Are you looking for a way to upgrade your home? Has your new home and garden magazine gotten you ready to dive into the modern era and all the technology that comes with it? Are you sick of appliances that don’t respond to you when you talk to them? Here are three smart appliances you MUST have.
1. Smart Plugs
You might be asking, “What is a smart plug? What do I use it for, and why would I want one?” In fact, smart plugs are very cool, very versatile, and very useful to have in your house. A smart plug allows you to control electronics (basically anything that plugs into an outlet), both indoors and outdoors, with your smartphone.
For example, if you’ve forgotten to get up and manually turn your holiday decorations off one night, all you need is a smart plug, a smartphone, and working Wi-Fi, and you can turn them off without ever leaving your bed. The same can be said of other electronics you might accidentally leave on, like fans, pool pumps, and any-and-all lights that plug into the wall. These plugs are simple to set up and often come with step-by-step instructions, so you don’t need to worry about anything. Many smart plugs can automate the outlet to power on via a set schedule or when certain predetermined conditions are met, such as turning on the outlet that controls a lamp when you arrive home.
Of course, if it’s light you want to control, there’s another product you should check out.
2. Smart Blinds
A smart blind lets you control how much light you let into each room of your home with only your voice or a smart blind app. With everything from blackout blinds and roller shades to smart curtains, you can install them all over the house in whatever style you prefer. You can even use your phone to connect your blinds to a specific schedule and watch them close and open without needing to do a thing.
The best part? Installing them is like installing any other blind or curtain, with the simple addition of plugging them into a wall outlet. Then, just connect your blinds with your smart device, such as Alexa, and you’re good to go with no extra hassle or prior tech knowledge necessary. You’ll never have to worry about getting up early in the morning to close the blinds again.
3. Alexa Products
This one might seem like an easy addition. Alexa is such a common household name that many people hear “smart assistant” and immediately think of Amazon’s addition to the market. While the Alexa began as a smart speaker — and a way to access Amazon’s music and product catalog by voice — there’s much more to Alexa than its connection to the world’s largest online marketplace.
If you want a smart house, you can’t go wrong with getting yourself an Alexa and some compatible Alexa products for the home to go with it. Nowadays, Alexa has a wide variety of capabilities that go far beyond the smart speaker. You can add smart TVs, doorbells, firesticks, smart plugs, smart blinds, and even smart glasses, all of which either come pre-packaged with or are compatible with Alexa. When you have smart, Alexa-compatible electronics, your Alexa is capable of just about anything. You can control your house with just your voice, speak to the AI directly, or set up automation, so device actions happen on your preferred schedule, along with several other potential applications. Adding an Alexa to your home means you can choose your own selection of smart products, giving you a variety of possibilities and making your life just that much more convenient.
Looking for More?
There are always ways to make your home look and function better, so why just stop at three new upgrades? If you’re on the hunt for even more cool and helpful smart products to upgrade your home or just want to know more about housekeeping, landscaping, and interior designing in general, there’s much more you can look at. Check out your favorite home and garden magazine for more ideas, or use our suggestions to find compatible devices and decorations to make your home a truly modern marvel.
