Smart home gadgets that help you manage your house are becoming ever so popular each day. Using your voice rather than having to walk over to your thermostat, wall light or hi-fi system is fast becoming very common. They usually vary from smart lights to security cameras, your plant’s watering devices to connected speakers. Most of the smart devices listed herein have their own designated smartphone application used to control them. However, some of them only work with specific smartphone brands. So, if you’re looking to upgrade your humble abode and make it just that bit smarter, here are 7 awesome smart home gadgets you might be interested in. Walk with the Gadget Gang and see what we have in store for you.
Phillips Hue Starter Kit
Phillips is not only the first company to introduce smart lighting to the world; they still remain this technology’s front-runner. This starter kit contains a bridge unit that connects your router to three bulbs. These bulbs are either white with millions of colors or just plain white. In the morning they can turn on gently to a sunrise effect or they can be scheduled specifically to your liking. Oh, and you know those times you’ve accidentally left the lights on as you left your house, you won’t need to go back if you have such lighting. All you need is your smartphone to turn them off. Pretty cool, no? Brighten up your world with the touch of a button
Compatibility: Google, Apple, Amazon
Price: $150
Nest Protect
This is a very, maybe even the most, elegant carbon monoxide and smoke alarm available on the market. It is a smart sensor which means it can also differentiate between steam and smoke. And unlike the crudely, shrill, unpleasant noise regular smoke alarms make, this one warns you before blowing away. You get a phone alert as well. It’s available in two versions, battery-powered and wired. The battery version alerts you when your battery is low and needs replacing. It can even serve as your night light because it can be set to sense you every time you walk past it.
Compatibility: Amazon, Google
Price: $125.00
Chamberlain MYQ Smart Garage Door Openers
Reaching or searching for your elusive garage door remote control opener while making your way through your neighborhood street, toppled with kids’ outdoor toys and garbage cans can often prove rather awkward and dangerous. This device allows you to open your garage door from anywhere by just tapping your device’s screen. The company also claims to be adding geofencing capability really soon. This feature will allow it to sense when you’re close and then automatically open the door, and once safely inside your house it automatically shuts as well.
Compatibility: Apple, Amazon, Google
Price: $ 60.00
Amazon Echo
This is Amazon’s voice activated smart speaker. It’s the latest of the series. This generation two product has re-entered the market only to find a multitude of new competitors in this particular niche. However, coming in at nearly half the price of what the original cost, the new Amazon Echo looks to undercut all of them. Like the one that came before it, the audio quality it offers is not premium, nevertheless, it’s still powerful enough to fill an average sized room with some decent sound quality. It even allows for connection to your audio system setup via 3.5mm cable or Bluetooth. By the way, this is something that the original couldn’t do. It’s simply one of the more enjoyable smart home gadgets.
Compatibility: Amazon, Google, Apple
Price: $99.99
August Smart Lock
The 2.0 version smart lock from Startup August is finally here. Although technically optimized for North America usage making it sort of a U.S. only product, Amazon will still have this Smart Lock product internationally shipped. They’re in a fickle category, smart locks. Because they’re normally home’s first line of security, you probably want something reliable and durable that’ll actually make life easier. This next-gen August product offers just that. It’s aesthetically pleasing, it has an easy-to-use application, it’s reliable and it’s Logitech Harmony, Nest and Siri compatible. Aside from a few slight changes, the overall build and design looks much similar to the original version
Compatibility: Apple, Google, Amazon
Price: $193.50
Nokia Cardio Bathroom Scale
Yeah, smart connected bathroom scales. You read right. Every time you check your weight this scale not only gives you your weight, but your fat content, water content and much more. Oh, and how can we forget, it measures your heart rate and give you the daily weather forecast as well. How cool is that? Once it does all this it stores all the results on a Nokia Health application you’ll need to download or online. This data is vital when it comes to keeping tabs on your progress. This machine makes things easier for you like you’ve never experienced before. Also, the scale is smart enough to differentiate who is standing on them by their weight. This means that several family members can use the same one.
Compatibility: Amazon
Price: $105.96
Eve Energy
One of the easiest ways of getting smart home automation is by acquiring a smart power switch. How it works is you first plug it into your wall socket. Once you’ve done this plug, into the switch, any other item you have that requires energy, a light, a kettle, a fan whatever. Now, instead of stumbling all across a dark room looking for the light switch, all you’ll need to do if you want your light on is to request Siri to turn them on for you. What’s better is that it can help monitor energy consumption and it has a very simple installation process. Beginner smart home gadgets don’t come better than this.
Compatibility: Apple
Price: $59.60
There you have it, 7 awesome smart home gadgets that can help you kick-start or improve your smart home automation journey. The Gadget Gang doesn’t want only you to be draped up in the latest technology; it wants your home to get in on the action as well. And like always, when it comes to such things, we got you. Stick with us.