Build Smart House is an independent smart home publication based in the Netherlands. It covers smart home technology, home automation, energy use, and the standards that tie them together — Matter, Thread, and the major ecosystems from Amazon, Google and Apple.
The site is written and maintained by a small editorial operation publishing under the name Build Smart House Editorial Team. It is not a large newsroom, and we think it is more useful to say so plainly than to imply otherwise.
We do not test products in-house. We do not run a laboratory and we do not receive review units. Claiming otherwise would be easy and untrue, so we don’t.
What we do instead is read, compare and summarise testing that independent organisations already publish, then explain what it means for a European buyer. Recurring sources include Consumer Reports, Stiftung Warentest, Which?, Tom’s Guide, RTINGS, Vacuum Wars, TechHive and Wirecutter. Where we cite a result, we name the source.
For technical explainers — how Matter works, what a Thread border router does, why a device won’t pair — we work from published specifications and manufacturer documentation, including material from the Connectivity Standards Alliance.
When an article calls something “best”, it means best according to the published evidence we could find, for a stated use case and budget. It does not mean we handled the product. Where independent testing disagrees, we say so rather than inventing a winner.
Some links to retailers are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never determine which products we recommend or how we rank them. Full details are in our affiliate disclosure.
We write for readers in Europe. Prices reflect European retailers where possible. Availability differs between countries and prices change often — always check before you buy.
Technology moves and prices change. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will correct it. Get in touch.
© 2026 Build Smart House. All rights reserved.
