English guides
Guides for Canadian Homes: Winter, Smart Home, EV, Backup Power
Buying guides written for the whole country, compared on what each listing actually states, plus installation costs and outage tools for Quebec.
- 50 guides in English
- Buying guides: specs quoted from the listings, nothing bench-tested
- No price copied: it shows on the retailer's page
- Quebec-only guides are grouped and labelled
The first pick from each buying guide, sorted by who you are shopping for.See the ideas →
- For cold hands and feet
- For a warmer living room and bedroom
- For whoever clears the snow
- For a smarter home
- For the EV driver
- For the air at home
- For someone who has everything
- More on the smart home
- Backup power and power stations
- Power outages in Quebec
- Installing in Quebec
For cold hands and feet
The rink, the bus stop, the job site, the ice hut: battery-heated clothing and accessories.
- Heated gloves and mitts →First pick: WASOTO heated mitts, adult
- Heated socks →First pick: VICEPLUS heated socks, 2 × 8,000 mAh
- Heated vests and jackets →First pick: ORORO men's heated puffer vest, 4 zones
- Rechargeable hand warmers →First pick: OCOOPA UT2s magnetic hand warmers, 2-pack
- Boot dryers →First pick: PEET Original 2-Shoe Dryer
For a warmer living room and bedroom
What warms the person rather than the whole house, and what helps through the dark months.
- Heated blankets →First pick: Sunbeam Royal Posh Velvet, queen, dual control
- Electric fireplaces →First pick: Innoflame 23-inch electric fireplace insert with logs
- Light therapy lamps →First pick: Carex Day-Light Elite
- Space heaters →First pick: DREO ceramic 1,500 W, cETLus listed
- Humidifiers →First pick: Levoit Classic 160, 2.5 L, top fill
For whoever clears the snow
From the front steps to the driveway: the power shovel, the battery snow blower and what keeps the path clear.
- Electric snow shovels →First pick: Greenworks 40V 12-inch snow shovel, 4.0 Ah kit
- Electric snow blowers →First pick: Greenworks 24V 12-inch snow shovel
- Snow melting mats →First pick: HeatTrak stair mat with power unit, 10 x 30 in
- Block heater timers and cords →First pick: BN-LINK outdoor 7-day programmable timer
For a smarter home
Devices that go in without rewiring the house: thermostat, lock, doorbell, plugs and robot.
- Smart thermostats →First pick: Sinopé TH1123WF
- Smart locks →First pick: Weiser Powerbolt 3, satin nickel
- Doorbell cameras →First pick: eufy Security Video Doorbell E340
- Smart plugs →First pick: Kasa Smart Plug Mini HS103P4, 4-pack
- Robot vacuums and mops →First pick: eufy X10 Pro Omni
- Security cameras →First pick: Tapo C410 2K battery camera
For the EV driver
The adapter that opens up more chargers and the charger waiting at home.
For the air at home
Dry winter air, a damp basement, dust: one appliance per problem.
For someone who has everything
The useful gifts nobody buys for themselves, until the day the power goes out.
- Smart smoke and CO detectors →First pick: First Alert SC5 Battery smart smoke and CO alarm (SMCO600NV)
- Water leak detectors →First pick: GoveeLife Smart Water Leak Detector 1s, 3-pack with gateway
- Surge protectors →First pick: Amazon Basics 12-outlet, 4,000 joules
- Roof and pipe heat tape →First pick: HEATIT HIRD 100 ft roof and gutter de-icing cable
- Electric garage heaters →First pick: TEMPWARE 5,000 W ceiling garage heater
More on the smart home
Where to start, the devices that need no rewiring, and the brands sold in Canada one by one.
- Smart home automation: where to start →Where to start, hubs, Matter, and what is worth it.
- Smart light bulbs →Wi-Fi, Hue, Matter and outdoor bulbs.
- Smart light switches and dimmers →No-neutral wiring, Lutron, Kasa, Matter.
- Smart garage door openers →myQ and the alternatives.
- Tapo cameras in Canada →C120, C210, C425, C560WS and the hub.
- Reolink in Canada →PoE, NVR kits, Argus, Home Hub, doorbell.
- eufy in Canada →HomeBase 3, eufyCam, SoloCam, doorbells.
- Blink cameras in Canada →Outdoor 4, Mini 2, doorbell, hubs.
- Philips Hue in Canada →Bridge vs Bluetooth, kits, outdoor.
Backup power and power stations
Portable power stations for outages, the cottage and the campsite, compared by size and by brand.
- Best portable power station →Our comparison of portable power stations.
- Bluetti in Canada →Elite 200 V2, AC70 and which one to buy.
- Where to buy Jackery in Canada →Canadian Tire, Costco or online.
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 review →Prices and runtimes.
- Jackery and EcoFlow catalogues →EcoFlow and Jackery: catalogues and model comparisons.
Power outages in Quebec
Live data from Hydro-Québec's open feed, for information only.
Installing in Quebec
Costs, rebates and licensed contractors. These guides apply to Quebec only.
- EV charger installation in Montreal →Installation cost and the Quebec rebate.
- Heat pump installation and cost →Installation cost and rebates.
- Renting vs buying a heat pump →The 10-year math.
- Solar panel cost in Quebec →System cost and financing.
- Solar panels in Mont-Tremblant →Chalets and battery storage.