Setting up your home is always something that’s exciting, but expensive too let’s be honest. Getting the bare essentials is a top priority – that means furniture, kitchen utensils, and hardware. Then comes the finer details like which plant to place by the patio door, or which painting to put up in the dining area.
Likewise, we tend to gradually add electronics and appliances as we settle into our homes. Getting a new juicer, a coffee machine, a desk lamp for the office. But some devices can be quite useful for any household, and that are quite underrated.
Here are a few devices that are pretty much underrated but would be great for your home.
1. Smart Plugs
Smart plugs may seem like an unnecessary device with an unnecessary expense considering they retail for around $20 to $40 each. How many should you even get if they are priced that high for a simple plug?
Here’s the thing, smart plugs are an external plug that is inserted into power outlets, and then you plug your devices into it. The main purpose is to have remote control access to your power outlet via the smart plug. Call it the perfect device for the ones who occasionally forget to turn off the curling iron in a rush to get to work in the mornings. With a smart plug you can switch the plug on or off from your mobile phone, from wherever you are. You can even set schedules for the plug to follow throughout the day. Like the living room lamp that’s plugged in to switch on at exactly 6 p.m. daily.
2. Smart Smoke Detectors
What’s better than a standard smoke detector is a smart smoke detector. Smart smoke detectors are available in wired and battery-operated models, for you to choose which one is more suited to your home. But regardless of whether they are wired or not smart smoke detectors are accessible through your smartphones. That means any time your smoke detector alarm goes off, you get alerts straight to your phone, along with the exact location of where within the household has a threat been detected.
Smart smoke detectors can catch small fires, smoke, fast-burning fires and even poisonous gases like carbon monoxide. It’s easier to hush a false alarm using your phone, and even easier to install these devices by yourself. However when installing wired smoke detectors it’s best to call in a professional if you can’t figure out how to by yourself.
3. Smart Thermostat
Though there is nothing going wrong with your standard thermostat, you’d want to switch to a smart thermostat after you read this. Unlike standard thermostats, smart thermostats are energy efficient, meaning they work to save energy consumption with their automation and remote control feature.
Like all smart devices, smart thermostats have their own mobile apps via which you can change temperatures, switch them on or off, and even schedule timings for the device to function on its own while you’re busy with your daily routine. Smart thermostats also turn themselves down when they notice you are away – and that is through your phone location tracking as well as motion sensors built into the device. Most of them also feature Eco-Friendly modes to automatically adjust themselves throughout the day to save energy.
It is argued that smart devices are expensive and while we can’t deny that, smart thermostats live up to their price point with the technology and energy savings they bring to your home. Consider a smart thermostat installation, which may seem like an upfront investment, but it quickly pays off with the technology and energy savings they bring to your home.
4. Video Doorbell
Having a video doorbell is one of the top safety measures you can take to protect your home. Smart video doorbells give you a head-to-toe, wide-angle view of the outside. See who’s at the door, check whether the kids are playing out in the front yard, or if the mailman placed the delivery package by the door like you told him to.
Get access to the video feed and answer the door with your smartphone, tablet and even a compatible voice assistant if you have one. There is no need for an external device to be installed within the household, when you can just open the mobile app for your smart video doorbell and see who’s there, from wherever you are. You don’t even have to be home to answer the door!
Smart devices are expensive, let’s not deny that. But they are the most underrated devices that can work wonders for your home. Not only do these devices bring with them the technology to somehow automate your home, but several devices offer convenience, security and energy-saving.
