Real Homes announces The Hub – the jargon-free, honest guide to smart home tech

If (like us) you're tired of being told that you need every piece of smart home tech going, head over to The Hub for de-jargoned, gimmick-free, honest and impartial advice. If we wouldn't have it in our home, we won't suggest you have it in yours...

Is it in The Hub? google home mini with smart assistant by John Lewis & Partners

(Image credit: John Lewis & Partners)

By Emily Shaw

published 12 June 2019

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of smart home tech you're being urged to get? Can't tell your smart assistant from your video doorbell? No idea what IFTTT means? You need The Hub – our approach to smart home tech.

Why? Because smart home tech, far from being a futuristic norm, has already arrived in our homes. Whether voice-controlled smart assistants, fridges that monitor their contents – and order new supplies when they're running low – lighting that changes to suit our moods, and washing machines that can be controlled from any location, anywhere in the world, smart home gadgets are very much of the now.

But that doesn't mean even the most tech-savvy among us actually understand not just what smart gadgets and appliances do but whether they actually offer real benefits. Is a smart fridge worth the spend? Will a smart washing machine make laundry day easier? How can a smart thermostat be controlled while you're on holiday? In The Hub, our curated, jargon-free smart home technology hub page, we aim to not just bring you the best smart home buys, but to cut through the hype and debunk the myths – so that you can buy smart home gadgets feeling fully informed.

So if (like us, most of the time) you have a tendency to back away, slowly, from all things smart home tech because you're tired of being told that you absolutely, 100 per cent need every product going; or you want to know what introducing the latest technologies can actually do to streamline your life, but feel overwhelmed by the tech-for-techies style product reviews that seem to dominate the home tech sphere, turn to us.

The Hub is designed with home lovers, as opposed to tech lovers (although they're welcome, too) at its heart. It cuts through the jargon that puts many of us off the world of smart home tech, and it de-gimmicks even the most gimmicky of products, allowing you to make informed decisions about the smart home tech that could make your lives simpler.

We've already covered lots of subjects, but don't miss:

From informed and digestible advice, whatever stage of your smart home tech journey, to (honest) reviews that ensure you spend your money on products that do what they say they do – and what you want them to do – the ethos that underpins The Hub is that if we wouldn't have it in our homes, we won't suggest that you have it in yours. So, why not check it out?

Emily first (temporarily) joined the Real Homes team while interning on her summer break from university. After graduating, she worked on several publications before joining Real Homes as Staff Writer full time in mid-2018. She left the brand in 2020 to pursue another career, but still loves a second-hand bargain and sourcing unique finds to make her rented flat reflect her personality.