Best Black Friday Smart Home Deals
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Have a smart thermostat or wireless camera on your holiday gift list, maybe even for yourself? Start shopping. Discounts on smart home devices are already rolling out, and some will end before Black Friday arrives.
We’ve scoured dozens of ads from Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Walmart, and more to find the best deals on smart home products that do well in our ratings. Black Friday and Cyber Monday could bring bigger discounts, but there are pretty good deals to be had now.
Below, you’ll see the best sales so far on smart thermostats, smart locks, security cameras, and security systems, in alphabetical order. CR members can click on each model name to see detailed ratings and reviews. For more smart home deals, check out our article on the best robotic vacuum deals. And be sure to come back often; we'll keep this list updated as more deals drop in the days ahead.
Black Friday Deals Available Now
August Smart Lock Pro + Connect Bundle
The deal: $193 at Amazon and Walmart
CR's test results: August Smart Lock Pro
The August Smart Lock Pro is packed with features, including electronic keys, remote control, remote alerts, and voice control (compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant). It comes with the August Connect WiFi adapter, $79, to connect the lock to the internet. The bundle usually sells for $280. It's unclear when this deal will end, but if you want additional savings, wait for the August deal launching Nov. 28 (see below).
Canary Flex Security Camera
The deal: $133 at Amazon
CR’s test results: Canary Flex
At almost $70 off list price, the Canary Flex is a decent camera for the money. Its video quality is just okay, but it receives a Very Good rating for data privacy. It doesn’t offer as many smart features as competing cameras, though. It’s unclear when this deal will end.
Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat with Room Sensor
The deal: $150 at Costco
CR's test results: Ecobee4
Though Ecobee has introduced a newer model of this thermostat, the Ecobee4 is still a great buy at $149, which is $100 off its original list price. This model fares a little better than the Ecobee3 Lite at automation, and it rates Very Good for manual operation. This deal is available only at Costco and ends Dec. 3.
Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell
The deal: $220 with a six-month video storage plan at Costco, $229 with a free Google Nest Hub at Home Depot
CR’s test results: Google Nest Hello
The Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell is one of the best in our ratings, with terrific video quality and fast response time for motion alerts and doorbell button presses. It usually costs $229. Costco is selling it for $220 with a free six-month subscription to the Nest Aware five-day video storage plan (worth $30). Home Depot isn’t discounting the price, but the free Google Nest Hub smart display is worth $129. With the Nest Hub, you can use Google Assistant to see and speak with guests at your front door from the Hub’s screen. The Home Depot deal ends Nov. 27, but it's unclear when the Costco deal will end. If you aren’t interested in either deal, consider waiting for Target’s deal for this doorbell starting Nov. 28 (more details below).
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery (2nd Gen)
The deal: $220 for a three-pack at Costco
CR’s test results: Ring Stick Up Cam (2nd gen)
Even though Amazon just released a newer version of this camera, the second-generation Ring Stick Up Cam is still worth considering. It receives an Excellent rating for response time and offers decent video quality, too. Costco is selling a three-pack of the battery-powered version of the camera for $250, which is a whopping $320 off the original list price and $80 less than a three-pack of the newer model from Amazon. This deal ends Dec. 2.
Ring Video Doorbell 2
The deal: $99 for a refurbished unit at Amazon, $129 for new unit at Amazon, $130 for new unit with a one-year video storage plan at Costco
CR's test results: Ring Video Doorbell 2
The Ring Video Doorbell 2 offers decent video quality and a good array of smart features, including monitoring zones and voice control via Amazon Alexa. This doorbell usually lists for $200, making these deals for $100 off a refurbished unit and $70 off a new unit a great bargain. For the refurbished unit, Amazon says the doorbell is "refurbished, tested, and certified" to work like new, and it comes with a one-year limited warranty. But the best deal is from Costco, which nets you a new doorbell for $70 off, plus a one-year subscription to the Ring Protect Plus storage plan (worth $100). The Costco deal ends Dec. 2; it’s unclear when the Amazon deals will end.
Ring Video Doorbell 2 with Amazon Echo Show 5
The deal: $139 at Amazon
CR's test results: Ring Video Doorbell 2
Get a new Ring Video Doorbell 2 as well as an Amazon Echo Show 5 (worth $90) for just $139, which is $150 off their combined list prices. We haven't yet tested the Echo Show 5 smart display, but it works with the doorbell to show you who is at your front door and let you virtually greet them. This deal ends Dec. 2.
Ring Video Doorbell 2 with Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd gen)
The deal: $219 at Amazon
CR's test results: Ring Video Doorbell 2, Amazon Fire TV Cube
You already know the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is a solid doorbell, but this deal gives you a new unit, as well as the top-rated Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd gen) streaming media player. The Cube receives an Excellent rating for picture quality in our tests and its capable of streaming 4K video to compatible televisions. Get both products for $219, which is $100 off their combined list prices. It's unclear when this deal will end.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
The deal: $129 for a refurbished unit at Amazon, $240 for a new unit with one-year video storage plan at Costco
CR's test results: Ring Video Doorbell Pro
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro isn’t the greatest doorbell in our ratings, but these discounts make it worth considering. Amazon is selling a refurbished model for $120 off list price. The retailer says the doorbell is "refurbished, tested, and certified" to work like new, and it comes with a one-year limited warranty. Costco is selling the doorbell for $240 with a one-year subscription to the Ring Protect Plus storage plan (worth $100). The doorbell rates Very Good for response time, but its video quality is lackluster. It's unclear when these deals will end.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Amazon Echo Show 5
The deal: $179 at Amazon
CR's test results: Ring Video Doorbell Pro
As you read above, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro isn't the best video doorbell, but this is still a great deal. This package includes a new doorbell (worth $249) and an Amazon Echo Show 5 (worth $90) for just $179. We haven't yet tested the Echo Show 5 smart display, but it works with the doorbell to show you who is at your front door and let you virtually greet them. This deal ends Dec. 2. Amazon is also selling the doorbell by itself for the same $179 price.
SimpliSafe Home Security System
The deal: $140 for an 11-piece kit at Costco, $150 for a 7-piece kit at Best Buy, 50 percent off all systems at SimpliSafe.com
CR’s test results: SimpliSafe Home Security System
The SimpliSafe security system is a top performer in our DIY security system ratings, with a solid score for security essentials and an Excellent rating for ease of setup. A 6-piece SimpliSafe starter kit lists for $270, but Costco is offering an 11-piece starter kit (with six contact sensors for doors and windows) for $140; you’re getting almost double the components for half the price. If you’re not a Costco member, check out Best Buy’s deal on a 7-piece kit for $150. And if neither deal interests you, you can also get 50 percent of all new systems at SimpliSafe's website. The SimpliSafe.com deal ends Dec. 2 and the Costco deal ends Dec. 31, but it's unclear when the Best Buy deal will end.
Black Friday Deals Starting Nov. 25
Abode Essentials Starter Kit
The deal: $159 to $229 at Amazon
CR's test results: Abode Essentials Starter Kit
This Abode home security system is a great DIY option for your home. It rates Excellent for security essentials in our tests and doubles as a smart home hub for controlling other connected products, such as lights and thermostats. The starter kit usually lists for $199. You can get it for $40 off or purchase it for $189 with one year of cellular backup (worth $80) or for $229 with one year of cellular backup and professional monitoring (worth $200). This deal will last Nov. 25 through Dec. 3.
Black Friday Deals Starting Nov. 28
August Smart Lock Pro + Connect Bundle
The deal: $149 at August.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe's
CR's test results: August Smart Lock Pro
The August Smart Lock Pro is packed with features, including electronic keys, remote control, remote alerts, and voice control (compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant). It comes with the August Connect WiFi adapter, $79, to connect the lock to the internet. The bundle usually sells for $280, netting you a savings of $130. This deal will last Nov. 28 through Dec. 2.
Google Nest Cam Indoor
The deal: $159 at Target
CR’s test results: Google Nest Cam Indoor
One of the best security cameras in our ratings, the Google Nest Cam Indoor aces many of our tests, including those for data privacy and data security. Even with a discount of just $50, this deal gives you a superb camera that's worth every penny.
Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell
The deal: $149 at Target
CR’s test results: Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell
The Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell is one of the best doorbells in our ratings, with terrific video quality and fast response time for motion alerts and doorbell button presses. The Nest Hello usually costs $229, which makes Target’s $149 sale price an extremely good deal.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
The deal: $179 at Target
CR’s test results: Google Nest Learning Thermostat
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is simply one of the best smart thermostats we’ve tested. It rates Excellent for automating heating/cooling and offers a wealth of smart features to enhance its functionality, including an occupancy sensor and geofencing (to make temperature changes based on your location using your smartphone’s location data). At $179, this thermostat is $70 below its list price.
Ring Video Doorbell 2
The deal: $139 at Target
CR’s test results: Ring Video Doorbell 2
The Ring Video Doorbell 2 offers decent video quality and a good array of smart features, including monitoring zones and voice control via Amazon Alexa. This doorbell usually lists for $200, so you’re getting a $61 discount.
Before You Buy
Don't see the model you're interested in listed here? Be sure to check out CR’s security camera and video doorbell ratings, home security system ratings, smart lock ratings, and smart thermostat ratings to see whether we've tested it before you decide.
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