I Bought 22 Smart Home Devices in 18 Months. These 9 Actually Work Together.

A compatibility stack for first-time smart-home buyers tired of 7 apps and devices that don't talk to each other.

I spent $1,847 on smart home gear in 18 months. Returned 13 devices. The 9 that survived all run from a single app, work across Alexa + Google Home + Apple HomeKit, and haven't dropped offline in 4 months. Here's the full stack.

The discard pile is the lesson. Devices that needed their own app, broke on firmware updates, or couldn't be controlled outside their own ecosystem. The 9 in the stack solve all three.

If you're an Apple HomeKit purist, 4 of these 9 devices work natively with HomeKit. The other 5 work via Matter or third-party bridges. Be honest about your ecosystem before you download

Not sponsored. Not a 'best of' list. The 9 devices I actually use, why each beat the alternative, and the brands I returned.

Get the 9-device starter kit (free PDF). Full compatibility matrix, install order, and the apps I deleted. One email, no spam.

Affiliate links — I earn a commission if you buy through them at no extra cost to you. Only devices I use myself.