Joe TriesFind smart home gear that works together.
Search 1,182 devices. Each one says up front if it needs a hub, an app, or a monthly fee, checked against the manufacturer's page.
How it works
Find your gear
Search or browse. Every listing shows the specs that decide compatibility.
Browse the catalog →Compare, and check it works together
Pick any two or more devices. Get a plain answer, then the specs side by side, before you buy.
Compare devices →Plan your home
Lay out rooms, drop in devices, and watch the total. No account needed to start.
Open the builder →Browse by type
Real prices and real hub requirements on every listing.
Built by someone who runs this stuff
Joe's house, as a parts list
A real house, room by room. Yours works the same way.
- Front porch3 devices
- Living room3 devices
- Office1 device
- Garage3 devices
- Backyard2 devices
- Whole home8 devices
Of these 20, 2 need a hub and 5 are discontinued. The listings say so, which is the point.
See the full parts list →How every listing is checked
- Specs and prices confirmed against the manufacturer's page, dated on the product.
- Hub, app, or fee required? Stated in the listing, not a footnote.
- Discontinued? Marked, with the replacement when there is one.
Joe's write-ups
All posts →- Oct 22, 2026 · Smart home
My smart home after 5 years, and what I'd change
I've had a smart home since 2021. Most of it I'd buy again. What I'd change: solar, winter heat, a first-gen Ring doorbell, and my cameras.
- Jul 10, 2026 · Smart home
Smart home brands that shut down or changed the deal, and how to spot the next one
Wink, Insteon, Iris, and most recently Wemo. A running list of smart home brands that died or quietly moved the goalposts, why it happened, and the warning signs that show up months before the announcement. Every date sourced and linked, and cross-checked against my own catalog.
- Jul 5, 2026 · Smart home
How I made my garage opener with no app or WiFi open from my phone
My basic Genie opener was a dumb motor on the ceiling. I didn't want to replace it, I just wanted to open the garage from my phone on my walks and let people in when I wasn't home. A cheap add-on did it, one wiring step tripped me up, and it has run for five years.
- Jun 30, 2026 · Pool & yard
Is a variable speed pool pump worth it? Three years with my Pentair, and my real electric bill
My single-speed pool pump died in the middle of a Southern California summer, so I put in a Pentair variable speed. Three years later, these are my numbers: what it pulls, what it cost, and why the time of day it runs matters as much as the motor.