The Hottest Products For Smart Home Buyers

Is 2017 the year of smart home technology? With everybody from Apple to Amazon offering personal smart devices that can be tailored to consumer lives, it’s looking like from here on out, smart homes are no longer a novelty, but simply the de facto way of the future. For those of you looking to invest in smart home devices now, here are some of the hottest products to get you started.

Smart Lighting

If you’re unsure of how to start digitizing your home and don’t want to take a big leap, there are plenty of baby-steps to take in order to get used to smart home technology. With the Internet of Things (IoT) turning everyday household items into controllable, measurable, plugged-in devices, you can get personalized lighting in a few easy steps. Screw in your smart bulbs, plug in the bridge system, download the app and you’re ready to go! Customize the colour, pulsation, dimming, timing and more. You can even get cool strip lighting to place around a mirror, in your cabinets, around a window frame, etc.

Smart Plugs

Smart plugs are another easy way to take your home into the digital realm, and you can get them for as low as $25. Use them to monitor your energy use, turn lights on from a distance, create “If This, Then That” (IFTTT) recipes and more. Of course, functionalities will depend on the price, so it’s up to you to decide just how smart you want your home to be. Smart plugs with IFTTT functionality are pretty great for those of you constantly on the go, since you can get them to do more than one task for you at once.

Universal Smart Remotes

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Technology has been good to us so far, but is there anything more annoying about your living room than having to crawl around looking for your three remote controllers that are somehow shoved into the deepest depths of the couch? Then there’s that whole bit where you have to fiddle around trying to figure out which remote you have to use to get the sound up, or to even turn on the screen. Well with universal smart remote technology, you can make use of a single remote to control multiple devices at once. Some higher end models can pretty much hook up with anything that boasts wireless connectivity!

Robot Vacuums

Robot vacuums have been making a splash for years, and with good reason. Who doesn’t want to come home to a clean house with little to no effort? Boasting better technology than ever before, the latest editions can get into the tightest corners with ease, and you can even control them with your phone so that your house is always clean by the time you walk in the door. They can be used on hardwood and on carpets, and some even come equipped with jet sprays to tackle stuck-on messes. While the best ones out there aren’t the cheapest things in the world, it’s still more economic than getting maid service for a year!

Smart Thermostats

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Smart thermostats are a great investment for many a homeowner, especially since they’re easy to install. Once you’ve got it set up, use your phone to remotely control whether your home’s temperature from anywhere. Some smart thermostats can also adapt themselves based on the home occupants’ behaviour, in order to optimize temperature for when people are around the house, even taking in factors like humidity.

Smart Shades

If you’ve thought about giving your house a design change lately, why not automate it at the same time? Automated window coverings like a motorized solar shade or smart window blinds are great ways to bring your house into the 21st century. They can be programmed to help you reduce your energy bills, and they come in a variety of colours and styles. Cordless smartphone-controlled ors remote-controlled smart shades are also fantastic choices for families, as children should be kept away from the long cords typically present on non-automated blinds and shades. Some smart shades can even be integrated with IFTTT, allowing users to coordinate their window coverings with their smart indoor lighting system, smart thermostat and more

Smart Security

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Home security is one of the most obvious ways to benefit from smart technology. Cameras and alarms will allow you to monitor your home, both inside and out, from the palm of your hand. They can tell you when a window or a door is open, alert your to the presence of somebody in your backyard, record activity 24/7 and more. Of course as with all smart technology, you will get more functionality at a higher price. This means that there is a range of different options for homeowners, so those who are more worried about home security than others can really shell out for all the most advanced features.

While smart technology still has a long way to go before we end up living in something like you might see in a sci-fi movie, today’s offerings are still astonishingly sophisticated and can even be budget friendly. Whether you want to start small or dive right in, there’s a smart home accessory for you.