Are smart appliances worth it? My answer is a qualified yes, for a few jobs. The useful ones are a phone alert when the washer finishes, a leak or open-door warning, and a load started overnight on a cheaper hydro rate. Wi-Fi alone rarely justifies a higher price, and on Merit's listings it doesn't have to. It shows up on an LG microwave listed at $399.99 before applicable taxes.
A smart appliance is a fridge, range, dishwasher, washer, dryer or microwave with a Wi-Fi radio that links it to its maker's phone app. Through that app it can send alerts, take a remote start and report faults. At Merit Home Furniture, smart appliances are carried beside plain, unconnected appliances at our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores on Vancouver Island. I work in Duncan, which no longer carries appliances.
Are smart appliances worth it? What 577 listings show
Smart appliances are now ordinary in a store's lineup, and that changes the question from whether to pay extra to which features you'll use. On November 1, 2026, 122 of the 577 appliances carried at our Campbell River or Port Alberni stores mentioned Wi-Fi or app control in their listing. Campbell River carried 83 of them and Port Alberni 62, with some at both.
The split by maker is lopsided. Wi-Fi is on most of the LG washers, fridges and ranges we list and our Samsung laundry and kitchen listings, while none of our 102 Frigidaire listings mentions it. So the choice often comes with the brand: an LG washer will likely have Wi-Fi whether you plan to use it or not.
My own rule is to buy the appliance for its capacity, fit and running cost, and treat the app as a bonus. A few app features do pay their way.
What makes an appliance smart: each maker's app, checked at the source
What makes an appliance smart is the app behind it, and each maker runs its own. The table gives each app the name used on the maker's Canadian page or app listing. Beside it is how many of Merit's store-carried listings from that maker mention Wi-Fi or app control.
| Maker | App | Our listings with Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| LG | LG ThinQ | 50 of 68 |
| Samsung | SmartThings | 33 of 41 |
| Midea | Midea's own app, named in our listings | 12 of 32 |
| Bosch | Home Connect | 11 of 27 |
| Whirlpool | Whirlpool app | 7 of 61 |
| Maytag | Maytag app | 6 of 45 |
| KitchenAid | KitchenAid app | 3 of 22 |
| Frigidaire, Gallery and Professional | Frigidaire 2.0 app | 0 of 102 |
The Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid apps all come from Whirlpool Corporation, by their App Store listings. Samsung's SmartThings is the one built to reach past its own brand. Samsung says appliances that meet the Home Connectivity Alliance standard can be run from SmartThings whatever their brand, and it names LG, Electrolux and GE Appliances among the alliance's members.
How does a smart appliance connect to Wi-Fi?
A smart appliance joins your home Wi-Fi once, through the maker's app and an account you create there. LG's Canadian support page says its appliances and the ThinQ app work on the 2.4 GHz band only. Maytag's app listing also asks for a 2.4 GHz router. Some routers broadcast two bands under one network name, so it's worth checking with your internet provider that the 2.4 GHz band is switched on.
Remote start comes with a safeguard. Maytag's app listing says appliances "must be set to remote enable", so a phone can't start a washer or preheat an oven unless someone allowed it at the machine first.
Smart appliances for home: the features that earn their keep
Smart appliances for home use offer five kinds of feature, and households get very different value from each. The table puts every kind beside an example from a maker's own page.
| Feature | The maker's example | Where it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Alerts | Bosch's app warns of a dishwasher leak, or a fridge door left open too long | A dishwasher running while you're out, or a fridge in the garage |
| Remote start and scheduling | Whirlpool's app can schedule a wash to finish by the time you get home, on select models | Laundry timed around work or the overnight rate |
| Fault diagnosis | LG's Smart Diagnosis looks for the possible causes of a failure | A service call that starts with an error report |
| Filter reminders | Bosch fridges can reorder water filters through Amazon Alexa Smart Reorder | Fridges with water and ice |
| Energy tracking | Bosch's app gives an energy and water forecast for each laundry program | Anyone watching the hydro bill closely |
Alerts are where I'd put the most weight. A leak warning or an open-door notice can save a kitchen floor or a fridge full of food. It does that job whether you open the app daily or never.
Energy tracking matters less than it sounds, because Wi-Fi doesn't change how much power a machine draws. On our listings, two Samsung dryers, one with Wi-Fi and one without, are both rated 644 kWh a year. The running cost comes from the EnerGuide label, which our wine cooler guide turns into dollars at BC Hydro's rates.
Smart kitchen appliances: ovens, cooktops, fridges and dishwashers
Smart kitchen appliances lean on notices more than on remote control. KitchenAid's app listing says its connected cooktops let you know if an element was left on, and its ovens report when they've preheated. Remote preheat is on the Maytag and Whirlpool apps as well.
For a dishwasher, the useful part is short: a cycle-done notice and, on Bosch models, the leak alert. On our listings, Wi-Fi starts at an LG FlushFit front-control dishwasher at $699.99 and includes a Bosch 300 Series with Home Connect from $1,299.00.
A smart oven earns more for people who cook from recipes. Whirlpool's app can send cooking instructions straight to a Whirlpool smart oven or microwave. The KitchenAid smart wall oven and microwave combination, listed from $5,799.99, has Wi-Fi, app and voice control. Smart cooking appliances like these suit a keen cook more than someone who mostly reheats.
Running laundry overnight on BC Hydro's time-of-day rate
Remote start and scheduling pay off most for a BC Hydro customer on time-of-day pricing. BC Hydro takes 5 cents per kWh off electricity used from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and adds 5 cents for use from 4 to 9 p.m. The plan is optional, so a household has to sign up for it.
A scheduled wash can land in the cheap window without anyone staying up for it. A plain delay timer does the same job with no app. The Samsung 5.2 cu. ft. front load washer on Merit's listings has no Wi-Fi, yet it lists a delay-end option. BC Hydro also points out that apartment and condo buildings may have noise rules against late-night laundry or dishwashing.
Smart tech appliances that work without Wi-Fi
Some smart tech in appliances needs no network at all. LG's Smart Diagnosis has an audible mode, where the appliance plays a diagnosis tone for the ThinQ app to read. LG's support page offers it for products where Wi-Fi diagnosis isn't supported.
Several of our listings without Wi-Fi carry this kind of feature. The LG 4.8 cu. ft. top load washer lists Smart Diagnosis, and Samsung's 7.2 cu. ft. dryer lists Smart Care troubleshooting. Merit's warranty page says an appliance claim starts with the maker, or with the Campbell River or Port Alberni store it came from. An error code helps in both cases, and how maker warranties and ours divide the work has its own guide.
Do smart appliances cost more? Prices from our listings
Smart appliances don't carry a fixed premium on Merit's listings, because Wi-Fi rarely comes alone. I looked for the same model sold with and without it and found no exact twin. The closest pairs differ in other ways too, and the notes below the table say how.
| Model | Wi-Fi | Price before applicable taxes |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung 7.2 cu. ft. electric dryer, 8 cycles | No | $749.99 |
| Samsung 7.4 cu. ft. smart electric dryer, 10 cycles | Yes, SmartThings | $1,249.00 |
| Samsung 4.4 cu. ft. top load washer | No | $749.99 |
| Samsung 5500 Series 6.0 cu. ft. top load washer | Yes | $949.99 |
| LG 7.3 cu. ft. electric dryer | Yes | $899.99 |
| LG 1.8 cu. ft. over-the-range microwave | Yes, ThinQ | $399.99 |
The two Samsung dryers are the nearest thing to a twin. Both are 27 inches wide, both are vented, and both are rated 644 kWh a year. The Wi-Fi model costs $499.01 more, and it also adds 0.2 cu. ft. and two cycles. LG's Wi-Fi dryer is listed at $899.99, which is $349.01 less than Samsung's.
The price gap between models tracks capacity, cycles and finish more than the radio. Whirlpool's smart low-profile microwave shows the finish effect clearly. It's $699.99 in white and $799.99 in black stainless, with the same Wi-Fi in both.
How long will a smart appliance's app keep working?
A smart appliance's app keeps working for as long as its maker supports it, and few makers put a number on that. Of the makers in this guide, Samsung is the one I found with a published figure. In August 2025 it said Wi-Fi-enabled Samsung appliances would be eligible for software updates for up to seven years after launch, starting with 2024 models.
"Up to" is a ceiling, and Samsung counts from the model's launch, not from the day you buy. A fridge bought late in a model's run starts with less of that window left. The machine itself often runs longer, going by typical lifespans for each major appliance.
Apps also get replaced. Frigidaire's Canadian support site says its 1.0 Frigidaire Smart App has been deactivated. Owners of its Connected Home Comfort appliances have to move them over to the Frigidaire 2.0 app.
When an app is retired, the phone side stops: the alerts, the remote start and the remote diagnosis. The washer or range keeps its own controls, so what goes is the convenience layer. That's why I'd judge every smart appliance first as a plain appliance.
Wi-Fi for smart appliances in rural Island homes
Wi-Fi for smart appliances has two parts: an internet connection into the house, and a signal strong enough where the appliance stands. The first part is mostly there now. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada counted 87.4% of rural households with access to 50/10 Mbps service in 2024, against 99.8% of urban ones. That's 50 megabits a second down and 10 up.
Signal at the appliance is the more likely snag. If the laundry sits in a basement, a garage or the far end of an addition, the router may be out of reach. LG's ThinQ support page says a failed connection can mean the router is too far away, and suggests a Wi-Fi amplifier.
A home on a slow or capped connection still keeps the features that don't depend on the internet. Delay start runs from the machine's own panel, and LG offers its audible diagnosis where Wi-Fi diagnosis isn't available.
Before settling on a Wi-Fi washer or fridge, I'd stand where it will go with a phone on your home network and watch the signal. If the phone struggles there, I'd expect the appliance to struggle too, and I'd sort out an extender before the appliance arrives.
Smart appliances and privacy: the Privacy Commissioner's checklist
Smart appliances collect data, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has plain advice for anyone buying a connected device. Before buying, it suggests learning what personal information the product collects and what privacy controls it offers.
One question on its list is worth putting to any appliance maker: whether it says it will provide "security updates in the future". These are the other steps from the same page that fit a fridge or washer:
- Change any default password, and don't reuse one password across devices.
- Put connected devices on a guest Wi-Fi network of their own, apart from your phones and computers.
- Switch on only the functions you'll use, and delete the account once you stop using the device.
- Check whether the device can disconnect and run as an ordinary, unconnected one.
App permissions belong to the same picture. Maytag's app listing asks for location access to find Wi-Fi networks, plus Bluetooth and local network access during setup. None of that is unusual, and it's worth a read before tapping allow.
Who smart appliances suit, and who can skip the Wi-Fi
Smart appliances suit a household that's out for long stretches, runs laundry on a schedule, or keeps a second fridge where nobody checks it daily. They also suit a BC Hydro customer on time-of-day pricing who can move loads overnight. A keen cook may enjoy sending recipes to the oven.
The Wi-Fi is worth skipping when the signal won't reach the laundry room, or when the app means another account you'd rather not hold. It's also worth skipping when the smart version costs much more for the same capacity. In those cases I'd pick the plain model and put the difference toward a better machine.
Are smart fridges worth it?
A smart fridge is worth it mainly for its door and temperature alerts, which matter most for a second fridge or a cabin used on weekends. On our listings, Wi-Fi comes on fridges from a Samsung top-mount with SmartThings from $1,049.99, so a smart fridge doesn't have to be a high-end one.
Where the smart appliance facts come from
- LG Canada, LG ThinQ support and FAQ, checked November 2026.
- Samsung Canada, SmartThings app, checked November 2026.
- Samsung Newsroom, Samsung expands One UI to home appliances, August 25, 2025, checked November 2026.
- Bosch Home Appliances Canada, Connected appliances for a smart home: Home Connect, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Corporation, Whirlpool app, App Store Canada, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Corporation, Maytag app, App Store Canada, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Corporation, KitchenAid North America app, App Store Canada, checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire Canada, I have a Connected Home Comfort appliance using the Frigidaire Smart App and it stopped working, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Time-of-day pricing, checked November 2026.
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Progress toward universal access to high-speed Internet, checked November 2026.
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Smart devices and your privacy, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live appliance listings, store pages and warranty page, read November 1, 2026.
Asking about a smart appliance at Campbell River or Port Alberni
Merit's smart appliances are carried at our Campbell River store, 1300 A Homewood Rd, open 10 to 5, Monday to Saturday. The Port Alberni store is at 2935 Third Ave, open 9:30 to 5:30, Monday to Saturday. Each product page names the store that carries it, and Comox Valley buyers have a guide to buying through Campbell River.
When you call, it's worth asking which smart models the store has set up to look at, what the maker's app needs, and how delivery and hookup work. Appliance delivery terms at those two stores are still being confirmed. There's no pressure to settle on a model during the call. Timing can matter as much as the model, and I've noted when appliance prices tend to drop.
Phone Merit Campbell River at (250) 286-0868 or Merit Port Alberni at (250) 724-6644.
Smart and plain models sit side by side in every fridge, range and laundry listing Merit carries. For other questions before an appliance purchase, there's our appliance buying advice, starting with wine coolers.