Smart home guides for the UK and US
Independent smart home guides adapted for UK and US homes: getting started, Home Assistant hubs, Zigbee dongles and smart plugs, with the plug, voltage and certification rules that apply.
Our smart home guides, rewritten for UK and US homes: we flag where plugs (Type G or Type A/B), mains voltage (230 V or 120 V) and safety markings (UKCA, FCC, UL/ETL) change what you should buy.
Troubleshooting & reference (new)
- Error codes & troubleshooting — Zigbee2MQTT, ZHA, Shelly, Sonoff, Homey (filterable, with difficulty/time/cost banners)
- Compatibility matrix — protocol × hub × device
- Spare parts & sensors: official vs budget — Pi 5 PSU, Zigbee dongles, DS18B20, mBot cables
Below are all 25 guides in this section, grouped by topic. Specifications come from manufacturers’ official pages and are dated. Prices change often, so check the current price at the retailer.
Getting your bearings
- Smart home for beginners (UK & US) — Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread and Matter, plus a step-by-step plan
- Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Thread or Matter — which protocol fits your home and budget
- Smart home for renters — what you can install without drilling or upsetting the landlord
- Home Assistant, Jeedom, Homey or voice hubs — picking the “brain” for your setup
Home Assistant: hub, install and Zigbee
- Home Assistant Green vs Raspberry Pi 5 — official specs side by side
- Install Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi 5 — condensed 2026 walkthrough
- Best Zigbee dongle for Home Assistant — SONOFF, Connect ZBT-2 and ConBee compared
- Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA — which integration to run on your hub
- Smart plugs for the UK and US — ratings, certification, Zigbee vs Wi-Fi vs Matter
- Backup power for Home Assistant — UPS vs power station, sizing and clean shutdown
- Homey Pro mini: unboxing and setup — part 1 of our hands-on test
ESP32 and ESPHome
- Which ESP32 board for smart home — classic, S3, C3, C6 or H2
- ESP32 + ESPHome temperature sensor — condensed build for Home Assistant
- 10 ESP32 smart-home projects — ideas with ESPHome and Home Assistant
- Garage door from your phone — ESP32, ESPHome and Home Assistant
Sensors on Raspberry Pi
- Zigbee temperature sensors — SNZB-02D, Aqara and others for Home Assistant
- CO₂ sensor (SCD41) on Raspberry Pi — MQTT integration with Home Assistant
- Door reed sensor with phone notifications — Raspberry Pi project
- PIR motion sensor for lighting — automations in Home Assistant
- Weather station with BME280 — SQLite history on the Pi
Robot vacuums
- Robot vacuums that work with Home Assistant — brands and how they integrate
- Best robot vacuums under £200 / $200 — 2026 picks
- Robot vacuum navigation — LiDAR, camera or gyro: what actually changes
- Robot vacuum mops and self-cleaning docks — pad types and stations explained
Security and outdoor monitoring
- Solar outdoor security cameras — ieGeek S7, ZY-C2, ZS-GX4S, ZY-G4 compared
Where to start: new to the smart home? Read Smart home for beginners, then choose your hub in Home Assistant Green vs Raspberry Pi 5.
Have a question about this guide or need advice? Ask us here
Torn between two models or stuck on a build? Drop us a line and we will get back to you by email.