Electronics & Smart Home
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Browse electronics & smart home
01 Televisions Televisions
A television is a panel, a port hub and a software platform, and your room decides which matters most.
02 Laptops Laptops
Pick a laptop around the heaviest job you do weekly, because cooling, memory and ports are fixed at purchase.
03 Headphones & Earbuds Headphones & Earbuds
Fit decides most of what you hear, so seal and clamp matter more than any driver specification.
- Closed-Back Over-Ear
- Open-Back Over-Ear
- On-Ear Headphones
- True Wireless Earbuds
- Sports Earbuds
- Noise-Cancelling Headphones
04 Wi-Fi Routers & Mesh Systems Wi-Fi Routers & Mesh Systems
A router shares one internet connection across your home, so it can fix coverage but never raise plan speed.
05 Security Cameras & Video Doorbells Security Cameras & Video Doorbells
Choose where the footage lives before you choose the camera, because storage and plan cost outlast the hardware.
06 Smart Speakers & Displays Smart Speakers & Displays
A smart speaker joins a microphone, a speaker and a cloud account, so whose service runs it decides everything.
07 Tablets Tablets
Buy a tablet for the size you will hold and the storage you cannot add later, then check its update window.
08 Monitors Monitors
Pixel density decides whether text looks sharp, and the port you plug into decides what the panel can do.
- Office Monitors
- Gaming Monitors
- Ultrawide Monitors
- Color-Accurate Monitors
- Portable Monitors
- Curved Monitors
09 Soundbars & Home Audio Soundbars & Home Audio
Almost anything you add beats a flat TV's own speakers, and a subwoofer buys more than extra channels do.
- Compact Soundbars
- Soundbar with Subwoofer
- Surround Systems
- Bookshelf Speakers
- Wireless Speakers
- AV Receivers
- Turntables
10 Vacuums & Floor Care Vacuums & Floor Care
A vacuum only cleans as well as its brush and its seal, so match the head to your floors before comparing motors.
- Cordless Stick Vacuums
- Robot Vacuums
- Upright Vacuums
- Canister Vacuums
- Handheld Vacuums
- Wet & Dry Vacuums
- Carpet Cleaners
- Steam Mops
11 Mobile Phones Mobile Phones
Buy a phone for the years of security updates it promises, then for the screen and battery you hold daily.
- Flagship Phone
- Mid-Range Phone
- Budget Phone
- Compact Phone
- Large-Screen Phone
- Book-Style Foldable Phone
- Flip-Style Foldable Phone
12 Digital Cameras Digital Cameras
Sensor size decides how a picture holds up in dim light, and the lens mount you pick locks you in for a decade.
- Mirrorless Cameras
- DSLR Cameras
- Compact Cameras
- Bridge Cameras
- Action Cameras
- Instant Cameras
- Medium Format Cameras
13 Desktop Computers Desktop Computers
Buy a desktop for the parts you can replace later, because the case size you pick decides what fits in year five.
- Tower Desktop
- All-in-One Desktop
- Mini PC
- Small Form Factor PC
- Gaming Desktop
- Workstation Desktop
- Home Theater PC
14 Printers & Scanners Printers & Scanners
A printer's price is a deposit, and the ink, toner or labels it eats decide what it really costs.
- Cartridge Inkjet Printer
- Ink Tank Printer
- Monochrome Laser Printer
- Color Laser Printer
- All-in-One Printer
- Photo Printer
- Label Printer
- Document Scanner
15 Video Game Consoles Video Game Consoles
The games you can play matter more than the hardware, so choose the library first and the box second.
- Home Console
- Digital-Only Console
- Hybrid Console
- Handheld Console
- Handheld Gaming PC
- Plug-and-Play Mini Console
- Emulation Handheld
16 Chargers & Power Banks Chargers & Power Banks
A charger is a power supply, and the cable you pair with it decides how many of those watts ever arrive.
- USB Wall Charger
- Multi-Port Charging Station
- Power Bank
- Magnetic Wireless Power Bank
- Wireless Charging Pad
- Car Charger
- Charging Cable
17 Keyboards & Mice Keyboards & Mice
Switch feel and layout width decide your comfort, while a big DPI number changes almost nothing you feel.
- Mechanical Keyboards
- Membrane Keyboards
- Low-Profile Keyboards
- Split Ergonomic Keyboards
- Wireless Mice
- Vertical Mice
- Trackballs
18 Smart Locks Smart Locks
A smart lock changes who can open your door, not how hard it is to force, so fix the frame first.
- Smart Deadbolt
- Retrofit Deadbolt Adapter
- Keypad Deadbolt
- Smart Lever Handle
- Smart Mortise Lock
- Smart Padlock
- Key Lock Box
19 Projectors Projectors
A projector trades a dark room for a picture no television can match, and throw ratio decides where it sits.
- Home Theater Projector
- Ultra Short Throw Projector
- Short Throw Projector
- Laser Projector
- Portable Projector
- Business Projector
- Gaming Projector
20 Media Streaming Devices Media Streaming Devices
A streaming device replaces the built-in apps on a smart TV with faster hardware, wider app support and updates that outlive the screen.
- Streaming Stick
- Streaming Box
- 4K Streaming Player
- Budget HD Streamer
- Gaming Streaming Device
- Travel Streaming Device
21 Game Controllers & Gaming Headsets Game Controllers & Gaming Headsets
Game controllers and gaming headsets live or die on platform licensing, so check what your console accepts before comparing any other feature.
- Wireless Controller
- Wired Controller
- Pro Controller
- Mobile Game Controller
- Wireless Gaming Headset
- Wired Gaming Headset
22 Portable Bluetooth Speakers Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Portable Bluetooth speakers trade wired fidelity for battery power and Bluetooth range, and size sets the honest ceiling on their bass.
- Mini Bluetooth Speaker
- Waterproof Speaker
- Rugged Outdoor Speaker
- Party Speaker
- Premium Portable Speaker
- Stereo Pair Speaker
23 Smart Lighting & Plugs Smart Lighting & Plugs
Smart lighting and plugs add app and voice control to lamps, fixtures and outlets, and the wall switch problem catches nearly everyone.
24 Smart Thermostats Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats control 24 volt HVAC systems from an app, learn a household's routine, and typically trim bills by about 8 percent.
- Learning Thermostat
- Programmable Smart Thermostat
- Remote Sensor Thermostat
- No C Wire Thermostat
- Line Voltage Thermostat
- Touchscreen Thermostat
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What to know about electronics & smart home
Electronics stopped being finished products some time ago, and that changes how you should buy them. The hardware on the shelf is only half of what you are paying for. The other half is software that has to keep receiving security updates, an account system, and sometimes a subscription that switches features on and off after the box is open. Ask how many years of updates the maker commits to, because a screen or a speaker will comfortably outlast the software running it. A device that stops getting patches is a device you should stop trusting on your home network.
Specifications are where the marketing concentrates, so it helps to know which numbers change the experience. Screen brightness in nits, panel refresh rate, port bandwidth and battery capacity in watt-hours all describe something real. Model names, version numbers and words like smart mostly do not, and naming across HDMI, USB and Wi-Fi is really inconsistent, so ask for the capability rather than the version.
Each guide below explains how the technology actually works, which figures to compare, what it costs to run, and what tends to fail first. Nothing here recommends a brand or a model.
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