The big question is, What do you want these smart systems to do for you?

- Do you want to be able to turn on the lights as you pull into the driveway?

- Do you want to be able to turn up the air conditioning when you leave work?

- Do you want a party trick that allows you to turn on lights while sitting on the sofa?

You need to define what you want to happen.

Personally, I'm not in to the idea.

We’re doing a Control 4 system for our new smart home. It does and interacts with everything, including lighting and Lutron shades, etc.. We used an external audio visual company to plan and install it.

I have Control 4 and if I was able to go back 3 years, I absolutely WOULD NOT go with Control 4 again. You are at their mercy for any updates etc. I would instead get Ring and Alexa and call it a day. BTW: It was supposed to work with all this stuff. It doesn't.

We have only a couple smart switches (alexa) in our new build. 1) is for the bedroom lights so when I'm comfy in bed, I don't have to get up to turn out the lights. Lazy, yes. But, once you're comfy, you're comfy. LOL

2) the outdoor lights. So, if something goes bump outside in the middle of the night, I can say the words and the outdoor lights all turn on.

We put in Lutron Caseta switches/ecosystem and we love them, but we have a modest, older home. I have friends (with a bigger "fancier" house) who have the RA2 system - they also enjoy that. You could also go big and do Homeworks. Not sure what your budget/expectations are.

ETA: To answer your question about the ganging, we have Pico remotes with specific "scenes" that you set up; they are placed in a row of switches under the wall plate and blend right in (also have them for our Sonos as well).

ETA2: I have found that a lot of electricians aren't as versed in these systems - I would try a lighting design place or a dealer for the specific system you are considering

We have the following in our home:

• Motorola MB8611 DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gig Cable Modem
• Apple router
• Google mesh (3 total)
• Google Hub (2) and mini (1)
• Nest (1 doorbell camera, 1 exterior camera, 11 door/window guards, 5 thermostats for radiant heat)
• Wemos that run year-round (9 plugs/switches, primarily to control various exterior lights)
• Wemos that run seasonally (2-3 plugs for holiday yard lights)
• Kasa plugs in wine cellar (1 for chiller, 1 for humidifier)
• Leviton 5-way switches (1 for living room lights, 1 for office lights)
• Sonos (7 units throughout house)
• Racchio irrigation system
• Flume water sensor
• 12+ outlets with built-in USB chargers
• Miele W&D and DW (all wi-fi compatible)
• SZ fridge, induction range and under counter unit (all wi-fi compatible)

We also control the following with Google Assistant/apps on our phone:

• Amba electric towel rack that we control with a Leviton smart switch
• Ditra-heat warm floor mat that we control with a Mysa thermostat
• Motorized Roman and solar shades that we control with Pulse 2 app
• Smart recirculating pump

I'm sure I'm missing a few items, but this gives you an idea of what we currently run in our home. While we've tried to create an efficient, cohesive ecosystem for our many devices I'm not sure we've succeeded... We were early adopters and there weren't as many choices when we installed our first Wemo switch for our outdoor lights almost 12 years ago!

We find that once we set something up, we don't really need to change it all too often so as long you're okay with managing the required apps, you should be fine.

We use Google voice assistant to operate most items. It helps that we have very good wi-fi and also have ethernet cabling throughout our home. My husband who does not work in IT is very good at trouble-shooting when updates, etc. cause things to go wonky as they inevitably do!

I have a Android, husband uses Apple. Hope that helps!

You might look at the Halo Home system. The Keypad supports four groups of devices.

I fiddled around with Amazon Alexa (Echo) and Samsung SmartThings and decided I'd never really use any of it. I just put occupancy (motion) sensor/dimmers in the hallway, entryway, and kitchen; and dimmers everywhere else. Lutron LED+ products work really well.

I bought two fan/light combinations but each has its own remote control for fan speed and brightness (but would you really need to control a fan when you were outside the room?).

I'd use motion sensors with Dark Sky compliant lights for any outdoor lighting.

I have a Honeywell T10 Pro thermostat whose wi-fi (remote) capability is very useful for controlling/checking the HVAC system when I'm away.

Depending on how comfortable you are with it, how much does it matter how many ecosystems you use? I.e. smart switches being Kasa, shades being Lutron, garage being something else, etc

It can matter. There are systems that allow a lot of cross-brand integration. Depending on how much you DIY, Homeseer is one very good option.

What do people think are the best smart solutions that they’ve incorporated vs those that aren’t worth it?

Greatly depends on your preferences. We have automated blinds and lights, cameras, smart HVAC, music control, and security. Will add irrigation and a few other things at some point.

My wife loves part of the lighting and music. The other part of the lighting she's 'meh' about. Blinds are just a major convenience if you are the kind to open and close them every day. (Mine are set to open at sunrise (except the bedroom) and close at sunset.)

What are the recommended brands for each?

Lots of factors here. House size, budget, DIY vs professional, level of integration required. These are just a few.

Specifically on smart switches…how does this work with a fan with a light? And how does it work for a kitchen that would have 3-4 light switches (pendants, can, under cabinet and glass cabinets)? I don’t see options for smart switches with multiple gangs so do they just have to be put different places?

Depends on the system and need. Some are toggles. Some are motion activated (excellent for bathrooms, pantries, closets and the like). Some are push button keypads. You can even use your phone and voice assistant (Google, Alexa) with the right system.

We have the following...

OnQ - for garage. App on Android a bit clunky - but overall great. Took Uber home from airport last night and opened garage as we pulled up.

Ecobee for thermostats. Great monitoring (the best). Good remote access. Not best actual stat interface but overall - love it.

Pentair intellichoice for pool - simple, clunky app but gets job done.

Lutron Caseta for outdoor lights primarily (a few special interior devices also). Nice overall. Good for sunset/sunrise functionality - rather than dumb timers and also easy to coordinate porch lights and landscape lights.

Nest doorbell/door sensors.

Schlage door lock on one door for pet sitters.

Using several apps isn't a big deal to me. Turning on pool pump is not done at same time as opening garage door or setting a door lock for a pet sitter.

Only go full-on smarthome if you are a dedicated tinkerer and programmer—otherwise you’re at the mercy of 10000 apps and inter-corporate disputes or abandoned projects that result in non-interopability or non-functionality. Though my husband and I both like tinkering and are both good programmers, the only ’smart’ thing we have is an irrigation controller because of the unpaid, time-intensive labor of maintaining this stuff (and the invasiveness of big tech). Tread carefully!