Smart devices can assist and improve almost any aspect of your home from security, to comfort, to entertainment. Here are some of our favorites. We are always researching new releases, let us know if you have something not listed you are interested in!
Amazon Alexa
Smart Speakers like Amazon’s Alexa are a great first piece of smart home technology. They can connect to all your other devices and also have lots of functionality in their own right. You can ask Alexa to play your favorite podcast or type of music or give you the weather forecast on demand. We use our Alexa to adjust our thermostat from across the house or to act as in intercom with guests at the front door.
Thermostats
Smart Thermostats let you monitor and control the temperature of your home with just the sound of your voice from anywhere in your home with your Alexa or outside your home from your phone. Our favorite model, the Ecobee, has sensors that automatically detect the room that you are in to heat our cool that room to the desired temperature. Our master bedroom is upstairs, and this feature has been awesome for us to keep the bedrooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We were also surprised how much energy savings we saw when we installed the Ecobee!
Video Doorbells
The Ring Video Doorbell is both a security and a convenience game changer. Receive an alert to your phone in real time when someone rings your doorbell. You will see a video of them and be able to talk to them through your phone, whether you are at home or away! You can also elect to have the Ring record a video any time someone approaches your home which can then be sent to law enforcement if needed.
Smart Locks
Smart Door Locks are another convenience and security powerhouse. The locks can automatically sense via your cell phone when you arrive or leave your home and lock or unlock the doors accordingly. You can check whether your doors are locked from the convenience of your phone whether you are upstairs in bed or at the office. Remotely unlock the door for a cleaning lady or repairman, and if your phone is ever lost you can instantly suspend access to your home with that phone.
Lawn Irrigation
A smart sprinkler system gives you total control from your phone over the irrigation of your entire yard and deck. Start or suspend watering in any zone, skip a zone, repeat a zone- you have total control, whether from your back deck or up north at your cottage. Our favorite configurations allow you to set up a zone for the flowers on your deck to water all of them with a push of a button.
Garage Door Opener
Smart Garage Door Openers integrate directly into your existing door opener system making these an easy upgrade. You can control your garage door and monitor the position of your garage door from your phone, even away from home. Open the door when you are expecting a delivery or check to make sure your kids have closed the garage door when they are home without you.