The perfect smart home needs the best smart home hub, and getting one with a screen is the first step in making sure that your smart home runs as efficiently as possible. But with multiple options of smart home hubs for you to choose from, which one is the best for you?
To blend all your smart home devices from multiple manufacturers for your home, you need a single app from which all these devices can be controlled from. Interestingly, you may already have a smart hub at home, and you don’t always have to buy any hub in the first place. But if you have to buy a home hub, you’d want to make sure that the option you choose is one of the best ones for your home.
Below, we share some of the best home hubs with screens. Any of these options would be a good fit for you.
Contents
Best Home Hub with Screens for your Home – Comparison Table
Best Home Hub with Screens for your Home | Best For | Check price here |
|---|---|---|
Amazon Echo Show 10 | Best Overall Smart Home Hub System & Best Amazon Smart Home Hub | |
Google Nest Hub (2nd-gen) | Best Google Assistant Smart Display | |
JBL Link View | Best Smart Display offering Great Sound | |
Control4 Smart Home Hub | Best Professional Smart Home Hub |
Reviews of the Best Home Hub with Screens for your Home
The best smart home hub systems offer a wide range of functions, but if you are looking for the best level of functionality, then you need to choose the ones that offer the highest number of connectivity options. The hubs also allow for easy management from the app, and you will be happy to know that from the app, you will be able to easily create dozens of automations and scenes for multiple smart home gadgets and devices.
The hub further allows for the addition of more family members for them to easily personalize the device settings to their liking, which means that if you are looking for something that would allow your kids to control the color and brightness of the bulbs in their rooms without affecting the rest of the bulbs, you’d have to invest in the best kinds of hubs, specifically the hubs with screens.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) – Best Overall Smart Home Hub System & Best Amazon Smart Home Hub
If you are looking for a smart home system that you can run your entire smart home system from, even with products that aren’t by Amazon, Echo Show would be the best option for you.
It’s a rather nifty setup that allows for the highest possible connectivity options, including but not limited to Z-Wave and Zigbee, among others. It still works with existing Alexa platforms quite well, giving you the best possible level of control over your connected devices.
Even with smart home devices that lack support for Alexa Skills, Echo Show works as an intuitive Hub from where you can control all these devices as you would if they had integration for Alexa and its full range of functions.
Echo Show allows you to create Routines that will run efficiently based on your schedule and the time of day. You can set up Routines using devices or using voice commands. The Routines would be based on geographical location, device, or Echo-based commands. As a result, these devices all work as one, making your home smarter and home device management more efficient.
An important point to note is that for the best performance and for your Echo device to actually work as a hub, you’ll need the Echo Show 10, the 10inch model, and not the 5-inch or 8-inch devices. The reason for the use of this specific device has to do with the fact that the new hub model features built-in Zigbee support. The good news is that once you’ve invested in this device, you’d easily ditch the rest of the hubs in your ecosystem. Zigbee and most other hubs allow for easy pairing with a wide range of devices such as the Philips Hue Lights, as well as the sensors from the Ring Alarm or SmartThings.
The other impressive feature of this hub is the sensors, which make this device and Alexa significantly more robust for your smart home system. The sensors also enhance the function of the Routines functions for turning and controlling lights whenever you enter your home, so you don’t always have to use your voice to give commands.
Pros
- Alexa works perfectly
- This hub works well with practically everything and smart home devices
- Offers great support for Zigbee
- Simple and easy to set up and use
- It can also be used as a photo frame
- It works perfectly as a standalone hub to run your whole home
Cons
- Lacks Z-Wave
- Expensive
- A few unreliability issues with Routines
Google Nest Hub (2nd-gen) – Best Google Assistant Smart Display
Not only is the Google Nest Hub one of the best smart home speakers with a high-performance HD display that you can use for video calling besides listening to music, but his gadget by Google also makes the best of smart home hubs from which you can easily manage your devices.
It’s Amazon Alexa’s biggest competitor, with some users regarding its voice assistant, Google Assistant, a more bonafide device.
One of its best features is the advanced Routines feature which is triggered easily and automatically.
To control your smart devices from this hub, you can use touch functions, voice commands, or even time. As long as the devices connected to the hub are accurately configured, you will have the most intelligent smart homes.
Some of the devices that you can control from this hub include all the Google Nest products such as the Nest Hello Doorbell, Nest Protect Smoke Alarm, Nest Secure Alarm System, and the Nest Thermostat, among other Nest/ Google devices that are compatible with the Google Assistant.
It’s worth noting that despite the recent move made by Google, which saw the end of the Works function offered with Nest Products, you still get to control your devices on the Google Assistant and Google Hub using Alexa. If you, however, need a better form of control for your devices connected to Google Assistant, the Google Nest Hub Max would be a great option for you. There is, however, the Works with Google Program, which is an intuitive platform that gives you fast access to a list of all the devices that are supported by and in the Google Home system and/or devices.
How does the hub work?
The home view on the app gives you a top-down view of your home and all connected smart devices. For quick controls, there are the easy-to-use touch controls that offer quick access to the connected smart devices, whether you need to check the settings for the thermostat, the smart lock, fire or security alarms, the camera on the Doorbell, or the lights. This means you can still access these features and functions from the app without raising your voice, especially if you don’t want to.
You may also like its photo display option, as well as the seamless integration it offers for Google Calendar.
On top of the list of things you can do with Google Nest Hub include turning off the lights, adjusting the thermostat, or locking the door. And using the Routines function, you can create a schedule for setting controls and managing these functions.
Pros
- Impressive Google Home View
- The size of the display camera is just right
- It works well as a photo display when it isn’t in use
- Affordable
Cons
- Lacks Z-Wave or Zigbee support
- Alexa boasts more compatibility options
JBL Link View – Best Smart Display offering Great Sound
JBL is a revered brand in the audio and overall music world as the brand offers some of the most formidable models of speakers and other audio devices. And it would seem that there is no slowing down for them as JBL’s new offerings feature nothing but mindblowing audio effects, with intuitive and high-performance features and functions incorporated into their gadgets.
In addition to the all-powerful 9.1channel soundbar that is taking the world of soundbars by storm, JBL has now diversified into creating some of the best smart home systems that can be powered by their own JBL smart home hub that also works as a smart display for video calls. It looks great on your kitchen counter, and this nifty gadget has a lot more to offer.
The booming sound from this smart display (speaker) alongside the built-in support for Chromecast is the features that give this gadget its highest points, and their performance is only enhanced by the screen’s 8-inch display. Unfortunately, the view from the sides and at different angles is rather unimpressive, with the display’s resolution being below par for such a big brand. JBL has compensated the image quality with excellent sound, which means that the display works great as a hub for playing music and controlling your smart home. And speaking of its capacity to control your smart home, this JBL Link View Smart home display hub works with the Google Assistant quite seamlessly.
So, if you have been out searching for an elegant, smart speaker that offers great audio with rich, deep, and heavy sounds to listen to music or watch videos, this display hub would be the perfect device for you.
Pros
- Excellent richness in sound
- Works great with Google Assistant
- Camera shutter and microphone turning off functions
- Controls your smart home devices like lights, thermostat, music, a doorbell camera, alarms, etc.
Cons
- Bad angles for viewing as it doesn’t rotate like other displays or hubs
- The camera 5MP is below the expectations from this big brand
Control4 Smart Home Hub – Best Professional Smart Home Hub
Control4 isn’t one of the common names for smart home hubs, yet it is an underrated hub as it offers the best possible level of functionality. This professional-use hub allows for bespoke connected smart systems throughout your house, but you could also use it for your business or hotel, among other areas. But you must have Control4 authorized dealers to install it and for settings configurations.
It is a high-end offering that runs on WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet while allowing for connectivity through Z-Wave and Zigbee. Once connected, this home hub will allow you to enjoy the best-in-class smart home system. And in case of issues or in need of alterations, their support network works great for you.
So, what can this smart home hub do? Well, you could have your Control4 configured to control multiroom audio, lighting, security systems, HVAC systems, smart locks, alarms, and thermostats, among other smart systems. Its high level of performance comes from the use of applications like Z-Wave, Zigbee, along with Bluetooth and WiFi. Notably, this hub system would be compatible with at least 35,000 devices from the widest collection of brands.
With all these features and functionality of the hub in mind, it makes sense that this hub is only a good fit for persons who don’t mind spending serious money on the best high-end smart home automation systems without wishing to be bothered with the installations and other DIY setups. While some people would decry the high price tag, it’s interesting to note that this smart home system offers rock-solid, world-class performance thanks to the use of equally high-end tech, along with the expert support offered. If you need the best smart home system, offering the very best of home networks and premium-quality audio, this smart hub would be an excellent fit for you.
Pros
- The system is ever-evolving
- Expert tech systems and support offered
- Excellent customer services offered
- It’s elegant and slick
- Supports at least 35,000 devices
- Easy device use once setup
Cons
- Very expensive
- User configuration options are limited
- The system is locked down by the manufacturers
Buying Guide for the Best Home Hubs with Screens
Before you buy a smart home hub for your smart home, a keen understanding of what the hub does helps you to determine the suitability and the compatibility of the hub with your existing smart home gadgets. In a nutshell, the smart home hub allows your smart devices to work together seamlessly while allowing you to control all those devices from one spot, the home hub.
If you have smart bulbs, thermostat, plugs, locks, TVs, etc., the smart home hub primary role would be to communicate to the internet on behalf of all the devices in your network, taking over the control of your home when you are away and at home, via the internet. With the best of the smart home hub, you are able to schedule heating to be turned on before you get back home or even schedule your lighting when away on vacation. The hub system gives you remote access and control of your home. If you are the paranoid type, you will be happy to know that these smart hubs are secure.
How to choose the right smart home hub for your home
Types of smart home hubs
The first thing to determine as you look for the best smart home hub for your home is the type of hub and if that hub will give you the best level of control over your smart gadgets.
- Traditional Smart Home Hubs – Though they remain popular to date, the traditional hub systems include the ever-popular Samsung SmartThings, Hubitat, and Wink. These hubs feature all the software applications and protocols that you need to control all your smart devices from one app. Unfortunately, these hubs have no displays, and they must be connected to your smartphone or tablet for control and system management.
- Voice-Assistant Hubs – examples of these hubs are smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo. These hubs will not handle the complex automatons that the traditional hubs like Samsung SmartThings would tackle with greater ease. The integration with voice assistants, however, means that these hubs get more done once connected to your gadgets. Make sure that the gadgets you buy are compatible with the voice assistant you choose – Alexa or the Google Assistant. Additional features like the Z-Wave and Zigbee, also present in the traditional smart home hub system, enhance the performance of these hubs.
- Software-Only Hubs – With these hubs, you won’t have to invest in any new hardware since there are apps that would work as the hubs. These cloud-based hubs would unify the devices on your smartphone, meaning you don’t have to deal with a physical gadget or multiple apps for different devices. An example of this hub is the Apple Homekit (though this comes as both a hardware and a software hub) that plugs into your Apple home and controlled by Siri or the iPhone.
- Ecosystem Hubs – this is the other type of smart home hub. It’s really a mini-ecosystem, for example, the one offered by Philips Hue or Hive, and these hubs work as Bridges. These mini-ecosystems often run on protocols like the Z-Wave or Zigbee, and they are incomplete on their own because they do not manage your entire home, and you’d need an extra device to be able to manage the rest of your smart devices.
Choosing the best smart home ecosystem
Keep these in mind:
The digital assistant – would you like a hub that’s run by Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple’s Siri? To make the right choice, you’d want first to check out the gadgets you’d like to buy, then have a look at the platforms they work with. The good thing is that this isn’t a PC vs. Mac or Android versus iOS kind of search.
Starting from scratch or switching platforms – at the end of the day, you’d want to make sure that all your smart home gadgets work together seamlessly in the created ecosystem, meaning you have to go through the features of the gadgets, along with the most suitable ecosystem for you.
FAQs
Which are the best smart home ecosystems/ assistants?
Your options for the best smart ecosystems for your home include Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Control4, and Logitech, among others.
How do you test smart home hubs?
To test the smart home hub, first, install the hub and start connecting devices to it – you can do this from the home view page. Once a device is connected, you’d have to set rules to guide interactions between these smart devices. Read reviews, and avoid the hubs that only allow the setting of rules that are based on the time of day, for example, or voice commands. The best of these hubs take numerous commands and offer a great deal of flexibility.
Conclusion
There are limited options for the best home hubs with screens, but using any of the 4 hub options reviewed above, you will have the most intelligent smart home.
Robinson Wright
Robinson Wright is a home automation specialist and has helped many modern home developers pick the right gadgets for home automation. According to Wright, most people struggle with particular areas in their home, some would want improved security especially when away from home for a couple of days and others will want to improve power consumption. Homeowner's needs can be fulfilled by investing in smart home gadgets but most importantly is that one must know the functionality that they desire to achieve and then choose a product and technology that would fulfill the need. Robinson Wright runs an appliance enterprise and when not in the field working with his clients, he loves spending time in his workshop testing out the new technologies.