As smart technology becomes more popular, the price of gadgets continues to fall. You need only a few hundred dollars to outfit your home with some of the most useful entry-level devices. If you’re interested in buying some smart gadgets for your home, start with the following three options.
Smart Hubs
A smart hub connects all your devices so that they can communicate with each other. You can still get much from other gadgets without one, but a hub will allow you to more easily use your smart devices from a central location.
Many hubs will also perform basic functions for you, such as getting weather forecasts, ordering pizzas, and playing your favorite songs. Some of the most popular hubs include Amazon Echo and Google Home. These devices give you access to virtual assistants that will help you tackle life’s daily challenges. Explore these and other hubs to find an affordable model with the features you want the most.
Smart Thermostats
Few devices can save you money better and make your home more comfortable than a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats have improved greatly over the last few years. Some of the recent models do much more than control your home’s temperature. They will also tell you when to change your HVAC system’s air filter, schedule furnace maintenance, and solve common mechanical problems.
Of course, taking control of your home’s interior climate is what smart thermostats do best. You can program the thermostats to turn on the heat or air conditioning at specific times so that you never have to experience an uncomfortable house. You can also use your smartphone to control your temperature, which comes in handy when something disrupts your daily routine. Perhaps most important, smart thermostats will make your HVAC system more efficient, which will extend the system’s life and keep your monthly energy bills as low as possible.
Smart Lighting
You’ve probably heard that the Philips Hue smart lighting system can do many cool things. Homeowners love that they can use the Philips Hue system to change the color of lights and set the right mood for romantic evenings and rowdy parties. Smart lighting can also improve your home’s security by giving the appearance that you’re at home when you’re on vacation.
Although the Philips Hue system is the most popular smart lighting system available, you should look at other lighting options as well. Samsung’s SmartThings, for example, can connect to other smart devices to make your home even more secure. For example, you can connect the lights to outdoor cameras and motion sensors. If someone comes onto your property, then the lights will turn on.
You can expect smart home gadgets to become more popular over the next few years. As prices continue to fall and the technology improves, more people will want to add smart devices to their homes. If you buy an entry-level smart home device now, you can impress your friends with some of the best features that this technology offers homeowners today.
(Image via Flickr by goatandtable)
