How to find the right smart home device for you

Imagine a home where all you need to do is shout “lights off” to turn down the lights while you’re snuggled up in bed. Sounds perfect, right? Well, in this day and age, you can do even more than that. A smart home set up doesn’t just control lighting, but also appliances, climate, and entertainment systems.

According to a research group from S&P Global, the number of smart homes grew to over 15 million in 2016, while Statista forecasts that smart homes will spike to a staggering 300 million by 2023.  Home automation and smart homes are growing trends that will only get better with time, just like aged wine.  

What is a Smart Home Device?

A smart home device is one that connects to other devices and performs commands when connected wirelessly (via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or apps) or by wire to exchange data. Three main components make up a smart device: connectivity, context-awareness, and autonomous commands or computing. Modern homes have smart home devices that send commands or communicate to other devices through connectivity, usually using an application. 

What can a Smart Home Device Do?

Since smart home devices connect to modern home appliances, they are a powerful addition to managing your home. A smart home device functions the way you want it to. For example, let’s say you have a large house and you don’t always have the time to attend to the door when you’re neck-deep in work.

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Instead of the interruption or hiring help, go modern and install smart locks that open using a simple tap on your tablet. You can even keep a video feed of the front door to screen visitors. There’s a world of endless possibilities with smart home devices.

How to Choose the Right Smart Home Device 

There are a few points to keep in mind when choosing the right smart device:

• Control– Decide how you want to control your devices. Using a smartphone would be the best idea when voice control is a preference. Would you rather have a small remote to get your work done? Sensors are the right choice when you want devices to switch on and off as you walk in and out of the room.
• Area– Which area in your home requires a smart home device? For the bathroom, there are sensors that switch on the shower as soon as it detects your presence. If you don’t like looking for the light switch when you enter your house, automatic light sensors detect your presence and do it for you. 
• Comfort and Compatibility– A single app doesn’t have to support all devices. Decide whether you are comfortable using multiple apps to control different devices or if you can work with one app that supports a few devices and provides somewhat limited functionality.
• Customer Support– Consider good companies that have good customer support. Apart from having a manual, there should also be support to help you with any queries.
• Eco-Friendliness– An eco-friendly smart home device should have energy savers. Reducing the consumption of electricity is a vital feature to look for in a smart home device. It doesn’t just save you money, it also helps the planet.

What are Your Options for Smart Home Devices? 

There are plenty of options to choose from, but here’s a list of the best smart home devices to help you out. Popular device types include: 

• Smart Lighting– Having smart lighting at your fingertips will make your life a whole lot easier. Apart from darkening the room to create the perfect ambiance, some devices let you set colors for the room and allow you to use your voice or an app to set the mood.
• Smart Thermostat– Smart thermostat devices use sensors to detect a change in temperature and make changes according to your preferences. By using an app, you will be able to preset temperatures depending on how you want the temperature to be at different times of the day.
•  Smart Security– Smart security devices are popular, and there’s a good reason why. Smart cameras are wireless and have sensors that detect movement while they work in any weather condition. Smart doorbells have either the audio or video feature, which allows you to hear live audio or watch a live feed from outside of your doors or gates.

Get Smart and Be a Part of the Change 

Although traditional devices are what people have always used, there’s no need to use things manually when everything’s available at your fingertips. Apart from having so many benefits, having a smart home is also eco-friendly and energy-saving.

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