How to Choose the Best Smart Home Hub

A smart home hub is a device that helps all of your smart home devices work together and allow running automated routines based on user defined criteria.

For example, your smart sprinkler controller, smart door locks and smart thermostat are all made by different companies. The best smart home hub will not only allow them to work together but will control them automatically. So, when you get home from your jog, the hub senses your location by way of your smartphone, turns off the sprinklers so you don’t get sprayed with water while you run up to your unlocked door to cool down in your air conditioned home.

The best smart hub will communicate with all of your devices but some proprietary systems require the use of a bridge. The bridge acts as in intermediary between the hub and the devices that the bridge controls.

Smart home systems can encompass safety, security, energy saving, accessibility and convenience. A home automation hub combines all of the features into one interface.

Smart home compatibility is often referred to as an ecosystem. When all the devices in the system can communicate with each other through the same hub, they share an ecosystem.

Each ecosystem, like Home Depot’s Hubspace, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Ring, or Apple Home Kit is a starting place for building a smart home that works together easily. Some of these require a device called a hub, others, like Hubspace use a virtual hub that runs in software on a connected device.

One consideration is whether or not local processing is important to you. Local processing is when home automation hub at your location handles all of the processing rather than a remote server that is accessed over the Internet. The best smart hub will control devices in the home without needing an Internet connection. Actions happen faster and with greater reliability.

Currently, the leading communication protocols in the smart home world are Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread and Matter. They use different wireless frequencies and methods of talking to each other. Matter is the newest and is becoming the leader due to its manufacturer support and ease of use.

Each of these protocols have strengths and weaknesses. In most cases, the best smart home hub ecosystem will be chosen based on the individual needs of the household. Factors such as types of smart devices, size of the building and power availability must be taken into account.

Some protocols use each device as part of a mesh network, increasing the reliability of the wirelss connection across the entire smart home.

Hubs are often compared to smart home speakers and displays.

Another choice is if your hub should have a screen or not. Smart displays are larger and more expensive than a compact hub that has no screen of its own. Some systems make use of several hubs through the house. Types of hubs can vary based on the need. A smart display may control the security cameras and kitchen appliances while a compact hub controls lighting automation from its place, hidden in an upstairs closet.

Some smart home devices require the use of their own hub, which acts as a bridge between the smart home system and those particular devices. This is common in lighting.

A smart display has the hardware of a hub with the addition of a screen. This screen can be used to configure the hub but it can also be used for all the other things screens are used for. Watching video content, displaying digital photos and viewing video doorbells are a few common uses of smart displays. They’re often placed in a central location, like the kitchen.

While everyone’s needs are different, here are three things that are important to compare between hubs when making a purchasing decision.

Scalability: How many devices are you likely to add in the next 2-3 years? Be sure that the system will support everything you will consider in the future, in the number and types of devices. If home security is a priority, sensors on windows and doors add up quickly so you’ll want a hub that supports them.

Privacy and Security: If keeping your data under control is important to you look for a system that does more local processing instead of in the cloud. This means that most of your data will stay in your home and that your home controls will run faster.

Physical connectivity: Some hubs are connected to your internet router through ethernet, others require a strong wireless signal. This makes a difference in the placement and type of the hub. For example, if you want a hub with an integrated screen in the kitchen, and your router is in the utility room, you’ll need a hub that can connect through Wi-Fi.

Do smart hubs work without an internet connection?

Some hubs will work without an internet connection, performing all of their tasks locally. However, to control your home from a remote location, internet access is needed.

How many devices can a single smart home hub control?

Some hubs control hundreds of devices while others can control thousands. It may seem unlikely to use that many devices but the numbers add up with smart plugs, window and door sensors, motion detectors, security cameras, doorbells and lights.

Is Hubspace compatible with other smart home hubs?

Yes. Hubspace is compatible with other smart home hubs and ecosystems. Newer devices are compatible with Matter; check the product packaging for compatibility information.

What is the best smart hub for a small apartment vs. a large house?

The main considerations are storage space and the distance between devices. If space is an issue a hub without a screen will work best. Choose an ecosystem where all devices will communicate with that one hub. In a larger home, consider several hubs that can act as network extenders and integrate together for more control over differnt device types.