Black Friday 2021 smart home tech deals: speakers, cameras, robots, and more

There is never a better time to dive into the smart home than Black Friday and its close cousin Cyber Monday. Traditionally, tech deals on home gadgets are huge this time of year, plus, it’s the only time you’ll find real bargains on gear from some of the smaller companies, such as Eve, Level, and Nanoleaf.

Whether you’re thinking about dipping a toe into this home automation shindig with a smart speaker or maybe a connected door lock, or want to bolster an already impressive smart home setup, it’s worth investing some cash this holiday season.

Also, if you just want to upgrade your home cleaning routine or have a way to check in on Fido now that you’re back at work (the separation anxiety is real), this is a good time to get a great bargain on smart cameras, robot vacuums, and even a smart mop. Here’s our roundup of the best deals on smart home gear you can buy right now.

Looking for more Black Friday deals? Be sure to check out our continuously updated roundup of all the best early Black Friday sales.

Eero’s mesh Wi-Fi products are 40 percent off right now.Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Mesh Wi-Fi router deals

The foundation of any smart home is good Wi-Fi, and if you’re looking to start out or are having trouble with connections in your home, a mesh Wi-Fi router is the way to go.

Eero Pro 6 is offering up to 40 percent off its excellent mesh Wi-Fi routers that have Thread radios built-in (and which Eero has said will get upgraded to the new smart home standard Matter, when it arrives next year). The Eero Pro 6 two pack is selling for $299, a savings of $100, and the Eero 6 two pack is down to $167 from $279, at Amazon and Eero. Read our Eero review. Google has discounted its Nest Wifi mesh networking system this week. Save $100 off a router and two points (now $249, regularly $349), both of which also double as Google Nest smart speakers. You can currently pick up these deals at Walmart, Best Buy and Google’s own store. Read our review of Google Nest Wifi. Get your Wyze camera for almost nothing when you buy a Google Nest smart display.Image: Wyze

Smart speakers and displays deals

Amazon’s stalwart Echo Dot smart speaker third-gen can be had at Amazon for just $20 right now, down from $40, a great deal on a still good speaker to control your smart home. The spherical Echo fourth-gen with the built-in Zigbee smart home hub (which Amazon has also committed to upgrading to Matter) is now also almost half price at Amazon, $59.99 compared to $99.99. Read our Echo fourth-gen review. For an Alexa-powered smart display, the Show 8 is a Verge favorite and is just $59.99, down from $109.99, at Amazon. A smart display that’s a great bedside companion thanks to its sleep-tracking, the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen is on sale for $49.99, a savings of $50, at Google, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. If you’re thinking you might want to connect a security camera to your smart display, Wyze is offering its Wyze Cam v3 with a Google Nest Hub for $69.99 at Wyze, so you’re getting the $35 camera for just $10. The new Google Nest Cam with floodlight is $50 off.Photo by Jennifer Tuohy / The Verge

Smart security camera and security system deals

The cheapest Ring video doorbell, Ring Video Doorbell Wired, gets even cheaper with an $18 price cut to $41.99 at Amazon. Plus, you can get an Echo Dot smart speaker with it for free with this bundle. The Ring Wired uses existing doorbell wiring and works over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. For a battery-powered option, the new Blink video doorbell is just $34.99 at Amazon, a savings of $10, and it can also be wired if you prefer. The tiny Blink Mini camera is selling for an even tinier price. Just $20 at Amazon right now, down from $34.99, this is the cheapest indoor smart security camera you can buy right now. For outside surveillance, Google’s very good Nest Cam with floodlight is $50 off ($229.99 instead of $279.99), and this deal can be found at Best Buy. You’ll want to make sure you can mount this on the side of your house first, as it has a rather awkward under-the-eave install. Read our review of this floodlight camera. Abode’s great little Abode Cam 2, an indoor / outdoor camera that works with or without an Abode system, is $24.95 at Abode. If you want to add a security system, too, Abode has an excellent bundle exclusively on its website for $299, a savings of $300. It includes the Abode Cam 2, the security gateway, a keypad, two door sensors, a motion sensor, a keyfob, and an Echo Show 5, with the option of professional monitoring. Another smart security deal is the Ecobee SmartCamera with voice control for $69.99 (regularly $99.99). This versatile indoor camera works with Alexa, Google, and HomeKit. Pair it with Ecobee’s SmartSensors ($59.99 for two, $20 off) and Ecobee SmartThermostat (now $50 off at $199), and it can be a professionally or self-monitored home security system that automatically turns off when it sees someone it recognizes. Find the deals at Ecobee.com, Amazon, and Best Buy through Wednesday, December 1st. Ring is offering a slew of discounts on its excellent second-gen home security system, which is one of the few systems that integrates with a wide array of security cameras — including Ring’s video doorbells, indoor camera, and outdoor cameras (with or without spotlights and floodlights). You can get the basic five-piece kit for $80 off ($119 instead of $199) and the eight-piece for $100 off ($149.99 instead of $249.99) through November 29th at Ring and Amazon. Ring offers professional monitoring as well. The newer version, the Ring Alarm Pro that includes an Eero Wi-Fi router, local storage of video, and 24/7 LTE backup for your internet connection, costs $299.99 for an eight-piece kit and isn’t currently part of Ring’s holiday sale. Level’s line of invisible smart locks rarely goes on sale.Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Smart locks and robot vacuum deals

If you’re looking to upgrade your door lock, the Level Lock is a very good, usually very pricey solution. The Level Lock Touch Edition is currently on sale for $246.80, a savings of $80, which allows touch-to-open, access with a key card, as well as app, voice, and regular key control. If you don’t want the touch option, the regular Level Lock is down to $186.80 (from $249), and if you want to keep your existing lock, the Bolt that just replaces the inner workings of your deadbolt, is $50 off at $149.30. The deals are available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Level. Read our review of the Level Lock and Bolt. The holiday season is the time to jump on whole-home automated cleaning, and iRobot’s robot vac Roomba i3 Plus with self-emptying base and a Braava Jet m6 mop bundle is a steal at $585 (regularly $850) at Best Buy. You can also pick up the Roomba i3 Plus with Clean Base on its own for $399, regularly $599. If you’ve steered clear of robot vacuums because you don’t want to tidy up every time you run one (the cable clutter struggle is real) or empty the tiny bin — ever — Samsung’s Jet Bot AI Plus with Self Empty Clean Station is now $99.99, down from $1,299. Its AI does a good job of avoiding anything you place in its path and you can grab this deal at Samsung.com through December 1st.