Useful Smart Home Devices To Make Your Life Easier

It’s amazing what our homes can do these days. Thanks to the "internet of things," our computers, phones and watches can connect to our coffeepots, refrigerators and thermostats. You can make sure your home is secure, your lights are turned off and the air conditioner isn’t running, all from your hotel room while on vacation. You can even get live video streams of your house while sightseeing on the other side of the country. You can record your favorite shows with a swipe of your phone, or even watch the ones on your DVR right from your tablet. It’s almost as if we carry a portal to our home with us in our pockets and purses. 

Communicating with these new-age "smart homes" doesn’t just mean automation; it also means we can learn more about ourselves from the data it collects, allowing us to become more efficient. Your thermostat can tell you when you’re using the most power. Your fridge can remind you when your food is about to go bad. You can save money on longer-lasting lights, and you can even get rid of your electric bill completely. Smart home technology isn’t making us lazy; it’s making us the best homeowners we can be.

Here are the most beneficial smart home products right now. 

1. Temperature Control

Everyone has a sweet spot when it comes to their home’s temperature, and it tends to fluctuate. 76 degrees may be the perfect all-day temperature for you, but maybe you like it a little cooler at night so you can snuggle up under the blanket. With the latest in thermostat technology, your thermostat can automatically adjust to your favorite temperature all on its own.

For example, the Nest Thermostat can tell when you’re going to bed, when you wake up, and adjust accordingly based on your previous temperature habits. It can also tell when you go to work and enter a power-saving mode. But don’t worry, by the time you get home the Nest will have the house as warm or cool as when you left.

Smart thermostats help you save money while still getting the most comfort out of your home. Most will break down your monthly energy consumption for you, so you can become more efficient. They often come with an eye-catching touch-screen display that adds an elegance to your home. You can even control them with your phone from the office.

2. Home Security

With streaming video technology and automatic locks, today’s home security systems do more than just protect your house; they offer convenience, confidence and peace of mind as you go about your day. For example, the Nest Camera gives you the ability to keep an eye on your home from anywhere you have an internet connection. The video quality is full 1080p HD and you can even interact with what you’re watching with your voice. You can record, edit and playback clips so that you never miss a candid moment or finally catch that cookie thief.

Motion sensor lighting, automatic locks and even fingerprint scanners can all increase the effectiveness of your home security. Keep your internal network secure by getting an encrypted wi-fi router to ensure that hackers don’t infiltrate your digital space. But the best part about an advanced security system like this, is that it can work seamlessly with your other devices. Your GPS can alert your front door when you get home from the grocery store, and the doors will unlock and even open for you while you walk inside with your arms full of fresh produce.

Image courtesy of cdn2.hubspot.net

3. Dynamic LED Lighting

LED lighting provides a long-lasting, highly efficient alternative to traditional bulbs when it comes to illuminating your home. That means less waste, less energy consumption and more flexibility when it comes to your home’s ambience.  From classic track lighting to decorative rope lights and high-tech chandeliers, LED lights will give your home a trendy, new-age look; all with less pollution.

LED light bulbs are about 40x more efficient on average than your usual incandescent light bulb. This means less replacement bulbs, less energy pull and more stylistic options for your home. The less often you have to replace your bulbs, the less bulbs end up in our landfills. Making the switch to LED lighting saves the environment while saving you money.

LED lights come in a variety of vibrant colors. You can accent a flower display with a low pink glow, or a bright blues and greens could create an underwater feel to your pool area. You can even imitate stars on the ceiling in your game room. Add some flair to your room with your favorite color combinations.

Image courtesy of stevewhitman.com

4. Powering Your Home

Solar technology is getting more and more efficient. Every year, solar cells can get smaller and absorb more energy. This means that with the right solar setup, you can essentially get rid of your power bill altogether. There’s a trend that is showing some solar users are actually getting reimbursed from their local power companies because they are putting more energy back into the grid. You won’t have to worry about power outages, you’ll reduce the carbon footprint and your property value will automatically increase.

Solar Power doesn’t have to look ugly. There are plenty of solar companies who pride themselves on their aesthetic potential as well as their powerful solar cells. Whether you camouflage your solar cells on your roof with "solar shingles" or as separate models in your yard, you don’t need to sacrifice style for efficiency.