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Argos New Smart Home Lineup — Best Budget Picks Reviewed (2025 edition)

Argos has quietly become one of Britain’s most convenient places to start a smart-home upgrade. The catalogue reads like a cross-section of the wider market: cheap-but-useful entries from brands such as TP-Link (Tapo), Blink and Wyze sit next to more premium names like Philips Hue and Ring, and Argos’s regular sales mean prices often drop into genuinely wallet-friendly territory. This article walks through Argos’s new smart-home lineup in 2025, highlights the best budget buys, explains which devices are worth stretching for (and which to skip), and closes with a practical buying checklist you can use in store or online.

Short summary: If you want quick, low-cost smart home gains — remote light scheduling, basic automation, and a first camera or smart plug — Argos’s 2025 selection delivers excellent value. Pick devices that match your platform (Alexa, Google, Apple/Matter), start with plugs and a single camera/speaker, and avoid brand lock-in until you understand the ecosystem you’ll use most. (Argos)

Why buy your smart gear from Argos in 2025?

Three practical reasons:

Wide range under one roof. Argos stocks a broad cross-section of mass-market smart devices — from cheap Tapo plugs to Blink cameras and Nest/Echo speakers — which makes side-by-side comparisons easy. Their dedicated smart-home category pages make browsing straightforward. (Argos)
Frequent promotions. Argos runs recurring sales (Big Red events and seasonal offers) that put popular devices into true budget territory; Tom’s Guide and similar outlets regularly pick Argos as a place to hunt bargains. (Tom’s Guide)
Practical click-and-collect convenience. If you’d rather not wait on deliveries, Argos’s stores and same-day collection options are useful when you need a replacement plug or camera fast.

Those are handy advantages for beginners or budget-conscious shoppers. But there are trade-offs: Argos is a retailer, not a manufacturer, so device choice, firmware updates and ecosystem support depend entirely on the device makers. That’s why picking budget devices that support open standards (or at least your chosen voice assistant) matters.

Market context: Matter, interoperability and 2025 trends

Before buying, understand two industry trends shaping budget devices in 2025:

Matter adoption is accelerating. The smart-home standard Matter — created to improve cross-brand compatibility — continued making progress at shows like CES 2025. Budget devices are starting to add Matter support (or promise it via firmware), which matters if you want Apple Home, Alexa and Google to work together reliably. If a cheap device supports Matter, you avoid early brand lock-in. (Residential Tech Today)
Value devices have matured. Low-cost brands (Tapo, Wyze, Blink) improved UX and basic security features in 2024–25. That means a sub-£30 smart plug or a £40 battery camera can now meet most introductory use cases without the headaches that plagued early budget models. But buyer beware: cloud subscription and privacy models still vary. (Yahoo Tech)

Bottom line: aim for devices that either natively support Matter or at least your chosen assistant (Alexa/Google), and check whether a subscription is required for the features you actually want.

How I picked the best budget categories at Argos

To keep this practical I focused on smart products you can buy for under ~£70 (typical UK “budget” bracket) and that deliver day-to-day value:

Smart plugs and sockets — immediate automation for lamps and heaters. (Best first step.)
Smart bulbs — colour or white bulbs if you want ambience; cheaper white bulbs for energy and schedules.
Entry security cameras / video doorbells — motion detection and a sense of security without a heavy subscription.
Compact smart speakers — cheap voice control and routines.
Robot vacuums / basic smart appliances — included because they often fall into budget sales at Argos.

Where possible I cross-checked Argos stock pages and recent round-ups from reputable outlets to confirm the devices are widely available and that current deals push them into budget territory. (Argos)

Best budget pick — Smart plug: TP-Link Tapo P105 / P110 series

Why start with a smart plug? You get scheduling, remote on/off and simple energy savings without rewiring. TP-Link’s Tapo line (which Argos routinely stocks and discounts) is a reliable budget standard: easy app setup, Alexa/Google support, and useful features such as “away mode”. They’re tiny, inexpensive, and you can automate kettles, lamps or chargers in minutes. Argos’s smart-plug category shows multiple Tapo models across price points. (Argos)

Practical tip: buy one plug and test. If you like the app and voice control, replace key outlets gradually. For whole-home automation, a Tapo starter pack is cheaper and lower risk than rewiring for smart switches.

Best budget pick — Smart bulb: Sengled / TP-Link white & colour bulbs

Smart bulbs used to be pricey; now you can pick a decent white bulb or an entry-level colour bulb for budget sums. Sengled and TP-Link bulbs balance price and performance: fast response, acceptable colour rendering, and app schedules. Argos stocks multiple options in their lighting section so you can match bulb form factor (E27, B22) to your fixtures. If you want full ecosystem flexibility, consider Philips Hue — more expensive but tightly integrated — otherwise budget bulbs will cover the basics at a fraction of the price. (Argos)

Practical tip: buy a colour bulb for a living space where ambience matters and white bulbs for areas that need consistent lighting (hallway, stairwell).

Best budget pick — Camera: Blink Mini 2 / Wyze / Eufy basic (where available)

For entry-level security, small indoor cameras such as Blink Mini 2 or Wyze’s compact models deliver motion alerts and two-way audio at modest prices. Argos lists Blink and similar cameras often in sales; Tom’s Guide flagged camera discounts during Argos promotions. The trade-off: many budget cams limit free cloud history, push you to a subscription for rolling video, and may offer lower resolution than premium rivals — but they’re excellent deterrents and monitoring tools for basic needs. (Tom’s Guide)

Privacy note: check local storage and subscription options. A camera that offers local storage (microSD) can avoid recurring fees and keep sensitive footage in your control.

Best budget pick — Video doorbell (battery): Blink / Ring (sale models)

Argos frequently discounts battery doorbells such as Ring and Blink to budget ranges during big sales. These are easy installs (no doorbell wiring required) and provide push alerts on motion. Ring’s ecosystem is broader, but Blink can be cheaper and simpler for basic notifications. If you travel or need live view, look for a model that offers free live streaming even without a subscription; that prevents being locked into monthly fees. (Tom’s Guide)

Practical tip: ensure battery life estimates match your property’s motion activity — a heavily trafficked porch will drain smaller batteries quickly.

Best budget pick — Compact smart speaker: Echo Pop / Nest Mini (clearance and sale buys)

A small voice speaker is the cheapest way to add routines, voice control and multiroom audio. Argos often includes Echo Pop and Nest Mini in sales, pushing them into sub-£40 territory. These devices serve as decent home hubs (for Alexa/Google) for small homes and are ideal budget gateways to scheduling bulbs and plugs. (Tom’s Guide)

Practical tip: pick the assistant you already use on your phone to reduce friction. If you’re entrenched in Google services, buy Nest; if you use Amazon Prime and Alexa, buy Echo.

Budget aspirational pick — Robot vacuum (value models on sale)

Robot vacuums regularly appear in Argos sales and sometimes fall into budget ranges for older or simpler models. While top-end robots are expensive, entry models can handle weekly maintenance on carpets and hard floors and can be a surprisingly good value buy when discounted. Tom’s Guide and other reviewers recommend hunting Argos’s sale pages for particular models that hit the price / performance sweet spot. (Tom’s Guide)

Practical tip: if you only need “light” upkeep (crumbs, light pet hair), a budget robot on sale is worth it; for heavier hair or stairs, save for a midrange model.

Common pitfalls when buying budget smart gear at Argos

Subscription creep. Many cheap cameras and doorbells advertise low headline costs but lock important features behind cloud plans. Always check what free functionality you’ll actually get. (Yahoo Tech)
Platform lock-in. Budget brands often work best with one voice platform. Confirm Alexa/Google/HomeKit/Matter compatibility before buying. Matter compatibility is increasingly common and is a big plus. (Residential Tech Today)
Security and firmware updates. Budget brands have improved, but verify the vendor’s firmware update track record. A cheap device that never receives updates can become a security risk.
Local storage options. If you care about privacy or want to avoid subscriptions, prefer devices that offer local storage (microSD or local NAS compatibility).

Three mini case studies (realistic shopper scenarios)

Case study A — “First-time smart home” (single flat)

Profile: rented London flat, £200–£300 total budget, wants remote light control and basic security.

Buy plan:

1 × Tapo P105 smart plug (lamp)
1 × Sengled white bulb (living room)
1 × Blink Mini 2 indoor camera on sale

Why it works: low cost, minimal installation, and a clear upgrade path. Plug+bulb for ambience and camera for peace of mind. Total cost typically under £80 during Argos promotions. (Argos)

Case study B — “Family starter pack” (house with kids)

Profile: wants parental controls, voice assistants for routines, and a doorbell.

Buy plan:

2 × Tapo smart plugs (night lights/chargers)
2 × TP-Link or Sengled bulbs for playroom/living room
1 × Echo Pop (hub & voice assistant)
1 × Ring or Blink battery doorbell (sale model)

Why it works: routines (goodnight, homework), voice control for kids, front-door monitoring. Argos’s in-store collection suits families who prefer to pick up and set up together. (Tom’s Guide)

Case study C — “Budget security upgrade” (semi-rural)

Profile: wants perimeter monitoring and long battery life.

Buy plan:

2 × Blink battery outdoor cameras (on sale)
1 × Wyze or Blink indoor camera for the kitchen
Local storage microSD where possible

Why it works: motion alerts for doors and outbuildings; battery cams avoid hard wiring. Watch for subscription differences (some brands require a plan for cloud history). (Tom’s Guide)

Final verdict & buying checklist

Argos’s 2025 smart-home lineup is a great place to start if you want affordable, immediately useful devices and the convenience of in-store pickup or fast delivery. The best buys are the humble smart plug, an entry camera, and an inexpensive voice speaker — these three items transform daily life more than chasing a singular “smart” thermostat or premium camera when you’re on a budget.

Quick buying checklist (take to Argos or use online)

What assistant will I use? (Alexa / Google / Matter / HomeKit)
Does the device advertise Matter or a clear voice-assistant path? (prefer Matter when possible). (Residential Tech Today)
Are core features available without a subscription (live view, motion alerts, basic history)?
Is local storage (microSD) an option if I want to avoid cloud fees?
How long is the battery life (for battery cams/doorbells) and are spare batteries/power options available?
If buying bulbs, confirm base type (E27/B22) and lumens (not just “colour”).
Check Argos’s current sale pages (Big Red etc.) for bundles and discounts. (Tom’s Guide)

Here are some case studies, comments, and examples based on Argos’s 2025 smart-home budget gear. These pull together what real users are saying, how things perform in practice, and what to watch out for. If you’re considering buying from Argos, these will help you avoid surprises and get good value.

What Argos Offers: Key Budget Picks

Some of the frequently seen budget smart-home items at Argos are:

Product	Price / Ballpark	Key features
TP-Link Tapo P105 Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug – ≈ £8.99	Remote on/off, scheduling, voice control via Alexa/Google, “away mode”. (Argos)
TP-Link Tapo P110 Mini Smart Plug (Energy Monitoring) – ≈ £9.99	Same basic remote control and scheduling, plus energy-use stats (real time + historical) to help identify power-hungry devices. (Argos)
Blink Mini Indoor (plug-in) Camera – ~£21.99	Basic indoor monitoring, good resolution, motion alerts. A typical first-camera for cheap home security. (Argos)
Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera – ~£37.99	Adds pan & tilt, wider coverage indoors, more flexible positioning. Good for covering corners or multiple zones without multiple cameras. (Review Tech)

Case Studies

Below are three real-user style scenarios that illustrate how these budget items fare in day-to-day use, their trade-offs, and what sort of person they’re good for.

Case Study 1: Flatmate Student Setup

Profile:

Lives in a flatshare, often out late or travelling.
Wants to automate lights and monitor the living room.
Budget is tight (max ~£50 for start-up).
Uses Google Assistant.

Setup chosen:

One Tapo P105 smart plug for living room lamp.
One Blink Mini Indoor camera for the living room corner.

Results & Comments:

What worked well	Where there were issues
The smart plug was very cheap and did exactly what it claimed: scheduled on/off, voice control via Google. Setup was easy. — no complicated hub needed.	The plug occasionally dropped off the WiFi; re-connecting needed reboots of router. Also, “away mode” scheduling was simple but not super flexible.
The Blink camera gave peace of mind for casual monitoring, motion alerts worked, image quality acceptable for price.	Cloud storage was minimal; long video history cost extra. Night vision was grainy if the room lighting was poor. Also, motion sensitivity sometimes triggered false alerts (curtains / pets).

Outcome: For a student trying to get decent quality on a tiny budget, this combo was a strong win. The trade-offs (cloud costs, occasional connectivity) were acceptable given price. If upgrading later, replacing the camera or adding a plug with better reliability might be the next step.

Case Study 2: Family Home Lighting & Energy Monitoring

Profile:

Household of 4 in a suburban house.
Concerned about electricity bills.
Want to automate some lights, check which appliances “leak” power, and have devices turn off when not needed.

Setup chosen:

Several P110 plugs (energy monitoring) for devices like TV, gaming console, spare chargers.
Multiple smart bulbs (budget white/light colour) in family room and hallway.
Possibly a Blink camera in hallway for monitoring the porch entrance.

Results & Comments:

Good	Watch out
The energy monitoring in the P110 plugs helped identify a few hidden power draws (old adapter that draws current, TVs not going fully off). Over a few weeks the family adjusted behaviour (turned off devices fully, shut off standby), which translated into visible savings.	Because WiFi is shared and lots of devices are connected, some plugs or bulbs suffered latency or missed “on/off” commands, especially when WiFi load was high. Also, the bulbs’ colour accuracy wasn’t great: colours look quite saturated or “off” compared to premium brands.
Bulk buying (during sales or multi-packs) dropped per-unit cost substantially. Also liked having voice control via Alexa to tell all lights off.	The Blink camera in porch needed weather-proofing/housing; battery life is okay but not stellar. Also, for the networked bulbs / plugs, the app ecosystems sometimes differ: Tapo app does scheduling well but less so for multi-brand routines; integration with Google routines sometimes delayed.

Outcome: Overall a good value. They saved some money, got more awareness of power usage, and have decent smart control. If the family wants better performance, they’d need to invest in higher-quality bulbs or possibly a mesh WiFi to manage responsiveness.

Case Study 3: Security-Focused Rural Home

Profile:

Old farmhouse / rural with patchy WiFi and less reliable broadband.
Want outdoor security cameras, motion detection at the gate, and indoor monitoring.
Concern about battery life and durability.

Setup chosen:

Blink Outdoor wireless battery camera(s).
Blink outbuildings / shed camera(s) where possible.
Indoor Blink Mini or Pan-Tilt for monitoring hall / entry.

Results & Comments:

What worked	Challenges
Blink Outdoor’s battery power meant easy placement (no wiring) and acceptable image for daytime viewing. Night vision okay when there’s minimal ambient light. The durability of the casing held up in rain / cold.	The batteries need replacing more frequently than advertised under heavy use (motion alerts many times per day drain). Also WiFi range to outdoor cameras sometimes marginal; motion detection sometimes delayed or inconsistent. The subscription required for more continuous cloud storage becomes costly for 2-3 outdoor cams.
Indoor cams are cheaper and help with coverage inside; pan/tilt lets you monitor more area with fewer devices.	When there’s signal drop / power failure, restoring cameras is sometimes more fiddly than expected (resetting, re-connecting). Also, updates via app can introduce bugs or change behaviour of motion detection.

Outcome: For rural security, these devices are good “first step” coverage. Not premium, but they give visibility. The trade-off is: occasional maintenance, some gaps in performance. If budget allows, better battery tech or local recording + backup power may be better.

Comments & Real User Feedback

Here are some real comments (from Reddit / forums / Argos reviews) that reflect common themes.

On Tapo Plugs

“We bought a set of 4, the first one was fiddly to setup, but the other 3 were then very easy. Well recommended.” (eBay UK)
“My relatively cheap Tapo plugs rarely last a year. The relay contacts get stuck all the time … tapping/banging it will free it up for a while, but it’ll just happen again and again.” (Reddit)
On Blink Cameras

“When they are working it’s a great inexpensive option. However they are down a lot … network drop, delay in notifications etc.” (Reddit)
“Bought a set of three new ones from Argos. Only one is still going after a few months.” (Trustpilot)
On Value Deals at Argos
The P105 plug often drops to around £8-£9, sometimes less during sales. That turns out to be among the cheapest “smart plugs with brand, warranty, voice control” options in the market. (Price History)
On Customer Satisfaction / After Sale Support
Argos generally gets good Trustpilot scores for product quality, delivery, and customer service. But for smart-home devices especially, users sometimes report issues with returns, firmware update delays, and lack of local support when the device fails. (Trustpilot)

Examples & Comparative Commentary

To help you decide quickly, here are comparative examples:

P105 vs P110
- If you just want to remotely turn on/off a lamp or schedule lights, P105 is simpler, cheaper, works fine.
- If you also want to monitor how much electricity something uses (for example, your old PC, heater, etc.), then spending a little more for P110 is worthwhile. The energy monitoring features can “pay back” (in awareness or reduced usage) over time.
Blink Mini vs Blink Outdoor
- Blink Mini is great indoors, cheap, easy to plug in, few weather issues. If you want to monitor a hallway or kitchen, it’s excellent value.
- Blink Outdoor is necessary if you need coverage outside or for buildings without wiring. Then you pay more for battery housing and weather resistance, and accept that battery life, connectivity, and subscription costs become more relevant.
App & Integration Differences
- Tapo app tends to be more responsive for plugs & basic scheduling; bulbs too, though sometimes varied.
- Blink’s app gives basic free functionality but many users are unhappy when essential features are locked behind subscription or degraded over time. Delays on motion detection and connection issues show up repeatedly in reviews.
- Multi-device routines (for example, “at 7pm, lights on, camera on, plug off”) often require mixing apps or using Alexa/Google routines; cross-brand consistency is not perfect at budget level.

What To Ask / Check Before You Buy

Here are practical questions you should ask or check in store or on Argos’s site, to avoid regret:

Power / Battery Specifications
- For plugs: max current / wattage rating. Ensure it matches or exceeds what you intend to plug in.
- For outdoor cameras: what are the battery life estimates, how easy is battery replacement, is there a wired option or solar panel accessory?
Free vs Subscription Features
- What motion alerts are free? How much cloud history or storage is included without paying?
- Can you get local storage (SD card or network storage)?
App Ecosystem & Voice Control
- Does the product support your voice assistant (Alexa / Google / Apple) out of box?
- Is there Matter or standard protocols that mean future devices can mix well?
Firmware / Update Policy
- Has the brand shown a willingness to update devices (fix bugs, security)?
- Are there reports of devices going out of support or being bricked?
Connectivity & Range
- WiFi strength to the device location (if remote / outdoors) is critical. If WiFi is weak, devices may disconnect often.
- Consider if using mesh WiFi helps.
Durability / Build Quality
- Outdoor rating (for cameras).
- Plug build, heat dissipation, relay performance.
- Weather / moisture resistance.
Return & Support Options via Argos
- How easy is it to return a faulty smart device?
- Does Argos or the manufacturer warranty cover firmware-driven failures or drop-outs?

Final Thoughts & Practical Example Setup

Putting it all together, here’s a “budget upgrade plan” built from Argos’s current offerings, using everything above:

Example: A “Smart Safety & Energy Starter” for ~£70-£90

2 × TP-Link Tapo P110 plugs for devices like TV + router: gives you remote control + energy usage.
1 × Blink Mini Indoor Camera for hallway or porch (if indoors).
1 × Blink Mini Pan-Tilt for kid room or for broader indoor coverage.