Who would’ve guessed a mere twenty to thirty years ago that in the very near future, we would be controlling many aspects of life via a small, lightweight device that can fit in our pockets? In 2018, our phones aren’t just phones. They’re calendars, alarm clocks, health trackers, travel managers, remote controls, and even personal trainers. And with the addition of devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo, it has never been easier to control your home life than it is now. For example, say you’re sick and don’t feel like leaving the couch or bed, but you’re also freezing cold. Just say something like, “Hey, Google. Raise the thermostat to seventy-three degrees,” and voila! If you’re not convinced yet, let’s take a look at a few more gadgets that are guaranteed to make home life easier.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs can save you time, worry, and money. Forgot to turn off the iron? No need to turn around and go back home to check. Simply open an app. Smart plugs can turn any of your regular electronic products into smart products. Not only will this ease any anxiety you might have over whether or not you remembered to turn off the coffee pot, it will also allow you to monitor energy consumption and save money on your electric bill each month.
Smart Light Bulbs
Smart light bulbs add to the list of simple products to make your life easier. These bulbs give you the ability to turn lights on and off via an app or a smart speaker along with a variety of other features. Brightness, color temperature, and color can be changed from an app as well. Smart bulbs have other options for creating scenes and setting schedules and can be set to automatically adjust based on the time of day, alarms, and even your location. You’ll never have to come home to a dark house again!
App-Controlled Smoke Detector for the Kitchen
If you’re like some of us, you probably spend a good amount of cooking time perched on the kitchen counter, waving a towel at the smoke detector. With an app-controlled smoke detector, you’ll never have to take that treacherous climb again. If the smoke in the kitchen is enough to set off the alarm, you can quickly silence the smoke alarm from your smartphone. Bonus: No more stalking through the house to find out which one that annoying chirping sound is coming from. The app will also let you know when it’s time to replace a smoke detector’s batteries.
App-Controlled Garage Door Opener
How many times have you left for work and had the sudden thought that you forgot to close the garage door? Or perhaps you’re all tucked into bed and ready to drift off and suddenly have the nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something. Now, instead of turning around or having to leave the comfort of your bed, you can simply check an app to make sure the garage is closed. If it’s not, simply tap your phone and roll back over to sleep soundly (or continue your drive to work) without worry.
Smart Monitoring Device
If the products above aren’t enough to ease your homeowner anxiety, try a smart monitoring device. These devices provide a central place for alerts about intrusions, smoke, fire, leaks, carbon monoxide, and other unexpected events. Once any alerts or alarms are triggered, you will receive an instant notification so that you can respond quickly.
What other smart devices or apps for the home do you use? We’d love to hear about your favorites!
