No wonder smart home gadgets are in high demand as technology advances. According to Mordor Intelligence, the market value for smart homes was valued at US$ 79.13 billion in 2020. It is expected to grow at a 25.3 % CAGR, reaching US$ 313.95 billion by 2026. In this article, I’ll talk about smart home gadgets and introduce you to some of the coolest ones out there in the market.
What Are Smart Home Gadgets?
Smart home gadgets are electronic devices leveraging technology to solve common issues at home and provide greater ease and convenience. These devices connect to the internet, networks, or other devices via wireless protocols like Bluetooth, NFC, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, 5G, LiFi, etc., to operate autonomously and interactively to an extent. Some of the smart home gadgets are smart locks, smart lights, smart motion detectors, smart video doorbells, smart refrigerators, smart thermostats, smart vacuum cleaners, smart switches, smart speakers, and many more.
What’s ‘Smart’ About Them?
We called these devices smart because they differ from traditional devices and offer more convenience, energy efficiency, and saving time and energy with automation. Many of them use high-end technologies like artificial intelligence and are designed to perform various tasks inside your home. For example, you can use a smart thermostat to regulate temperature at home no matter where you are. It’s possible to do this with simple taps from your smartphone as it is connected to the smart thermostat that may be thousands of kilometers away from your home. It saves energy and protects your home from overheating or causing possible damage to it. Like smart thermostats, most smart home devices can be controlled using your smartphone from anywhere across the world, provided you have connectivity. These devices use an app that you need to install on your phone and give it the power of the internet to connect it to your smart gadget. Apart from offering you high levels of convenience, ease, security, and saving energy bills, using smart home gadgets also increases the market value of your home, as more home buyers and tenants are now looking for homes that have preinstalled smart home gadgets. It also elevates the aesthetics of your house by replacing traditional devices with smart devices occupying less space and giving modern looks – perfect for a 21st-century home. Here are some of the coolest smart home gadgets for you to check out.
Video Doorbell
You might have a door peephole at your home; you can’t possibly see a person if they hide somewhere after knocking at your door. Nobody can know the intentions of the person standing on the other side of your door. At this time, it’s better to protect yourself and your home by using Ring’s video doorbells to look at a person’s activities when they knock or press the doorbell. It’s even possible to take pictures and save videos to know who came even when away from your home. Whether you live in an apartment, condo, or house, they have got a suitable doorbell to help you protect your home. They also offer various options based on your budget and needs and even help you decide by comparing different video doorbells side by side. They have:
Wired video doorbells: These are slim, wired doorbells that you can install yourself easily and leverage excellent performance and convenience.Battery video doorbells: These battery-powered video doorbells would give you flexibility. They are easy to install on different surfaces, and the batteries are easy to recharge using the cable provided.
When you install these video doorbells, you can detect the motion of people when they visit your property. You will receive notifications on your connected tablet, PC, or smartphone. It will help you hear, see, and speak to those visitors from anywhere in real time. With Ring Protect, you can also save the recorded videos and pictures for 30 or 60 days based on your plan, share them with others, and watch them anytime you want to get superior home security.
Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
RoboVac by Eufy is a robotic vacuum cleaner that simplifies your life by offering efficient cleaning for your home. There is a range of robotic vacuum cleaners that provide smart features. They also have a path-tracking sensor to set clear routes to clean floors effectively. The hybrid 2-in-2 mop and vacuum can mop hard floors and vacuum multiple surfaces for deeper cleaning. You can use your smartphone to connect to the cleaner and control it. It will show you the cleaning history to help you track when and where RoboVac has cleaned. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaners are easy to use and don’t irritate you with noise. They also come with an easy app interface, and you have a variety of robotic cleaners to choose from in these series: Their products include a 30-day money-back guarantee, hassle-free warranty, free and fast shipping, and lifetime customer support.
Keyless Entry
Transform your locks and make them smart by using Level Bolt. This smart lock is created for everyone and gives your family and friends greater convenience of entering the home using their voice or phone. It will provide you with smart security in your home without keys and also enhance its aesthetics. You can access it from anywhere, control it with voice, use it with different devices, and enable automation. It works well with Alexa, Ring, and Apple HomeKit. Level Bolt has an award-winning design and is recognized globally for innovation and design. They have engineered the locks from the level up for durability and strength so no one can break into your home. Level Bolt qualifies for the highest quality standards in the industry and is tested for stress to more than 1,000,000 cycles. In addition, its mechanical operation is available for egress reliably, so you never feel stranded. Furthermore, Level Bolt utilizes a 6-stage, patent-pending, stainless-steel gearbox with power and toughness. It can work in the harshest conditions efficiently to deliver a battery life of more than one year from a CR2 battery. Level Bolt’s craftsmanship displays the highest precision levels, and the parts are fitted securely in the door, and they hide the battery thoroughly in the bolt. You can see who came, went, and at what time, and send your digital keys to your family and friends quickly in a few steps. The features included in this smart lock are a mobile app for operation, auto-lock, auto-unlock, activity tracking, remote connectivity, automation, notifications, and voice control. Level Bolt is also easy to install using a screwdriver.
Smart Switch
Want to make your house smart? Don’t rely on old-style switch boxes; use Enbrighten’s Z-Wave Smart Rocker Light Switch to modernize your house. It leverages QuickFit – a revolutionary design that saves space and features a rounded housing with improved components to reduce the switch housing depth by 20% to other models. This smart switch is best for multi-gang configurations and limited-space applications. It has automatic line-load sensor terminals to support easy and fast installation by finding load and line wires and easy dimmer configuration. In addition, it also eliminates the requirement for heat tabs and gives convenience for installation and usability without reducing power ratings. The smart switch offers voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility. It also works with Z-Wave hubs like SmartThings, Wink, Ring Alarm, ADT Pulse, Trane, ADT Command, Nexia, Vivian, HomeSeer, Honeywell, etc. In addition, you can control the switch remotely using voice commands and a smartphone after connecting it to any of the above compatible hubs. You can also opt for manual ON or OFF operation and enable home automation easily with custom scenes, timely alerts, and personalized scheduling. This smart switch works perfectly by itself, or you can integrate it seamlessly into multiple switches. It can also control outdoor and indoor fixtures for complete home automation and is extendable up to 150 feet range. The device is also easy to install with hardwired connections, requires neutral wires, and includes light almond and white paddles. Its operating temperature ranges from 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, the device works with CFL, LED, halogen, incandescent bulbs, and other devices.
Smart light
Philips Hue provides multiple smart light lamps, bulbs, accessories, and fixtures. Whether you need smart lights for the living room, bathroom, back yard, or kitchen, they have got the perfect light for you. Philips Hue smart light has options to wake you up gently, give you warm welcomes on reaching home, or help you organize your day with the right kinds of lighting. It offers starter kits, bulbs, light strips, lamps, and accessories like a dimmer switch, bridges, and more. It can brighten or dim the light in your room, depending on your preferences. If you are having a party, it can even give you flashing party lights! It is a smart lighting system with smart controls, Hue Bridge, and smart lights. Hue lights are energy-efficient and innovative LED lights that come in different shapes, models, and sizes suitable for your home. Hue Bridge is the heart of the Philips Hue system, acting as the smart hub and connecting the devices to smart lights. Here, you can easily add a maximum of 50 lights and accessories by Philips Hue to a single bridge. Their Hue App is convenient and lets you control smart lights in your home effortlessly. You can get started with using Hue products by following these steps:
Buy a Philips Hue product of your choice available in different light effects and various socket types, from dimmable to adjustable.For starter kits, connect the light bulbs in the existing fittings and switch on the wall lights. But for other Hue lights, plug in the lights and power them right away.Download the Hue app from Google Play or App Store and connect your phone to the same network as your bridge.
Programmable Sprinkler
Sprinkling water with a manual sprinkling container consumes a lot of time. Using RainPoint’s programmable water sprinkler is an efficient choice for you. Connecting the sprinkler timer to a Wi-Fi of 2.4 GHz, you can program it easily and schedule water sprinkling using the RainPoint application. The best thing is this device helps you water your plants even when you are out via the app available to download for both iOS and Android devices. In addition, this device can sense weather and connect to RainPoint’s Wi-Fi soil sensor. This will check the weather forecast in the region along with soil moisture. Next, you can adjust the water sprinkling schedule or delay it automatically using the app. The watering timer has three separate programs for start times each day with custom watering duration and frequency. As a result, you can decide to water at a fixed time for the evenings, noon, and mornings. In addition, it has two watering modes – mist and irrigation to record water flow while using it, and it also provides scientific settings to preserve water. You can add your family members and share your irrigation management with them. Hence, you don’t have to worry about your beautiful plants drying up while on vacation.
Motion Detector
The smart motion detector can mount perfectly to flat walls and room corners. This device uses 2 AA batteries and requires the Ring Alarm Base Station. For connectivity, you need the Z-Wave with a 250-foot distance to the Base Station. The device is designed for indoor use and works at temperatures ranging from 32 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It comes with an advanced motion sensor. It can ignore pets if you mount it at 7.5 feet with the lowest sensitivity.
Smart Thermostat
Control room temperature effectively using Nest Thermostat and save more energy. It helps you elevate your comfort by letting you regulate temperature from anywhere and monitor your system seamlessly. Nest Thermostat is efficient at saving around 15% on your cooling bills and 10-12% on your heating bills. You can easily program it in the application and adjust settings at any time using Quick Schedule. The device can switch itself off once you leave the house, so no energy wastage happens. It is designed for easy installation within 30 minutes; you can visit Google Home applications to see the step-by-step installation guide. You can also buy the Trim Kit separately to maintain a clean-looking wall. It has the Savings Finder to find ways for more energy savings and suggest changes in the application based on your schedule. For winter, it can help reduce your energy bills by understanding your heating requirements by accessing the Energy Report and Energy History. Nest Thermostat even gives you reminders when it’s time to replace the air filter and keeps your system fresh every season. In addition, it comes with HVAC monitoring to detect system issues in the early stages for easy diagnosis. If it senses any trouble, the device sends you an alert to find support.
Smart Window Curtains
Yes, even window curtains are getting smarter, so why won’t you? Get the SwitchBot Curtain – a small wireless robot – to make your window curtains smart and motorized. It can be installed within 30 seconds, and after it attaches to the curtains, you can quickly close and open the curtains with a connected smartphone. Apart from this, you can also schedule the automatic opening/closing of the curtains. It involves no hassles to install, thanks to its award-winning mechanical design. It can automate and retrofit your current window curtains, unlike other smart curtains. SmartBot has been awarded for its outstanding products by IDEA 2020 and Good Design Award 2020, and this company is the first one in the world to offer smart retrofit curtains. You can use this device for various curtain types, including rod, I-Rail, or U-Rail. Just ensure the dimensions are correct for the curtain rails to help the device handle the rest. In addition, you need the Grommet kit for Grommet curtains, and the device does not support a rod pocket. The best thing about this device is you can use it anywhere you want. It will be of great use when you forget to pull the curtains; you can now do it from your smartphone. It also works with Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and more integrations. Apart from all this, you can automatically schedule the smart curtain to open when you want them, say when you wake up every day. You can set its timer for every day of the week. It is of immense help on weekend mornings when you want to catch up with some extra sleep. In addition, it comes with an in-built sunlight sensor to set the curtains to close during summer daytime and save your room’s air-conditioning. And you can also set its timing to open during winter daytime to enjoy warm rooms.
Smart Display
Echo Show 10 is a third-generation HD smart display that comes with Alexa and motion. It comes with a 10.1-inch high-definition screen designed for video calls, shows, recipes, music, and more with premium directional speakers. You can take a picture or facetime with your family and friends using the 13MP camera with motion and auto-framing to keep you at the center and front. You can also set up Zigbee-compatible devices or other smart products with no extra hub. Alexa can help you see your security cameras, adjust thermostats, and control lights. In addition, you can use it to monitor your home when you are away by accessing the built-in camera securely anytime using the Echo Show devices or Alexa application.
Conclusion
The world is going through a significant technological shift, changing the way we live. So, leverage the power of technology and put it to your convenience while saving time, energy, and effort. Do try out the above smart home gadgets to ease your life and benefit from their amazing features.
