Why You Can Trust CNET Best Google Home devices under $100
Getting Google into your smart home doesn't have to be pricey.
The phrase "smart home" often feels synonymous with fancy screens and high-end devices, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can create a smart home with Google Assistant without breaking the bank every time you add a device to your collection.
Budget-friendly options exist for bulbs, plugs, speakers and even smart displays. The devices we've highlighted below all work with Google Assistant for things like voice commands or routines and cost less than $100.
Google's smallest smart speaker is as smart as all the larger models and costs just $49. It's often on sale or free with the purchase of another smart home product like a smart bulb or plug.
Having a Google Assistant smart speaker is the first step in building a smart home. It serves as command central for your devices along with the Home app on your mobile device.
Smart plugs can bring your regular devices online. A desk fan, a table lamp, a coffee maker -- anything you plug into your regular outlets can be added to your Google smart home with a smart plug.
This one from TP-Link's Kasa smart home line is affordable and easy to set up. It also works with Alex and Siri if you're looking for flexibility. You can set up schedules according to days and times, routines to work with other devices, and of course voice commands for powering on and off.
Smart lights are a popular way to get started in the smart home, and these bulbs from Wyze are affordable. That's good news, especially if you're looking to replace a lot of bulbs. Setup is easy and you can use Google Assistant to power your lights on or off via voice or integrate them into routine like bedtime or movie night.
It's the best bulb we've tested, and it works with Alexa, Google and IFTTT. The app also includes useful features like scenes, shortcuts and a vacation mode.
Lenovo Smart Clock
$80
The Lenovo Smart Clock is an affordable and attractive way to put Google Assistant on your nightstand. You can choose from a variety of clock faces, and the alarms are highly customizable. The sunrise alarm feature is particularly neat.
You can't watch videos, access a smart home control panel, look at pictures or use the touchscreen for anything beyond a few prescribed functions. Still, it adds the convenience of Google Assistant visuals to the traditional bedside alarm clock for less that the cost of a full-size, camera-enabled smart display.
The $20 Wyze Cam won our Editors' Choice Award last year for its low price and long list of available free features.
You'll get free person alerts, 14-day event-based cloud storage and a microSD card slot if you want continuous, local recording. The 1080p HD resolution is great, and the camera integrates with Google Assistant (and Alexa, too). There are also motion alerts and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm detection.
If you're interested in smart home cameras, the Wyze Cam is a great place to start without spending too much for features you might not use.
Chrome cast makes it easy to throw your favorite media up on your TV, and it's a good option for anyone with a TV that doesn't have smarts built in. Connect it to Google Assistant and you can say things like, "Hey, Google, show me videos of puppies" to see videos play via YouTube on your Chromecast.
You can also see visual answers to questions you ask Google about topics like weather, sports scores, stock prices and math problems. Of course, in addition to Google Assistant integration, Chromecast is also a great way to share your phone, tablet or laptop screen with a nearby TV.