Without a great internet connection, smart home devices are just… home devices.
However, if you do have a great internet connection, smart home devices can transform the way you go about your life.
In this post we’re going to take a look at 10 smart home devices that you can use right now, to make your life better. Provided you have a great internet connection, these gadgets will be able to transform the way you do even the most mundane of tasks.
Let’s get started!
1. Nest Cam Outdoor
The Nest Cam Outdoor is a security camera that you use outside of your house. It is waterproof so it won’t get damaged when it rains.
Because the Nest Cam Outdoor is connected to the internet, you can access the camera from your phone whenever, wherever. This means you can see what is going on outside your house, even if you’re on the other side of the globe.
Thanks to its internet connectivity, the Nest Cam Outdoor will automatically record the past 30 days of footage.
2. iRobot Roomba 960
Everyone hates vacuuming, right?
I mean, don’t you wish there was a robot that would do the vacuuming for you? Well, I’m happy to let you know that the future is here and it comes in the shape of the iRobot Roomba 960.
An internet connection is what makes this device powerful, though.
Using the app, you can tell the iRobot Roomba 960 to clean your house even if you’re nowhere near the house. You can also use the app to set up a cleaning schedule, to ensure that the house never gets too dirty.
The iRobot Roomba 960 also has a safety feature which prevents it from falling down the stairs – a safety feature I wish I had!
3. June Intelligent Oven
If you’re someone who regularly burns food – the June Intelligent oven can help you out.
This nifty gadget will identify the food you’re cooking and then create an appropriate cooking plan.
Using an internet connection, you can even watch your food being cooked and receive notifications when your meal is ready. The only thing it doesn’t do is serve the food out for you – but who knows, give it a few years and maybe even that will be possible!
4. Philips Hue
Phillips has done something that many would have considered impossible – they made a lightbulb smart.
When connected to the internet, you can ‘tell’ the lightbulb to create a certain mood. It does this by changing the brightness, as well as the color of the light it produces.
If you want to splash out, you can buy other items from the Phillips Hue range such as lamps and ‘Lightstrips.’ All of which can be controlled using an app on your phone.
5. Amazon Alexa
Unsurprisingly, the Amazon Alexa (AKA Alexa) is a device produced by Amazon.
You can ask Alexa to do a variety of things, just by talking to it. Because it’s connected to the internet, you can also tell Alexa to control the other smart home devices you have.
If you have Phillips Hue lighting, you could tell it to change the color of the lights, for instance – since both can communicate via WiFi.
People are using Alexa to do everything from turning on the lights to making grocery lists, to listening to their favorite songs.
6. August Smart Lock Pro
Ever left your house only to wonder 10 minutes later if you locked the door or not?
Well, if you’re anything like me, the August Smart Lock Pro can help you avoid such situations.
One of the more useful gadgets for forgetful people, the August Smart Lock Pro lets you check if your door is locked from your phone. If it isn’t, you can easily use the phone app to lock your door thanks to the power of the internet.
7. Nest Learning Thermostat
If you hate coming home to a cold house, the Nest Learning Thermostat can help you out.
That’s because you can use the Nest App to turn on the heating in your house.
As with a lot of smart home devices, the Nest Learning Thermostat learns what it should do based on past usage. This means that it’ll know when you’re going to be back from work and it will turn on the heating so that the house is warm for you.
Because it knows when the heating should and shouldn’t be on, it also helps you save money on your heating bills.
8. Sonos Wireless Speaker System
If you’re looking for smart home devices that can help you party, the Sonos Wireless Speaker System is for you.
Using the Sonos app, you can have different kinds of music playing in different parts of the house. The speakers will also recognize how they’ve been positioned in a room and will adjust the sound accordingly.
Thanks to its WiFi connectivity, you can also connect the speaker system to streaming services such as Spotify.
9. Skybell Doorbell
Don’t you wish you could see who is knocking on your door, without having to peer through the window and give the game away?
If so, the Skybell Doorbell can help out.
This smart doorbell comes equipped with an HD camera. As a result, you can use the internet to see in real-time who is knocking on your door. This feature does use some bandwidth, however, so make sure you have a high-speed internet connection, if you’re going to buy this.
It also has a built-in speaker and microphone, so you can communicate with whoever is at your door.
10. Lutron Serena Remote Controlled Shades
With Lutron Serena Remote Controlled Shades, you can turn your living room dark with the tap of an app.
After all, why get up off the couch to close the shades when you can use an app?
In fact, provided you have an internet connection, you don’t even have to get up. You could just say to your phone – “Hey Siri, close my blinds,” and your wishes will come true.
As far as smart home devices go, this might sound like an indulgence. But if you live in a home with a lot of shades, the Lutron Serena could help you save a lot of time.
Smart Home Devices – Time to Invest?
If you’re convinced, make sure your internet plan provides you with sufficient data – because these devices use a lot of internet bandwidth.
But, as long as you have a great internet connection, smart home devices can help you do things faster, safer and more easily.
Sure they can be a bit pricey to begin with – but you don’t have to buy all of them at once. Just pick the one that resonates with you the most. Once you get your hands on your first pick, you’ll understand why the smart home devices trend is here to stay.
