The best products for a smart home
Remember the initial novelty of speaking to your phone and hearing it answer back in that gentle, unearthly female voice? It was absolutely groundbreaking, but also limited to asking Google for directions or Alexa to play a certain song.
In 2019 with universal design at the forefront of our minds, it’s not only those tiny computers in your pocket that can connect to the Internet. The smart consumer can have the house vacuumed while they’re out or turn off all the lights downstairs from the comfort of their bed. They can adjust a thermostat with voice control or have their mixing bowl measure out ingredients.
These are not products from the Starship Enterprise—they are the main components of smart homes; the Internet of Things. Here’s a list of some of our favourites…
Smart Speakers
To truly have a smart home, you’ll need to invest in a smart speaker, with Google Home and Amazon Echo being the biggest names in the game. These voice assistants offer hands-free help around the house, with just an “OK Google, can you turn off the lights” or an “Alexa—please play my motivation playlist.
Amazon Echo | £69.99
amazon.com
Google Home | £129
store.google.com
Google Chromecast
The Chromecast is a device that allows you to sync between your phone, tablet or laptop and your TV—streaming has never been simpler.
From £30
google.com
Philips Hue
This product offers you control of switching the lights in your house on or off—plus dimming, brightening and changing their colour.
From £59
meethue.com
Nest
Adjust your thermostat and hot water needs with Nest. It can also serve as a smoke detector and alarm system. Most importantly, it learns your habits after only one week of training.
From £199
nest.com
Perfect Bake Pro
This smart device not only offers a bowl to measure your ingredients as you pour them in, but also generates recipes based on what ingredients you currently have—or will generate a shopping list from recipes you want to make.
From £40
makeitperfectly.com/bake
iRobot Roomba robot vacuums
The original hands-free vacuum has only recently has been made compatible with the likes of Google Assistant and Alexa. You can now tell your robot vacuum to start, stop, resume or return to its home base to recharge.
£499.99
irobot.co.uk