How the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards Signal the Smart Home Industry’s Next Leap
The Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025 (based on what its tech-savvy audience uses and trusts) shine a bright light on how far the Smart Home has come and where it’s headed. By celebrating the brands that actual users vote for, Mashable offers a grounded snapshot of the Smart Home market in motion. For SMEs, builders, integrators and marketers in the world of Smart Home and real estate, the takeaway is clear: Smart Home is no longer a “nice-to-have” add-on, but rapidly becoming a baseline expectation. In this blog we’ll explore the trend behind the awards, the data and examples that underpin it, what the industry implications are, and where we go next.
Trend / Insight
The fact that Mashable readers, a technically engaged, connected audience, are casting votes for their favourite Smart Home brands is itself telling. What was once a novelty category is maturing into mainstream infrastructure. The brands that rise to the top in the Readers’ Choice Awards signal that Smart Home devices are increasingly judged not just by gadget-cool or voice-control novelty, but by reliability, integration, interoperability and everyday value. In short, the Smart Home is shifting from “nice to have” to “must have.”
This shift is underpinned by several overlapping dynamics:
Consumer familiarity has grown: more households have at least one smart-device, and voters are now experienced enough to compare ecosystems.
Standards and interoperability are improving (Like the open-standard Matter which is steadily gaining traction).
Smart Home is moving upstream from gadgets to systems (whole-home automation, energy efficiency, security, health/air quality) rather than point solutions.
The brand vote in this year’s Mashable list shows that for the connected consumer, the value proposition is shifting: “Which brand will I trust to work, to integrate, to scale?” rather than “Which dimmable bulb looks coolest?”
For exhibitors, integrators and marketers connected with MIE Expo (and beyond) this means the story you tell must reflect that transition. It’s no longer about “we have x device” but “we deliver connected experiences and ecosystems that integrate with home, property and lifestyle.”
Data & Examples: What Mashable Readers Voted For and Why It Matters
Mashable’s Readers’ Choice Awards offer a clear, user-driven snapshot of which Smart Home brands have earned real trust. Because these votes come from a tech-savvy, highly connected audience, the results reveal something deeper than popularity. They show which brands offer reliability, integration and long-term value in a category that is maturing quickly.
Philips Hue continues to lead in lighting because its products feel both premium and predictable. Voters consistently highlight its smooth app experience, low failure rate and the fact that Hue plays well with multiple platforms. As Matter gains adoption, Hue’s early support positions it as the lighting brand most likely to remain future-ready.
Google Nest ranked high across security, energy and whole-home automation. Nest is favored not because of individual devices, but because of how the ecosystem works together. Features like cross-device routines and Google’s expanding AI layer push Nest closer to the idea of a home that thinks ahead. For builders and integrators, this is a big signal that the market values seamless, multi-device storytelling.
Amazon Echo (Alexa) remains a routine powerhouse. Even as the Smart Home becomes more open and interoperable, Alexa’s ease-of-use continues to win daily engagement. The platform also benefits from a massive third-party skill ecosystem, which helps consumers feel like their devices can grow with them.
Eve stands out among privacy-focused and Apple-first consumers. Its Thread-native devices reduce friction, improve reliability and work flawlessly inside Apple’s Home ecosystem. As more homes adopt Thread and Matter, brands like Eve that focus on security, simplicity and platform trust will likely see increased demand.
Ecobee earned votes for tying comfort, HVAC intelligence and long-term energy savings into a single offering. Consumers appreciate that Ecobee feels like a whole-home value play instead of a single-feature product. This reflects a larger shift toward meaningful outcomes in Smart Home adoption, not just convenience.
Wyze continues to attract cost-conscious but quality-minded consumers. Its cameras, sensors and basic automation tools deliver dependable entry-level Smart Home infrastructure. The Wyze story highlights an important trend. Consumers no longer assume higher cost equals higher reliability. Instead, they value brands that make Smart Home accessible without sacrificing performance.
Together, these winning brands show a market that rewards reliability, privacy, ecosystem depth and user-centered design. The Mashable audience is not voting for the flashiest gadgets. They are voting for categories that integrate into their routines and solve everyday problems. This real-world feedback reflects exactly where Smart Home expectations are moving for homeowners, builders, integrators and property professionals.
Expert / Industry Implications
For the smart-home ecosystem, the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards illustrate several actionable implications:
1. Brand matters, but ecosystem matters more
Consumers are voting not just for recognisable logos, but for brands they believe will deliver lasting value. This means companies must emphasise ecosystem durability, compatibility, security and updates. At MIE Expo’s upcoming Foundations For The Future in Chicago, keynotes, panels and demos should reflect this ecosystem-first mindset.
2. Integration across property, builder and tech-layers
Smart Home isn’t just devices inside four walls, it touches construction, wiring, connectivity (WiFi, Thread, Matter), property management, builder/contractor business models, even home resale value. For real-estate and prop-tech professionals, the vote signals that collaboration must go upstream: builders working with tech vendors, integrators working with platforms and apps, and event content bridging these roles.
3. Data, AI and lifecycle value gain prominence
Once the novelty passes, Smart Home success depends on continuous value: data insights (energy use, air quality), AI-driven automation (anticipation, maintenance reminders), and lifecycle services (updates, subscription models). A brand winning a vote from Mashable readers likely signals they’re doing more than just hardware, they’re doing the “platform and future” bit.
4. The streams are converging: Smart Home + real estate
As smart-home systems increasingly link to property lifecycle (sales, rentals, building management, compliance), this suggests brands, builders, integrators, property firms and end-users will likely shape the business model for Smart Homes beyond consumer adoption.
Future Outlook
Looking forward, where do we believe the Smart Home industry is heading? Here are four forecasted directions:
Experience-first homes: The future Smart Home will feel less like a drawer of gadgets and more like a responsive space: anticipatory lighting, predictive environment control, health-aware monitoring, integrated voice/gesture/AI control.
Standardisation & platform unity accelerate: As Matter and other open standards gain traction, expect fewer device-ecosystem lock-ins and more plug & play interoperability across brands. This will lower friction for builders and integrators.
Property value uplift via smart infrastructure: Homes with “smart-ready” wiring, integrated platforms and future-proof connectivity will command higher value, so builders and real-estate firms should lean into Smart Home as a differentiator.
Services layer becomes central: Once device novelty fades, value will come from services: energy-management packages, security subscriptions, predictive maintenance, data analytics, even insurance partnerships. Brands and integrators who extend into services will win the vote-of-confidence of tech-savvy consumers.
The Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards provide a real-time barometer of the smart-home market’s evolution. When a majority audience picks their trusted brands, they tell us what they value: interoperability, ecosystem continuity, service-oriented value, and smart integration across their lives and homes. The message is loud and clear: Smart Homes are becoming foundational, the baseline expectation. The winners will be those who move beyond hardware, build platforms, offer meaningful user experience and integrate across property tech, real-estate and lifestyle domains.
As the Smart Home market moves from hype to utility, from novelty to necessity, the brands, builders and integrators that align with that shift will not only earn votes from savvy audiences like Mashable’s, they will win on the ground in the built environment.
