Smart home ideas Posted On 14 June 2019
Ten years ago, controlling your home appliances with a smartphone was science fiction, but today it is a reality
New technology for the home is coming out every week. You can control your lighting, heating and appliances all with an app on your smartphone or your voice assistant. Keep ahead of the curve and up to date with the latest gadgets available for your home with our handy guide.
Smart lighting
Smart lighting isn’t the newest gadget in your home; however, it is the most popular.
Smart lighting are bulbs which can be controlled from your smartphone, tablet or your voice assistant via a home hub or an app. These bulbs are longer lasting than standard bulbs and can shine in 16 million different colours. They can be dimmed through an app or via voice-control and can even be scheduled to turn on from the other side of the world.
Our favourite is the Philips Hue range and the white and colour starter kit is available on Amazon. This starter kit includes 3 bayonet cap smart bulbs and 1 hue bridge.
Philips Hue bulbs are the top seller on the market and are constantly being improved. You can sync your Philips Hue lights with music and movies through your devices and they have pre-set light settings on the Hue app to help your children to concentrate, for you to re-energize and for your family to read and relax.
They have also introduced a new formula to help with sleep. The lights will go to your chosen scene and gently fade out, and you can let them go off or stay on as a nightlight.
Smart heating
Smart thermostats have never been more affordable. One of the original smart home gadgets, they have come a long way since the original product.
Smart thermostats can be operated from your phone or computer and will learn temperature settings you enjoy applying and when. Some can even work out who is at home and how that individual prefers their heating settings!
One of the most popular smart thermostats on the market is the third generation Nest Learning Thermostat. Nest were one of the first companies to release smart heating and they have been leading the way ever since with their sleek and stylish design and ease of use.
The 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat will monitor your habits and learn from them to control the heating. It will learn what time you go to bed when you wake up and adjust the heating, saving you money.
Smart voice control assistants
Smart voice control assistants have never been more popular. The Amazon Echo kicked it all off a few years ago however, there are now four top voice assistants – Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google’s Google Assistant and Microsoft’s Cortana.
These voice assistants appear in a range of smart speakers, ranging from entry level speakers available for under £30 to top of the range speakers costing over £300.
All smart speakers do the basics; you can link up your music streaming to play at your voice command, you can check the weather, you can get recipes and you can control other gadgets around your home such as smart heating and smart lighting.
Smart speakers are getting cleverer and have now incorporated video screens such as the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Home Hub. You can use the screen for video calling, checking who’s at your door (with a linked up smart doorbell) and for watching your favourite shows and YouTube.
Competition is fierce and each smart speaker has its own positives and negatives. Ultimately, it is a personal choice so before you buy, we would recommend trialling each in a store.
Smart appliances
Have you ever wanted to listen to Ice Ice Baby coming from your fridge, well now you can!
Smart fridges are on the rise, and one of the most popular is the Samsung Family Hub, which can hold an incredible 32 bags of shopping! It has a huge touch screen built into the door and lets you and your family communicate through hand-written notes, calendars and the ability to post photos. You can also stream music and TV while you cook.
Smart washing machines are also proving to be more than just a smart fad. Once connected to your WiFi the smart washing machine can be controlled from an app and lets you turn the machine on or off, receive notifications when a load has finished and be notified about any internal issues with the machine itself.
Smart lawn mowers take away one of the most arduous tasks at home. Robotic lawnmowers move around your garden cutting your grass to an even length. Smart lawn mowers, like clever robots, know when they have reached their battery limit and will take themselves back to recharge before carrying on. All while you relax and sit back in the sun.
With technology always moving forward, who knows what smart appliances will be the norm in 2025.
Connect with us
View by date
Recent Posts
Adding value to your home with walk-in wardrobes
In addition to serving as useful places to store clothing and accessories, walk-in wardrobes significantly increase the value of a house in a number of ways Firstly, walk-in wardrobes provide organization and convenience. Because they have a l...
Read more...
Rental market improves as first-time buyers delay plans
Because of the continuous cost-of-living issue, around half of first-time buyers believe their chances of purchasing a home are worse than they have ever been 20% of renters believe they won't be able to purchase until at least their forties, ...
Read more...
Sellers standing firm on asking prices
Many sellers are holding off on lowering their asking prices until the warmer weeks Despite a somewhat slow start to the spring market compared to previous years, which has taken a little more time to kick in than usual, it has been reported t...
Read more...