Editors
The HomeCircuit editorial team
HomeCircuit is run by a small editorial team. We test products the hard way and write up what's worth your money — and what isn't.
The team
Recent posts
Saturday Edit · 2026-05-23
Skip the $150 hub: $20 dongle for local control
Dedicated smart home hubs promise simplicity. Most of them deliver cloud dependency and recurring costs instead. Three USB dongles show the cheaper path to reliable local automation.
Saturday Edit · 2026-05-16
Zigbee Sticks Beat Matter Hubs: Local Control for Under $30
Most roundups sell Matter hubs as the smart upgrade. This one shows why a basic Zigbee dongle on Home Assistant delivers the reliability that matters.
Saturday Edit · 2026-05-09
Skip cloud subs: REOLINK · eufy · WYZE store local
Most security cam roundups lead with Ring and Nest. Both demand cloud subs after year 1. These three WiFi and solar cams store footage locally on microSD you control, no fees forever.
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