10 Home Assistant Automations Worth Setting Up First
The 10 most useful Home Assistant automations to set up first. Real patterns that solve real household annoyances, with YAML examples and pointers to the docs.
Best Zigbee Devices for Home Assistant (2026 Picks)
The Zigbee devices worth buying for a Home Assistant smart home in 2026: smart plugs, sensors, switches, and bulbs. Plus the ones to avoid.
Best Home Automation Hub in 2026: The Honest Comparison
Best home automation hub in 2026: Home Assistant Green, Aeotec/SmartThings, Hubitat, Apple Home Hub, and the new Matter-direct option. Decision matrix by use case.
ESPHome: A Beginner's Guide to DIY Smart Home Devices (2026)
ESPHome turns $5 microcontrollers into Home Assistant devices via YAML. Beginner-friendly walkthrough: hardware picks, flashing with ESPHome Web, your first device.
Home Assistant Green vs Yellow: Which Should You Buy in 2026?
Home Assistant Green vs Yellow in 2026: side-by-side specs, price, PoE, storage, integrated radio, and the real decision matrix. Plus when neither is right.
Home Assistant Green: The Complete Setup Guide for 2026
Home Assistant Green setup guide for 2026: what's in the box, 10-minute onboarding, adding your first device, and when to upgrade to bigger hardware.
Zigbee2MQTT + Home Assistant: Complete Setup Guide for 2026
Set up Zigbee2MQTT with Home Assistant in 2026: which coordinator to buy, install via HACS or add-on, pair your first device, and avoid the common gotchas.
Best Home Assistant Integrations in 2026 (For Beginners and Power Users)
The most useful Home Assistant integrations in 2026: HACS, Mobile App, Frigate, Bambu Lab, Plant, Folder Watcher, and the advanced add-ons worth knowing about.
Home Assistant Yellow Review (2026): The PoE-Powered HA Hub
Home Assistant Yellow in 2026: PoE-powered, Compute Module 4 based, with integrated Zigbee/Thread/Matter radio. Honest review including the discontinued Standard model.
Home Assistant Server: Hardware Picks and Setup Guide for 2026
Picking hardware for a Home Assistant server in 2026: Raspberry Pi 4, Pi 5, mini PC, NUC, or official HA hardware. Real specs, storage gotchas, and when to upgrade.