These smart home companies I ACTUALLY trust

Stop buying smart home gear that stops working the moment a company goes bust or changes their terms. This is my no-nonsense guide to the smart home products I actually recommend -- chosen for local control, open standards, and zero mandatory cloud accounts. Covering smart lighting, cameras, sensors, plugs, voice assistants, and more. # Brands and Products mentioned in the video: Reolink Cameras: https://Reolink.com/?aff=1476 Amcrest Cameras: https://amzn.to/41uRMFg Aqara G4 Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4calLZg (Or the G410 if you want a thread version: https://amzn.to/4dOd4VB) Aqara products: https://amzn.to/4bU2Y3e Innr products: https://amzn.to/4sGfvhP Home assistant Connect ZBT-2: https://amzn.to/4bEcf0h Home assistant voice (I found it on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/4dgi8Ce Home assistant green: https://amzn.to/4bN5mKl Sonoff ZB Dongle E: https://amzn.to/4s4k1Wa Electrolama multi-protocol dongle: https://electrolama.com/products/zzh-multiprotocol-rf-stick SMLight SLZB-MR4 Multi protocol: https://amzn.to/4dbX1Rm (My latest toy and it's amazing!) IKEA links vary from country to country, plus their Zigbee devices are getting harder and hard to find, so there is little point posting links. I actually recommend you visit an IKEA as soon as you can as you will probably manage to get a bunch of zigbee things on clearance and it's an absolute bargain. I just snagged TEN Tretakt plugs with a bundled button at £5 each! # Other videos I mention What the heck is Frigate?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGoDkF8CA8c What the heck is Home assistant?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLupKqxYcaw 5 Smart home purchases I regret: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMl0gnWi39U&pp=0gcJCdkKAYcqIYzv The Hookups testing of Innr (and other) smart bulbs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xk7sTe29hs # Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:45 The promise (and what to look out for) 02:41 What to avoid 03:48 Who I recommend: Lighting 06:08 Who I recommend: Cameras 08:27 Who I recommend: Smart plugs 10:03 Who I recommend: Sensors 12:35 Who I recommend: Voice control 14:12 Who I recommend: Hubs 15:42 Zigbee co-ordinators 18:34 The protocol wars 21:54 The key takeaway 22:57 Outro --- # My links: My website: https://www.foxyslab.com My blog: https://foxleigh.me Discord: https://discord.gg/tPdaADbM2N Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/foxyslab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfoxleigh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxleigh81 GitHub: https://github.com/foxleigh81 # Gear + stuff I use My studio kit, homelab builds and recommended gear are listed here: https://www.foxyslab.com/resources # Support the channel If you like my videos and want to help me keep making more of them, Patreon is the best way. You also get Discord roles, behind-the-scenes chats and your name in the credits depending on the tier. If you just want to send a one-off tip then you can do that over at ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/foxleigh81 If you want to support me but you can't afford to donate money then simply engaging with my videos with a like or a comment goes a long way, I'd be especially grateful if you shared a link to my videos to someone else. However you choose to support me, I will be very grateful :) Disclaimer: Some links in this description are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel! Transparency: Unless stated otherwise, all products were purchased by me. Opinions are 100% my own.