7 Smart Home Devices Ideas Worth Considering

In a time when everything seems to be more connected than ever, our lives have become increasingly reliant on computers and the internet. This means a whole bunch of new technologies designed to make daily life easier are now on the market. From labor-saving gizmos to smart calorie-tracking health gadgets, there are many smart home devices out there.

In fact, the sheer range of choice might seem a bit exhausting. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best smart home changes worth considering if you want to bring smart technology into your home. Transforming your home into a brilliant smart home is a big step, and some of the technologies out there may not be as useful as they first appear.

However, there are plenty of gadgets out there that are worth the money and can really improve your life. So if you’re planning to bring a smart home setup into your house, it’s good to know where to start to ensure success.

1. First Thing's First 

Wireless Doorbells Give You an Instant View of the Outside

What better place to start with smart home devices than when you walk up to your front door? Smart video doorbells have become increasingly popular in recent years and for good reason. Aside from the cool Star Trek vibes you get from having a live video feed of everything going on outside, there are some compelling security reasons to have a smart video doorbell as well.

With instant remote video access via any smartphone, a smart doorbell can give you an alert if it detects suspicious activity, giving you an advanced warning if you have any unwanted visitors. A doorbell cam can also help you catch porch pirates red-handed so that they think twice about opening your packages.

You can even complement this security with a few wireless smart home cameras. These smart cams come at multiple price ranges and can be quite affordable. Because they are wireless and waterproof they can be placed in multiple places for full coverage of your property.

This way, you’ll still have video surveillance even if one of your smart home cameras were to stop working. For the ultimate security solution, you can even get a professionally monitored system that uses cameras, home sensors, and smart doorbells. These systems can be configured to send instant alerts to the police if suspicious movement is detected while you are away.

2. Connected Kitchen

Smart Kitchens Cut Down on the Tedium of Everyday Cooking

Cooking can be a lot of fun but it is also tedious at times. Thankfully, the advent of new smart kitchen technologies means that there are quite a few ways to cut down on this tedium. Smart ovens use sensors to detect when your cake has been baked to perfection and some can even give you a live video feed of your food as it cooks. Smart microwaves can be activated using voice commands, as can smart coffee makers. Want your coffee machine to start brewing an Espresso the moment you walk through the front door? There’s an app for that.

The latest smart fridges make life easier by letting you know when you’re running low on the essentials. All of these devices can be linked together using a smart home panel. This allows you to send commands to your army of appliances from one central unit, which is perfect when you’re planning a big dinner for guests; link that smart display with your Alexa or Google Assistant, and you’ll have the makings of the smartest kitchen around!

3. Smart Gains 

Make Use of New Wearable Technologies to Keep Track of Your Smart Exercise Machines

A daily exercise routine is a great way to stay healthy and happy, but what if you want instant feedback so you can see yourself progress in real-time? If you would like to chart your gains and see how to improve it’s time to get some smart devices involved. You could of course go all out with a huge computerized toy like a peloton (which can make a serious difference if you stick with it), but why put down that much money when there are simpler solutions out there?

Most people already have a fitness sensor right in their pockets. Smartphones all have a gyroscope that counts your steps and estimates calories burnt. With a nifty Bluetooth watch, you can beam those numbers to your wrist and watch them count up in real-time.

At the end of the day, there are few better ways of encouraging yourself for that five-mile run than seeing the miles count down. Some fitness apps can even encourage you vocally with your very own AI fitness coach who gives you tips and keeps you going when things get tough.

4. Entertainment Hub

A Smart Entertainment Center Makes Everything Instantly Accessible

If you’re still stuck in that dreary “non-smart” world of electronic entertainment, you’re missing out. Smart technologies have reimagined how and what we play, the movies we watch, and the music we listen to. There are plenty of additions out there that can convert your tv setup into a high-tech entertainment center with all the bells and whistles.

Smart TV boxes can convert your standard LED TV into an oversized tablet, complete with its own complement of apps and instant access to all manner of movies and serials. These devices can often be linked with your voice assistant for an even more seamless viewing experience free of having to search for your remote. Pairing this with smart lighting sets a relaxing mood, and transforms your living room into a professional cinema setting.

For the audiophiles out there smart speakers nowadays can easily accommodate HD sound featured in many movies, and thanks to voice assistants these speakers can find and play almost any tune you can think of in just a few seconds. Smart speakers are only getting more versatile with time, and you can even play a round of jeopardy with one nowadays.

5. Smart Power Savings 

Smart Bulbs Save Power and Can Shine in Any Hue

While vampires might not exist, power vampires are very real, and they’re in your house right now! No need to panic though, because defeating the power vampires that run up your energy bills is about as simple as flicking a switch. The easiest way to cut down on your power usage is to do an energy retrofit by upgrading your appliances.

For instance, ditch your ancient incandescents for some smart LED bulbs that can be controlled via your smartphone. This way you get to choose when your lights are on and for how long. Plus, some smart lights can detect when you walk out of the room and turn themselves off instead of burning all night. Smart lights can also be customized to shine in a wide array of colors, allowing for unparalleled flexibility in your lighting options. For even bigger power savings, consider powering LED light through your own roof-mounted solar power array.

Using a smart thermostat can also save you big bucks down the road because these intelligent HVAC controllers can run on a schedule so the AC isn’t on all the time. Smart thermostats can also be controlled through a smart home remote app so you can preheat or pre-cool your home to a comfortable temperature. Super smart thermostats can even detect which room you’re in and save you energy by only focusing on one room at a time.

To keep your less smart appliances in check, consider investing in some smart wall outlets. These monitor power usage and help you root out the energy vampires lurking in plain sight. Smart wall outlets can also be controlled remotely via your smartphone. With so many ingenious solutions, saving electricity just became a whole lot smarter.

6. Little Helpers

Robot Vacuums Suck Dirt, and Can Even Varnish

Keeping your house clean is good for your health and happiness. Alas, most of us don’t like cleaning although we all have to do it sometimes. Fortunately, there are ways to make the cleaning process a little less tedious with some smart helpers.

Smart home devices such as robot vacuums continue to improve each year, and they have become much more capable than when they first came out. Once they are set up, most robot vacuum cleaners can work almost completely independently, keeping your floors clean and shiny.

There are even robot mops now so you don’t have to stoop to using one of those pesky “manual” mops. Air quality is a big topic nowadays, and with good reason. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have particularly fresh air inside our houses, as interior air can be filled with various toxins, molds, and even viruses. Fortunately, there are ways to combat bad air with some smart home solutions. UV filters are some of the most effective at filtering out contaminants in the air and some can even be controlled via Bluetooth.

7. Sleeping Smart

Adjustable Beds Can Be Set to Your Exact Specifications

Getting a good night’s sleep is critical for your health. And given that a lack of sleep is one of the most common problems affecting Americans today, it’s important that we all take the time to get some sleep. Also, it’s important that we put in the investment to ensure we have good sleep.

Having the right temperature and the right setting for your mattress is crucial for a good night’s sleep, especially if you have arthritis or pulled muscles. With a smart mattress, you can set your bed to your exact comfort specifications so that every time you sleep is comfortable. To keep the temperature in your bedroom in the comfortable 65 to 68-degree range, consider installing a smart air conditioner that allows for room-specific temperature settings. 

By adding a smart bed to your smart home ecosystem, you can also integrate your sleep routine with the schedule of other smart devices so that kitchen devices know when to start making your breakfast, and smart thermostats know when to warm things up on a chilly morning. To get the morning started off right, consider setting up a smart mirror as well so you have a cool way to do your beauty routine while checking the weather.