Unless you have been under a rock for the last year, you have started to notice that smart home technology is developing at a super quick pace. There are also all sorts of new home tech items now on the market. Designed to make our homes more comfortable, more efficient and safer. But as this market is breaking new ground, most people are still a little in the dark about what items they need. How are they used to their best effect. So if you would like a little help with home technology, read on for some guidance. You too can get to grips with a high-tech smart home.
Smart Lighting
In a high tech, ‘home of the future’, you will want to use smart lighting. But what is smart lighting, and how does it differ from the system that we have now. Aka the trusty light switch?
Smart lighting has two elements making it an improvement on what most people use in their home.. The first is that is can be programmed to respond to certain conditions in the home. That means if it is a dark day, the light will be automatically brighter. But if it is a bright day, it will be duller. Smart lights can also be programmed to automatically switch off when no one is home. Alternatively on, just before you get back. All of these features make them great at saving energy.
The second feature of smart light that is worth knowing about is that they can be controlled remotely. That means say bye, bye to light switches. Instead use your smart device including home hubs, to control what lights are on in which room and their brightness.
Smart Thermostat
Another smart home item that you will want in your house of the future is a thermostat. Thermostats are used to regulate the temperature in your home, and stop it from getting too hot or too cold. Like the smart lighting, smart thermostats can be programmed to respond automatically to certain conditions. This means you can much more easily keep your home at the temperature you want it.
A particularly useful feature of a smart thermostat is that you can turn your heating on, during your journey home. So it is toasty warm when you arrive. Saving energy and money since you don’t have it on all day when you are not there.
Doorbell Camera
Another high-tech gadget that is a great investment for you home is a doorbell camera. These are cams that are set on the outside of your home. Allowing you to see who is at the door and whether to respond to it or not.
This is a brilliant development in home security. It takes all of the worries out of answering the door when you are alone, or at night. Which is brilliant for people that live on their own, or for parents concerned about the safety of their children while they are out.
Also, it can also make things a lot easier for you. You can ask delivery drivers to leave parcels on the step where you can pick them up. Instead of having to race, at breakneck speed, down the stairs, in case you miss them.
With some styles, you can even use your mobile device. to make it seem you are at home when you are not. This can work as a deterrent against burglaries, as most occur when properties are unoccupied. However, not all of them have this function. So make sure you check out which are the best doorbell security cameras before you make your purchase.
Smart Bed
A particularly new and innovate product on the high-tech home market are the innovative smart beds like this one. Yup, that’s right, even your bed can track and record data now! But why bother to do this?
Well, ‘knowledge is power,’ as they say. Having information about when and how you sleep the best, means you can replicate it. This is great for improving your chance of getting a great night’s rest on a regular basis.
Smart beds record things like your heart rate, breathing and how much you move. Which can then be used to help you customize the firmness of the mattress that you use. So you aren’t waking up as much in the night.
The beds also connect to apps which will allow you to see your sleep results. As well as make suggestions that can help you maximize your nighttime comfort and sleep schedule. We spend a third of our lives in bed. It may seem crazy but it actually seems like a much more sensible investment in our health.
Home Hub
So, as you can see from the info above, the future of home tech is most definitely ‘smart’. But how effective are these things if you haven’t got a device that can quickly and easily control them all? Not very!
Of course, for many people, this will be their smartphone. But what happens if you lose, or damage your phone? Or perhaps want a point of access in your home, as well as in your pocket? Well, then a smart home hub is the way to go.
A smart home hub is a digital access point. Allowing you to control many different items from the same place. The newer ones are voice activated. All you need to do is ask and you command is completed.
At the moment smart home hubs can be a little complicated such as using Amazon’s Alexa through the Echo. You have to set up each skill that you want it to perform then match it to the corresponding app. Technology and software will be fine tuned as time goes on. It is likely to become a lot easier to set up, for everyone, even technophobes!
This post is a collaborative effort and may contain relevant and relatable affiliate links. All opinions are our own and for informational purposes.