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Alexa Smart Home Starter Gifts (Easy Setup)
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items My own house runs on Apple Home, so this is the list for the Alexa households on your gift list, and these are the easy wins. Echo speakers, smart displays, plugs, cameras and bulbs that all work with Alexa and mostly set up from a phone, no separate...
Sections
4
Echo Speakers & Displays
Plugs & Lighting
Security & Access
Comfort & Extras
Echo Speakers & Displays
The voice-control starting point for the whole house.
The easiest starter gift for an Alexa home. It handles music, timers and reminders and gives voice control over every other smart device here. It has 200K+ ratings, so it's a safe pick for almost anyone.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
A small smart display for the nightstand or kitchen counter. It shows the clock and weather, makes video calls, and can show feeds from compatible cameras. A good fit for grandparents who'd like easy video calls.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (newest model)
The kitchen hub for a busy family. The 8-inch screen handles recipes, video calls, a shared calendar and smart-home controls in one place. A step up from the Show 5 for anyone who wants a bigger screen.
Amazon Echo Show 8
Plugs & Lighting
Make lamps, trees and rooms smart in minutes.
Four smart plugs, so one gift covers lamps, a coffee maker and the tree. Set schedules in the Kasa app or switch them by voice with Alexa or Google, with no hub required. They have 150K+ ratings.
Kasa Smart Plug HS103P4 (4-Pack)
Fun lighting for a gamer, teen or TV wall that works with Alexa. The segmented LEDs show several colors at once and change by voice or app. The 6.56 ft length covers a desk or TV, not a whole room.
Govee Strip Light 2 Pro (6.56 ft)
A seasonal gift for whoever handles the holiday decorating. It projects snowflake and scene effects onto the house, it's rated IP67, and it works with Alexa. A big look with no ladder or light strings.
Govee Snowflake Holiday Projector (Outdoor)
The simplest Alexa plug, set up in the Alexa app with no extra hub. Plug in a lamp or the tree and control it by voice or on a schedule. It has 570K+ ratings, making it one of Amazon's most-rated smart home items.
Amazon Smart Plug
Color lighting with no hub. Screw it in, connect over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and control it with Alexa or the app. It's dimmable with tunable white, which makes it an easy gift for a bedroom or reading lamp.
LIFX Color Smart Bulb (E26)
Two color bulbs that work with Alexa and Google Home, rated at 1000 lumens. A circadian setting can warm the light at night for a cozier evening. The listing says they need 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Bulbs (2-Pack)
A cheap add-on plug that works with Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home. Good for mixed-phone households, since everyone can use their own assistant. It needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and at its price it's easy to buy a few.
TP-Link Tapo P125M Matter Smart Plug
Security & Access
Cameras, locks and garage control for peace of mind.
For pet owners and parents who want to check in from work. It plugs in indoors and streams to the Ring app on your phone, at a budget price. Saving recorded video usually requires a Ring subscription.
Ring Indoor Cam Plus (newest model)
Wireless outdoor cameras for a renter or homeowner who doesn't want to run wires. The two cameras run on batteries and work with Alexa, so the feed can show up on an Echo Show. Some features need a Blink plan, so check what's included before gifting.
Blink Outdoor 4 (2-Camera System)
Keyless entry for an Alexa home, with built-in Wi-Fi and fingerprint, code and app unlocking. Handy for letting in family or a dog walker remotely. Measure the door and deadbolt before buying.
ULTRALOQ Bolt SE Smart Deadbolt
For anyone who's driven back home to check the garage. It adds app and Alexa control plus left-open alerts to many existing openers. Check the compatibility list first, since Security+ 3.0 openers aren't supported.
meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote
Comfort & Extras
Climate control and a tracker for the stuff that wanders off.
For the iPhone users in an Alexa house who keep losing keys or bags. Clip it on and find the item in Apple's Find My app with a sound alert. It needs an iPhone or iPad, so skip it for Android-only families.
Apple AirTag (2nd Generation)
An Energy Star thermostat built for Alexa homes, so the heat can follow a schedule. Control it by voice or in the Alexa app. It needs a C-wire or a compatible adapter, so check the wiring first.
Amazon Smart Thermostat