I’ve spent 10 years living in a smart home, and I’m here to tell you that if you want yours to be fast and reliable, you need a smart home hub.

As a smart-home hub, the G5 Pro significantly expands your outdoor connectivity options. Pairing Aqara accessories and third-party Matter devices is simple and intuitive.

An app that acts as a virtual smart hub: Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, IFTTT, etc. Enter Echo-free Alexa, thanks to online account linking.

Any TV that lists Google Home on its Home Hub menu can be set up as a smart home hub. You'll just need a reliable wi-fi connection and your phone ready for scanning QR codes.

The Aqara Hub M2 is an inexpensive Zigbee 3.0 smart home hub designed to control Aqara’s line of Zigbee smart home products, including its smart plugs and in-wall dimmers, which I’ll review soon.