Best Smart Home Devices of 2021: Everything you need to know about them
It is an indisputable fact that technological advancements and breakthroughs continue to make our day-to-day life activities better and easier. Smartphones and computers aside, there are several gadgets and devices available to take commands from you so you don’t have to do them yourself. This is why we wanted to provide insight on the best smart home devices of 2021.
What are Smart Devices?
Smart Devices are electronic devices that receive commands, voiced or otherwise, from you and can interact and send information back to you on completing the tasks you set them. There are lots of smart devices from Smart wristwatches to Smart cars even Smart cooking utensils. These wide categories of smart devices are gradually becoming an integral component of a modern home.
Smart Home Technology
As earlier stated, smart devices are very useful in houses, and for good reason. Home automation ensures you do not have to perform certain activities or tasks that you would normally have to do yourself. Instead, you can simply control devices in your house to do them on their own.
The most exciting thing about Home automation is that many of these smart home devices are relatively inexpensive to set up. In other words, unless you are trying to own an advanced smart device such as a Smart Car or a smart surveillance system, you do not have to spend a whole lot of money to enjoy the benefits of Home Automation.
That said, we are going to discuss some of the most helpful smart devices you should look to acquire.
Why Use Smart Devices?
There is not much explanation about the importance and usefulness of Smart Devices. Simply put, these devices ensure you can live comfortably without worry. For instance, with Smart Speakers, you can access the internet from anywhere in your house without even unlocking your smartphone or computer. With Smart home devices, you can easily adjust your room’s temperature, lock your home doors, among other things, without even leaving the comfort of your bed.
Best Smart Devices 2021
NOTE: The devices on this list are not arranged using any ranking system. Any of the devices listed below could easily switch positions with the next device.
1. Smart Speakers
Here are our top picks in this category of Smart Devices.
- Amazon Echo (4th Generation) – Recommended
- Google Home Max – Recommended
- Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation)
- Google Nest Hub
- Sonos One (Gen 2)
- Sonos Beam
2. Smart Lighting
- Wyze Bulbs – Top Choice
- Philips Hue White Starter Kit
- Lifx Mini LED
- Yeelight Smart LED bulb
3. Smart Plugs
- ConnectSense Smart Outlet 2 – Recommended
- D-Link Outdoor Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W320)
- Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug KP400
- Amazon Smart Plug
4. Smart Cameras for Surveillance
- Arlo Ultra – Top Choice
- Wyze Cam Outdoor – Recommended
- SimCam 1S
- Nanit Plus sleep monitor
- Furbo Dog Camera
5. Smart Locks for Home Security
- August Wi-Fi Smart lock – Recommended
- SimpliSafe Home Security System
- Wyze Lock
- Schlage Encode Smart Wi-FI Deadbolt
- Nest X Yale Lock
6. Smart Home Heating and Cooling System
- Nest Thermostat – Top Choice
- Ecobee Smart Thermostat – Recommended
- GE Energy Star Electronic Room Air Conditioner
7. Smart Kitchen Appliances
- Brava Oven – Top Choice
- Traeger Ironwood 650 Barbecue grill – Recommended
- Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Vacuum – Recommended
Pros and Cons of using smart Devices
Of course, nothing is truly perfect. There are benefits as well as disadvantages of using Smart Devices. However, the advantages of using Smart home devices, and smart devices as a whole, far outweigh the disadvantages.
Benefits of Using Smart Devices
- Improved Convenience: The biggest advantage of using a smart device is the improved convenience it brings to the table. I mean, that is the only reason they were invented in the first place.
By using Smart devices, you can schedule tasks on your smart devices that would be automatically performed without you involving yourself in any unnecessary hassle.
- Home Security and safety: This is another important benefit of using Smart Home technology. With smart home cameras, you can easily monitor the safety of your kids, aging parents, and pets from anywhere using only your smartphone or computer.
Smart Devices also mitigate against the risk of fire or burglars as it lets you monitor everything going on in your home even during your absence.
- Energy Efficiency:
Smart Devices are very energy efficient compared to normal home appliances. For example, Smart thermostats and bulbs use far less energy when compared to normal electrical bulbs or thermostats.
Also, all smart home devices can be remotely controlled using voice commands or simply from your smartphone. The benefit of this is that you do not unnecessarily leave lights or any other power-consuming device on around your home.
Cons of Using Smart Devices
- Installation cost: This is not so much of a problem if you are only getting regular smart devices. It only becomes noticeable when you plan on acquiring advanced Smart home technology.
Considering you only incur this cost upon installation, it is not so much of a disadvantage after all.
- Power and internet outage vulnerability: Smart Devices depend only on two necessities to function properly – Internet connection and Power access. Without these two, they are pretty much useless although some smart devices can still function without an internet connection.
- Compatibility: This is probably the biggest issue with buying Smart Devices. This is because many smart device manufacturers intentionally limit the compatibility of their devices with other brands. As a result of this, it is best to get professional advice when acquiring Smart Devices. That way, you can be sure the devices you buy would be compatible with each other.
Conclusion
There you have it! Smart Devices bring so much versatility and convenience to your home. And whether or not you decide to make your home fully automated or to simply own basic Smart home devices, there is
