Review of the best gadgets for smart home 2015
The magazine Tom's Guide (formerly Gear Digest), which has been testing devices since 2007, including for smart homes, has compiled a rating of the best products for smart homes in their opinion in 2015.
Despite the fact that the smart home industry is still evolving, the number of smart home products - devices that allow you to control lighting, climate, everything, including a multicooker with a smartphone - is growing at a tremendous speed.
From GE to Belkin and Home Depot, many brands create not just gadgets, but entire ecosystems. And all of them can be controlled from a regular iOS or Android device. By and large, there are two options: choose your favorite low-cost gadgets and assemble them into the system at your discretion, or rely on a ready-made smart home automation system. In the latter case, the integrator does all the work for you. Therefore, we have chosen some of the best, in our opinion, representatives from both categories - both ready-made systems and individual gadgets.
Compatible with smartphones: iOS, Android
Covers many rooms: yes Do-it-yourself
installation: yes
Motion sensor: yes Ecobee
thermostat is a very futuristic gadget. He has an excellent design, control with a touchscreen. But its main feature is what thermostat manufacturers should have thought many years ago: how to create in each room of the house its own temperature suitable for it. In the case of Ecobee, a small wireless sensor is installed in the room and transmits to the thermostat the data necessary for making a decision to raise or lower the temperature. This is a smart decision!
Compared with similar products, Ecobee has the most complete set of necessary functions, which can be accessed without problems through its mobile application. Of course, I want it to be compatible with a large number of other devices, but so far it is fully compatible with Apple's HomeKit. And of course, the ability to set climatic parameters for each zone of the house separately allows this thermostat to lead by a significant margin from competitors.
The third generation of gorgeous Dropcam is represented by this two hundred dollar camera, which shoots video in 1080p (instead of the previous 720p). It is equipped with a magnetic base with a hinge, thanks to which it can be fixed almost anywhere. The camera supports two-way audio, clear night shooting and has a powerful zoom, and also easily integrates with various products for smart homes, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, for example. For an additional $ 10 per month, you can subscribe to the Nest Aware program, in which, along with other functions, you can store your videos in the cloud.
This is Amazon Echo : on the one hand, a simple $ 180 Bluetooth speaker, on the other hand, a device that, thanks to a set of voice functions, can be used to control other smart home gadgets. Also, the column can be connected to various hubs for smart homes, from Belkin to Samsung. She can also read aloud audio books, check the weather, and with her help you can even make purchases online (yes! Amazon!) Using voice control. And by the way, if you use this speaker for its intended purpose, then the sound from it in itself is not bad.
Despite the fact that the beautiful and elegant Nest Protect Smoke is still great for those who need a 2in1 device that would connect to several devices for a smart home, nevertheless, in our opinion, Roost Smart Battery is on the top . This sensor costs only $ 35 and its feature is that it is inserted into any ordinary smoke sensor, turning it into a smart device. Thanks to this usage model, in case your alarm works, Roost Smart Battery will send messages to the selected smartphones, after which you can either call the firefighters or turn off the alarm from the same smartphone.
A standard practice for controlling a garage door is to press a button on the remote control while driving to the garage, which may be unsafe in poor lighting conditions, having children running around the house, and other obstacles for the driver. But the device from Chamberlain allows you to open the door from any device, for this you do not even need to be in the coverage area of the remote control. In the near future, manufacturers want to add geofences, and then they won’t even have to press anything: the garage door will open itself at your approach, and after entering the car, it will close it. MyQ is part of the Depot / Wink ecosystem, and will soon be available with Apple's HomeKit. Suitable for almost all garage doors from all major manufacturers since 1993 release.
With conventional air conditioning, when we come home in the hot season, we come to the sauna. Then we turn it on at full power and wait. Perhaps this is the least efficient and most expensive way to use the air conditioning system. Instead, you can send a command to turn on the smart air conditioning from the Wink application through an iOS or Android smartphone and come to a house in which the temperature has already smoothly gone down (or rose) to the desired level. Although you can not even do this. Aros can also operate offline according to user preferences . Including, it can help to set energy saving patterns of use.
With a simple touch, you can close or open this unremarkable door lock. You can bind permanent or temporary virtual keys to it. It monitors entries and exits from the house, notifying the owner of the device connected to it, and also sends notifications through the Kevo application . The everyday appearance of the gadget is part of Kevo’s security strategy, which they implement in design. Thanks to her, this gadget outperforms other, perhaps, much smarter devices. You cannot tell from the view of the castle that it is something of itself, which means that it does not attract the attention of the uninitiated. Also, it can be opened using a regular reliable key. The castle is compatible with ecosystems Home Depot / Wink, as well as Staples Connect.
The Belkin crock-pot is part of the WeMo platform, which integrates the wireless devices of a smart home. The device was released in the spring of 2014 in collaboration with Jarden Consumer Solutions and represents the first slow-cooker controlled from a smartphone. Control is carried out through the WeMo application, which is available on iOS and Android. From a smartphone, you can change the cooking settings, receive notifications, check the cooking time, change the temperature, use the timer or check the status of the readiness of the dish. Everything should be ready by your arrival home.
Large or small, but left unnoticed, the leak results in a decent budget for damages. WallyHome allows you to detect leaks before they grow into something serious. The sensors of the system must be attached to washbasins, toilets and other plumbing installations in your home. If moisture gets on the device, information about this will go to the WallyHome hub and the application of the same name will notify you about it. The application also shows the locations of your sensors and incoming information about temperature and humidity in these parts of the house. The system costs $ 300 and this price, of course, can not be compared with the cost of restoring damage from flooding.
Due to the fact that in some rooms the humidity is higher than normal, unpleasant condensation and mold appear. This problem can be solved for only $ 34.50 with the almost imperceptible Leviton Humidity Sensor and Fan Control . The sensor detects excessive humidity and automatically activates the ventilation system to prevent consequences. The ventilation system is used by you, already installed. The sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted.
I would like to finish with a completely unusual device - a smart bed. Why buy a fitness tracker if it can become a whole bed? Sleep Number c2 with Sleep IQ system monitors your sleep by registering breathing, heart rate and movements. These data can be used to improve sleep quality. And the remote-controlled mattress allows you to customize each of your half of the bed as you like.
Despite the fact that the smart home industry is still evolving, the number of smart home products - devices that allow you to control lighting, climate, everything, including a multicooker with a smartphone - is growing at a tremendous speed.
From GE to Belkin and Home Depot, many brands create not just gadgets, but entire ecosystems. And all of them can be controlled from a regular iOS or Android device. By and large, there are two options: choose your favorite low-cost gadgets and assemble them into the system at your discretion, or rely on a ready-made smart home automation system. In the latter case, the integrator does all the work for you. Therefore, we have chosen some of the best, in our opinion, representatives from both categories - both ready-made systems and individual gadgets.
The best smart thermostat
Compatible with smartphones: iOS, Android
Covers many rooms: yes Do-it-yourself
installation: yes
Motion sensor: yes Ecobee
thermostat is a very futuristic gadget. He has an excellent design, control with a touchscreen. But its main feature is what thermostat manufacturers should have thought many years ago: how to create in each room of the house its own temperature suitable for it. In the case of Ecobee, a small wireless sensor is installed in the room and transmits to the thermostat the data necessary for making a decision to raise or lower the temperature. This is a smart decision!
Compared with similar products, Ecobee has the most complete set of necessary functions, which can be accessed without problems through its mobile application. Of course, I want it to be compatible with a large number of other devices, but so far it is fully compatible with Apple's HomeKit. And of course, the ability to set climatic parameters for each zone of the house separately allows this thermostat to lead by a significant margin from competitors.
Best cctv camera
The third generation of gorgeous Dropcam is represented by this two hundred dollar camera, which shoots video in 1080p (instead of the previous 720p). It is equipped with a magnetic base with a hinge, thanks to which it can be fixed almost anywhere. The camera supports two-way audio, clear night shooting and has a powerful zoom, and also easily integrates with various products for smart homes, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, for example. For an additional $ 10 per month, you can subscribe to the Nest Aware program, in which, along with other functions, you can store your videos in the cloud.
The best smart speaker
This is Amazon Echo : on the one hand, a simple $ 180 Bluetooth speaker, on the other hand, a device that, thanks to a set of voice functions, can be used to control other smart home gadgets. Also, the column can be connected to various hubs for smart homes, from Belkin to Samsung. She can also read aloud audio books, check the weather, and with her help you can even make purchases online (yes! Amazon!) Using voice control. And by the way, if you use this speaker for its intended purpose, then the sound from it in itself is not bad.
Best smoke detector
Despite the fact that the beautiful and elegant Nest Protect Smoke is still great for those who need a 2in1 device that would connect to several devices for a smart home, nevertheless, in our opinion, Roost Smart Battery is on the top . This sensor costs only $ 35 and its feature is that it is inserted into any ordinary smoke sensor, turning it into a smart device. Thanks to this usage model, in case your alarm works, Roost Smart Battery will send messages to the selected smartphones, after which you can either call the firefighters or turn off the alarm from the same smartphone.
The best opening sensor for garage doors
A standard practice for controlling a garage door is to press a button on the remote control while driving to the garage, which may be unsafe in poor lighting conditions, having children running around the house, and other obstacles for the driver. But the device from Chamberlain allows you to open the door from any device, for this you do not even need to be in the coverage area of the remote control. In the near future, manufacturers want to add geofences, and then they won’t even have to press anything: the garage door will open itself at your approach, and after entering the car, it will close it. MyQ is part of the Depot / Wink ecosystem, and will soon be available with Apple's HomeKit. Suitable for almost all garage doors from all major manufacturers since 1993 release.
The best smart air conditioning
With conventional air conditioning, when we come home in the hot season, we come to the sauna. Then we turn it on at full power and wait. Perhaps this is the least efficient and most expensive way to use the air conditioning system. Instead, you can send a command to turn on the smart air conditioning from the Wink application through an iOS or Android smartphone and come to a house in which the temperature has already smoothly gone down (or rose) to the desired level. Although you can not even do this. Aros can also operate offline according to user preferences . Including, it can help to set energy saving patterns of use.
The best smart lock
With a simple touch, you can close or open this unremarkable door lock. You can bind permanent or temporary virtual keys to it. It monitors entries and exits from the house, notifying the owner of the device connected to it, and also sends notifications through the Kevo application . The everyday appearance of the gadget is part of Kevo’s security strategy, which they implement in design. Thanks to her, this gadget outperforms other, perhaps, much smarter devices. You cannot tell from the view of the castle that it is something of itself, which means that it does not attract the attention of the uninitiated. Also, it can be opened using a regular reliable key. The castle is compatible with ecosystems Home Depot / Wink, as well as Staples Connect.
The best smart slow cooker
The Belkin crock-pot is part of the WeMo platform, which integrates the wireless devices of a smart home. The device was released in the spring of 2014 in collaboration with Jarden Consumer Solutions and represents the first slow-cooker controlled from a smartphone. Control is carried out through the WeMo application, which is available on iOS and Android. From a smartphone, you can change the cooking settings, receive notifications, check the cooking time, change the temperature, use the timer or check the status of the readiness of the dish. Everything should be ready by your arrival home.
Leakage sensor
Large or small, but left unnoticed, the leak results in a decent budget for damages. WallyHome allows you to detect leaks before they grow into something serious. The sensors of the system must be attached to washbasins, toilets and other plumbing installations in your home. If moisture gets on the device, information about this will go to the WallyHome hub and the application of the same name will notify you about it. The application also shows the locations of your sensors and incoming information about temperature and humidity in these parts of the house. The system costs $ 300 and this price, of course, can not be compared with the cost of restoring damage from flooding.
On our own, we add that our certified integrators, as a rule, combine such systems with smart taps that shut off water immediately after an alarm from leakage sensors, which is a step forward compared to regular notifications. In this case, even if you are in another part of the world, you know that not only did you burst the pipe, but also measures were immediately taken to block the water in your home or apartment.
- Comment by iRidium Mobile
Best humidity sensor
Due to the fact that in some rooms the humidity is higher than normal, unpleasant condensation and mold appear. This problem can be solved for only $ 34.50 with the almost imperceptible Leviton Humidity Sensor and Fan Control . The sensor detects excessive humidity and automatically activates the ventilation system to prevent consequences. The ventilation system is used by you, already installed. The sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted.
Best smart bed
I would like to finish with a completely unusual device - a smart bed. Why buy a fitness tracker if it can become a whole bed? Sleep Number c2 with Sleep IQ system monitors your sleep by registering breathing, heart rate and movements. These data can be used to improve sleep quality. And the remote-controlled mattress allows you to customize each of your half of the bed as you like.