Over the past year, more and more smart products have appeared in the market. The influx of new products has made it easier and cheaper to turn your home into a smart home. Here are some of the items you might want to start converting your house into the house of tomorrow, today!
Smart Lights
One of the easiest smart home devices you can get a hold of and install are smart lights. Depending on the model, they can feature RGB lighting, color temperature adjustments, and of course, wireless power control.
Smart lighting has several benefits. One is the convenience of control and versatility. A single light can be used for different scenarios since they are dimmable and have a changeable color temperature.
Another benefit, some may argue, is energy efficiency. Smart lights are usually LED lights that are more efficient than regularfluorescent and incandescent light fixtures. They also last longer, even with constant use.
Currently, the most common smart lighting are bulbs and LED strips. Smart LED tubes are already available abroad, but I have yet to find one locally available. However, if your house uses a lot of tube lights, well, there is another solution.
Smart Light Switches
If you live in a house populated by tube lights or an old apartment that you can’t remodel, a smart light switch may be the way to go. Smart switches convert your traditional light switches to be controllable through your smartphones or smart hub.
There different types of Smart Light Switches. One is a mere module you connect to your existing switch. There is also a switch that functions as a remote, and that you can actually remove from the base.
Smart switches, like smart lights, have their own benefits. When paired with a smart light, they are energy efficient. By themselves, smart switches provide users added convenience, giving them control via smartphone apps or even voice control through smart hubs.
Smart Appliances
Aside from smart light fixtures and switches, smart appliances are something you have to consider getting once you start converting your home. From smart robot vacuums to smart TVs and even smart air conditioners, there are many smart appliances now available in the market.
Many smart home products have their own integrated app that enables a certain degree of control through the users’ phones. Smart air conditioners and smart fans enable users to remotely control their home temperature whether they’re already in it or still a block away.
Smart robot vacuums can help you clean your house even when you’re out and about. Meanwhile, smart kitchen appliances such as ovens and microwaves notify users when their dishes are ready to eat. Some appliances can actually set the timer themselves with users just inputting the type of dish they placed inside.
What makes a smart appliance a must-have? Convenience and complete integration to the smart home. Smart home users can control almost all their needs right at their fingers tips, thanks to Al and the Internet of Things (AloT) built into most of these smart products
Smart Cameras And Sensors
Other smart products which you can consider are smart cameras and sensors. Smart cameras, especially those built-in to smart doorbells, give homeowners an added sense of security. Most of these smart cameras already have IR Cameras that allow for night/dark video capture and can even notify users when they hear or detect movement.
Smart sensors don’t give such protection; instead, these are built for the most convenience. Setting up smart sensors around the home allows the light to instantly turn on or off and even interact with other smart products such as TVs and speakers to instantly set the mood.
Smart Hubs
Tying your smart home together will be your smart hub. These come in the form of a smart speaker, a tablet hub, and a programmable hub, depending on what type of smart home you’re doing.
The cheapest and undoubtedly the easiest to set up are the smart speakers and tablet hubs since these are based on Google/Amazon home apps. Other programmable hubs can utilize different protocols, such as Zigbee and IFTTT, to create more complex scenarios for your smart home.
Smart hubs will be your best friend for handsfree smart home controls. At the same time, they ensure that your smart devices can communicate with each other, acting as the brains of the whole home. While these are essential in making a smart home easier, you really don’t have to get one at the start, especially the speakers, since they truly shine only when you have completed your smart home set-up.
With these basic devices, you are well on your way to starting your smart home journey.