For anyone who spent months and months stuck at home over the last year or two, the home improvement urge probably took root. Many people focused on things like new roofing, painting, and installing decks. For the tech-savvy, though, installing smart home devices is also a popular home improvement.
Of course, the definition of what makes a home smart varies by the homeowner. Some see it as near-total automation while other just things that make their lives a little easier. If you’re weighing what smart devices you should install, keep reading for five options you should consider for your home.
HVAC
One of the earliest and most popular examples of devices for smart homes is the smart thermostat. Current versions of smart HVAC systems, such as Pelican Wireless, use wireless technology that lets you adjust your HVAC system remotely. That means you can adjust the temperature in your home on the go, even if you forgot to set it on your way out. It’s practical and can help keep your utility costs down.
Smart Home Appliances
You can also look into smart appliances. There are a stunning variety of options ranging from smart coffee makers and smart microwaves all the way up to smart refrigerators and smart ovens. If you aren’t sold on smart appliances, start small with a smart coffee pot or smart air fryer. If you love it, you can always move on to other appliances for smart homes.
Video Doorbell
No one loves answering the door just to find someone passing out pamphlets you don’t care about or soliciting you for money. A video doorbell solves the problem for you. You can check the feed from the camera and decide if you want to answer the door.
Smart Lighting
A popular choice with many homeowners is smart lighting. Most smart lighting will respond to voice commands through common voice systems like Alexa or Google Assistant. It’s an entry-level point for the smart home curious.
If nothing else, it makes your life easier when you want to turn down the lights for a movie.
Smart Hub
If you know you’re serious about building yourself a smart home, you’ll want to start with a hub. A hub acts as the central control for all of your other devices for smart homes. The big advantage of starting with a hub is that it lets you pick compatible smart devices from the get-go.
Smart Home Devices and you
Smart home devices can offer you minor quality of life improvements or radically alter your lifestyle, depending on how serious you get about it. For the homeowner with a casual interest in a smart home, basic improvements like smart thermostats and smart lighting are a great entry point, since they’re relatively simple and practical.
For the serious smart home advocate, you’ll want things like a smart hub, smart appliances, and a video doorbell.