 are becoming increasingly popular. One study found that the number of homes reporting having a smart device 

 from 2023 to 2024. And it’s understandable why this trend keeps growing! Installing the right smart devices around your home makes it easier to manage with voice commands no matter where you're standing. You may already have smart speakers, but smart displays can be the next technological upgrade and connect your home.

Buy Now 

Smart Home Buyers Guide 

A smart home display is like a smart speaker but with a touch screen. You can control your smart home display with voice commands and ask it to play music, tell you the weather, or answer a question. However, the touch screen allows for extra capabilities, such as displaying the time, photos, video, temperature, and more.

Many smart home displays come with the following features:

Control smart TVs and sync with streaming services

Ability to control other smart devices like alarms, lights, cameras, and thermostats

You've probably already used smart technology in your everyday life and seen the benefits. Maybe you use your smartphone's connection to your car to voice-command calls and texts, so you don't have to use your phone while driving. Or you've used an app to check on your home's security system when you receive an alert of suspicious activity. Well, smart home displays are another convenient addition to your home that can make everyday life just a bit easier.

Imagine being able to ask your smart display to show you the weather forecast for the next week or set a five-minute timer while you're baking. Smart home displays are convenient, easy to set up, and affordable, allowing you to navigate your home hands-free.

This list is entirely made up of Amazon and Google displays, but that's for a few reasons. First, most people have an Alexa or Google Home product, so you want a smart home display that syncs with those existing products. Second, Amazon and Google are simply the innovators and leaders in this field and are hard to beat.

Here are the top four smart home displays you should consider in 2024:

 was released in 2023 and is a sleek smart home display with an 8" HD touchscreen. Its sound is great, and it even offers automatic acoustic adjustments. Your Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Generation) will perform fast, have a high-resolution display, and sync with many Alexa voice control features.

However, one notable con of this display is that people have noted the bass is limited.

 is perfect for any home with smart Google products. The screen for this display is small (seven inches), which makes it a great fit for anyone looking for a display for their nightstand. In fact, if you use it on your nightstand, the Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation) can report on your sleep quality! It does this by using a microphone and motion sensors to track your breathing and movement at night.

One major con is that this display does not have a camera, so you cannot make video calls.

You can currently purchase the Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation) for $84.99.

If you're looking for something compact and affordable, the 

) is the smart display for you. This display only has a five-inch screen, which doesn't make it an excellent choice for watching videos. But it has a camera, so you can use it for video calls.

Despite its small size, this display offers loud volume, so you'll hear anything it broadcasts loudly and clearly.

Currently, the Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Generation) sits at $79.99

 if screen size matters most to you. This display has a large 15.6-inch screen! However, the large screen size comes at a tradeoff—unfortunately, this display has less-than-average audio and video quality.

The Amazon Echo Show 15 is perfect for acting as a home control center. Just leave it in your kitchen or living room and give family members easy access to leave notes, check on the Ring doorbell feed, or change the house's temperature.

The Amazon Echo Show 15 currently sells for $279.99.

These are just four out of dozens of smart displays on the market. Not only are there many models, but new generations of each model are released almost every year!

So, how do you know which one to buy? This list is a good starting point for some of the best options on the market.

You can also narrow down the choices by deciding which features are most important to you. Ask yourself the following questions:

Does screen size matter to you? If so, what's your ideal screen size?

Do you want your display to have a camera for video calling?

Do you want your display to have excellent audio and video quality?

Once you have that figured out, you should be ready to start shopping. Remember, the right smart display will make life at home much smoother.

 to feel like you are living in the future.

Smart home displays can help your home be more connected and accessible. But how do you know which one to buy? This guide walks you through the top four choices on the market right now. 

The Best Smart Displays to Enhancing Your Home | Popular Living

The Best Smart Displays to Enhance Your Home

When the tree is trimmed and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, does the lighting in your home make your spirits bright or do your dull lights make you feel more like the Grinch in his dark and dreary cave? Let’s talk about how smart lighting can add to the festivities this holiday season… so all can be merry and bright.

Brighten Your Festive Mood with Smart Lighting

Choosing the right lighting for your home is important all throughout the year, but especially during the holidays season when emotions are high and the days are dark. Light impacts 

. It goes beyond ambiance (although that matters, too!) – your eyes take in different types of light and send messages straight to your brain.

? It’s a trending Danish term that encompasses coziness, comfort, and contentment, especially during the dreary northern winter months. 

and inviting lighting is one of the main tenets of hygge, since it has such a major impact on mood and setting. Cozy lighting helps you feel safe, comfortable, and present.

Smart lights that add the finishing touches to your holiday setup can help you feel happier, cozier, and more content this winter, so let’s dive into ideas and options.

Creative Ways to Use Smart Lighting for Holiday Ambiance

Indoor smart lights make a fun and festive addition to your holiday décor since you can use different colors, patterns, and brightness levels to set the mood. Here are just a few examples of ways to set your smart lights to enhance the holiday feeling:

Set your lights to a “snowfall” or twinkling pattern to make things merry.

Turn the lights red and green for a traditional holiday feel.

Turn them blue for a wintry, snowy setting.

Set them to red and golden hues for a warmer ambiance.

Dim, yellow light imitates intimate, cozy candlelight. This can be a great setting to let your tree lights or fireplace be the star of the show.

Lights can be set to blink along to your favorite holiday jingles (a favorite with the kids!).

can be another fun way to keep things sparkly this holiday season. 

Use an app on your phone set, program, or change your lights whenever you want. I have the smart lights in my home connected to our 

 so we can tell Alexa to set the holiday mood! I also have 

 connected to my Christmas tree, garland on the banister, and fireplace so I can easily set the holiday lighting to my liking.

Outdoor Smart Lighting: Transform Your Space this Holiday Season

Is there anything more beautiful than holiday lights on snow? Even if you don’t live somewhere with snow, that warm holiday glow lighting up the dark winter months is a lovely sight to behold.

Options for festive holiday lighting for your home’s exterior include smart bulbs placed in your home’s existing outdoor lights, having permanent smart holiday lights installed, or using smart lighting strands to decorate your outdoor space. Think of cozy settings with outdoor seating, a fire pit, and 

 you can program in a snowfall pattern for a perfect evening with loved ones.

Since weather, water, wind, and other factors come into play for outdoor lights, make sure the lights you choose are designed for outdoor use. They should be waterproof and able to perform in low temperatures.

Luckily, programming smart lights is easier than ever, since most everything can be done from an app on your phone. Instructions will depend on your specific lights, so once you’ve installed your lights, follow the instructions on the app to program the light and choose the colors, patterns, timers, and other settings your heart desires.

Installation of your holiday lights will look different based on what kind you buy, but here’s what we did to install our LED wafer 

Cut the power to the area (safety first!).

Cut a 6-inch hole in the sheetrock with a hole saw drill bit.

Since each light requires power, find the power wire, attach the junction box that comes with the light to the power, then attach the light to the junction box.

While your experience may vary, here is some equipment you may need to install your smart lights:

Top Smart Lighting Options for Perfect Holiday Decorations

There are lots of smart lighting products available that can be used to brighten your holidays. When shopping around, be sure that the device gets consistently great reviews, is compatible with whatever phone (i.e., Apple vs. Android) or smart home system (such as Google or Amazon) you use, works with your home’s electrical setup, and offers the features and programming options you prefer.

Philips is the go-to name in smart bulbs these days. Other market-leading brands include Govee, Cloudy Bay, Kasa, Wyze, Sengled, and LIFX. They all put out long-lasting, functional, programmable, and beautiful smart lights, so it’s just a matter of finding the option that offers the features you’re looking for.

The smart holiday lights I use for my home

 to keep things festive. Right now, we have them alternating red and green (after I vetoed the flashing option my husband chose), and it’s so fun to see them all lit up at night when I drive up to the house.

Inside our house, we have these Cloudy Bay 

. They look just like can lights, and it’s easy to have Alexa change them to suit our whims.

Smart Lighting: How to Save on Electricity Bills during Holidays

In addition to how fun and festive smart lighting can be during the holiday season, it’s also an important time to cut down on energy bills. Energy-efficient smart lights not only save you money during the holidays when energy consumption is up and every dollar counts, but they’re better for the environment, too!

I had an environmental science professor in grad school tell us that if we replaced every incandescent bulb in our homes with LED alternatives and threw away every spare in our closets, the energy savings would make up for the cost of the thrown-away lights within one year. That was convincing enough for me!

Bottom Line: Why Smart Lighting Is a Bright Idea for the Holidays

Smart lights for your home can make the most wonderful time of the year even more magical, and they save you money while they work their magic. There are so many different ways you can make your smart lights enhance the holiday mood of your home, so explore the possibilities this year. Happy holidays!

Let’s talk about how smart lighting can add to the festivities this holiday season… so all can be merry and bright.

Smart lighting can uplift your holiday mood by enabling cozy, festive ambiances with various colors and patterns.

Innovative Smart Lighting Ideas for Holiday Ambiance | Popular Living

Merry and Bright: Innovative Smart Lighting Ideas for Holiday Ambiance

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In the era of seamless connectivity, smart homes decked out with “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices have become more common than ever. From 

that learn your preferred room temperature to 

 that can order groceries online, the marvels of this technology have permeated nearly every aspect of our homes. Yet, as we embrace this digital transformation, we must also grapple with the growing 

 issues. This article will serve as your guide to securing your digital fortress, helping you to navigate the potential pitfalls and safeguard your personal information.

Each device in your smart home could potentially be a treasure trove of personal data. This could be anything from your daily routine learned by your smart thermostat to your shopping habits known by your intelligent fridge. Without the right precautions, your private information may fall into the wrong hands, leading to significant privacy invasions. This could be as innocuous as targeted ads based on your habits or as serious as identity theft.

Cybersecurity risks are as varied as they are numerous. They include the prospect of hackers taking control of your devices, to the threat of malware attacks. These 

 can result in unauthorized access, data theft, or even risks to your physical safety. For example, a hacker could potentially unlock your smart door or tamper with your security systems, leading to physical break-ins. This underscores the importance of taking smart home device security seriously.

Your Wi-Fi network is the main artery of your smart home, and 

 is paramount. Use WPA3 encryption if available, and consider hiding your network from public view to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Doing so makes it harder for potential intruders to find and exploit your Wi-Fi network, protecting your devices and the data they hold.

Updates from manufacturers often include patches to fix security vulnerabilities. Keeping your devices updated is a simple but effective step to enhance smart home device security. This means regularly checking for and installing updates on all your smart devices, including less obvious ones like smart light bulbs or plugs.

A strong, unique password is like a drawbridge to your digital castle. It’s your first line of defense against unwanted intruders. Ensure you set a unique password for each of your devices. Using the same password for multiple devices can lead to a domino effect if one device is compromised.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second step for verification. It's like having an additional lock on your castle gate. Even if someone gets hold of your password, they would still need the second verification factor, often a code sent to your phone, to gain access.

Many smart devices come with default settings that prioritize convenience over security. For example, they might come with default passwords or have sharing settings turned on. Make sure to adjust these settings to favor security over ease of use. This often means changing default passwords, turning off unnecessary sharing options, and disabling remote access when not needed.

Lastly, remember that the best defense is a good offense. 

) about common cyber threats and the best practices for staying safe online. This includes understanding 

, using strong, unique passwords for every account, and being careful about the personal information you share online.

Knowing what data your devices are collecting

 and how it's being used is crucial. Many devices collect more data than they need to function, and this data can be used in ways you might not expect. If the policy seems intrusive, or if the data is shared with third parties, it may be worth considering an alternative device.

Think twice before sharing personal information with your smart devices. Share only what's necessary for the device to function. For example, while a smart speaker might offer personalized experiences based on your location, consider whether this feature is worth the potential privacy trade-off.

Consider devices from manufacturers known for their commitment to user privacy. Such devices often come with robust privacy features, like the ability to delete your data periodically or encryption to protect your data even if the device is compromised.

The Role of Manufacturers and Service Providers

Manufacturers and service providers hold a key responsibility in 

 and security. They should commit to stringent security measures, provide regular updates, and maintain transparency about their data collection and usage policies. This includes clear and accessible privacy policies, prompt notification of data breaches, and user-friendly security settings. Always choose companies with a positive track record in these areas.

In the age of smart homes, guarding your digital castle is more important than ever. By taking appropriate security measures and understanding privacy best practices, you can revel in the convenience of smart home technology without compromising your security or personal information. Remember, a safe smart home is not just about the devices you use but also how you use them.

Q: What are the most common privacy and security risks associated with smart homes?

A: The most common risks include unauthorized device access, privacy breaches, and malware attacks. These can lead to personal data being stolen, devices being controlled remotely, or even physical break-ins.



Q: How can I secure my Wi-Fi network to protect my smart home?

A: Use WPA3 encryption, hide your network from public view, and set strong, unique passwords for your router and Wi-Fi network. This makes it harder for potential intruders to find and exploit your network.

Q: Why are software updates important for smart home security?


A: Updates often patch security vulnerabilities, helping to protect your devices from various cyber threats, including IoT Security breaches. They also often include new features or improvements, which can enhance the functionality and security of your devices.

Q: How can I protect my personal data when using smart home devices?

A: Limit the personal data you share with devices, understand their data collection policies, and use devices from privacy-focused manufacturers. This ensures that even if a device is compromised, the amount of data at risk is minimized.

Q: What role do manufacturers and service providers play in smart home security and privacy?


A: They should prioritize robust security measures, provide regular software updates, and maintain transparency about data collection and usage. This includes clear and accessible privacy policies, prompt notification of data breaches, and user-friendly security settings. Choosing reputable companies is essential for protecting your smart home.

In the era of seamless connectivity, smart homes decked out with “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices have become more common than ever. From smart thermostats that learn your preferred room temperature to intelligent fridges that can order groceries online, the marvels of this technology have permeated nearly every aspect of our homes. Yet, as we embrace this digital transformation, we must also grapple with the growing smart home privacy concerns and smart home device security issues. This article will serve as your guide to...

Smart home privacy and security are important. Learn how to secure your digital assets, avoid common pitfalls and protect your personal information.

Ensuring Privacy and Security in Your Smart Home | Popular Living

Guarding Your Digital Castle: Ensuring Privacy and Security in Your Smart Home

At long last, the dream of a fully automated, intuitive, and responsive home is no longer a far-off future but an accessible reality. However, having professional installers outfit your home with the latest smart home technology can be a costly endeavor. But, embarking on a DIY smart home project can seem daunting, especially if you need help figuring out where to begin.


Don't scrap your smart home dreams, though. This guide will take you through creating your dream smart home, providing practical tips and resources while focusing on cost-effective solutions and beginner-friendly projects.

A smart home is a living space that utilizes internet-connected devices to monitor and manage appliances and systems remotely. These devices include lighting, heating, security, entertainment, and even kitchen appliances. The primary aim is to enhance home life through improved convenience, safety, and 

Every smart home project is unique, as it should cater to its inhabitants' specific needs and lifestyles. The first step in building a smart home is identifying your needs and goals. Do you want to enhance 

, save energy, or make your daily routines more convenient? Identify your objectives and prioritize them according to your budget.

The smart home market is filled with various platforms and ecosystems, each with strengths and weaknesses. Whether it's 

, your choice will depend on your existing devices, desired features, and budget.

 All platforms offer a range of features to cater to these needs. However, the extent of their capabilities and the specific devices compatible with each platform may vary.

Instead of trying to automate your entire home at once, start with a single room or a specific function. For instance, begin by installing smart lighting in your living room or setting up a smart security system at the entrance. This strategy will allow you to test the waters and understand the process before fully diving in.

Opt for devices that serve multiple purposes to get the most bang for your buck. For example, a smart speaker can play music, control other devices, provide news updates, and even answer questions. Similarly, a smart display can be a digital photo frame, recipe book, and control panel for other devices.

Numerous online resources offer step-by-step guides and tutorials for DIY smart home projects. Websites such as Instructables, Hackster.io, and the DIY section of Home Assistant's website can be invaluable resources.

Like any other digital device, your smart devices must be regularly updated to function optimally and securely. Make sure to check for and install updates as they become available.

One of the main benefits of a smart home is energy efficiency. Use your smart devices' energy monitoring features to track your consumption and make necessary adjustments. This information can significantly reduce your energy bills over time.


Even with the most user-friendly devices, you may encounter issues that require tech support.

Choose brands with a strong reputation for customer service, and don't hesitate to reach out when you need help. Remember, tech support is a crucial part of maintaining a smart home, ensuring it stays functional and efficient.


As technology evolves, the capabilities of smart homes will continue to expand. From self-cleaning appliances to AI-powered personal assistants, the possibilities are endless. Staying informed about these trends will allow you to update and improve your smart home continually.

Building a smart home is an exciting journey that can significantly enhance your lifestyle and be a fun and rewarding DIY project. You can create your dream smart home without breaking the bank by carefully planning, starting small, and making smart choices.

This journey is not without its challenges, but with the resources and tips we've provided, we believe you're now better equipped to transform your home into the smart home of your dreams.

Remember, the beauty of a DIY smart home is that it's an ongoing project. As technology advances and your needs change, there's always room for improvement and expansion. Embrace the learning process, and above all, have fun while doing it!

At long last, the dream of a fully automated, intuitive, and responsive home is no longer a far-off future but an accessible reality. However, having professional installers outfit your home with the latest smart home technology can be a costly endeavor. But, embarking on a DIY smart home project can seem daunting, especially if you need help figuring out where to begin.

Building your dream smart home doesn't have to be expensive. We’ll share tips, resources, and cost-effective ways to create your ultimate smart home.

DIY Mastery: A Comprehensive Guide to Building Your Dream Smart Home on a Budget

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Guarding Your Digital Castle: Ensuring Privacy and Security in Your Smart Home

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