I made my home smarter with these 10 cheap gadgets - here's how

The Flic Duo is a smart remote control with two buttons, designed to trigger actions in your smart home. Instead of having to ask a voice assistant or open an app on your phone to complete an action, you can program each button to control individual or groups of lights, entire rooms, or run an automation.

The Flic Duo uses Bluetooth to connect to your devices or a hub, which then communicates with the smart devices. It's a completely wireless remote that you can either mount on a wall or carry around if you're on the go -- upstairs, downstairs, or wherever you are around the house.

The biggest difference between a traditional light switch and the Flic Duo is that, instead of just running a single light plug, the Flic Duo allows a single press of the button to control multiple devices or automations. You can program one of the buttons to run your nighttime routine, and every time you press it, your smart outdoor lights, home office lights, living room lights, kitchen lights, any air purifiers that are still on in the living area, and set your thermostat to run at your preferred sleep temperature.

The next is the Cosori air fryer. If an air fryer has changed your life in recent years, the Cosori air fryer will do it again or take that change to the next level. Having an air fryer is already awesome, but having one that's smart and can actually send you a notification when you need to shake your food or when it's ready is even better.

This air fryer even lets you run recipes that you find in the VeSync app on your phone. This sets the Cosori air fryer to the exact settings required by your recipe, which is outstanding. It has a really good-sized 6-quart basket, nine cooking modes, and is very inexpensive at $90.

The 3i G10+ robot vacuum and mop is the only product on this list that is over $100, but it's still a valuable robot for its price. The G10+ can do things that and clean in a way that only flagship products can, and it's only $200 right now.

This robot vacuum actually features a built-in compression system, allowing it to operate for weeks without needing to be emptied. The robot itself compresses the contents to one side, allowing it to continue cleaning. This makes it possible for you to get all the benefits of a robot vacuum that is three times more expensive with a much lower up-front cost.

Review: This $200 robot vacuum proves budget cleaners are finally worth your money

The Nest Cam Indoor is a plug-in third-generation camera that works with the Google Home ecosystem. It serves as a reliable indoor security camera for common living areas, hallways, and pet rooms, allowing you to keep track of what's happening when you're not there. It captures 2K-resolution video and supports Gemini to deliver smart notifications with a qualifying subscription.

While I prefer to keep the number of indoor cameras to a minimum, I have a few pointed toward entry points in my house. I can monitor if someone were to get inside, or if one of our kids tries to open the door without permission.

Also: Google just gave older smart home devices a useful upgrade for free - including these Nest models

A smart plug is ideal for everyday devices that don't require advanced functionality beyond basic on and off options -- this includes coffee-makers, string lights, pedestal fans, and traditional holiday lights. I have smart plugs both inside and outside my home, set up with different routines and automations to control my dumb devices. Smart plugs allow you to control them with your voice or via an app on your phone as easily as you can control a smart light or robot vacuum.

The Kasa Mini smart plug is inexpensive, compact, and it works seamlessly in my smart home. I have a few of these that I rotate in different areas of my home, and some that are static. There's one in my pedestal fan, one with a grow light, and one I use every year for my Christmas tree.

Review: Why this $7 smart plug beats any other that I've tested in my home

Every smart home could use a hub, and there are a lot of inexpensive hubs available right now. The Echo Dot or Nest Mini are both good hub options, and are typically under $50, as they're often on sale. These hubs will give you voice control and will let you create automations for your smart home devices -- as long as they're compatible with it.

Matter and Thread connectivity have made it easier for inexpensive hubs, such as the older Echo Dot, to become compatible with devices certified in these protocols. Having an Echo device, Nest speaker, or HomePod mini as a hub allows you to connect Matter and Thread devices to it and control them through your smart home automation system.

If you or someone in your home struggles with dust, allergies, or is immunocompromised, an air purifier can be beneficial. These devices purify the air you breathe, enhance air quality, eliminate odors, reduce allergens in the air, and can even trap airborne viruses in their filters.

There are plenty of inexpensive smart air purifiers, and you can't go wrong with brands like Levoit, Coway, or the pictured Morento. A smart air purifier is one you can control with an app on your phone; they often have third-party integrations, and you can get insights into your air quality from wherever you are.

Review: One of the most efficient large room air purifiers I've used is only $80