Smart Home is a combination of integrated technology and services for a better quality of living. This allows all electronic devices to act ‘smart’ and therefore provide ease and convenience to everyday tasks in our homes.
Currently, smart home technology is being implemented in every corner of the house, especially in the kitchen and living room.
Below are some of the must-have smart home devices.
Let’s take a look.
Amazon Echo Plus
This one tops the list of the best smart speakers available in the market. Design-wise, it is a lot like the standard Amazon Echo, containing mesh fabric on the outside. It is available in three colour variations, Charcoal, Heather Gray, and sandstone.
It features seven distinct microphones, which enable one to pick out voice commands in noisy environments. The speaker also offers smart connectivity with other smart home devices, like smart switches, thermostats, cameras, and bulbs, using the Alexa app or standard voice control.
The Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit
The essential reasons to like Philips Hue’s smart lighting ecosystem are that it is upgraded, user-friendly, and suitable for about every setting, interior or exterior. However, price is a notable concern, as a starter kit containing the essential Philips Hue Bridge and three colour-changing bulbs is priced at $180.
The good news is that Philips also offers a starter kit with Hue Bridge and a pair of plain, soft white smart bulbs, priced at $70, which come in the affordable range for many but offer limited options. The kit can be connected to Amazon’s Alexa, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, the Nest Learning Thermostat, and many more applications.
Airia Fragrance Dispenser
Airia, developed by Procter and Gamble, is a voice-controlled fragrance dispenser. It consists of a cartridge with 32 nozzles that pull fragrance from its reservoir into separate chambers.
The chambers contain a heater each to heat the fragrance oil and create a bubble that ejects the scent into the air. The technology in use here is similar to your personal inkjet printer at home. The product is priced at $200.
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 960
The smart robot vacuum cleaner, Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 960, uses an AI-based navigation system combined with visual interpretation. On finding objects on the floor, like toys or clothes, it has the capability to identify the object, calculate its distance from it, and navigate around it instead of sucking it in. The product is expected to be launched around mid of 2019 and would be priced somewhere close to $1000.
Altro Smart Lock
The all-in-one Altro Smart Lock combines a one-way video and two-way audio-enabled smart lock, which can be controlled using a smartphone. It connects smartphones and the cloud, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and allows you to lock and unlock your door remotely, or automatically when it detects your presence.
This motion-sensor lock is designed to alert you every time someone is standing at your door, including the time they entered and left. It is an absolute necessity that meets your smart home security solutions. The smart lock is priced at $349.
Brilliant Control
The Brilliant Control, a 5-inch colour touchscreen wall switch, is a smart choice for a high-tech home. It uses Wi-Fi to connect and control lights, climate, and music. Additionally, it features a security camera that lets you see who is at your door, among various other features.
It can be connected to multiple smart home platforms, including Ecobee, Nest, Philips Hue, Ring, and Sonos. It also has built-in Amazon Alexa voice support that allows it to do basically about everything an Echo device can do. The product is priced at $349 and must be installed by an electrical technician.
KitchenAid Cook Processor Connect
The Cook Processor Connect introduced by KitchenAid is an all-in-one, compact countertop appliance offering multiple functionalities, such as boiling, steaming, stewing, frying, kneading, chopping, mincing, pureeing, whipping, stirring, mixing, and emulsifying. You can also get innovative recipes on its free Cook Processor App which is available for iOS and Android devices. It is priced at $1500.
Nest Hello Video Doorbell
This video doorbell by Nest not only looks amazing but also works equally well. Some of the outstanding features offered by the smart doorbell are optional facial recognition, advanced integrations with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, and Google Home speakers.
Additionally, the doorbell has the ability to differentiate between people and objects and alert you accordingly. Also, its Nest Aware feature can recognize known and unknown people. It is priced at $349 with professional installation.
Samsung WF45R6300AV Smart Washer and Dryer
Samsung’s new WF6300 smart washer and dryer comes with incredible capabilities for a price tag of $1099. Now you can take care of laundry day away from home or from the comfort of your couch.
The smart washer sends notifications to your smartphones via its app, for both status and control. Its other app-related features include Laundry Recipe, which enables you to instruct the app about the clothes you want to wash, like the material, colour, stain details, etc., and it will recommend a suitable cycle for your load accordingly.
Eve Energy Strip
The Eve Energy Strip allows you to plug in up to three ordinary electronic devices and convert them into smart devices with Siri voice controls. It enables you to turn a lamp on or off remotely. The Energy strip also monitors the energy usage of your home. Additionally, it can put day-to-day tasks on autopilot, for instance, set timers for lights, humidifiers, fans, and other essential devices. It is priced at $119.
Most of the smart home technologies seem affordable only to high-end homes, however, that is going to change in the near future, when maximum homes are expected to be incorporated with smart technologies as standard features. What smart home devices are on your wish list and why? Let us know.
