The future is now, and technology is only getting smarter. Whether you’re a techie, health nut, or clean freak, there’s a smart tool out there made to make your life easier.
How can you make your home smarter? These 10 gadgets will make your house a smart home.
- Voice Assistants
Released by Amazon, the Echo makes a fantastic Bluetooth speaker as well as a smart home assistant. Offering the same functions, the Google Home provides some healthy competition for the smart assistant market. Both are great choices for voice-controlled assistants for your smart home. Weigh your smart home needs and see which one is the best fit for you. When in doubt, why not both?
- Echo Show
If you do decide to go the Alexa route, Amazon also provides the Echo Show. Google has yet to release a similar product. The Show is a lot more pricey but offers visuals on a screen you can use anywhere. From making video calls to watching how to cook the dish you’re working on in the kitchen, the Show is a great assistant that adds a picture to your voice commands. Plus, Fire Tablets have the same Show capabilities now, so if you have one lying around, you’re good to go.
- Cleaners
Dust and pet hair can be tough to keep up with. Luckily, smart vacuums and mops are here to save the day. Samsung’s Powerbot and iRobot’s Roomba and Braava are compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice commands. They will clean up your space so you can do literally anything else.
- Thermostats
It’s finally happened — you can tell the house to stop being so hot, and it’ll listen. With brands such as Nest and Ecobee leading the charge, smart thermostats can help conserve energy by going into rest mode when they sense you’re not home. They also have sensors that will detect hot or cold spots in the house.
- Garage Doors
Ever lock yourself out of the house and had to break in through your own window? Smart garages are more valuable than gold on days like that. Some are compatible with voice assistants indoors and offer apps as well — making it easy to close the door when your hands are full of grocery bags.
By Jeff Kubina (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
- Smart Lightbulbs
Price ranges will vary from bulb to bulb, but the more expensive ones are definitely worth the extra change. If you’re only looking to have lights turn on with a simple app or voice command, you can probably get away with a cheaper option. If you’re looking for your lights to dim or even change colors, Phillips offers lightbulbs to turn your living room into a dance floor.
- Smart Outlets
If you’re someone who prefers floor lamps, twinkle lights, or even electric fireplaces, smart outlets will allow you to turn on the lights without necessarily buying expensive lightbulbs. Not only will this work on lights, but it will also work for anything that plugs into the wall.
- Scales
For the fitness guru, smart scales are available for the home to make sure your beach body is in check. Brands are vast, but make sure you look for one that can pair up with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Smart scales can measure your weight, as well as BMI (body mass index), bone mass, and more. They can also pair up to other devices such as your Fitbit or iWatch.
- Water Bottles
Healthy living routines can be tough to follow — and staying hydrated probably isn’t on your mind 24/7. Smart water bottles provide reminders to make sure you stay up to par on the H2O, and even pair up with Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit and more.
- Shades
The sun is pretty rude about making sure everyone wakes up when it does. Smart shades can be programmed to let light in when you’re good and ready to see it. They are also great if you sleep through the day and are sick of wearing an eye mask.
There’s No Place Like a Smart Home
Smart devices are changing the way we live. They can give us more time to do the things we love, or even help with health and wellness.
No matter how you live, there’s a device out there to help you live smarter.
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