Now that Hubspace has been around for a while, we've been able to take a closer look at this smart home command center. Does it suit you and yours? Let's weigh some of the current pros and cons to find out.

What is Hubspace? Have you ever heard of Hubspace? Like Alexa and Google Home, Hubspace is another smart home platform that has been around for a few years. The only major difference is that Hubspace is exclusive to Home Depot. Developed in partnership with Afero, Home Depot's Hubspace platform is your one-stop shop for adding, controlling and customizing all kinds of smart home devices, including smart light bulbs, plugs, ceiling fans and more. And it's all handled by a single app (for iOS and Android devices). Let's weigh some pros and cons so you can decide if Hubspace is right for you.

Pro: Scan And Go, Plug and Play

We're betting the word "easy" was thrown around a lot when Afero and Home Depot developed Hubspace. Since Hubspace was unveiled in 2022, the platform has prided itself on its super-simple setup process. Of course, setting up an Alexa smart speaker isn't the hardest task in the world, but Afero went above and beyond for Home Depot customers. First and foremost, it's so nice not to have a hundred apps on your WiFi for every smart home device. If your device supports Hubspace, it will be registered, managed, and customized through the Hubspace app. That is it! Alexa and Google Home fans can still control certain device functions within the respective platform apps, but nothing beats the streamlined approach that Hubspace does best. In addition to the “all under one roof” approach, setting up a Hubspace device for the first time couldn't be easier, thanks to Afero's QR code scan-and-go methodology. Every Hubspace device has a QR code on the box or product itself. Once you grant Hubspace access to your phone or tablet's camera, simply scan the QR code to add the device to the Hubspace app. No setup wizards, no button holding, no fuss.

Pro: Hubspace doesn't actually need a hub

Technically, this is just an extension of Hubspace's scan-and-go technology, but we felt this piece of information deserved its own section. For a platform called Hubspace, it's funny, but also convenient, that users don't really need an internet-connected hub to control anything. All compatible Hubspace products connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network. Plus, Afero's QR scanning technology is even smart enough to connect your Hubspace product to the right network band; So you no longer have to worry about whether a product supports dual-band connectivity or not.

Pro: Budget-friendly brands, everything in one place

One of the best parts about using Hubspace for your smart home ecosystem is the price. For the most part, Home Depot's many Hubspace-compatible partner brands produce smart lights, switches, locks, and other hardware for much less than you'd spend in competing ecosystems. While a smart light bulb normally costs more than $35 for a single A19 model, you can score an Ecosmart bulb for just $10. The same goes for smart plugs. The average price for a single plug is usually around $25, but you can buy this Hubspace-ready Defiant model for just $10. We also like that you can find all the Hubspace hardware you need at physical Home Depot locations and on the company website. No more scrambling from one store to another to find the type of smart home device that fits the ecosystem of your choice.

Downside: where is the HomeKit support?

Since the beginning, Hubspace has been compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. When your devices are connected to Wi-Fi, simple voice commands can be used to control smart lights, smart plugs and even door locks. However, you'll still need your own Alexa or Google Assistant-powered smart speaker or smart display to control your Hubspace hardware. After more than two years on the market, the Home Depot platform still doesn't natively support Apple HomeKit or the Matter smart home standard. A quick Google search will turn up a few step-by-step guides for backdoor integrating HomeKit, but Home Depot's target audience ("mass market America") probably won't want to go the extra technical mile to make Hubspace shake hands with HomeKit, Matter, IFTTT or other unsupported protocol.

Downside: Questionable Security

As of March 2024, the Hubspace app still doesn't offer two-factor authentication (2FA) or extensive login protections. Beyond the privacy policy and terms and conditions, it's difficult to understand exactly how much protection Home Depot gives to your data. It probably wouldn't cost much to improve security on the developer side. Considering that most Hubspace users probably aren't using VPNs or similar internet security tools, both Home Depot and Afero could be in for some big headaches down the road (a company called Ring knows what that's like). None of this is to say that Hubspace isn't a safe platform to use. In fact, an Afero whitepaper and Internet of Things (IOT) security page prove just how committed Home Depot is to providing Hubspace users with end-to-end security. That's why it's even more surprising to us that 2FA is still not available.

Downside: Limited device compatibility

One of the biggest benefits of building a Hubspace ecosystem is the many different products you can scan and control in the app. Currently there are more than 150 compatible devices, but here's the catch: They're all Home Depot in-house products from brands like Commercial Electric, Defiant, Ecosmart, and Hampton Bay. We don't expect Home Depot to be completely open about the types of hardware that can be controlled through Hubspace, but a handful of third-party brands could go a long way, especially since Home Depot sells some basic shoes, right? in addition to its own range. We're talking about companies like Wyze, Blink, and Nest, which specialize in DIY security products that Hubspace still doesn't have. Yes, Home Depot announced a completely DIY Hubspace surveillance system at CES, but guess what that bundle doesn't come with? An internet-connected security camera. Maybe Home Depot has plans for its own blind technology? That said, giving Hubspace the ability to deal with just a few non-Home Depot budget-friendly brands could give Hubspace users the kind of peace of mind that would keep people coming back to Home Depot for more Hubspace-compatible devices.

Hubspace is just one of many smart home ecosystems you can use right now. The most interesting development in the field of smart home is probably Matter, a protocol that allows different smart home devices to work together. Wondering where to start? We recommend starting with smart home devices that are actually useful. You can also save money by upgrading 'dumb' appliances to be smart-home compatible.