Smart home gadgets you didn’t know you needed
Make home life easier with these smart gadgets
Homes are getting smarter every year, so don’t let yours fall behind. Complete your home and make your life easier with some of these smart home gadgets that you didn’t know you needed until now.
Smart lamp speaker
Image: IKEA, Sonos
IKEA and Sonos have come together to create a genius piece of tech that combines light and sound – the ultimate mood booster. The SYMFONISK table lamp with WiFi speaker, £150, blends seamlessly into any home and the two functions in one means less cords and less clutter.
You can also link it up with other Sonos speakers, making it great for house parties and even as a surround sound system for your movie nights.
Smart pillow speaker
Image: soundasleep
Another innovative gadget that merges an everyday household object with the power of sound is this Bluetooth speaker pillow from soundasleep, £50. Link up your phone via Bluetooth and listen to music or a podcast before bed.
The best part about this pillow is it connects to the soundasleep app which allows you to set alarms and monitor your sleep patterns. It also gives you the option to turn on a snore sensor which gives you a little nudge to stop you snoring – a real marriage saver.
Smart smoke and CO2 alarm
Image: Nest
There’s nothing more annoying than burning toast and having to stand under your smoke alarm for five minutes waving a towel above your head. With Nest Protect, £109, you can turn the alarm off from your phone, as well as receive alerts about what the problem is and where – very handy if something happens while you’re out of the house.
Nest Protect also automatically runs checks on itself every day and will alert you in plenty of time if it needs more batteries. Another popular feature is its bright light which activates when you walk under it, so you’ll have no problem getting yourself a glass of water in the middle of the night.
Smart light bulbs
Image: Philips
The Philips Hue range, from £14.99, boasts the ability to change the look and feel of a room at the touch of a button, by allowing people to select from 16 million colours to light up their home with.
These smart bulbs can be controlled from your smart phone using the Philips Hue app or even your voice as it connects to all the major voice assistants. It can be used to transform your living room into a home cinema, or if colour isn’t your thing, opt for the Hue White Ambience bulbs which offer a range of warm and cool white shades for any mood. You can also automate lights to make it seem like you’re at home when you’re away.
Smart plug
Image: Amazon
If it’s just the ability to turn lights and other appliances on and off with your voice that you desire, then a smart plug like this one from Amazon, £24.99, might be more your thing.
You can create routines with these smart plugs, for example having it turn your bedroom fan on and off during the night, or ensuring your coffee is ready every morning. With multiple smart plugs you can control all of your appliances at once!