BERLIN—IFA 2023 has garnered some exciting innovations for the smart home.
Now in its 99th year, the IFA consumer electronics and home appliances trade show occupies close to 140,000 square feet of floor space at the sprawling Messe Berlin exhibition hall. With more than 2,000 vendors from nearly 50 countries showing off their wares, including 350 startups, there's quite a lot to see at this year's show.
Minus Apple, which generally sits out trade shows like IFA and CES, almost all the big names in tech are in Berlin for IFA, including Samsung, LG, Hisense, Honor, TCL, as well as new exhibitors SpaceX and Tesla, just to name a few. The show opened to the general public on Friday, but we spent several days ahead of the show running around Berlin meeting with companies to learn about their latest gadgets as construction crews prepared the booths at the Messe.
If you're not local to Berlin, no sweat—we've gathered together the best smart home gadgets for you. Our list features everything from connected cleaning machines and smart kitchen gadgets to solar-powered speakers and residential battery backup systems.
In no particular order, these are the most compelling smart home products we saw at IFA this year. Most of them aren't available just yet (and some aren't even launching in the US), but even prototypes offer a peek at a more connected and convenient future home.
Shark Detect Pro Cuts Down on Manual Labor
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Sick of inhaling a cloud of dust when emptying your cordless vacuum's bin into the trash? The Shark Detect Pro is a cordless vacuum that can empty its own dustbin into a bagless 2-liter base that Shark says can hold up to 45 days' worth of debris. In other words, it only needs to be manually emptied a few times per year.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The Detect Pro, which Shark calls its smartest vacuum yet, automatically adapts its suction level to different floor types and soil levels, doubles its power along edges, and features LED lights on the cleaning head to illuminate dark areas. The Detect Pro is available in the US now for $349.99.
Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp With Real-Time Twitch Fan Counts
The Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp flanked by the Beam RGBIC Light Bar (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)If you're looking to elevate your live streams, the eye-catching Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp can now display real-time fan counts from YouTube and Twitch, announced the smart lighting brand at IFA. This user-requested feature rolled out this week as part of an update to the Yeelight Station app.
Meanwhile, Yeelight at IFA also announced two new products for its Fun line, the Beam RGBIC Light Bar for tabletops (pictured above), and the Obsid RGBIC Light Strip, a charcoal-color light strip. Both new Yeelight Fun products are expected to launch in November and will support the Matter smart home standard.
Roborock Zeo One All-in-One Laundry Machine Delivers New Drying Innovation
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Robot vacuum maker Roborock at IFA introduced its first laundry machine, the Zeo One, which can both wash and dry your clothes in one sleek unit. The machine boasts an innovative moderate-temperature drying system, which Roborock says allows it to safely handle delicate fabrics like silk or wool that might otherwise be damaged in a traditional condenser dryer.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Cutting down on your manual labor, the Zeo One also features a self-cleaning system that automatically removes lint buildup. It works with a companion app that lets you select the detergent and dryness levels, set cleaning start and end times, and opt for real-time cleaning notifications.
The Zeo One won't be available in the US (at least not in the near future), but it marks the Roborock brand's first step into the large home appliance space. Roborock plans to launch the product in Germany, where it's the market leader for robot vacuums, for €1,299.
EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra Whole-Home Battery Backup System Takes on the Tesla Powerwall
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The Tesla Powerwall will soon have new competition from energy solutions provider EcoFlow's Delta Pro Ultra, a modular portable power station that will serve as the basis for a residential whole-home backup solution. Expected to launch later this year or early next, the Delta Pro Ultra inverter (pictured) connects with your home via a transfer switch or EcoFlow's wall-mounted Smart Home Panel 2. Each inverter can handle up to five 6kWh batteries, and you can connect up to three inverters for a total of 15 batteries, which could theoretically "sustain emergency use of power for a family of four for a month," EcoFlow executives told me at IFA. The product ultimately aims to give homeowners "unwavering emergency backup and energy independence." Pricing details are not yet available.
Eureka e10s Robot Vacuum Challenges Shark With Bagless Self-Emptying
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Most self-emptying robot vacuums transfer the contents of their dustbin into a bag that needs to be changed every couple of months, if not sooner. If the thought of running out of bags stresses you out, you might be interested in the Eureka e10s robot vacuum, which features a bagless auto-emptying system, similar to models from competitor Shark.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)When the transparent dustbin in the base is full, just hold it over a trashcan and press a button, then the bottom lid will open so the contents fall out—similar to how you empty the bin in Dyson cordless vacuums. Expected to launch in the US and Germany in early October, the Eureka e10s looks to be a promising midrange robot vacuum, with 4,000Pa of suction power and a $479 price.
Eureka also at IFA debuted the New400, a cordless wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner priced at less than $200. Powered by a 2,500mAh battery, the New400 promises to clean for up to 30 minutes on a charge.
Urbanista Malibu Solar-Powered Speaker Charges In Any Light
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Dubbed "the world’s first self-charging speaker," the Urbanista Malibu features integrated solar cell technology that allows it to juice up its own battery whenever it's exposed to outdoor or indoor light. It's IP67-rated, meaning it's protected against sand, dust, and dirt, as well as water.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)If you're a homebody, just leave it on the windowsill and it'll stay charged for whenever you need it. It doesn't support voice control, so it's not technically a smart speaker, but it works with a mobile companion app that features customizable EQ controls and light-charge monitoring. The Urbanista Malibu will be available starting in late September for $149 and comes in black and gray colorways.
DreameBot L20 Ultra Robot Vacuum Promises Closer Edge Mopping
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Robot mops can't always clean close to walls and edges, but the DreameBot L20 Ultra 2-in-1 robotic floor cleaner promises to solve this problem with a unique AI-powered MopExtend feature. The L20 Ultra features two spinning mopping pads, similar to Ecovacs 2-in-1s and the Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry. Dreame's new robot differentiates itself with the ability to automatically shift its mopping pad out to the side to close the gap when its sensors identify wall corners and edges.
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)This high-end hybrid can also wash and dry its mopping pads, as well as refill its own water tank. It vacuums with 7,000Pa of suction power and supports automatic dustbin emptying. The L20 is slated to go on sale this month for $1,499.99.
Typhur Dome Air Fryer Is Perfect for Pizza, Wing Lovers
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Typhur wowed us earlier this year at CES with its smart Sous Vide Station that takes the guesswork out of the French cooking method, and now the connected cooking brand is solving a different problem: reheating cold pizza. Air frying is arguably the best way to reheat pizza, but most large-capacity models have a square or rectangular basket, requiring you to arrange your slices like puzzle pieces. Not so for the Typhur Dome air fryer, which sports a sensical dome-shaped design that's big enough to fit an entire 12-inch pizza.
While it's not deep enough to cook a whole chicken like some air fryers, the Typhur Dome's 5.3-liter basket is big enough to fit up to 32 wings, 2.2lbs of fries, or two steaks. It has a temperature range from 105 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and offers dehydration, baking, and roasting modes, as well as a self-clean cycle that promises to break down grease to reduce your labor. It works with a companion app that lets you control the cooking process, activate the self-clean function, browse recipes, and more. The Typhur Dome Air Fryer is available for pre-order now for $499 and is slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Tineco Pure One Station Cordless Vacuum Cleans Itself
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Dyson and Shark competitor Tineco at IFA debuted the Pure One Station, what it's calling "the world's smartest" self-cleaning cordless vacuum. Similar to Shark's DetectPro, the Pure One Station's OmniHub base not only charges the vacuum, but also cleans the brush, tube, and dustbin, cutting down on manual maintenance. Its integrated 3-liter dustbin can hold up to 60 days' worth of debris, says Tineco, and does not require disposable dust bags.
The blue ring shown here turns red when the vacuum detects debris (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The vacuum features HEPA filtration, promising to capture 99.97% of dust and debris on multiple floor types, and iLoop smart sensor technology that detects and automatically adjusts the suction in real-time. It works with a companion app that tracks cleaning progress and more. The Pure One Station will be available for purchase on Tineco's website starting Sept. 5 for $799.
Philips Hue Secure Indoor/Outdoor Cameras for Home Monitoring
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Known for smart lighting products, Signify's Philips Hue brand is breaking into a new category with the launch of its first home security cameras. The new Philips Hue Secure cameras arriving this fall are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and feature a "premium image sensor" to deliver a "crisp" 1080p HD video feed with night vision, Philips Hue executives said at IFA. They come in both wired and battery-powered variants and can be used with a desktop stand, a wall mount, or a ground spike.
The Philips Hue Secure wired camera starts at $199.99 while the battery-powered model costs $249.99. A Philips Hue Secure floodlight camera is slated to arrive in the first quarter of 2024 for $349.99.
The Hue Secure camera supports Activity and Package Detection zones (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The cameras work with the same Philips Hue app as the brand's smart lighting products under a new Security Center section. If homeowners see an intruder in their feed, they can turn on lights remotely, sound alarms, and even call local authorities or a trusted contact. The floodlight can illuminate any color, including red, to really spook them.
Ezviz Portable Power Station for Emergencies, Recreation
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Ezviz, which makes some of the best security cameras, at IFA unveiled a line of Portable Power Stations for emergency home backup power and outdoor recreation. The flagship PS1300 model pictured here features a 1,324Wh total battery capacity, six charging ports, and supports 100W USB-C fast charging as well as solar recharging. With enough power for appliances like an electric drill, these devices can also be helpful for outdoor DIY projects like holiday decorating.
Roborock Q5 Pro, Q8 Max Midrange Robot Vacuums Look Promising
The Q5 Pro+ and the Q8 Max+ models come with an auto-emptying dock (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Roborock makes some of the best robot vacuums, but they can cost north of $1,000. Most people don't have that kind of money to spend on a high-end floor cleaner, so the brand at IFA introduced two new lower-cost options. The entry-level Q5 Pro ($429.99) and the Q8 Max ($599.99) robot floor cleaners offer 5,500Pa of suction power, mopping functionality, and the same hair-repelling dual-roller brush system as Roborock's more expensive models. The Q8 Max adds advanced obstacle avoidance technology. Both can optionally be paired with an auto-emptying dock, which costs extra.
Roborock also introduced the Dyad Pro Combo ($659.99), a portable cordless vacuum designed to clean both wet and dry messes, with four included attachments for use in handheld mode. The Q5 Pro, the Q8 Max, and the Dyad Pro Combo will be available for purchase in the US via Amazon and Roborock's website starting in October.