There’s a good chance you have already incorporated smart home elements into your home without even realizing it. From your Amazon Echo to the Nest thermostat, these products are actually home automation technologies.
Nowadays, there’s a home automation device for just about every room and everything in your home. Here are a few budget-friendly products to help make your home smarter.
Kitchen
Bluetooth thermometer: You’ll never overcook your steak again with a handy smart meat thermometer. A Bluetooth connection pairs your smartphone with the thermometer so you know exactly when your chicken, pork, or fish reaches the desired temperature.
Smart slow cooker: Start dinner from your office with this Wi-Fi enabled Crock-Pot. All it takes is a swipe of your finger to turn on the cooker, adjust the temperature, or turn it off so dinner doesn’t burn if you get stuck away from home longer than expected.
Wi-Fi kettle: Remote boil with a little help from an app. The iKettle will get your water boiling, and hold it at temperature for 30 minutes, whenever you need it – morning, noon, or night.
Bathroom
Bluetooth shower speaker: The Aquatunes waterproof speaker is no old-school shower radio. This Bluetooth speaker allows you to stream music in the shower by connecting to your mobile device. Hook it onto your shower rod, press the sync button, and you’re ready for all of those in-shower concerts.
Heated toilet seat: The LumaWarm heated nightlight toilet seat is both heated and illuminated with a blue LED light. It comes with three temperature settings and warms up within a minute or two.
Bedroom
Wi-Fi lighting: Relax in your bedroom at the end of the day with perfectly personalized lighting that helps you transition to sleep with different color temperatures. There are a variety of smart lights available: some can be set on timers that you can access remotely through your smartphone, while others learn your daily routine or come equipped with motion sensors.
Smart window treatments: Motorized blinds or smart window film can both be operated remotely with a smartphone. Schedule your blinds and shades to open and close in response to the lighting levels outside or to your preference. There are literally no strings attached with these blinds, so no more tangled cords. Or you can forget about shades altogether, and go for tinting window film that can transitions from clear to opaque with a tap on a mobile app.
Any room
Smart plugs: Smart plugs are one of the easiest upgrades you can make in your home. They are devices that plug into your existing outlet and allow you remote power control. Some are programmable and monitor your energy usage. A few of the most popular smart plugs are by D-Link, iHome, Belkin, and TP-LINK. You can find one for as low as $30.
Humidity monitor: The Leviton Humidity Sensor and Fan Control detects excess humidity and automatically turns on a ventilation fan. This humidity sensor can help ventilate areas beyond the bathroom, making it deal for any space where you need to reduce moisture and condensation.
One room at a time
If you’re still feeling uncertain about where to begin, try out a home automation or smart home kit. Amazon and Home Depot offer a variety of these bundles.
A key goal of home automation is to make your life easier. Automating your home doesn’t need to happen overnight. Focus on areas in the home or specific tasks where you could use a little extra help, and research home automation options that will best support your specific needs.
Watch how a home automation expert helped one couple achieve the high-tech kitchen of their dreams.
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