It seems as if just about everything is going smart now. From smartphones to smart televisions, smart technology is almost starting to take over the universe – and hopefully not in a scary Black Mirror sort of way. Regardless of how you feel about smart technology, there’s no denying that it can make life that little bit easier, and it’s just a little bit cool too. Truth be told there’s nothing smarter or more useful than a smart home, so whether you’re new to the trend or you simply fancy getting on board, here’s everything useful you need to know.
Smart Lighting
Realistically, you’re always going to need to light your home, so why not make it smart? If you’re ever selling a property, there’s nothing more appealing to house buyers than a well-lit home that has the edge of a showroom – so making it smart is likely to give it an extra edge.
Regardless of what type of smart lighting you go for, the vast majority of them are pretty easy to connect to a central hub, and will likely interact easily with other smart home elements you purchase. Some of these bulbs communicate via Wi-Fi, however others can be linked up via Bluetooth and controlled directly from your smartphone. A lot of these bulbs even have their own apps which you can download for free, and use to easily control the lighting in your home. Imagine you’ve forgotten to turn a light off when you’re comfy in bed – is there really anything more annoying than having to get up and turn it off, then get comfy all over again? Well with a smart lighting system, you no longer have to. From overhead lights to cosy lamps, there’s something for everyone.
Smart Speakers
That brings us to the notorious smart speaker. Chances are if you don’t already have one, you’ll at least have heard of the Amazon Echo and its infamous partner Alexa. Now, instead of having to move in order to do just about anything, you can just get Alexa to do it for you. Although not great for the step count, it’s more time efficient and a pretty satisfying way of living.
People go crazy for smart speakers, and it’s no wonder really. They connect well to the aforementioned smart lighting, you can control your TV and your music with them, and instead of having to type something into Google when you’re trying to find it out, you can simply ask Alexa instead – scarily, she literally knows everything. For the lazy, or shall we say efficient person in your life, a smart speaker could be the perfect Christmas gift.
Smart Thermostats
Say goodbye to manual heating systems, and say hello to the smart thermostat, who will not only make your life easier but will be likely to help you in saving money on your energy bills too.
The amazing thing about smart thermostats is not only the way they make life easier and more comfortable, but the way they make you more energy efficient too. When you think about it, temperature is one of the most important things that is integral to our overall comfort in the home. Because of this, it makes perfect sense for anyone to invest in a smart thermostat.
They can quite literally detect when you’re at home, and when you’re not, meaning that they’ll adjust the temperature in your home at the right time. Some of these thermostats even have sensors, so they can detect when a room is in use too. Because of this, heating or cooling will be triggered dependant upon the inhabitancy of the said room. No longer do you have to worry about setting your heating up and turning it off and putting it on at the right times – the smart thermostat will very simply do it for you.
Smart Home Security Systems
Last of all, but certainly not least, we come to smart home security systems – because is there anything more paramount than ensuring the safety of your home?
Nowadays you can get both indoor and outdoor security cameras, that can link up to your phone. This means, even when you’re not in the house you can check on what’s going on outside of your home, and also what your pets are up to when you’re out of the house! For someone who perhaps travels a lot for work and leaves their home unattended, this is a great way of setting your mind at rest because you can quite literally take a look at your home, wherever you are in the world. When you think about it, that’s pretty incredible.