Curated by Quick picks
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Show all 10 picks
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This isn’t a list of live deals. It’s the smart-home kit worth buying at its normal price, sorted so you can see what works with what, and what extra kit or subscription each one needs. Where Amazon has named a device line in its own Black Friday announcements two years running, we say it’s often discounted; otherwise we don’t guess. Use the buttons to check today’s price on Amazon. (Here’s how we choose products.)
- Best first smart speaker: Echo Dot (#1)
- Best smart display: Echo Show 8 (#2)
- Best no-wiring doorbell: Ring Battery Video Doorbell (#3)
- Best cheap automation: Tapo P110 smart plug (#6)
- Best heating control: tado° Smart Thermostat X (#7)
Compare all 10 picks
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon Echo Dot (newest gen), CharcoalBest first smart speaker | Getting started with Alexa | Smart speaker · Wi-Fi + Bluetooth · Alexa (listing) · Often discounted in Black Friday sales | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 2 | Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest gen), GraphiteBest smart display | Kitchens & doorbell viewing | 8.7" HD touchscreen · spatial audio (listing) | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 3 | Ring Battery Video Doorbell (newest gen)Best no-wiring doorbell | Renters & no doorbell wiring | 2K video · 6x zoom · built-in battery (listing) · Often discounted in Black Friday sales | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 4 | Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (newest gen)Best for easy battery swaps | Charging without taking it down | 2K · 6x zoom · quick-release battery pack (listing) · Often discounted in Black Friday sales | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 5 | Blink Outdoor 4 (add-on camera)Best battery camera | Adding to a Blink system | 1080p · up to 2-year battery · IP65 · add-on only (listing) · Often discounted in Black Friday sales | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 6 | TP-Link Tapo P110 Smart Plug with Energy MonitoringBest cheap automation | Lamps, heaters & energy tracking | Energy monitoring · Alexa + Google · 13 A max · 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 7 | tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter KitBest heating control | Boiler + hot water control | Bridge X included · boiler + hot water control (listing) | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 8 | Hive Thermostat Mini (combi boilers)Best for Hive homes | Existing Hive users with a combi | Combi boilers · OpenTherm · no Hive Hub included (listing) | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 9 | Philips Hue White and Colour Ambiance E27 2-pack + BridgeBest colour lighting | Colour smart lighting | 800 lm · 16 million colours · Hue Bridge included (listing) | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
| 10 | Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (newest gen)Best TV upgrade | Older TVs | Wi-Fi 6E · 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos (listing) · Often discounted in Black Friday sales | Check price (opens in a new tab, affiliate link) |
1. Amazon Echo Dot (newest gen), Charcoal
by Amazon
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a first smart speaker for music, timers and controlling plugs or lights by voice.
Verdict: The simplest way into Alexa: a small Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that plays Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music, per the listing. It’s small, so don’t expect room-filling sound. Often discounted in Black Friday sales (Amazon has named Echo Dot in its UK Black Friday announcements: 2024, 2025).
What we like
- Controls the plugs and lights on this page by voice
- Often discounted in Black Friday sales
- Sold by Amazon when we checked
Worth knowing
- Small speaker: fine for voice and background music
- Watch for ‘Certified Refurbished’ listings in search if you want new
Key specs
- Type
- Smart speaker
- Connection
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (listing)
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
2. Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest gen), Graphite
by Amazon
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to see the doorbell camera, recipes or a calendar on a screen, not just hear Alexa.
Verdict: An 8.7-inch HD touchscreen with spatial audio, per the listing, and it pairs naturally with a Ring doorbell (#3, #4) to show who’s at the door. It’s a bigger buy than the Dot, so it makes most sense if you’ll use the screen.
What we like
- Shows Ring doorbell video on screen
- Bigger speaker than the Dot
- Sold by Amazon when we checked
Worth knowing
- Bigger outlay than the Echo Dot (#1)
Key specs
- Screen
- 8.7" HD touchscreen (listing)
- Audio
- Spatial audio (listing)
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
3. Ring Battery Video Doorbell (newest gen)
by Ring
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Renters and anyone without doorbell wiring who wants a DIY video doorbell.
Verdict: No wires needed: a built-in battery, 2K video, 6x zoom, colour night vision and two-way talk, per the listing. The honest catch is the subscription: Ring says a free 30-day trial of Ring Protect starts at setup, and saving and playing back recordings needs a plan after that (Ring). Often discounted in Black Friday sales (Amazon named Ring in both its 2024 and 2025 UK announcements).
What we like
- No wiring: built-in battery (listing)
- 2K video with 6x zoom
- Often discounted in Black Friday sales
Worth knowing
- Recordings need a Ring Protect plan after the 30-day trial (Ring)
- Built-in battery means taking the doorbell down to charge
Key specs
- Video
- 2K, 6x zoom (listing)
- Power
- Built-in battery
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
4. Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (newest gen)
by Ring
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a wire-free doorbell but would rather pop the battery out than unscrew the whole thing.
Verdict: Like #3, but with a quick-release battery pack and Low-Light Sight, per the listing. Same subscription point: recordings need a Ring Protect plan after the free trial (Ring). Make sure you’re on the newest-gen listing, as older Plus models sit next to it in search. Often discounted in Black Friday sales (Amazon 2024, 2025).
What we like
- Quick-release battery pack (listing)
- Low-Light Sight for evenings
- Often discounted in Black Friday sales
Worth knowing
- Recordings need a Ring Protect plan after the trial
- Older Plus models appear in the same search: check the generation
Key specs
- Video
- 2K, 6x zoom (listing)
- Power
- Quick-release battery pack
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
5. Blink Outdoor 4 (add-on camera)
by Blink
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone adding an outdoor camera to an existing Blink system, or building one.
Verdict: Long battery life is the draw: up to two years on AA lithium batteries, with 1080p video, IR night vision, two-way audio and IP65 weather resistance, per the listing. Important: this listing is an add-on camera and needs a Blink Sync Module. If you’re starting from scratch, buy a bundle that includes one. Often discounted in Black Friday sales (Amazon named Blink in its 2024 and 2025 UK announcements).
What we like
- Up to 2-year battery on AA lithium (listing)
- IP65 weather resistance
- Often discounted in Black Friday sales
Worth knowing
- Add-on camera only: needs a Sync Module
- 1080p, not 2K
Key specs
- Video
- 1080p (listing)
- Battery
- Up to 2 years, AA lithium (listing)
- Needs
- Blink Sync Module
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
6. TP-Link Tapo P110 Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring
by TP-Link
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to put a lamp, fan or heater on a schedule and see how much power it uses.
Verdict: A cheap, useful first step: schedules, timers, Away Mode and energy monitoring in the Tapo app, with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control and no hub needed, per TP-Link. It’s 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, and TP-Link says not to use it for EV charging.
What we like
- Energy monitoring in the app
- No hub needed; works with Alexa and Google (TP-Link)
- Sold by Amazon when we checked
Worth knowing
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
- Indoor use only; not for EV charging (TP-Link)
Key specs
- Max load
- 13 A (TP-Link)
- Wi-Fi
- 2.4 GHz
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
7. tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit
by tado°
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Homeowners or renters (with permission) who want app control of the boiler and hot water.
Verdict: tado’s current thermostat kit, with the Bridge X and a stand, controlling boiler and hot water, per the listing. Be clear on what’s free: tado says the free app covers remote control and schedules, while automatic geofencing and automatic open-window action need its paid AI Assist subscription (tado, tado help).
What we like
- Bridge included in the kit (listing)
- Controls hot water as well as heating
- Sold by Amazon when we checked
Worth knowing
- Geofencing and automatic open-window action need tado’s paid subscription
Key specs
- Kit
- Thermostat X, Bridge X, stand (listing)
- Controls
- Boiler + hot water
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
8. Hive Thermostat Mini (combi boilers)
by Hive
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: People who already have a Hive Hub and a combi boiler.
Verdict: Built for combi boilers with OpenTherm, per the listing. The listing is clear that no Hive Hub is included and app control needs one, so this suits homes that already run Hive.
What we like
- OpenTherm support (listing)
- Sold by Amazon when we checked
Worth knowing
- No Hive Hub included; app control needs one (listing)
- For combi boilers only
Key specs
- Boilers
- Combi (listing)
- Needs
- Hive Hub (not included)
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
9. Philips Hue White and Colour Ambiance E27 2-pack + Bridge
by Philips Hue
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone starting colour smart lighting who wants the Bridge in the box.
Verdict: Two 800-lumen E27 colour bulbs plus the Hue Bridge, per the listing, so you’re set up for more Hue lights later. When we checked it was sold by a third party with low stock, so check the seller.
What we like
- Hue Bridge included (listing)
- 16 million colours
Worth knowing
- Sold by a third party (Paying Homage) when we checked
- E27 fittings only: check your lamps
- Low stock (5 left) when we checked
Key specs
- Bulbs
- 2 × E27, 800 lm (listing)
- Hub
- Hue Bridge included
- Seller
- Third party (Paying Homage) when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
10. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (newest gen)
by Amazon
Price & availability on Amazon.co.uk
Who it’s for: Anyone whose TV’s built-in apps have become slow or stopped updating.
Verdict: Amazon’s top Fire TV stick: Wi-Fi 6E, 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos, per the listing. It works best if you already live in Amazon’s world. Often discounted in Black Friday sales (Amazon named Fire TV in its 2024 and 2025 UK announcements).
What we like
- Wi-Fi 6E (listing)
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Atmos
- Often discounted in Black Friday sales
Worth knowing
- Needs a spare HDMI port
- Built around Amazon’s ecosystem
Key specs
- Video
- 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ (listing)
- Wi-Fi
- 6E (listing)
- Seller
- Amazon when checked
Source: Amazon UK product listing (seller-provided details), checked 12 October 2026.
FAQ
Do Ring doorbells need a subscription?
Not to work, but Ring says recording and playback sit in its Ring Protect plans. A free 30-day trial starts when you first set up the doorbell (Ring). Plan features vary by country, so check Ring’s UK page.
Does the Blink Outdoor 4 work on its own?
This listing is an add-on camera and needs a Blink Sync Module. If you don’t have one, buy a bundle that includes it.
Which smart thermostat for a combi boiler?
The Hive Thermostat Mini (#8) is made for combi boilers but needs a Hive Hub. The tado° kit (#7) includes its bridge and controls hot water too, per its listing.
Why do only some picks say 'often discounted'?
Amazon named Echo, Ring, Blink and Fire TV devices in its own UK Black Friday announcements in both 2024 and 2025. We don’t have that kind of source for the other picks, so we don’t say it.
