Sometimes, spicing up your home doesn’t always have to equate to getting new furniture from IKEA or looking through websites of Interior Designers for inspiration. While many of us only think about making our homes prettier, why not consider making your homes smarter instead?
Smart home devices are all the rage now and there’s a good reason for this. Not only do they make our lives more convenient, but they are simply cool as heck. Here are nine smart home devices to make you feel like you’re living in the future.
1. Digital peephole viewer
Image adapted from: Mancini
For people who treasure privacy, peepholes are especially important to prevent you from accidentally opening your door to a pushy salesman. Sometimes, it’s hard to see anything through the peephole especially when nighttime rolls around. The view from the peephole is often distorted and can be smudged and dirtied as well, obscuring vision.
KKmoon digital peephole viewer has a proper LCD screen as a peephole, allowing you to view your visitors as clear as day in a wide angle without the need for any squinting. It also has a night vision capacity along with photo taking and video recording for that extra layer of security.
2. Igloohome digital lock
Image credit: @igloohomesg
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of being locked out of your house in a case of misplaced keys, then perhaps it’s time to consider switching to a digital lock instead. Igloohome digital lock allows you to not only unlock your house remotely, but you can also send a PIN code to your guests so that they can gain access to your home if they arrive before you do.
This digital lock works without Wi-Fi, therefore you won’t have to worry about being in an area with spotty connection in order to send or receive the unlock code. You can also remotely track who has access to your house via an activity log on your phone when you’re away from home.
3. Roomba Robot vacuum cleaners
Image credit: @irobot.kz
Even though we’re not quite approaching robot butlers like C-3PO from Star Wars, we do have a handy robot vacuum cleaner that is way more useful for the homemaker. The Roomba robot constantly learns and updates their cleaning routine based around your schedules.
This means that the robot can clean when you’re not at home or when you’re busy with other chores. The vacuum can also recommend extra cleaning sessions based on pet shredding or allergy seasons. Simply download the companiant iRobot HOME app to track your cleaning and receive recommendations for extra sessions.
What makes this even more futuristic is that the Roomba can connect to Google Home and Alexa, so you can use voice commands to tell the Roomba which specific area to clean.
4. Philips Hue smart lighting
Image credit: @philipshue
We’ve all had moments of laziness where we’re lying comfortably on the bed and can’t summon the effort to get up and switch off the lights. Philips Hue smart lighting negates this issue by allowing you to command the lights in your home to turn on and off without physically flipping a switch.
Apart from the added convenience, this smart lighting can also be scheduled to your liking. One of their settings allow the lights to dim automatically during bedtime and to brighten again in the morning to gently wake you up.
The Philips Hue starter bundle comes with everything you need to get started, including the Hue Bridge which syncs all the Philips Hue bulbs together in order for you to control via an app.
5. Smartpaw pet feeder
Image credit: @3psycats
For the furry lovers who are often away at work, you can now feed your pets remotely with Smartpaw’s pet feeder. This pet feeder can be controlled via an app while you’re away from home, allowing you to adjust and schedule the amount of food being dispensed to control your pet’s diet and prevent overfeeding.
There’s also a built-in camera and two-way audio so you can check that your pet is eating properly. It’s also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa for a truly hands-free feeding process.
6. Google Nest Audio smart home speaker
Image credit: @tibius
No futuristic home is complete without their very own smart speaker which doubles up as a virtual assistant. The Google Nest Audio not only allows you to play music via voice commands, it has built-in Google Home as well, meaning you can “google” anything just by talking out loud.
These can also be synced with other google-compatible smart devices, meaning that you can use your voice to control other aspects of your smart home, such as the lights, air-conditioning, and even your TV.
7. Automated Roller Blinds
Image credit: the ambient
Having a smart home means having the majority of your devices doing the work for you. This extends to your blinds as well. Automated Roller Blinds allows you to control your blinds either via remote or linked with Google Home/Siri/Alexa.
You can also link it up with your smart lights via a smart hub such as Google Home. Imagine waking up and having the blinds up with just a single voice command, all while you’re still in bed.
The blinds are also waterproof, so that if you’ve left the window at home open while out and about and it starts to rain, you can remotely control your blinds to protect vulnerable areas such as the balcony and your clothes.
8. Samsung Family Hub smart fridge
Image credit: pinterest
Gone are the days when fridges are just giant ice boxes meant to keep food from spoiling. Now, some fridges come equipped with smart features that essentially allow you to mimic what a smartphone does.
The Samsung Family Hub smart fridge lets you view the inside of your fridge without opening it, and even remotely from an app on your phone. No more walking to your fridge during your late night hunger pangs just to discover it’s void of anything snackable.
For the busy bees who can never decide what to eat for lunch, there are also recipes and a meal planner app that will suggest what to cook based on the items in your fridge. It can also play music and videos, so you can jam out to BTS’s Butter while waiting for your butter to melt.
9. TP-Link smart plugs
Image credit: IoT Times
One of the ways you can convert most devices in your home to a smart device is by using TP-Link’s smart plugs. With the companion app, you can switch on or off your devices with your phone remotely – no more getting nagged by your significant other for leaving power switches on or charging your phone for too long.
This also works with Alexa/Google Home/Bixby, meaning you can use voice commands to turn a device on and off.
As with other smart devices, TP-Link’s smart plug can be scheduled to switch a device on or off automatically. You no longer have to worry about overcharging your phone throughout the night, as you can simply set a timer for it to switch off.
Live in the future with smart home devices
While we may not be living in a future with flying cars yet, we can still catch a glimpse of what’s to come from the comforts of our home with these smart home devices. From robot cleaners to virtual assistants, upgrading your home does not always have to be an aesthetic change but can be a functional one as well.
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