights, and night lights.. The company also has a couple of connected robotic vacuums and recently introduced an outdoor camera with a beefy battery.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

One of the biggest suppliers of consumer networking gear, D-Link, has evolved its home automation lineup to include virtually smart home product that can connect to one of its routers. These include sensors for motion and moisture, a smart plug, siren, and several Wi-Fi cameras, including a panoramic one and an outdoor one announced at CES 2018.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

The original SimpliSafe product didn't do much in the way of creating a smart home, but it was a nonetheless innovative alternative to ponderous and expensive whole-home security systems designed for those with smaller homes or apartments. But as companies have ventured into smart home control, so has SimpleSafe. Its new offerings include the SimpliSafe Hub, motion sensors, entry sensors, a key fob, a smoke detector, and even a siren. But the most significant new addition is a home camera. SimpliSafe doesn't require a contract, but offers monitoring starting at about $20 per month.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

Amazon may be the retailer that has the strongest home automation position now with Alexa, but home improvements retailer Lowe's has been stringing together its own family of products under the Iris brand. Iris checks off all the key boxes, including motion sensors, keypads, smart plugs, indoor and outdoor cameras. The retailer offers three main starter kits -- security, automation, and lighting -- and has certified a wide range of third-party products to work with its system.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

No startup since Nest did more to jump-start smart home awareness than Ring. Both companies offered a window into home conditions when inhabitants were away. However, while Nest was slow to build a suite around its thermostat, Ring moved quickly, complementing its video doorbell with a chime, several cameras, and an outdoor spotlight. In any case, both startups wound up as part of the family of tech titans. With its recent acquisition by Amazon.com, Ring will likely play into Amazon Key, its program to allow package drop-offs inside the home.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries

iDevices was an early supporter of Apple's HomeKit but, like many other suites, now offers support for Alexa and Google Assistant. With a focus on power products, it is one of the few smart home device families that includes in-wall light switches as well as a light socket and an outdoor plug. It also has its own thermostat and even a shower radio, although that uses Bluetooth like so many other portable speakers.

Read also: Getting started with Alexa and smart home tech for under $100 | SmartThings ADT Home Security: Where smarts meet security | Nest adds temperature sensor to expanding smart home lineup | Amazon Ring acquisition: Made not for smart homes, but for deliveries