Consumer Reports evaluates connected home products

Is the future here? More and more products are available to control your home's lights, locks, and appliances from an app on your smartphone or tablet. Consumer Reports has been testing some of these connected home products and can tell you which to pick and which to skip.

From his iPad, Daniel Hung can control his lights, TV, stereo even his window shades.

"It's just so convenient and you don't have to think back and say, 'oh, did I shut this light off?'" said Hung.

Consumer Reports has been testing Wi-Fi-connected devices, including lighting systems, electronic door locks, smart thermostats, generators, and smart ranges and wall ovens.

"What really gets your attention with these products is their cool features. So we're testing those features, but we also want to make sure it works at its basic functions," said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, Consumer Reports.

That was a problem with the electronic door locks. Yes, you can use your smartphone or tablet to lock and unlock doors remotely. But none of the locks stood up to all of Consumer Reports' break-in tests. Far stronger, is the Medeco Maxum deadbolt lock. As for Nest's Learning thermostat, it has plenty of innovative features, but it costs $250 and it's harder to set up than others. With the $170 Venstar Color Touch Series, set up is a breeze.

As for lighting systems, the $200 Hue system from Philips lets you dim and even change the color of its bulbs. For far less, the $50 connected by TCP is easier to set up. It doesn't change colors, but you can dim the bulbs from your cellphone.

So should you be considering a connected home? An elaborate system like Daniel's costs $25,000.

"It's fun to watch, but I'm not really sure that one-touch control is there yet for the average person," said Kuperszmid Lehrman.

Consumer Reports says sometimes the extra money is worth it. For example, with the Venstar Colortouch thermostat you can easily add a Wi-Fi-connection key for about $65. And with some Generac generators you can add mobile link that notifies you if your generator stops working and automatically calls for repairs.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.

(All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2014. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)