Smart homes, properly explained.
Guides, comparisons and plain‑English explainers from the team that tests this gear in real Australian homes. Start with a search, or browse the topics below.
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92 articles
9 articles
Lighting
Smart bulbs, colour temperature, fittings and the right size for every fixture.
Visit hub 61 articlesEcosystems
Philips Hue, Home Assistant, Alexa, Google and Apple Home, compared side by side.
Visit hub 9 articlesProtocols
Zigbee, Matter, Thread and Z‑Wave, explained in plain English and compared.
Visit hub 6 articlesAutomation
Hubs, bridges and controllers: what they do and how to get started.
Visit hub 2 articlesSwitches
Smart switches, dimmers, plugs, and the neutral‑wire question, answered.
Visit hub 5 articlesPower
Energy use, running costs, and watts↔amps calculators that actually help.
Visit hub Recently added
New this month
The newest guides, comparisons and explainers, hot off the workbench.
Lighting 2 min
Which Gledopto controller do I need?
The Pro+ Mini suits most 12 V and 24 V strips; the Pro Max covers 5 V strips and big runs. How to pick a Gledopto controller by strip type, voltage and current.
Read Ecosystems 7 min
What can a Shelly switch? Load ratings explained
Every Shelly relay and dimmer we stock, what each one is rated to switch, and why the type of load matters more than the wattage.
Read Ecosystems 6 min
Which Philips Hue lightstrip should you buy?
Hue sells seven different lightstrip families and the names tell you nothing. Here is how Solo, OmniGlow, Flux, Gradient and the outdoor strips actually differ, and which one fits your job.
Read Lighting 3 min
How to reset a Gledopto controller
Hold Reset for 5 seconds on Pro models; power cycle older units 4 times. The full reset and re-pairing procedure for every Gledopto Zigbee LED controller.
Read Ecosystems 4 min
Which Shelly energy monitor do you need?
Shelly's meters split on three questions: how many circuits, one phase or three, and whether you have solar. Of the ones we carry, only the Pro models measure what your panels export.
Read