Top Apple HomeKit Gadgets to Upgrade Your Smart Home in 2025

Smart home devices give us a glimpse into the future, letting you do simple things like opening the curtains, adjusting the temperatures or controlling the music with less hassle than usual. Apple’s smart home platform, HomeKitis particularly popular amoung smart home users, especially because it works well with your existing Apple tech. Plus, many of the best HomeKit smart home devices are on sale now for the holiday shopping period and they make great holiday gifts too.

The Apple HomeKit ecosystem has grown recently and the addition of Matter support will only make it grow more.

Chris Wedel/CNET

Read more: Best Smart Home Gifts for 2025

HomeKit comes built into every iPhone and iPad the electronics giant sells. Even better, HomeKit integration is a breeze. Whether it’s pairing smart products to your HomeKit-compatible devices or setting up automations, it’s all at your fingertips.

The range of products compatible with HomeKit is vast. You have a lot of options, including door locks, lights, plugs, camerasa thermostatmotion sensors, window shadesyou name it, and the Home app can handle all of it in one place.

If you want a hands-off approach to controlling your budding smart home, Apple’s voice assistant Siri, will be happy to lock the door, dim the lights, adjust the air conditioning, run a smart home scene or whatever else you desire.

The real question is which of these smart home devices deserve your money — because a lot of them don’t come cheap. The list of options is ever-growing, but we’re here to help you pick the best HomeKit devices for your smart home. Here are our top picks for Apple HomeKit products, many of which you can snag on sale now.

Pros

• It sounds great

• It’s small

• It’s under $100

Cons

• Siri still isn’t the best assistant

• HomeKit needs more compatible accessories

• Other small smart speakers are $50 or less

The long-awaited HomePod Mini bridges a strange gap between smart speakers, costing $99 like the Nest Audio and Amazon Echo, but in a small package like the cheaper Nest Mini and Echo Dot.

This smaller, more affordable Apple smart speaker sounds great. Siri is on board for HomeKit control and general voice assistance. The HomePod Mini can serve as the output for your Apple TV, and you can pair two HomePod Minis for stereo. Features like Intercom and Handoff make living with the Mini a little bit more fun.

In short, if you like Apple, you’re going to love this smart speaker. If you’re already living with an iPhone, Apple TV or original HomePod, the Mini makes sense as your next small smart speaker.

Pros

• Responsive touchscreen

• Excellent integration with major smart home platforms

• Easy to use smart features

• Compatible with Ecobee smart sensors

Cons

• No built-in tracking sensors

You’ve got lots of interesting options if you’re in the market for a smart thermostatincluding a couple of thermostats that support Siri control via Apple’s HomeKit. Of these, we like Ecobee’s thermostats the best. At $250, the Ecobee4 thermostat is the newest, but it really only adds in a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker to the experience. That’s not the biggest draw if you’re anchoring your smart home to Apple HomeKit and centering it on Siri for voice control.

That’s why I think it’s a smarter move to stick with one of Ecobee’s previous-generation, less expensive thermostats. They all work just as well with Apple HomeKit and they support Ecobee’s nifty temperature sensors, too. The Ecobee3 thermostat is listed as sold out on the Ecobee website, but the Ecobee3 Lite thermostat is still available. That’s the right price for HomeKit-compatible climate control.

Pros

• Stylish design

• Plenty of voice assistant support

• Options for codes, fingerprints and more

• Works with Airbnb app to send guests codes

Cons

• Pricey

• Not the best choice if you want to avoid keypads

Yale is a legacy brand that has been making locks for over 180 years, and it has used that experience in the Yale Asure Lock 2. Looking anything but dated this touchscreen, fingerprint sensor-packed smart lock is an excellent choice for your Apple HomeKit setup.

It comes loaded with smart features like Auto-unlock, unlimited passes to share with family and friends, app control and more. While it isn’t a budget pick, Yale wraps all the smart and secure features in three different finishes to match any decor.

As a trusted lock maker, Yale is a direct partner of Airbnb. This means that managing access is smooth and simple to use if you are an Airbnb host or are visiting a property with this smart lock.

Pros

• Very budget-friendly

• Easy to set up

• Local storage via microSD card

Cons

• Bland design

• Indoor use only

Eufy’s Indoor Cam 2K is one of the first products to work with HomeKit Secure Video. Secure Video is Apple’s suite of security camera features in the Home app. At around $50, the Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is affordable and comes with several useful features like optional local storage and motion detection zones.

The Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is a solid competitor to other low-priced indoor models like the Wyze Cam Indoor and the Blink Mini. Its 2K video recording in particular separates it from those competing models.

Smart switches are another good option if you’re looking to automate the lights in your home — particularly for spots where a single switch controls several bulbs at once. You’ve got several options that work with HomeKit, but our favorite by far is the Lutron Caseta In-Wall Dimmer Switch.

Why Lutron? For starters, Lutron’s been in the business of dimmer switches for decades, and it’s a smart home stalwart, too. Its switches have a good set of features and work with everything, they support three-way setups and they look appropriately distinctive without being gaudy. Along with a wide variety of light switches, the Caseta platform also offers specialty switches for things like ceiling fans and Sonos speakers. All of it communicates with the Lutron Bridge using Lutron’s proprietary Clear Connect wireless standard, which is one of the speediest and most reliable standards we’ve tested at the CNET Smart Home.

That’s a long-winded way of saying these are really, really good smart light switches.

It’s counterintuitive, maybe, but Philips Hue is best when you skip the colors and focus on the Hue White bulbs, which put out smart, dimmable light at a yellowy 2,700 K. That’s because the best thing about Hue bulbs isn’t the colors at all, but rather, the strength of their best-in-class platform, which works with everything, pairs extremely well with Apple HomeKit and comes packed with useful features.

To take advantage, you’ll need to get a Philips Hue starter kit that comes with the essential Hue Bridge — and the two-bulb Hue White starter kit, is an affordable way in. And yes, you can always add color-changing bulbs to your HomeKit setup later.

In late 2020, Nanoleaf launched the latest set of novelty wall panels: Nanoleaf Shapes – Hexagons. These six-sided LED light panels are sold in a seven-panel starter kit for $150, though they’re currently on sale for $135 for the holidays

With vivid colors, easier mounting, a great design, and the same impressive list of features and integrations as its predecessors — including the excellent, music-syncing rhythm mode, touch sensitivity, and voice control via Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant — the latest Hexagons are the best Nanoleaf has to offer.

If you’re putting together a high-tech game room, dorm room or decorating a kids room, then Nanoleaf’s color-changing wall panels will be right for you. But outside of that, the flashy lights are perhaps a bit too futuresque for most households.

Pros

• Clean design

• Built-in energy monitoring

• Matter support

• Easy-to-use app

Cons

• Pricey

• Limited features when using Matter

At $40, the Eve Energy smart plug isn’t the most affordable, but it offers seamless integration with Apple’s HomeKit with useful insights into the energy usage of devices plugged into it.

While Eve was once a HomeKit-only smart device brand, the company opened the doors to other platforms like Google Home and Amazon Alexa compatibility via Matter. It fits inside the frame of most wall outlets and has a physical button built into the LED indicator light.

The Eve app is clean and simple to navigate. Setting up timers and schedules for the smart plug is a cinch. This smart plug’s space-saving design and solid HomeKit compatibility make it easy to recommend to users in Apple’s ecosystem.

Smart devices make excellent gifts for the holiday season. These HomeKit devices are particularly good gifting options for the Apple enthusiasts in your life who may already have iPhones or iPads to pair HomeKit devices with.

Holiday sales offer an excellent opportunity to snag some of best Apple HomeKit devices at steep discounts. Smart home products tend to see some of the deepest discounts, and several of our top Apple HomeKit picks are on sale now, so it’s a good idea to get your holiday shopping done early to snag the best offers.

H4 | Smart Cameras

H2 | Why Apple HomeKit Still Leads Smart‑Home Innovation in 2025

• Seamless Siri integration – voice control works across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Apple TV.
• End‑to‑end encryption – HomeKit Secure Video protects camera footage on iCloud.
• Unified automation engine – the Home app lets you create scenes, triggers, and accessories groups without third‑party hubs.

H3 | Key Benefits for homeowners

1. Privacy first – Apple’s on‑device processing reduces data exposure.
2. Cross‑device reliability – HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K act as HomeKit hubs, ensuring 24/7 remote access.
3. scalable ecosystem – add new devices without reconfiguring existing automations.

H2 | Essential HomeKit Gadgets for Every Room

H3 | 1. Smart Lighting – Brighten, dim, and Color‑Shift with a Voice

Device	Core Features	HomeKit Compatibility	Price (USD)
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance	16 M colors, Bluetooth + Zigbee bridge, sync with Apple Music	✓ Hue Bridge required (HomeKit hub)	199
LIFX Mini Day & Dusk	No hub, Wi‑Fi, adjustable temperature, energy‑saving schedule	✓ Direct HomeKit	59
Nanoleaf shapes Hexagons	Modular panels, reactive lighting, “Tap to Control” scenes	✓ HomeKit & Thread	179

Practical tip: Combine lighting with the “Good Morning” scene to gradually raise brightness and start a coffee‑maker routine via HomeKit automations.

H3 | 2. Climate Control – keep the Home Pleasant and Energy‑Efficient

• Ecobee SmartThermostat with voice Control – Built‑in Siri, remote sensors for room‑by‑room temperature, Apple HomeKit Secure Video support for occupancy‑based scheduling.
• tado° Smart Radiator Thermostats – Thread‑enabled,AI‑driven heating patterns,integrates with HomeKit scenes like “Away” to cut heating by up to 30 %.
• Sensibo Sky – Turns any existing AC unit into a HomeKit‑compatible climate device; supports geofencing via the Home app.

Benefit: HomeKit’s adaptive “Thermostat Schedule” learns patterns and reduces utility bills while maintaining comfort.

H3 | 3. Home Security – Cameras, Door Locks, and Sensors

H4 | HomeKit Secure Video Cameras

Camera	Video Resolution	Night Vision	HomeKit Secure Video	Battery/Power
Logitech Circle View 2	1080p HDR	Yes	✓ iCloud storage (30‑day)	Wired
EufyCam 2C Pro	2K	Yes	✓ Local hub + iCloud backup	Battery (up to 365 days)
Arlo Pro 5	2K HDR	Yes	✓ HomeKit Secure Video, AI detection	Wired/Wireless

H4 | Smart Door Locks

• August Wi‑Fi Smart Lock (Gen 3) – Auto‑unlock with Apple Watch, Alex Reed Access via Home app, integrates with HomeKit door‑status sensors.
• Schlage Encode Plus – Built‑in wi‑Fi, Touch ID keypad, HomeKit Secure Video optional add‑on for doorbell camera sync.

H4 | Environmental Sensors

• Eve Room – Air quality, temperature, humidity sensor; Thread‑enabled for faster response in HomeKit automations.
• Fibaro Flood Sensor – Water leak detection, battery‑powered, integrates with “Water leak” scene to shut off smart valves.

Real‑world example: A family in Austin, TX reported a 45 % reduction in false alarms after replacing legacy Z‑Wave sensors with Eve Room and leveraging HomeKit’s “Notify When Air Quality Drops” automation.

H3 | 4. Smart Plugs and Power Management

Plug	Power Rating	Energy Monitoring	Thread support	HomeKit
Wemo mini Smart Plug	15 A	✓ (via Wemo app)	No	✓
Eve Energy	10 A	✓ Real‑time usage + carbon‑footprint	✓	✓
Aqara Smart Plug M1	16 A	✓ Power‑meter	Thread	✓

Tip: Pair Eve Energy with the “Power‑Saving” scene to cut standby power when you leave home, reducing yearly electricity consumption by up to 12 %.*

H3 | 5. Audio & voice Hubs – The Heart of HomeKit

• homepod mini – Acts as a Thread border router, offers ultra‑wideband (UWB) for precise device hand‑off, and runs HomeKit automations locally for faster response.
• Apple TV 4K (2023) – Serves as a primary HomeKit hub, supports HDR video, and can display live HomeKit camera feeds on the TV screen.

Benefit: With both devices in place, you achieve dual‑hub redundancy, ensuring remote access even if your internet router reboots.

H2 | Advanced HomeKit Automation Ideas for 2025

H3 | Scene‑Based Energy Optimization

1. “Night Eco” – At 11 PM, HomePod mini triggers: dim LIFX lights to 10 %, set Ecobee Thermostat to 68 °F, turn off non‑essential plugs (Eve Energy).
2. “Vacation Mode” – When you enable “Away” in the Home app, HomeKit randomizes lighting, simulates presence via smart speakers, and records all camera activity with Secure Video.

H3 | Geofencing & Presence Detection

• Use iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad as presence sensors. HomeKit can automatically lock August Wi‑Fi locks when the last device leaves the geo‑fence, and unlock them as you approach.

H3 | Voice‑First Controls for Accessibility

• Siri Shortcuts: “Hey Siri, start bedtime” → activates “Good Night” scene (turn off lights, lower thermostat, lock doors, start white‑noise on HomePod).

H2 | Practical Tips for a Smooth HomeKit Setup

1. Start with a dedicated hub – Install HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K in separate rooms to guarantee redundancy.
2. Prefer Thread‑enabled accessories – They reduce network congestion and improve latency, especially for real‑time sensors.
3. Organize devices by room – In the Home app, group accessories (lights, plugs, sensors) under the same room to simplify automations.
4. Leverage iCloud storage tiers – For HomeKit Secure Video, a 200 GB iCloud plan covers up to 5 cameras, while 2 TB supports unlimited cameras.
5. Regularly update firmware – Apple’s home app notifies when a device firmware is outdated; enabling automatic updates prevents compatibility issues.

H2 | Future‑Proofing your HomeKit Ecosystem

• Apple Matter support (2024‑2025) – Most 2025 HomeKit devices are also Matter‑compatible, allowing future expansion with non‑Apple accessories while retaining HomeKit security.
• UWB hand‑off – HomePod mini’s UWB chip enables instant device transfer for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit scenes,making multi‑room control even smoother.

bottom line: By selecting the right mix of HomeKit‑compatible lighting, climate, security, and power devices-and wiring them through robust hubs like homepod mini and Apple TV 4K-you can build a privacy‑first, energy‑smart home that scales effortlessly throughout 2025 and beyond.