last updated: October 19, 2016

Pros: Wide, variety of products to select from, voice-control option through Amazon Echo

Cons: Created by now-bankrupt firm Quirky

Wink offers hundreds of products from three dozen partner companies, including those compatible with ZigBee and Z-Wave. However, unlike the other two systems, Wink isn't owned by Home Depot; the retailer is merely Wink's primary retail partner. Skip down to Cons to understand the caveats of this relationship. But let's start with Wink's advantages.

Pros:

Wink offers a wider and more diverse range of compatible gear, chief among these being the GE-made Aros smart air conditioner, Nest's Dropcam cameras, Protect Smoke and CO2 detector and thermostat, and Philips Hue lighting.

Wink products are also the only ones of the three big brand systems that can be voice-controlled by the Amazon Echo.

Also, of the three big brands, Wink offers the most sensible starter kits – a lighting kit, security/monitoring, and comfort/convenience.

Wink's app looks and feels the most artistic of the three big box brands; the Lowe's Iris and Staples Connect apps are nearly industrial in their look/feel/use. As a result, we found the app and even a bit more fun to navigate than Iris' and Staples Connect's.

Finally, Wink is the only one of the three big box systems with Apple Watch compatibility—you can add device "Shortcuts" to the Watch to perform desired programmed actions. But like Lowe's Iris and Staples Connect, Wink is hedging its bets on full Apple HomeKit compatibility, even if separate compatible products such as the Philips Hue have embraced it.

Aeotec Smart Home Hub, Works as a SmartThings Hub, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter Gateway, Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, WiFi

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Cons:

Wink's biggest drawback is the uncertainty surrounding its continued existence and ongoing support and device availability.

Wink was originally created by an outfit called Quirky. But in September 2015, Quirky declared bankruptcy and, as of this writing, was looking for a buyer for Wink. A Wink sale was supposed to happen in late November, but there's been no news so far.

On the bright side, Home Depot remains a steadfast partner. Wink products remain available at Home Depot stores and on the Home Depot website, but Wink devices have disappeared from Amazon, and there's only a limited quantity available on Target.com.

So, while we generally like Wink's overall cool factor, operation, and product selection, we must be honestly cognizant of its potential lack of a future. Our advice: wait until Wink is sold and the buyer announces its intentions for its future before diving in.

If you want to take a chance, here are a couple of operational issues to be aware of if you go with Home Depot Wink.

Wink is compatible with a wide variety of third-party products, but not all work within the Wink app; even those that do may not allow the full range of operations as the device-specific app. Annoyingly, several smart home devices require you to download their specific app and create an account before the device can be linked to the Wink app. For instance, the Philips Hue light system requires its own hub before it can be paired with the Wink Hub.

Because of this, Wink's multi-device Robots feature may not fully control all Wink-compatible devices that have their own dedicated apps.

If you're still unsure where to start with building a smart home, check out What You Need To Know Before Building A Smart Home.

Remember to check out The GearBrain to see what other connected devices work with Google Home or Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

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