The three steps to a smart home that works: choose a hub, check what works with it, then add devices.

A smart home lets you control lighting, heating, blinds and more from your phone, by voice, or automatically. Most systems are built in three steps.
<ol>
<li>Choose a hub (controller). The hub links your devices together and runs your automations. Our guide <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/choosing-a-smart-home-controller">Best smart home hubs: how to choose</a> compares the main options.</li>
<li>Check what works with it. Choose your hub under &quot;My controller&quot; at the top of the site and every product page shows whether it works with your system. Not sure which hub suits you, or which you already have? Take the <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/system-check">System Check</a>.</li>
<li>Add devices. Start with one room or one job, such as lighting or heating, and build from there.</li>
</ol>
For the full picture, read our <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/home-automation">Complete home automation guide</a>, or browse <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/guides">all our free guides</a>.

New to smart homes? Start here

Choose your controller and every product page shows whether the product works with it.

Tell us which controller you use and the site shows what works with it.
<ul>
<li>Choose your controller. Use &quot;My controller&quot; at the top of any page, or set it on <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/my-smart-home">My smart home</a>. Every product page then shows a &quot;Works with your system&quot; panel for your controller.</li>
<li>Not sure which controller you have, or don&apos;t have one yet? Take the <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/system-check">System Check</a>.</li>
</ul>
What the panel tells you
<ul>
<li>Tested by Vesternet: we have tested it with that controller.</li>
<li>Listed by the maker: the device maker or the controller maker names it as compatible.</li>
<li>Works by standard: it uses the same technology as your controller, but has not been individually tested.</li>
<li>Works with limits: it works, with a condition or a missing feature. The panel says what.</li>
<li>Known problem: a problem has been reported with that controller.</li>
<li>Not confirmed: we have no information either way. Ask us before you buy.</li>
<li>Won&apos;t work: your controller does not have the wireless technology the device needs.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/compatibility">How we check compatibility</a> explains where this information comes from.
If a product does not work with your system, you can return it within 30 days. See our <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/policies/refund-policy">returns policy</a>.

Will it work with my system?

How to choose between SmartThings, Hubitat, Home Assistant, Homey and other hubs.

The hub (also called a controller or gateway) is the heart of your smart home: it talks to your devices and runs your automations. The right one depends on which wireless technologies you need (Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter), whether you want it to work without the internet, and how much you want to customise.
Our guide <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/choosing-a-smart-home-controller">Best smart home hubs: how to choose the right controller</a> compares SmartThings, Hubitat, Home Assistant, Homey, Fibaro and others.
Want a recommendation? The <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/system-check">System Check</a> asks a few questions and suggests a hub and devices for you.

Choosing a smart home hub

We've made it really easy to find the right products by using optimised categories and filters based on technology types, along with a world class search feature at the top of the site.

The easiest way is to add keywords into the search bar, but you

At Vesternet, we&#x2019;ve made it super easy for you to find the perfect products. Our site features optimized categories and filters tailored to different technology types, along with an exceptional search function right at the top.You can quickly search by entering keywords into the search bar, but if you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can browse through any category.&#xA0;<div class="intercom-container"><img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/Oro0V7LpQZ79d83N/hc/q0jJY2DYL37eBWMO/2024092722-ad77901f-fee2-4d28-96fd-de7185f688e1-or.jpg" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div> Once there, you&#x2019;ll find an array of technology-specific filters on the left side of the page to help you refine your choices. This way, you can easily discover exactly what you&#x2019;re looking for. Happy shopping. <img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/Oro0V7LpQZ79d83N/hc/q0jJY2DYL37eBWMO/2024092722-249beaab-cfe5-4ed5-bdca-e8c55a0f2bf3-filter.jpg" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

Finding Products

How to ask a question about a product before you buy.

At Vesternet, we take pride in offering an extensive range of <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/guides">Free Guides&#xA0;</a>that cover every aspect of home automation. Our product pages are also filled with detailed information, so don&#x2019;t hesitate to scroll through the tabs for even more insights. <div class="intercom-container"><img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/Oro0V7LpQZ79d83N/hc/q0jJY2DYL37eBWMO/2024092720-02c8aa6f-5d65-4666-96dd-a986f33a0603-specs.jpg" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div> Whether you&#x2019;re a beginner or an experienced user, our smart home team is here to help by email and live chat. If you have a product-related question, there&#x2019;s a great chance it&#x2019;s already been addressed. To get started, click the Questions link&#xA0;just below any product page, type your question in the bar provided to see the results, or simply scroll down to explore previously answered questions <div class="intercom-container"><img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/Oro0V7LpQZ79d83N/hc/q0jJY2DYL37eBWMO/2024092721-9604acb1-65eb-4b09-ba46-10d80ad3b688-questions%201.1.jpg" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div> If you don&#x2019;t find what you&#x2019;re looking for, no worries. Just click the link to Ask a Question, fill out the short form, and submit it, and our smart home team will reply. We&#x2019;re excited to assist you on your smart home journey.<img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/Oro0V7LpQZ79d83N/hc/q0jJY2DYL37eBWMO/2024092721-500396b5-c9a3-4897-b365-8ae9f79ab6f2-questions%202.1.jpg" style="width: 698px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

Ask Product Questions

Vesternet is largely a self help website for DIY smart home users.  

We select and offer a world class range of the latest products with 1000's of customer reviews to help you choose, all categorised by technology type.

We also self publish many 10

Vesternet is largely a self-help resource for DIY smart home users. We proudly offer a curated selection of top-tier products, complete with thousands of customer reviews to help you make informed choices, all neatly <a href="https://help.vesternet.com/en-US/finding-products-66394">categorized by technology type</a>.Not sure where to start? Our <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/system-check">System Check</a> asks which controller you use (or helps you choose one) and shows what fits your system. You can also choose &quot;My controller&quot; at the top of the website so every product page shows whether it works with your system.In addition to our extensive product range, we self-publish <a href="https://www.vesternet.com/pages/guides">hundreds of guides&#xA0;</a>that cover every aspect of advanced smart home automation&#x2014;available to you at no cost! You can learn everything you need right here.If you have specific questions, feel free to ask our smart home team by <a href="https://help.vesternet.com/en-US/ask-product-questions-66392">following our guide</a>.For advice on which products to choose, <a href="https://help.vesternet.com/en-US/contact-us-66425">contact us </a>by live chat or email and tell us what you want your system to do. Writing to us works best: you can send model numbers and photos, and you keep a record of the advice.

Getting started

New to smart homes? Start here

Will it work with my system?

Choosing a smart home hub

Finding Products

Ask Product Questions

Sales advice