You’re probably on your smartphone, tablet, and computer for hours daily, but have you gotten into smart home devices yet? Not everyone is tech-savvy when it comes to the home, but it’s worth doing a little research. Smart home devices can add to the quality of your home life, in addition to the design of your interior. They also make great gifts, whether you’re shopping for the holidays or a housewarming present. Who doesn’t want to save time, add convenience, and reduce stress?
Sous Vide Cooker
Image via ChefSteps
If you’ve talked to me about cooking in the last year, you know I’m obsessed with my Joule sous-vide cooker. If you’re not familiar, sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic bag or glass jar and cooked in a temperature controlled water bath. Food is cooked evenly, all the while retaining moisture. You’ll never want to cook meat another way again. The reason I love it for more than just the delicious food it produces is I control everything with an app on my phone. I tell it what I’m cooking, and then it gives me recipes, tells me how long to cook it, and controls the temperature based on how well-done I want it. If I’m going to be out before dinner, I can set it up before I leave and control it from wherever I am at the time. It’s amazing, and while I would typically caution against giving an appliance as a non-wedding gift (think Father of the Bride “He Got Me a Blender” scene), this would be an exception.
Smart Fridge
Image via Samsung
There are many benefits to having a smart fridge, and as you may have guessed, it connects directly to your phone. You never have to worry about remembering what’s in it, because the app can tell you. There’s a small sensor/camera that’s in the fridge that allows you to check the contents, so when you’re at the grocery and can’t remember just pull up the app. You can also adjust the settings so that when something in your fridge reaches it’s “Use by” date, you can get a notification.
Garbage Can Scanner
Image via GeniCan
Have you heard of a garbage can scanner? This may sound a bit strange, but a garbage can scanner like GeniCan allows you to add items to your grocery list automatically as you pitch them. It has barcode scanning and voice recognition, and items are saved directly to your shopping list or delivered directly through Amazon Dash.
Learning Thermostat
Image via Nest
It’s all about saving energy these days, and Nest can help you do just that. It learns what temperature you like and builds a schedule based on your preferences. It knows what temps you like morning and night and when to ease off when you’re away at work. Just use it for a week, and it programs itself.
Video Doorbell
Image via Ring
Do you hate not knowing who is knocking at your door? It’s time to check out a video doorbell system, like Ring. See who’s coming to your house before they get there, talk to your delivery person, and check on when the kids got home from school. It will be your most used security camera, and it’s not that expensive.
Smart Speaker
Image via Amazon
The Amazon Echo, otherwise known as Alexa, is a helpful device rapidly gaining popularity in households around the world. Do you want to know what the weather is going to be like today, but you don’t have your phone in hand? Ask Alexa. Is there something you want to research, but you aren’t able to access your computer? Ask Alexa. Alexa is programmed to help you with any problem that your computer would solve. You can also link your music accounts to Alexa and use her as a speaker. If she can’t find a song in your music library, she’ll find a clip for you and play it. Thanks, girl.
Robotic Vacuum
Image via iRobot
With a robotic vacuum like Roomba, you can keep your house clean and tidy without having to spend hours vacuuming every weekend. You can control which rooms are cleaned and when, and new models even empty the bin into an enclosed bag. There are several different models, so check Roomba reviews before buying.
Hue Light Bulbs
Image via Philips
If you want more variety from the lighting in your home, check out the Philips Hue Light Bulbs. They offer many different functions, such as timers, easy dimming, wake up light, and color themes. If you have an Alexa, you can also set her up to control these so you can say things like, “Alexa, dim the lights,” or, “Alexa, play room light blue”.
Many of these items are already on major holiday sale, so happy shopping!
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This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts that make this blog possible.
