Smartening up your home need not cost you an arm and a leg. We look at standalone as well as affordable smart home starter kits that are cheap to buy, easy to install and can be configured quickly all by yourself. In fact the only thing that we would consider professional help is the smart thermostat. Everything else from voice assistants to security systems to smart plugs, smart locks and lifestyle smart appliances work right out of the box.
Smart home technology is here to stay. The real benefit is in being able to control them all remotely from your mobile devices be it tablet, laptop or smartphone as well as receive alerts and notifications over the Internet putting you in charge and helping you save on your energy bills.
With so many different smart home technology available, we recommend starting with our Ultimate Smart Home Checklist. Using the checklist, you can decide the type of technology to adopt for the different rooms. The checklist lets you plan and cost up your smart home project wherever you wish to focus on. You can find this on the sidebar of this page.
Next, you would need to consider the type of Voice Assistant you wish to use for your home. This act as a smart hub where you can control compatible devices from one place. Smart home kits and gadgets support one of the following Voice Assistants; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri & HomeKit. For example, the Amazon Echo with Alexa has a built-in hub that lets you control Sonos speakers, Philips Hue lighting, Hive, SmartThings and other compatible gadgets. Deciding which smart hub to use means you shop for only gadgets that support it. See From Voice Controlled Speakers to Home Automation.
Essential Reads
Keeping the air fresh and clean at home leads directly to a healthier and more active you. The average adult breathes a total of about 11,000 litres of air per day. That is a lot of air going in and out of your body as you inhale and exhale. So start monitoring the air quality at […]
If you’re the type who’s resisting the digital age and still not allowing your fridge to order your milk, you might find the idea of your house becoming autonomous a little challenging! However, the future is now and with driverless cars just around the corner, this fancy home automation era will feel old hat before […]
You are on a comfortable deck chair in the Caribbean, a fruity ‘adult drink’ next to you; the sun is high above, kissing your well-oiled skin. Suddenly, you cannot remember if you left the radio on, or if you locked the patio door.
So … you are at work and cannot remember if you locked your front door when you left for work. You wish you could somehow remotely lock it or least check to see if it is indeed locked.
Electric lighting is as old as electricity itself, it’s about time they get smart. Smart lighting is the easiest and cheapest way to get on the smart home bandwagon. It is as easy as screwing a bulb, literally.
While America prepares for Thanksgiving, buying turkeys, sweet potatoes, ham and more, another annual event will overshadow the holiday; Black Friday sales. Since 1952, it has been the unofficial ‘day off’ after feasting with your family.
Relying on the Internet to lock and unlock the door have raised a few questions; what if it lost the Internet connection, what if the server is down and worst of all, what if it is hacked.
Smart locks used to only be something found in science fiction or futuristic movie – the kind that identify you visually, or unlock when you are near. Well, the future is here now, and with the range of technology now available, there is a whole gamut of different types of smart locks available.
When setting up a video surveillance system at home, cabling can be a right nightmare, be it for data or power or both. These totally wire-free security cameras are the best way to get you up quickly and hassle free.
Life is complicated enough as it is. Setting up a smart home need not be time consuming or overly complex with one of these standalone smart home appliance.
Thinking of installing a smart home system? With so many good value packages around, each with different configurations and functions, it is worth shopping around.
We did a review on the top 5 best slow cookers and 5 reliable budget slow cookers but with advancements in smart homes and consumer automation comes the WeMo Crock-Pot.