What Are The Most Popular Smart Home Gadgets?

Golden-era cartoon The Jetsons predicted a future rich in AI-controlled appliances, robots, and flying cars. As it turns out, they weren’t far off. America may be a few years away from flying cars, but most of us have already reaped the time-saving rewards of a smart device or two.

Upgrading your daily routine with smart gadgets has never been easier or more affordable. Automate your chores, save on your electrical bill, and never miss another delivery with the following list of the most helpful smart gadgets.

Smart Speaker

The smart speaker was one of the first smart home devices to hit the market. It’s one of the most popular today too. You can set a timer, stream music, get answers to questions, and more using simplistic voice commands. They’re small, unassuming, and incredibly affordable.

The Amazon Echo and the Google Nest are the primary go-tos. Both offer a similar slate of smart features and can be yours for as little as $50. Both companies easily connect to your home’s wifi network and can sync and control other devices in your home.

Smart Plugs

Adding smart plugs and smart power strips to your home can add a whole lot of functionality. These unassuming little devices bridge the gap between your electrical outlets and your wifi network, granting homeowners the ability to control their devices from anywhere. Plus, automating the on and off times of your various devices saves energy.

Popular tech reviewers recommend the TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Plug Slim, which works with voice commands and lots of third-party platforms for only $50. Google, D-Link, Wyze, Amazon, and other companies offer reliable options for those looking to compare prices and features.

Smart Thermostats

Speaking of saving money, smart thermostats have been helping homeowners shave thousands off their energy bills for some time now. These irreplaceable devices let you program the heating and cooling of your home, and can be set to automatically reduce energy usage while you sleep or while you’re at work.

You can add the best one on the market to your home for just $250. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat intelligently optimizes your heating and cooling schedule to save you money and time. Use it in combination with Nest Temperature Sensors to get the most out of your energy consumption and maximize comfort.

Smart Vacuums

Get your chores done while you’re at work with a wi-fi powered, fully automated smart vacuum. Robot vacuums are incredibly quiet, low profile, and some can even empty themselves. Using the vacuum’s companion app, you can assign no-go zones, spot cleaning, and set manual barriers.

Roomba, Shark, iRobot, and Ecovacs are among the industry leaders. Though they aren’t cheap, robot vacuums are built to last. They save you time, and keep your home cleaner too. Smart vacuums and smart mops regularly go on sale, so be sure to keep an eye out and be ready to capitalize on deep discounts.

Smart Doorbells

Smart doorbells are all the rage right now. They’re affordable, convenient, and make people feel safer. Most of them come with companion mobile apps that let you live stream the doorbell’s camera, see and talk to whoever’s at your door from wherever you happen to be, and receive customizable alerts.

Arlo, Eufy, Google, and Ring all make high quality smart doorbells starting at $65. The more you invest, the more features you get. Even the most basic smart doorbells are capable of capturing images and sending alerts, though investing in a higher-priced smart doorbell adds HD video and limits false alerts.

Smart Locks

Stop worrying about leaving the front door unlocked and fix the problem for good. Smart locks eliminate keys altogether by opting for a key pad or a companion app instead. Not only do they boost the security of your home, but they allow homeowners to monitor their front door lock from anywhere in the world. You can lock and unlock the front door from anywhere too.

August Wi-Fi smart locks have been the industry leaders for a few years now. They’re easy to use, secure, and start at $269.99 though they regularly go on sale. Google, eUfy, Yale, and Wyze Lock also make reliable, sleek, and secure at-home smart locks.

Say Hello to Your Future

There’s no telling what the future might look like. It’s safe to assume that new and intuitive tech will continue to revolutionize our lives at work and at home. You’re only a few clicks away from automating your lights, your vacuum, and your dinner. Talk about innovation!

The smart-home party doesn’t end here. Today’s helpful list is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s safe to say if there’s a task that needs to be done, there’s a smart device designed to tackle it. So if none of the items featured here solve your specific problem, keep searching until you find one that does.