Smart homes are becoming the rage these days. If you’re planning on outfitting your house with the latest tech upgrades, we’ve got a couple of recommendations that will make living in your home absolutely convenient.
- Amazon Echo 2017
Price: $99.95In need of a stylish personal assistant in your home? Amazon Echo can fit the bill. Considerably inexpensive than its predecessor, this version of the Amazon Echo is available in different styles and is great for casual listening. The new Amazon Echo is now also outfitted with an aux-out jack, just in case you want to connect it to your home’s sound system.
Highly recommended for: Homeowners who want a cheaper (but just as smart) alternative to Amazon Alexa.
- Amazon Cloud Cam
Price: $119.99Keep a watchful eye on your home with the Amazon Cloud Cam, an inexpensive but quality indoor home security camera. Features include motion notifications, night vision, and free 24-hour clip storage. And with the 1080p resolution it offers, you get clear and crisp videos.
Highly recommended for: Homeowners who want an indoor security camera that’s easy to use, affordable, reliable, and with free cloud storage. The uncomplicated app doesn’t hurt either. As per CNET’s review, “it’s DIY home security at its best.”
- BeOn Starter Pack
Price: $129.00Speaking of your home’s security, why not add some smart security lighting to your property? The BeOn Starter Pack, which contains three bulbs, is what you’re looking for. These bulbs’ most prominent features include the ability to replay the typical lighting patterns in your home while you’re away. That’s pretty handy, especially if you’re the type who travels often for long periods, since smart lighting can deter potential intruders from entering your home.
Highly recommended for: Homeowners who are frequently out of the house but want to make it seem like it’s occupied.
- Ecobee4
Price: $249.00Looking for a smart and voice-enabled thermostat? Check out Ecobee4. Completely compatible with Google Alexa, Ecobee4 will manage the cold and hot spots of your area without you even noticing. Aside from managing room temperatures in your home, you can ask it to do additional errands like read the news or order groceries for you. Talk about convenient!
Highly recommended for: Homeowners who want multi-purpose smart gadget that is also eco-friendly (Ecobee4 is ENERGY STAR-certified, which is a bonus!)
- Neato Botvac Connected Robot Vacuum
Price: $699.00Botvac is pricey– it retails for almost 700 bucks– but it will do your cleaning for you efficiently, eliminating a chore from your to-do list. And with its long list of features (including an intuitive app, remote control, combo brush, smart navigation, SpinFlow power cleaning sytstem, and up to 5,000 square feet of area coverage), the price is justified. It’s worth every penny. Now you’ll have more time to do more important things.
Highly recommended for: Homeowners who want an efficient way of cleaning the home without getting out of bed.
Check out this CNET article for more smart gadgets you can add to your home.