Black Friday is delivering serious discounts on premium smart home gear, with expert picks hitting record-low prices. The Nuki Smart Lock - a rare find at this price point - leads a curated selection of locks, cameras, thermostats, and lighting that smart home enthusiasts have been watching all year.
The smart home market is experiencing one of its biggest discount windows this Black Friday, with premium devices from industry leaders finally hitting prices that make automation accessible to mainstream consumers. The Verge's senior smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has curated deals on her personally tested favorites, creating a shopping list that prioritizes proven performance over flashy marketing.
The standout deal centers on the Nuki Smart Lock, now $127.90 with an on-page coupon - a rare 20% discount on what Tuohy calls her "favorite retrofit door lock." This Matter-over-Thread compatible device transforms existing deadbolts without full replacement, supporting every major smart home platform from Apple Home to Google Assistant. The discount marks one of the few times this European-designed lock has seen significant price cuts in the U.S. market.
Google's smart home ecosystem is seeing substantial markdowns across its Nest lineup. The fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, featuring the company's largest screen yet and included room sensor, drops $50 to $229.99 at both Amazon and Google's direct store. This pricing makes the premium thermostat competitive with mid-range alternatives while delivering advanced learning algorithms and integration with Google's emerging Gemini for Home AI features.
The lighting category reveals strategic pricing as Philips clears inventory of Zigbee Hue bulbs following the launch of Thread versions earlier this year. Three-packs of 60W full-color bulbs hit $69.99, effectively $23 per bulb compared to the usual $36. While requiring the Hue Bridge hub, these bulbs maintain compatibility across platforms and represent the lowest per-unit cost for premium smart lighting.
Security hardware shows compelling value propositions across multiple form factors. The Yale Matter Smart Lock, designed specifically for Google Nest integration, drops to $137 from $190 on Amazon. This 28% discount positions the Thread-compatible lock as an affordable entry point into Matter ecosystems while maintaining compatibility with Home and Alexa through the universal standard.
