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Many people think that Smart Home devices are only for entertainment and are actually just a gimmick. Streaming music or switching on electrical devices via voice commands are classic examples from the Smart Home sector. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
But with the right Smart Home appliances you can also have your house cleaned when you’re not at home, save energy on heating, equip your house with an intelligent security system or feed your pet automatically… There are so many possibilities – even though the Smart Home topic is still quite young.
This article presents the best products for the various Smart Home applications in order to make it easier for you to get started with this topic or to make your search for the best product as short and informative as possible.
Table of Contents
Smart Home Hub
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Buy recommendation: Amazon Echo Show 8* or Echo Dot*
Every Smart Home needs a brain with which it can control all the many intelligent devices. My requirement for a good Smart Home Hub is that it has a high compatibility with other Smart Home devices and systems and the control of these devices is easy.
My favorite is the Amazon Echo Show 8 as the ideal solution and the Echo Dot for the smaller purse. The big advantage of the Amazon Echo Show 8 is the great sound and easy connectivity to other Smart Home devices. You just have to say “Alexa, look for my devices” and the Echo Show 8 connects all compatible devices via the so called Zigbee network – totally ingenious!
If you can do without the 76 mm subwoofer and the premium sound and want to connect your Smart Home devices manually, the Echo Dot is also a very good choice. The Echo Dot can also control compatible Smart Home devices, stream music and receive commands via speech.
If sound quality is important to you, but you still don’t want to get right into the Smart Home business with an expensive hub, you can add a subwoofer* and a second Echo Dot later to extend the Echo Dot for stereo playback with rich bass.
With an intelligent speaker, there are two things that matter most:
- The loudspeaker must be able to understand your commands well even from a distance.
- The connection to the Smart Home System must run smoothly.
Both criteria are met in any case by the Amazon Echo. With effective noise cancellation, the Amazon Echo can understand you even with some annoying background noise such as car noise. Not least because of the built-in 7 (!) microphones, the loudspeaker always hears you loud and clear.
By connecting to Alexa, you have access to all your Smart Home features. With a voice command, you can play music, send messages, make phone calls, place orders via Amazon, start the vacuum cleaner or turn up the heat. Sounds partly still like Science Fiction, is however actually true!
The Amazon Echo Show 8 has an amazingly good sound for its small size. Its built-in woofer and tweeter provide a very nice 360° sound experience.
Another advantage of the echo is its different designs. To get the best out of the echo, it shouldn’t be hiding in a corner. Due to the many selectable designs, it fits into every room.
A small fact on the side: There is a rumour that the big companies are overhearing our conversations through smartphones and intelligent loudspeakers. But this is a myth and also very illegal. So don’t be afraid when you’re talking to someone, that someone is recording your conversations.
Lamp
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Buy recommendation: Sengled Element Classic Smart LED Lamp*
There are many complete packages that also offer different colours, such as Phillips Hue* for example. But if you only want to exchange your light bulbs with more intelligent ones, the Sengled light bulbs mentioned above are much more useful and cheaper.
They can be operated via app or through a Smart Home System such as Alexa or Google Assistant.
What makes this incandescent lamp intelligent? This intelligent incandescent lamp can be switched on/off and dimmed by voice command. You can also save various programs and, for example, wake up in the morning to a slowly brightening light without being dazzled.
And last but not least you can take a look at the energy you saved with this light bulb on the app. LED’s have simply earned their Nobel Prize – they are bright, very economical, live very long and are much more environmentally friendly than the old energy-saving lamps with mercury.
Light Switch
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Recommended buy: TP-Link HS200*
An intelligent light bulb is all very well, but what if someone turns off the light switch? Then the light bulb reacts to no more inputs. To completely bypass the physical light switch, there are also intelligent light switches that can be connected to your Smart Home.
There is also another problem, which probably affects a lot of people: Only recently, all light bulbs were replaced with expensive, energy-saving LED lights. An intelligent light switch is particularly worthwhile in this case, as the new LED bulb does not have to be replaced and intelligent, networked light is still available. In my opinion the best solution!
The TP-Link HS200* connects wonderfully with Alexa and Google Assistant and I think it has a very appealing design. Even without Alexa & Co. you can create intelligent commands with the “kasa smart” app and the light can be controlled via smartphone.
Socket
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Buy recommendation: TP-LINK HS105*
Just like the intelligent light switch, this intelligent socket connects everything that is not “smart” to your Smart Home. Whether it’s your coffee machine, air conditioner, or Christmas tree, you can control it from this smart outlet by voice command or remotely with your smartphone.
The socket can be integrated into the Smart Home network via WLAN and controlled, for example, with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also use the associated Kasa app to set up programs or use the power outlet in an automatic timer mode.
Also ingenious: You can tell the socket outlet to simulate your presence during longer absences such as holidays, for example! If the socket is connected to a lamp, you can have it automatically switched on at certain times of the day, thus faking your presence and preventing break-ins.
And if you need power, can’t talk, don’t have your smartphone at hand and don’t want to unplug it, you can still use the built-in switch to bypass all programs and turn them off and on manually.
Thermostat
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Buy recommendation: Ecobee4*
The Ecobee4 is the improved successor of the popular Ecobee3 (who would have thought!). I mention this only because the Ecobee3 already set standards at that time and for many it was the non-plus-ultra of intelligent thermostats.
Like its predecessor, the Ecobee4 has a chic exterior, ingenious features and a very good connection to Alexa. It is not only controllable by Alexa, but also functions as an Alexa loudspeaker with its own microphone and everything. So you can also use the thermostat for all other Alexa functions. This saves you the purchase of an Echo or another Alexa interface. It is also compatible with other Smart Home systems such as Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant or Samsung SmartThings.
Speaking of savings, Ecobee advertises that its intelligent thermostat can save up to 23% of energy costs for heating or cooling. This means that the thermostat pays for itself after only 1-3 years, depending on the boundary conditions.
Other thermostat systems require a separate thermostat in each room. The Ecobee does not – it works with room sensors that detect whether someone is in the room and measure the temperature. This allows the basic unit to adapt the temperature perfectly to the requirements. In addition to detecting whether a room is being used, the Ecobee4* also comes with an energy-saving mode when it detects that you’re not at home.
Air Conditioning Control
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Buy recommendation: Sensibo Sky*
Just as you can connect your heater to an intelligent thermostat, you can also make your air conditioning intelligent and integrate it into your Smart Home.
The Sensibo Sky is compatible with all current newer air conditioning systems and can be connected to Alexa and Google Assistant.
If you allow Sensibo Sky access to the location of your smartphone, it automatically turns on the air conditioning when you’re on your way home and turns it off automatically when you’re away from home. This feature, coupled with intelligent temperature control, keeps you comfortable at home, but not too cold. This also saves a lot of energy. Many people forget this when they see all my Smart Home Gadgets in my house – they offer not only comfort and fun, but also a lot of energy saving potential!
Blinds
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Buy recommendation: Brunt Blind Engine*
If you want to make your existing blinds intelligent, Brunt’s Blind Engine is highly recommended. It works with most common blinds and is installed within 5 minutes. Before you buy, make sure that it is compatible with your blinds (type, weight, etc.).
The built-in motor has a built-in automatic brake that stops automatically at unusually high forces to prevent damage to itself and the blind.
The integration into your Smart Home is also very easy. The Blind Engine* can be connected to Alexa, Google Assistant and all other popular systems.
But the most ingenious thing about this gadget is the connection to the smartphone and the location-based control of the blinds. You can adjust the Blind Engine so that the blinds open when you are in the room and close when you are not. This is especially handy in the summer, when you want to lock out the warmth of the sun but still not sit in the dark.
Doorbell
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Buying recommendation: Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell*
Yep, there are also doorbells that you can pick up and connect to your Smart Home! When someone rings, a live video stream is sent to your smartphone. So you can see who’s at the door, not just when you’re at home, but from everywhere.
With the ring doorbell* you can also talk to the visitors with an intercom. Does the postman come with a package while you’re out? No problem – just tell him to leave the package somewhere.
The decisive reasons for me were the compatibility with Alexa and the built-in motion detector. You can also see someone coming to your house on vacation. Besides a video proof you also have the possibility to scare the intruder away with your voice or to pretend that you are at home after all. If you turn on the light via your mobile phone, the illusion is perfect and the intruders disappear because they think you’re home.
Smoke Detector
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Buy recommendation: Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm*
Smoke detectors are all very well, but what if you are not at home? Then the smoke detector can be as loud as you want, you do not hear it and your neighbours may not hear it either.
An intelligent smoke detector sends alarms to your smartphone so you can react instantly even when you’re not at home. The smoke detector tells you exactly where and what happened via the app on the smartphone.
With the exact carbon monoxide sensor it can alert you already in the formation phase of a fire. And that even without WLAN inside the house. The smoke detector only needs a WLAN connection to reach you when you are not in the house.
What happens now if something on the stove starts to smoke and you just take out the trash? The smoke detector detects the rising carbon monoxide levels and now does two things. He gives a warning signal in the kitchen via his loudspeaker in clear language and sends an alarm signal to the connected smartphones. So you will immediately be able to defuse the situation in the kitchen. Plus, you won’t have to climb on a chair to turn off the smoke detector on the ceiling; you can do it from your smartphone.
Smart Home Security
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Buy recommendation: NetGear Arlo Q*
Just like the smoke detector, this security camera is not a Smart Home device for comfort or entertainment, but for personal security. You can set this camera to only run when you’re gone. Or you can give it certain time intervals in which it records. You can also use the motion detector and only record when the camera detects motion. The motion sensor can detect motions up to 15 m away.
Although the camera is one of the more expensive of its kind, the price shouldn’t discourage you, because the price already includes a cloud memory for 7 days of video and audio data. With many other providers you have to buy this storage space as an upgrade. Of course you can also download the recorded data to your own PC or laptop.
What impressed me, however, was the feature that I think is most important for a security camera: it can take very sharp videos in 1080p HD even in complete darkness and up to 8 m distance.
You can connect several cameras to one base station. The range is about 10 meters between base and camera. The installation is super easy and fast.
Flood/Water Sensor
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Buy recommendation: D-Link DCH-S160 wi-fi water sensor*
Has your kitchen, your bathroom or even your basement ever been flooded? Everything has at least once happened in my life so far. And with about half of them, I could have avoided a lot of damage if I’d known immediately.
Especially if you live in flood-prone areas, a flood sensor makes a lot of sense. As soon as it detects water, you get a message directly to your mobile phone. The sensor itself then sounds a 70 decibel loud alarm. So you will know immediately if your washing machine has overflowed or the heavy rain has flooded your cellar.
The installation is also very simple. You plug the sensor directly into a socket and place the cable at the end of which the actual water sensor is located, until you reach the point where you want to detect the water, which is usually the ground.
You don’t need a base station or a Smart Home Hub to use this sensor. The sensor also connects to your router’s WiFi network.
Garage Door Opener
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Buy recommendation: MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener*
If you want to open or close your garage from a distance, this intelligent garage door opener is the perfect solution. I myself thought for a long time that this gadget was not worth it and that there was no practical use to justify this purchase. However, I was taught otherwise when I talked to a friend about it. He had the problem that he and his gardener had the same working hours. Nevertheless he wanted to let him into his garden but without giving him a key.
The solution for him was this garage door opener. As soon as he got the message from the gardener that he had arrived at his home, he could open the garage via his smartphone and close it again later without being personally on site.
Here are some tips my friend could give me about this device:
- In most cases, the garage is quite far away from the Smart Home Hub, which is why he recommends a cable connection.
- For a fast reaction time you should assign a fixed IP address to the device on the router so that it does not lose any time when assigning such an address.
- Although the manual is very detailed and covers many special cases, it cannot take all eventualities into account. However, this is not a big problem as the service by telephone and e-mail is excellent.
Automatic Feeding Machine
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Buy recommendation: PetSafe automatic feeder*
Do you want to automate the feeding of dogs and cats? No problem these days!
The PetSafe automatic feeder dispenses exactly portioned meals at specified times. For particularly playful pets, the lid is strong enough to prevent a pet from opening it easily. So the food stays fresh as if it were packed.
Especially for dogs that have to keep to special meal times, the automatic, time-controlled output is very practical. My old dog from my childhood suffered from diabetes and was only allowed to receive carefully weighed meals, which had to be meticulously distributed throughout the day. If my family had had an automatic feeder, the care of our family dog would have been much easier in our day-to-day life.
There is also a setting for dogs, which tend to eat to fast. You can extend the serving of a meal with the PetSafe feeder* for up to 15 minutes. Thus the danger that the dog devours everything at once is gone.
Grilling Accessories
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Recommended buy: Weber Igrill Bluetooth Thermometer*
With this ingenious grill gadget you can follow exactly the cooking condition of the meat on the grill. Barbecue’s great! But if you’re always standing at the grill, you can’t talk to your guests or enjoy your evening beer. But if you can monitor your steak from your seat and see exactly what’s going on inside it on your phone, you’ll have more time for family and friends.
In my opinion, the Igrill Mini is best suited for a smoker. In a smoker, you don’t have to turn the meat all the time, but turn it on and wait. And when you know exactly when your meat is ready, you don’t have to walk 15 times to the grill to check it out, just once when it’s ready!
The connection to the smartphone is established via Bluetooth. So you can confidently walk a few meters away from the grill or smoker without losing the connection. The only thing I’ve noticed is that if you walk into the house and get the barbecue sauce or something from the kitchen, the connection can break off. Bluetooth has no infinite range.
Robot Vacuum Cleaner
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Buy recommendation: Ecovacs Deebot N79S*
Ironically, my father had an intelligent vacuum robot before me, although I am the tech nut in the family. But I had been flirting with my own vacuum robot for a long time, but was still sceptical.
But after I saw the robot in action, I had to buy one because the results simply spoke for themselves. Sure, it has its limits, but you save a lot of time a week and always have a clean floor thanks to the continuous use of the robot!
I can definitely recommend the Ecovacs Deebot N79S*, as it not only cleans well (pet hairs and carpets are no problems), but can also connect it with a Smart Home. You can control it via Smartphone and Alexa. Especially the latter I find very handy. You can simply start and stop it by voice command.
Another feature I paid attention to was obstacle detection and stair safety. By the automatic recognition of stairs, I don’t have to be afraid of a robot suicide down the stairs…
Plant Monitor
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Buy recommendation: Original Xiaomi Mi Plant Flower Care*
When I was looking for a cool gadget for my wife, I came across this ingenious sensor. I don’t know about you, but we don’t have a green thumb and we’ve killed even the simplest cactus by improper care… If something was green with us, it was rather coincidence.
So if you are unsure whether your plants will get enough light, water or fertilizer, then this intelligent plant sensor is just right for you! It can measure the fertility of the soil, the degree of humidity and the light and temperature conditions on your plant.
I was skeptical at first if this sensor could handle the different plants we have in our house (those that have survived so far), but now after about 2 months in use, I can only give a thumbs up for this product. I even had to prune the plants here and there because they got too big. And I always thought that plants for the house had already reached their zenith by the time they were bought – I was now taught better.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are plenty of products to make your life at home easier. In addition to the comfort you gain, you can also save a lot of money with your Smart Home (intelligent thermostats and air conditioners for example).
The possibilities we now have to make our home the way we want it to be are really impressive. Sometimes for me, it still borders on science fiction.
One of the most important moments for me was when I drove home from work on a hot summer day and my head was still full of work. When I came through the door stressed out, a smile sneaked on my face anyway when I noticed that my house had already cooled down automatically for me 🙂
Attention: When installing electronic equipment, please be sure to observe the manufacturer’s safety instructions. You have to take care of your own safety. The information on this site only helps you to learn.
Disclosure: This website is the property of Martin Lütkemeyer and is operated by Martin Lütkemeyer. Martin Lütkemeyer is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to enable Web sites to earn advertising revenue through advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links marked with * are affiliate links.