Real Advice from a Former Installer
We don't just read spec sheets. We wire these things into the wall, connect them to the network, and see if they actually survive daily life.
Meet Marcus Thorne
I spent 8 years as a licensed HVAC technician and residential smart home installer. I've pulled wire through 100-year-old plaster walls, fought with awful mesh Wi-Fi systems, and installed literally hundreds of smart thermostats.
I started AIMadeHome because I was tired of reading reviews from people who clearly just unboxed a device on a desk. The real test of a smart home gadget is how annoying it is to install, how often it disconnects from the router, and whether your spouse can actually figure out how to use it.
My goal is simple: to save you the headaches I've already suffered through.
Our Testing Methodology
The "Plaster Wall" Test
We install devices in real homes with real problems—no neutral wires, thick plaster walls, and spotty Wi-Fi—to see how they actually perform under stress.
No Pay-to-Play
We buy the majority of our test units at retail. If a brand sends us a review unit, we state it clearly, and we never allow them to see the review before it's published.
The Spouse Factor
A smart home is only as good as its least tech-savvy user. We heavily weight our reviews on how easy a device is to use without opening an app.
Affiliate Disclosure: AIMadeHome is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from Amazon or other retailers at no extra cost to you. This is how we fund our independent testing. We never recommend products we wouldn't install in our own homes.