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Amazon's Alexa platform—the main selling point of its Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers—is turning the sci-fi fantasy of the voice-controlled home into a reality. Sync these gadgets to your Echo and start barking orders at your locks, your lights, and even your Wi-Fi router.
1. GARAGE DOOR OPENER; $95
Is it lazy to ask Alexa if the garage is closed, instead of stepping outside to check? Of course, but that simple, nightly confirmation—with no slippers or bathrobe required—is exactly why a smart garage door opener could become one of your most cherished gadgets.
Find it: Amazon
2. THERMOSTAT; $245
The initial appeal of internet-connected thermostats was the ability to adjust and program temperatures with a phone. Alexa takes that a step further, letting you turn the heat up or down with your voice, or even let the thermostat know you're leaving, so there's no delay in switching to an energy-saving “away” mode.
Find it: Amazon
3. LOCK; $280
The appeal here is similar to the garage door opener: instant, voice-activated peace of mind. You can ask Alexa to check that your smart lock is engaged, and to lock it if it isn't already. And not to worry, a random line of TV dialogue won't leave the door unlocked, since you can't actually disengage the lock via Alexa voice command.
Find it: Amazon
4. LIGHT BULB; $70
Add smart LED bulbs to your Wi-Fi network, and wow guests with one of the cooler, the-future-is-now Alexa tricks: asking the lights to turn on, turn off, or go dimmer or brighter.
Find It: Amazon
5. WALL SOCKET; $40
Though not quite as fun as a full-fledged smart bulb, a smart plug is often more affordable, and gives you basic voice control (no dimming, for example) over whatever's plugged into it. This usually means a lamp, but it's possible to cut the power to other devices—such as a TV—in dramatic, hands-free fashion.
Find it: Amazon
6. BLUETOOTH LOCATOR; $28
The premise of Bluetooth locators is ingenious: You clip or stick a tiny doodad to the objects you can never seem to keep track of, then use your phone to trigger a telltale ping the next time said object goes missing. But what happens when it's your phone that's gone AWOL? By syncing trackers to your Echo, you can ask Alexa to sound their alarm, no phone or other intermediary device needed.
Find It: Amazon
7. WI-FI ROUTER; $160
Ok, this is an obscure use of Alexa, but also a pretty neat one. A select number of Wi-Fi routers can respond to voice commands that range from the very nerdy (asking for current Wi-Fi settings) to the genuinely handy, such as rebooting the router to clear up random connection issues, or activating a guest network when friends and family drop by.
Find It: Amazon
8. ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER; $57
Like most smart appliances, internet-connected essential oil diffusers tend to require their own, purpose-built phone or tablet app to be controlled remotely. But when company shows up without warning, instead of fumbling through an app on the way to the door, you can just ask Alexa to get the aromatherapy party started (though not in those exact words).
Find It: Amazon
9. SPRINKLER CONTROLLER; $200
Smart sprinkler controllers are a minor miracle, letting you fine-tune when and how much water you apply to your lawn and/or garden. Alexa makes that interaction a little less fussy, accepting quick commands to pause the sprinklers for a set amount of time, activate specific zones, or delay the entire system because of rain.
Find It: Amazon
10. VIDEO DOORBELL; $200
The interaction between Alexa and video doorbells is small, but indispensable. You can ask Alexa to take a picture of the front door, or start recording live video, in case that strange noise outside is worth investigating or documenting.
Find It: SkyBell
11. SMART HOME HUB; $48
We saved the best, but also the most complicated Alexa-compatible gadget, for last. Many smart home products either require a central, Wi-Fi-connected hub to be controlled remotely, or are simply easier to control with one (meaning you can use a single app instead of multiple ones). Smart hubs, in other words, are for true smart home believers, and Alexa only increases the appeal of these device-wrangling products. A synced-up Echo allows for a wide array of voice commands, from controlling lights to activating the air-conditioning, all without reaching for a phone or tablet. For now, this is the closest you'll get to the voice-activated robo-houses that science fiction promised us.
Find It: Amazon