Science
12 Smart Items Every Home Needs
No matter how tech-savvy you are, it’s time to accept the role of technology in our everyday lives. Tech is here and it’s here to stay. The good news? Our homes (and our home lives) are loving it. Smart technology has found its way into the domestic sphere and it’s making our lives 1000 percent easier—as well as more energy efficient.
We scoured the internet for the most beloved, most wished for, and most reputable home technologies that you need to make your home smart. From LED color-changing lightbulbs to a Wi-Fi enabled doorbell to an app-run sous-vide machine, we’ve got you and your home covered. Pretty much all you have to do is purchase and plug in these items and watch your home life manage itself. If you haven’t yet jumped on the bandwagon, after checking out these 12 items, you’re going to be a smart home convert. Guaranteed.
Wireless Smart Home Camera
What it is: A wireless camera (with night vision and 2-way audio) that allows you to see what’s going on at home from wherever you are.
Price: $25.98
Why You Gotta Have it: It uses a handy app to deliver fast, clear video directly to your phone. The app alerts you anytime it detects sound or motion and you can view up to 14 days of saved video. Bonus: it’s also compatible with Alexa.
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini
What it is: A Wi-Fi enabled plug that allows you control whatever electronics are plugged into it via an app.
Price: $26.99
Why You Gotta Have It: It’s compatible with Google Assistant, Nest, and Amazon Alexa to allow incredibly easy control over all of your electronic devices. It doesn’t require a smart hub and it has an ‘Away Mode’ that turns lights on and off at random intervals to make it look like you’re home when you’re not.
iRobot Roomba Vacuum
What it is: The highest-tech Roomba yet. It’s got a dirt detector so it can identify areas that need extra attention and has a patented 3-stage cleaning system so it’ll get every little dirt particle, no matter what surface it’s stuck to.
Price: $279.99
Why You Gotta Have It: You can schedule cleanings from your phone (using the app), Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. It has tons of sensors for navigating the different nooks and crannies of your home and it’s seriously powerful.
Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell
What It Is: A Wi-Fi enabled doorbell that allows you to see, hear, and interact with visitors from your phone, tablet, or computer.
Price: $99.99
Why You Gotta Have It: Because you’re sick of ding-dong-ditchers. This doorbell sends you alerts anytime there’s motion detected or someone rings the bell. It also lets you monitor your property even when there’s no one at the door with on-demand live video.
ChefSteps Joule Sous-Vide
What it is: The sleekest, smallest sous-vide machine you’ve ever seen.
Price: [$179] (https://www.amazon.com/ChefSteps-CS10001-Joule-White-Stainless/dp/B071ZLDT91/ref=zg_mw_smart-home_16?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=XHW38ZSW6R50XVZYHS9C)
Why You Gotta Have It: It’s controlled entirely from an app, which it uses to determine how long your food needs to cook and shows you visuals of what food should look like when done. The app communicates with the device to make sure everything cooks perfectly. It also offers a ton of recipes written exclusively for the Joule.
Sonos Beam Soundbar
What It Is: An incredibly high-quality sound system that can connect to your TV or operate on its own as a wireless speaker for your smart phone.
Price: $399
Why You Gotta Have It: It has built-in Amazon Alexa voice control and is also compatible with Amazon Fire TV so you can control it without a remote. The Sonos app offers hundreds of streaming services and can wirelessly connect to other Sonos speakers to create a home sound system.
Philips Hue White Smart Bulb
What It Is: A smart light bulb that you can control from your smart phone or tablet as well as with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Goggle Assistant.
Price: $49.99 for a 4-pack
Why You Gotta Have It: You can turn on/off as well as dim each individual bulb from the Philips Hue app. The app also allows you to put the bulbs on a schedule, so they go on and off at set intervals while you’re traveling.
Opal Nugget Ice Maker
What It Is: A smart ice machine that can produce one pound of ice within an hour.
Price: $549
Why You Gotta Have It: It’s small and portable, for those who need ice at their tailgates or BBQs, and it holds up to three pounds of perfectly-sized ice nuggets. It comes with bluetooth connectivity so you can schedule the machine to make ice whenever you want from a handy app.
Nest Learning Thermostat
What It Is: A smart thermostat that uses Wi-Fi to connect to your phone, tablet or computer, so you can control the temperature of your home from anywhere (as well as from your Amazon Alexa).
Price: $217.50
Why You Gotta Have It: It learns your energy-using habits in order to help you be more energy efficient and it automatically turns down the temperature when no one’s home. It also learns the temperatures you like and begins to auto-program itself after about a week of use.
HP OfficeJet Wireless Printer
What It Is: A wireless all-in-one printer that allows you to print photos direct from your mobile device, even without Wi-Fi.
Price: $119.99
Why You Gotta Have It: It delivers professional-quality color photos and is compatible with Amazon Alexa. You also can print photos from anywhere, since the printer doesn’t require a wireless network.
Tile Mate Anything Finder
What It Is: A bluetooth tracker that loops onto keychains or sticks to surfaces (wallet, phone, etc) in order to find lost items fast using the Tile Mate app.
Price: $19.25
Why You Gotta Have It: The app allows you to geolocate lost or stolen items and also helps you find items that you may have misplaced in your home—it can make your phone ring, even when it’s on silent. You can connect as many Tiles to the Tile Mate app as you want, so you can keep track of all of your valuables in the one place.
Lumenity Color Changing Light Bulb
What It Is: An LED smart lightbulb that you can control from an app.
Price: $29.95
Why You Gotta Have It: The bulb works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home so you can turn on/off lights and even change their colors using voice control. The app allows you to choose from over 16 million colors and lighting effects, so you can set different moods in different rooms.
