Smart Home
Wi-Fi, security and connected homes. Guides, reviews, buying advice and comparisons appear together here.
Latest in Smart Home
Clear, current guidance will appear here once it has completed editorial review.
Do I need a VPN in 2026?
For most people in the UK, a VPN is useful in a few specific situations—not an essential subscription you must leave switched on all day.
Is It Worth Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 in 2026?
EE now offers Wi-Fi 7 as standard on all its full-fibre plans, and router makers are pushing it hard — but UK broadband speeds tell a very different story about whether most households actually need it yet.
How to Set Up Parental Controls Across Your Home's Devices
A practical, layered approach to parental controls covering your home router, phones, tablets and streaming apps — plus the genuine limitations worth knowing about before you rely on any single tool.
Best Smart Plugs by Budget, 2026
Smart plugs are the cheapest, easiest way into a smart home — three genuinely good options from a no-frills budget pick to a hub-free, cloud-free premium option, with an honest look at whether Matter and Thread support are worth paying extra for.
TP-Link Tapo C610 Solar Camera Kit Review: Outdoor Security Without Running a Power Cable
The Tapo C610 kit is designed for outdoor spots where running a power cable is awkward, using solar charging and flexible recording to reduce maintenance.
TP-Link Tapo C200 Review: Indoor Monitoring for Less Than £20
The Tapo C200 is an extremely inexpensive indoor camera whose local memory-card option helps it avoid becoming an automatic subscription purchase.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus Review: A Polished Doorbell With an Ongoing Cloud Cost
Ring's Battery Video Doorbell Plus prioritises a polished alert-and-answer experience, but cloud recording makes the ongoing subscription part of the real price.
TP-Link Tapo D210 video doorbell Review: The Low-Cost Doorbell With Local Storage Choice
The Tapo D210 challenges subscription-led doorbells by combining a low purchase price with both local and cloud recording choices.
TP-Link Tapo C510W Review: Wider Outdoor Coverage From One Powered Camera
Tapo's C510W is a mains-powered outdoor camera for wider coverage, where pan-and-tilt viewing can replace several fixed blind spots.
Ring Indoor Camera 2nd Gen Review: The Natural Indoor Choice for an Existing Ring Home
Ring's second-generation Indoor Camera is easiest to recommend inside an existing Ring household, where one app matters enough to offset cloud dependence.
Eufy SoloCam S340 Review: Solar Charging and Local Storage in One Camera
The SoloCam S340 is a more ambitious wire-free camera, pairing local storage with solar support for buyers who want fewer cables and fewer monthly fees.
Ring Outdoor Cam Plus Battery Review: Easy Outdoor Placement With Subscription Baggage
Ring's Outdoor Cam Plus Battery offers straightforward placement and familiar alerts, with recharge routines and cloud costs replacing installation work.
Eufy SoloCam C35 Review: A Battery Camera That Keeps Storage Flexible
The SoloCam C35 is a value-focused battery camera with unusually flexible storage, making it attractive where privacy and subscription costs are priorities.
TP-Link Tapo C201 Review: Simple Local Indoor Recording in a Black Finish
The black Tapo C201 is a simple mains-powered indoor camera with local recording, aimed at basic room monitoring for less than £20.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Generation) Review: The Most Useful Alexa Screen?
The Echo Show 8 is a capable shared screen for timers, video calls, music and smart-home controls. It is easy to live with, but Amazon's suggestions and optional subscriptions stop it feeling completely fuss-free.
Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) Review: Clear Alerts Without Existing Wiring
Google's battery Nest Doorbell can be fitted to almost any front door and gives clear alerts for people, parcels, animals and vehicles. The drawbacks are periodic charging and limited free video history.
TP-Link Tapo P110 Review: The Easy First Smart Plug
The Tapo P110 turns an ordinary appliance on or off from your phone or by voice and records its energy use. It is inexpensive, simple to understand and a very good starting point for a smarter home.