We tried it so you don’t have to
Smart home and appliance advice that does the math for you
Honest buying guides, free cost calculators, and plain-English fixes for the problems no manual explains. Buy the right thing once, and stop overpaying to run it.
Real running-cost math · Plain-English troubleshooting · Affiliate links always disclosed · See how we research
What do you need help with?
Browse the buying guides
Six topic guides, each one a starting point for everything we have researched in that area.
Latest guides
- How Much Electricity Does a Wi-Fi Router Use? (And Is Turning It Off at Night Worth It?)
- How Much Does It Cost to Run a Window Air Conditioner? (Per Hour and Per Month)
- How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dehumidifier? (Per Hour, Month and Season)
- How to Connect a 2.4GHz-Only Smart Device to a Dual-Band or Mesh Router
- Why Is My Smart Bulb Flickering When It Is Off or Dimmed? Causes and Fixes
- Will a Smart Thermostat Work If the Wi-Fi Goes Down? (Nest, Ecobee, and Honeywell)
New to smart home tech?
Start with the beginner’s guide. It takes about ten minutes and saves you from the most common (and most expensive) mistakes.