Build your smart home with this top tech
With everyone spending more time at home, there’s never been a better moment to make your living space work better for you.
From your security to your central heating, the right smart tech puts everything that makes your house your home in the palm of your hand. You can even get your smart tech to team up with ‘routines’. For example, if you’ve got a smart front door lock and smart lights, you can automatically lock the door and shut off the lights just by saying ‘goodnight’ to your smart speaker. Amazing.
Here’s some of the best tech you can add to make your home smarter:
1. Smart lights
Smart lights can be programmed to turn on to make your house seem occupied when you’re out or away on holiday. Some lights use your phone’s location to switch on lights to welcome you home. Look out for smart lights you can sync with movies and music from your smartphone and colour changing bulbs that can create different moods.
Philips Hue is one of the most popular ranges out there, with both dimmable white and colour bulbs to suit all kinds of light fixtures and fittings. It works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too, so it fits effortlessly into your smart home ecosystem.
2. Smart doorbell
Using Wi-Fi to notify you via your smartphone when there’s someone at your door, a smart doorbell allows you to see, hear and speak to callers even when you’re not at home. You can save and review front door footage to help keep your home secure when you’re away, and when you’re in, you can see who’s outside before you open your door.
The Ring Video Doorbell lets you see what’s going on on your doorstep in Full HD, and it’ll even let you set up motion zones so it’ll let you know when someone’s on your property. Of course, it’s also perfect for taking parcel deliveries when you’re not in (no more trips to the post office)!
3. Smart security system
Having a security system that stays connected to your Wi-Fi gives that reassuring peace of mind when you’re not home. Smart cameras give you a live camera feed of your home right there on your smartphone, and can send messages to you when you’re away to let you know if it’s picked up on motion or unusual sounds, like glass smashing. There’s also outdoor cameras that feature night vision and motion detection, so you can sleep soundly while your garden stays secure.
Then there’s full security systems like the Ring Alarm Security Kit. The keypad can be activated and disarmed with a security code, but you can do it from the Ring app on your smartphone too. There’s also a contact sensor that you can place on your window or door frame. If it detects the door or window has been breached, it’ll send you an alert to keep you one step ahead of intruders.
Of course, the Ring Doorbell fits perfectly into the Ring Alarm Security system, always letting you know when there’s somebody at the door. So, you can take deliveries when you’re out and keep your home safe, all from your phone.
4. Smart heating
Many people find their thermostats and central heating timers tricky to use, so they settle for a heating schedule they don’t need and pay whatever energy bill comes through the door. But that doesn’t need to be the case. With a smart thermostat, its easy-to-use controls mean you can program your heating to come on the moment you get home, and switch off the moment you leave.
Thermostats like the Google Nest learn your preferences and adjust the heating automatically after just a short time. Because they’re connected to the Wi-Fi, they are programmed to know what the weather’s like outside and use that data to figure out what temperature to go for indoors. The app shows you how much energy you’re using, and gives a detailed breakdown at the end of each month - so you always know what to expect when your energy bill arrives.
And don’t forget, with the Currys Point and Place app (free on iOS and Android) you can use your smartphone camera and clever AI to see how that new doorbell, thermostat, or lighting will look in your home. Get inspired!
That’s it, those are our top bits of tech to help get your smart home up and running. What smart tech do you use at home? Let us know below.