Apple’s Siri is well known among smartphone users. Amazon’s Alexa is much like Siri, but for the smart home. “She” is a virtual personal assistant that lives in your home, not your pocket. This virtual assistant is gaining great traction in the home automation market for Amazon and becoming quite useful for smart home users.

Alexa can be found on numerous Amazon devices: Amazon Echo, Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Tap, Amazon Fire TV, and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Amazon has also allowed third party smart device makers to use the service of Alexa. These devices are not on the market yet, but should be arriving soon. One of the biggest devices that will make use of Alexa is the Ford Sync infotainment system.

You can get the most out of Alexa by pairing it with a smart home automation hub. By pairing an Alexa device like Amazon Echo or Echo Dot with a compatible hub, you can control lighting, climate, and security with your voice. Home automation is just an “ear-shot” away with Alexa.

What Smart Home Hubs Work With Alexa?

Samsung SmartThings Hub

The SmartThings hub is one of the most friendly hubs out there. Some SmartThings compatible devices include Phillips Hue and Osram lights, Levitron switches, dimmers and outlets, and ecobee thermostats. Additionally, SmartThings can interact with Schlage and Yale locks. The list continues with smart HVAC vents, irrigation, sirens, detectors, doorbells and Bose speakers. Using Alexa with SmartThings Hub allows homeowners to control lighting, locks, climate, and entertainment with voice.

Wink Hub

Wink hub supports Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Lutron Clear Connect, and Kidde protocols – making it a very close competitor to Samsung’s SmartThings. Alexa can control door locks, smart light bulbs, switches, outlets, and climate through the Wink Hub.

Vivint Hub

Vivint Hub is part of Vivint’s professionally installed smart home and security solutions. In January of 2016, Vivint announced it’s integration with Amazon Echo. Smart home users can control their smart home’s door locks, security system, climate, lighting, and garage door with Vivint and Alexa.

Insteon Hub

Insteon Hub isn’t flashy, but the fact that it plays well with Alexa makes it even more functional. One downfall is that Alexa only works with Insteon’s 2245-222 Hub. With Insteon and Alexa you can control plugs, switches, lights, and thermostats (including the Nest Learning Thermostat).