12 Best Smart Home Devices, Vetted by AD Editors (2026)

The humidifiers of yesteryear were known to spew out vapor without rhyme or reason. But the Homedics Natura auto mode setting is made to release just the right amount of moisture. Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert employs the warm mist to keep her airways from drying during the harsh Cleveland winters. “[The humidifier] adjusts the moisture level and shuts off periodically” once it reaches the humidity point you set on the appliance, she says in her best humidifiers review. The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame. Another perk? The 1.3-gallon tank has a run time of 60 hours. “Even when I forget to refill it, it just shuts down instead of waking me up with sputtering noises,” Alpert adds. And just because the humidifier is techy, it doesn’t mean it lacks in biophilic design. The style includes a built-in planter, which works especially well for tropical plants like pothos.

Coming in under $250, this is one piece of smart tech that can give you peace of mind without breaking your bank account. Senior commerce editor Nashia Baker likes to put her Coway Airmega on auto mode, even though it comes with three speeds. “This is a favorite feature of mine, as it automatically detects the air quality through three LED light modes: blue (good), purple (moderate), and red (unhealthy),” she says in her best air purifiers review. “Whenever there’s a change in the air quality, like if I’m cooking, the LED light adjusts to either purple or red, and the air purifier picks up its speed to quickly regulate it. Usually, in just a matter of minutes, the light changes back to blue and the air purifier goes back to a whisper-quiet sound.” Once all the air pollution goes to zilch in half an hour, the Airmega automatically switches into eco mode.