thelocalhomelocal-first smart home

Home Assistant · 2026 edition

Recommended Gear

The local-first smart home shopping list. This is the list from my book, Home Assistant in a Weekend, kept up to date here so the links keep working after the book is out. Pick a tier, buy what you need, and skip what you already own.

Look for gear that works locally (Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, ESPHome), so your home keeps working when the internet doesn’t.

Shopping list by budget tier

These match the three tiers in the book. “Official” marks first-party Raspberry Pi or Home Assistant hardware. Links marked “Search results” open an Amazon search, so you can compare brands for generic items.

Tier 1

Try it out

The cheapest way to find out if Home Assistant is for you. A Raspberry Pi, a couple of smart plugs, and one weekend.

  • Raspberry Pi 5 (4 GB)Official

    The small computer that runs Home Assistant.

    View on Amazon

  • Official 27 W USB-C power supplyOfficial

    A weak power supply causes random crashes. Get the official one.

    View on Amazon

  • Official Pi 5 case with fanOfficial

    Keeps the Pi cool under load.

    View on Amazon

  • A2-rated microSD card, 64 GB

    Storage to start with. Move to an SSD later.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Ethernet cable

    Needed for setup, and more reliable than Wi-Fi.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Matter-over-Wi-Fi smart plugs (×2)

    Your first things to automate. No hub needed.

    View on Amazon Search results

Already have an old laptop or mini PC? Skip the Pi and spend the money on sensors.

Tier 2

The recommended weekend kit

The setup the book is built around: a plug-and-play server, a Zigbee radio, and enough sensors to run the starter automations.

  • Home Assistant GreenOfficial

    The easiest Home Assistant server. Plug it in and go.

    View on Amazon

  • Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2Official

    Connects cheap, reliable Zigbee sensors.

    View on Amazon

  • USB 2.0 extension cable (about 1 m)

    Moves the radio away from interference.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Zigbee motion sensors (×2)

    For motion-activated lights.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Zigbee door/window contact sensors (×2)

    For “door left open” alerts.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Zigbee water leak sensors (1–2)

    An early warning under the water heater or sink.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Smart bulbs or plugs, Zigbee or Matter (2–4)

    Lights to control.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Zigbee temperature/humidity sensor

    Comfort readings for your dashboard.

    View on Amazon Search results
Tier 3

Room to grow

For when you’re hooked: more power, every major smart home radio, locks, climate control, and local voice.

  • Mini PC (N100/N150-class, 8–16 GB RAM, SSD)

    Room for cameras, voice, and energy tracking.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 (×2)Official

    Run one for Zigbee and one for Thread.

    View on Amazon

  • Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2Official

    Z-Wave locks, in-wall switches, and long-range sensors.

    View on Amazon

  • Z-Wave or Matter smart lock

    For lock and unlock routines, and a “goodnight” scene.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Smart thermostat with local control

    Climate automations that work without the cloud.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Home Assistant Voice Preview EditionOfficial

    Private, local voice control.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Small UPS (battery backup)

    Rides out short power blips and protects your storage.

    View on Amazon Search results
Tip: buy for local control. Before buying any device, search for “device name Home Assistant” and check that it works without the maker’s cloud. If official Home Assistant hardware is out of stock on Amazon, Home Assistant’s website lists other approved sellers.

From my setup

This is the gear I use at home. In my house, Home Assistant is the dashboard layer and Hubitat runs the automations. Your setup doesn’t need to look like mine. Most of these links open Amazon searches so you can pick the model that fits your home. The ratgdo link goes to the official store (not Amazon, and not an affiliate link).

  • Raspberry Pi 5

    Runs Home Assistant in Docker, plus Homebridge and a few other containers.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Lutron Caséta

    Dimmers and switches, connected with Home Assistant’s built-in integration.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Philips Hue

    Bulbs connected with the built-in integration.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Reolink cameras + NVR

    My cameras come into Home Assistant through the Reolink NVR. They’re the camera views on my wall dashboard.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • ratgdoOfficial

    Local garage door control and status over ESPHome. No cloud app needed. Buy the official board direct from ratcloud llc (Paul Wieland, the inventor).

    Buy from official store Official store

  • TP-Link Kasa smart plugs

    These run my lamps.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • iPad (wall tablet)

    A landscape iPad in kiosk mode shows my dark-theme Home Assistant dashboard.

    View on Amazon Search results

  • Hubitat Elevation hub

    Still runs every automation in my house and holds my Zigbee and Z-Wave devices. Home Assistant reads it through Maker API.

    View on Amazon Search results