What Works with Google? The Best Google Home Compatible Devices for 2020

We get it: it’s hard to keep track of all the different smart devices that work with Google Home. We took the time to compile some of our favorite smart home devices—like lights, security cameras, thermostats, and other products—so you can take full advantage of your Google smart speaker at home. Want to build the perfect smart house with Google Home? Follow our guide below.

>>Still deciding? Read our full Google Home review.

How to set up a Google Home

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Google Home compatible smart lights

Data as of 12/19/2019. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Google Home smart lights

Google Home is compatible with a lot of the best smart lights on the market. Smart light bulbs give you complete control of your home’s lighting from your phone so you can adjust them from anywhere.

The Philips Hue and LIFX apps let you schedule your lighting around your school, work, and sleep schedules. That saves energy and eliminates the hassle of flipping all your light switches on and off when you come and go. You can set your bulbs to wake you up gently with soft light as your alarm goes off or dim in the evening to remind you it’s time to start heading to bed.

If you’re going to spend on smart lighting, we recommend going with a color option like the Philips Hue or the LIFX. These bulbs give you a dynamic range of light and ambience options. You can find ideal lighting for anything from movie nights to dance parties. The LIFX even has a setting to change to the beat of your music.

>>>See more of our favorite smart light bulbs for Google Home.


Cameras compatible with Google Home

Data as of 12/19/2019. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Google Home camera

Security cameras are important additions to any smart home. They give you an extra set of eyes on the inside and outside of your home, capture and store important event footage, and can even deter potential break-ins.

They’re also plain convenient. Indoor cameras help you keep an eye on the kids or pets if you want to get out for an evening, and two-way talk on indoor cameras and doorbell cameras lets you check in with family or visitors remotely.

Nest Cameras
Remember

All Nest cameras are compatible with Google Home, and make a great addition to your smart home. Read up on our favorites in our Nest cameras review

Here are some features to look for when buying security cameras:

  • Resolution: Most high-end cameras offer 1080p HD resolution, which should give you sharp-enough footage to make out the fine details, like faces and license plate numbers.
  • Field of view: The wider the FOV, the larger area your camera can monitor at once. But note that when a camera’s FOV reaches upwards of 180º, it might come with a sacrifice to video quality.
  • Two-way voice: Two-way voice is an essential feature for indoor cameras and doorbell cameras, allowing you to talk with family and visitors from anywhere.

>>>Learn more about our favorite security cameras.


Thermostats compatible with Google Home

Data as of 12/19/2019. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Google Home thermostat

Wi-Fi thermostats connect to your Wi-Fi network and let you use Google Assistant’s voice commands to manage your home’s temperature. With smart thermostats, you can raise and lower the temperature remotely and set custom heat and AC schedules. The smartest thermostats on the market can even learn your preferences and automate these schedules for you to keep your home at an ideal temperature year-round.

The Nest and Ecobee thermostats are equipped with motion sensors that detect whether you’re home. When no one is around, the smart thermostats go into Away mode to conserve energy.

>>>Learn more about our best smart thermostats.


Google Home compatible smart locks

Data as of 12/19/2019. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Google Home smart locks

Smart locks provide a big boost to your home’s security, and they add a lot of convenience to your daily comings and goings. Whether you want to lock your doors from an app or from a backup keypad, you won’t have to worry about forgetting your keys. Better yet, there’s no second-guessing whether or not you remembered to lock your doors before you left the house.

>>>See more of our favorite smart locks for Google Home.


Other smart devices for Google Home

Data as of 12/19/2019. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Other smart devices for Google Home

Once you’ve covered the essentials with smart lights, locks, and a smart thermostat, you can start to have some fun building your smart home. Smart plugs give you voice control over anything plugged into your outlets throughout the home. The Chromecast––another Google product––lets you control your TV vocally without having to dig around for your remote. And if you pair a SmartThings hub with your Google Home, you can open up your smart home to more Z-Wave and Zigbee products.


What’s not compatible with Google Home?

Google has clearly prioritized making its smart hub compatible with the best smart products on the market. But there are some holes in Google’s compatibility. Google isn’t compatible with Zigbee or Z-Wave, which are the two most widespread protocols in the smart home industry.

Here are some smart home products that aren’t compatible with Google Assistant:

Despite that fact, Google is still compatible with nearly as many smart products as Amazon, and more than Apple HomeKit. To learn more about how Google Home stacks up against Amazon and Apple, take a look at our favorite smart home hubs.

Our recommendation

Google Assistant is compatible with a lot of the leading smart home brands, making it a worthy hub for building a smart home. If you’re not satisfied with Google’s compatible devices, you can get a SmartThings hub to work with Google and open up your compatibility to Zigbee and Z-Wave products. But for most people, Google’s built-in compatibility should offer more than enough to build a wicked smart home.

Amazon.com prices are as of 12/19/2019 at 3:55 p.m. (MST). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. ASecureLife.com utilizes paid Amazon links.