Prime Day 2023: The Best Smart Home Deals Worth Buying
Prime Day 2023 is July 11-12, and Amazon is going to blast you with roughly ten thousand "deals" on smart home gear. Most of them are fine. Some are genuinely great. A few are traps. Let\'s sort through it.
I\'ve tracked Prime Day pricing for the last four years, and the pattern is consistent: Amazon\'s own devices get steep discounts, a handful of third-party products drop to their lowest prices ever, and a bunch of stuff gets a "sale" price that\'s basically what it costs every other Tuesday. Here\'s what to actually watch for.
The Can\'t-Miss Deals (Amazon Devices)
Amazon uses Prime Day to move its own hardware at near-cost or even at a loss. They make money on the services, not the devices. This is where the best deals consistently are.
Echo Dot (5th Gen) — Expected: $23 (Regular: $50)
The Echo Dot drops to $22-25 on every Prime Day like clockwork. At $23, it\'s absurdly cheap for what you get: a decent Bluetooth speaker, a voice assistant, a smart home controller, and an intercom system if you have multiple Echos. If you don\'t have one in every major room yet, this is the time. The 5th gen has noticeably better sound than the 4th gen, with deeper bass and clearer mids.
Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) — Expected: $35 (Regular: $90)
The Show 5 at $35 is a great nightstand device. Use it as a smart alarm clock, catch the weather and news in the morning, check your Ring doorbell camera, video call family. The 3rd gen (2023) has a faster processor and better camera than the 2nd gen. At $35, it\'s practically an impulse buy.
Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) — Expected: $65 (Regular: $130)
The better choice if you want to use it in a kitchen. The 8-inch screen is big enough to follow recipe videos and the sound quality is surprisingly good for casual music listening. If the 3rd gen Show 8 launches at Prime Day, expect the 2nd gen to drop even lower.
Fire TV Stick 4K — Expected: $25 (Regular: $50)
If you\'re still using a first or second gen Fire TV Stick, the 4K model is a worthwhile upgrade. Faster processor, WiFi 6 support, Dolby Vision and Atmos. At $25, it\'s cheaper than most HDMI cables at Best Buy. The Fire TV Stick Lite might drop to $15-18, but spend the extra $7-10 for the 4K model.
The Security Deals to Watch
Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) — Expected: $60 (Regular: $100)
Ring doorbells consistently hit their lowest prices on Prime Day. The basic Ring Video Doorbell at $60 is a solid entry point. 1080p video, motion detection, two-way talk, and it works on battery so no wiring needed. Keep in mind you\'ll want a Ring Protect plan ($4/month or $40/year) for video recording — without it, you only get live view.
Blink Camera Bundles — Expected: $15-20 per camera
Blink cameras are Amazon\'s budget security line, and they go on steep sale during Prime Day. A 3-pack of Blink Outdoor cameras has historically dropped to $100 ($33 each) or less. The Blink Mini indoor camera might hit $15. These are great for basic monitoring, but the video quality and app experience are a step below Ring. They do have the advantage of running on AA batteries for up to 2 years.
Ring Alarm System — Expected: $125 for 8-piece kit (Regular: $200)
The Ring Alarm is the most affordable professional-grade DIY security system, and Prime Day pricing makes it even more compelling. The 8-piece kit includes a base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detector, and range extender. Ring Protect Pro ($20/month) adds professional monitoring, cellular backup, and extended warranty.
Third-Party Deals Worth Watching
TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack — Expected: $20 (Regular: $30)
The Kasa EP10 4-pack typically drops to $20-22 on Prime Day, which works out to $5 per smart plug. They\'re WiFi-only (no hub needed), work with Alexa and Google Home, and the Kasa app is solid. These are the smart plugs I recommend to everyone who asks. At $5 each, buy eight.
Wyze Cam v3 — Expected: $20 (Regular: $34)
The Wyze Cam v3 is a remarkable little camera at full price, and at $20 it\'s a steal. 1080p, color night vision, IP65 weather resistance, and it works indoors or outdoors. The catch: Wyze has been pushing their Cam Plus subscription ($2/month per camera) harder, and without it you only get 12-second clips. Still worth it at $20 even with the subscription.
Govee Light Products — Expected: 30-40% off
Govee makes affordable LED light strips, TV backlights, and floor lamps. They\'re not Philips Hue quality, but at 40% off Prime Day pricing, they\'re hard to argue with. The Govee TV backlight kit (for 55-65" TVs) usually drops from $70 to around $45 and adds a fun bias lighting effect that reduces eye strain during night viewing.
What NOT to Buy
First-Gen Anything
If a product just launched in the last month and shows up with a Prime Day "deal," be cautious. First-gen smart home products almost always have firmware bugs that take months to iron out. Wait for reviews. There will be another sale.
Google and Apple Products
Google and Apple don\'t participate in Prime Day. Don\'t expect deals on Nest thermostats, Google Home speakers, HomePod minis, or Apple TVs. Those go on sale during Black Friday and Google\'s own sales events. Amazon is not going to discount their competitors\' products.
"Smart" Appliances From Unknown Brands
Prime Day brings out a flood of random smart gadgets from brands you\'ve never heard of. Smart pet feeders, smart plant monitors, smart air fresheners from "TechnoHome" or "SmartLux Pro" or whatever they call themselves this week. These products typically have terrible apps, no long-term support, and potential security issues. Stick with established brands.
Anything That\'s Not Actually a Deal
Use CamelCamelCamel (camelcamelcamel.com) to check the price history of any product before buying. Amazon has been known to inflate the "list price" to make discounts look bigger than they are. If the Prime Day price is the same as what it sold for three weeks ago, it\'s not a deal — it\'s marketing.
Non-Amazon Alternatives
Best Buy, Walmart, and Target all run competing sales during Prime Day. Best Buy\'s sale is particularly good for smart home gear — they often price-match Amazon\'s deals and occasionally beat them. If you don\'t have Prime, or you\'d rather not buy everything through Amazon, check these retailers. Best Buy also offers hands-on return if a smart home device doesn\'t work out, which is easier than Amazon\'s process.
My Personal Shopping List
For what it\'s worth, here\'s what I\'m actually buying this Prime Day:
- Two Echo Dots for the guest room and garage (at $23, why not)
- A Kasa smart plug 4-pack (I always need more smart plugs)
- Ring Video Doorbell for my parents\' house (easy to set up remotely)
Total expected spend: about $120 for five devices. That\'s the sweet spot — buy the stuff that\'s genuinely discounted, skip the stuff that\'s just noisy, and check price history before you click "Add to Cart."
Happy deal hunting. Your wallet is going to hate you anyway.