Should You Buy a Home Automation Hub?

A home automation hub is the glue that holds a smart home together. It offers a single platform where you can control all of the devices connected to your home network—from lights and thermostats to security systems and cameras. Home hubs also allow you to create sophisticated automated routines and alerts based on motion sensors or other events. Whether or not you need a home hub may depend on your smart device setup and the communication protocols used by those devices. Smart assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant are encroaching on the territory once reserved for home hubs, but they haven’t yet replaced them completely.

The key difference between a smart assistant and a home automation hub is that hubs offer more robust scheduling and automation controls than voice assistants, as well as the ability to connect with multiple devices over different communication protocols. Some home hubs use their own communication protocol, while others—like SmartThings and Wink—utilize Z-Wave or ZigBee, which are popular smart home technologies. Dedicated smart home hubs can be expensive, but many virtual options—including IFTTT, which offers more than 700 integrations—offer flexibility without the hardware cost.

Choosing a smart home hub starts with knowing which devices you have in your home and the types of smart home devices you plan to add. Check compatibility with the communication protocols used by those devices, and look for a full list of compatible devices on the hub’s website. You should also consider if the hub is compatible with any other smart devices or smart speaker platforms you might want to integrate with it in the future.

You’ll also want to determine the level of automation you need, which will be determined by your preferences and lifestyle. Some hubs come with built-in features that are ideal for certain situations, such as the Samsung SmartThings Platform’s “SmartThings Routines” feature, which lets you start smart lighting and music sequences by voice command. Some smart hubs are also designed as a security system and provide remote access to your cameras and alarm panels through an app.

Some home automation hubs have battery backups, so they’re still useful if the power goes out. And some, such as the Nest Secure, have a display that shows your home’s status and lets you view video calls and live camera feeds.

Look for a hub that has a quick response time when you send commands to your smart home network. You don’t want to wait an eternity for your smart lights to turn on or for a video call to load. Check that the hub is compatible with your smartphone operating system and whether it can support both Wi-Fi and direct connection to your Internet router. And, if you’re considering a smart hub with a camera, make sure it has a wide-angle lens and a high-quality HD or 4K resolution. Some cameras also have night vision capabilities, and some are equipped with facial recognition technology for added security.