Digital technology ensures that our lives are getting smarter every day. So much so that the smart home eventually becoming the standard seems inevitable. But right now, there are still homeowners who haven’t gotten on the smart home train. They need to start somewhere. Is a smart speaker a good starting point?

I have often wondered about the validity of beginning the smart home journey with a smart speaker. I started with a couple of wall plugs because I wanted to program the lamps in my living room. A smart speaker was eventually added to accommodate all the other devices I have purchased. But maybe I should have started with the smart speaker.

An Expert Says So

At least one ‘expert’ believes that the smart speaker is the best first-time device for new smart home consumers. Her recent Yahoo’ Tech article explains why. For the record, I don’t know if she is truly an expert. She referred to herself as such, so I will take her word for it.

At any rate, she offered a number of reasons to justify making a smart speaker that first smart home device. I cannot disagree with what she wrote. But I also have some input of my own. If I were doing it all over again, I probably would invest in a smart speaker first.

Use It as a Hub

I have chosen an open-source home automation platform that runs on an old laptop. The laptop serves as my hub. It took a bit of effort to get things up and running. And even now, I still need to deal with it from time to time. Had I started with a smart speaker, I could have used it as my hub.

All the big names offer smart speakers that can act as hubs. Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit are all platforms with hub capabilities. They all do a fairly good job of recognizing new devices, too. So between the smart speakers and their associated apps, you can create an entire smart home ecosystem.

Extensive Brand Compatibility

One of the lessons I have learned the hard way is that standardization is severely lacking in home automation. I have to be very careful about the devices I purchase, making sure they are compatible with my open-source hub.

Had I started with a smart speaker instead, I probably would have enjoyed more extensive brand compatibility. The truth is that manufacturers do not make devices for my platform. They do make devices compatible with the most popular smart speakers.

Even companies like Vivint, companies that sell and install whole-home security and automation systems, make a point of maintaining compatibility with the major smart speakers. That is a big plus.

Voice Control Is Awesome

A third reason for starting with a smart speaker is related to voice control. Simply put, voice control is awesome. Prior to adding it to my system, I had to pull out my smartphone every time I wanted to access a device. But all of that is in the past. All I need to do now is speak.

A voice command turns on an exterior charger and begins charging my lawn mower and trimmer. Another command turns various lights on and off. The list goes on. Once you start using voice control, you will never go back to tapping your phone.

Homeowners new to smart home automation have lots of devices to choose from. I would have to agree that the smart speaker is a great first choice. It belongs in every smart home.