Joe TriesFind smart home gear that works together.
Search 1,216 devices. Each one says up front if it needs a hub, an app, or a monthly fee, checked against the manufacturer's page.
Try:Ring doorbellNest thermostatHue bulbsSmartThings
New to smart homes? Answer 3 quick questions and we will suggest a starter setup.·Open the builder
Browse by type
Real prices and real hub requirements on every listing.
How it works
Find your gear
Search or browse. Every listing shows the specs that decide compatibility.
Browse the catalog →Check it works together
Pick any two or more devices and see what talks to what before you buy.
Run a check →Plan your home
Lay out rooms, drop in devices, and watch the total. No account needed to start.
Open the builder →Built by someone who runs this stuff
Joe's house, as a parts list
Published from the builder. Yours works the same way.
- Front porch3 devices
- Living room1 device
- Garage5 devices
- Backyard2 devices
Of these 11, 2 need a hub and 3 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 →- 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. Here's the cheap add-on that did it, the one wiring thing that tripped me up, and five years of honest verdict.
- 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, here are the real numbers: what it actually pulls, what it cost, and the thing about when it runs that almost nobody mentions.
- Jun 29, 2026 · Smart home
Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave: what they actually are
I run a smart home and could not have explained the difference between Matter and Thread if you paid me. So I went to the groups that make these standards and read what they say. Here is the plain-English version, with every source linked so you can check my work.