Smart Home Devices (from Amazon) That Worked After Our Move to Germany
After we unboxed all of our electronics from Michigan, my big assignment was to make our apartment smart again. Throughout the process, I learned a lot from the failed āsmoke testsā, to not knowing how to make home officeās110V floor lamp & desk lamps smart, and which devices need a step down converter.
Our non-negotiable: everything must work seamlessly with Google Home like our apartment in Novi, Michigan.
What We Optimized For
Works with Google Home & Google Assistant (voice-first control, reliable routines)
EU safety and clean power (EU/Schuko plugs, 220ā240V bulbs)
Simple pairing (Wi-Fi plugs; BLE/Wi-Fi bulbs)
Compact hardware (doesnāt block neighboring Schuko sockets)
Scalable enough without a Phillips Hue bridge (apartment-friendly limits)
Why We Keep It to One App (āGoogle Itā)
To keep things simple with a reliable & smart ecosystem that we can control it in one place: Google Home.
With so many different devices, bulbs, appliances, and legacy smart devices from the US, I knew that it wasnāt going to be easy. But I wanted to stick to the reduce the variants of brands as much as possible.
In the end, hereās what worked for us from Amazon:
Basic bar lights & wall-mounted bulbs from Tapo (GU10 white)
Coloured ceiling bulbs from Philips Hue (GU10 coloured)
Coloured floor lamp bulbs from WiZ (E27)
EU smart indoor outlets from ANTELA (Smart Indoor Plug)
EU smart outdoor outlets from Refoss (Smart Outdoor Plug)
Legacy US smart indoor outlets from TP-Link Kasa (HS103)
Tapo Over Philips
If I were to re-do it again, I would avoid the Philips Hue GU10 bulbs since they were expensive (~37 EUR per bulb) and use more of the Tapo GU10 bulbs (6 EUR per bulb).
Not just the cost either, they often disconnected with Google Home when paired with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) method instead of the Philips Hue Bridge.
But with the latest Google Home update in October 2025, we havenāt experienced any connectivity issues & things are running faster and smoother again.
So thank you, Google Home team!.
One wake up word: āHey Googleā.
One control centre (from any device): Google Home.
The Smart Devices We Actually Bought (and Recommend)
Real products we use today and would buy again.
Tapo GU10 (EU, 220ā240V) ā bedroom spots and the hanging bar lights over our kitchen island
Wiz E27 (EU, 220ā240V) ā living-room bulbs
LEDVANCE SMART+ Wi-Fi (EU) ā decorative bulbs (E27/E14 as needed)
ANTELA EU smart plug (Schuko) ā two uses today: kitchen under-cabinet lighting and TV LED backlighting
Bronson++ step-down converters ā context for legacy US smart gear. Heavy but reliable; we use 300W for holiday lights/office lamps, 2000W sparingly for the iron/KitchenAid. Great edge-case bridge, not a lifestyle.
Our āAha Momentā
When āHey Google, Hygge Timeā set the whole place to a steady, warm glow, thatās when I knew that we finally made it.
Quick Tips
Check the label. If itās not 100ā240V, donāt ājust adapterā itābuy the EU version.
Prefer one plug brand and one bulb brand as much as possible. Consistency = stable scenes.
Keep converters for edge cases only. Ventilate and stay within continuous wattage.
Connect all your devices and accounts to Google Home.
Tame wireless early. BLE pairs best close-range; for Wi-Fi plugs, split 2.4/5 GHz during setup and choose a quiet channel.
Document as you go. Snap voltage labels; keep device cards in Notes/Whimsical.
Bottom Line
By moving to EU-rated bulbs and plugsāTapo GU10, Wiz E27, LEDVANCE SMART+ Wi-Fi, and ANTELA Schuko plugsāand keeping Bronson++ only for select US devices, our apartment finally clicked.
More importantly, with only one voice assistant handling it all. āThanks Google!ā
(or soon enough, āThanks Geminiā?)
