Best Home Automation Ideas
With the latest additions to smart home technology, you have the power to control your home’s lighting, heating, and much more from your smartphone or your computer. It all starts with the smart plug, which can turn things on or off remotely. They work like regular plug sockets, but there are now special smart versions that can be controlled remotely, eliminating the need for a separate sensor.
Smart thermostats are another great way of controlling the temperature in your home. Again, they work much like a normal thermostat, but the difference is that these can be adjusted from your phone, and can then check the weather and automatically adjust the temperature accordingly. A good choice is the Ecobee4, which includes both a smart hub and remote sensor, and can also double up as a way to dim lights.
Should you have a garden, then it’s the smart sensor that you’ll want. These are usually installed in the garden itself and are designed to tell you when your garden is being invaded by spiders, ants, or any other unwelcome creatures. Some can even tell you how many, which is great if you’re concerned about how many rodents are in your attic.
If you’re getting tired of the same old light bulbs, then you might like the Philips Hue range of smart bulbs. The standard bulbs will work without any additional hardware, but the more sophisticated Hue white and color bulbs are controlled via an app on your smartphone or tablet. You can change the brightness and color of the bulbs, and even dim them if you prefer. They’re easy to install, and with no bulb replacement. Let’s discuss the best home automation ideas below:
Best Home Automation Ideas
Smart Locks
With most modern homes having video security systems, it’s surprising that so many people still leave the doors to their homes wide open. Whilst it’s fine if you’re only staying at home for the evening, it’s also a clear security risk, and you’re just inviting the outside world to walk into your house. This is where smart locks come in.
Having a smart lock will allow you to make your home even more secure. Not only will it automatically lock your door when you’re out, but you can choose a variety of different modes to control the locks.
If you’re concerned about your children’s safety, for example, you can set your smart lock to restrict their access to certain areas of your home. Set it to ‘automatic’ and every time they go near a particular area you can lock it behind them, and any children of age will be able to open it. To open it, they’ll simply need a simple one-time code.
For a more secure feel, you can also set it up so that the kids can’t open your smart lock. To do this, just set the lock to the mode ‘automatic’. This will stop them from entering your house without you knowing.
For extra security, smart locks come with additional features. For example, in some cases, they can send you an SMS alert if someone attempts to enter. There are many other features too, and most smart locks are Wi-Fi-connected and controlled via an app on your smartphone.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs can be an excellent way to control your home’s heating and lighting. By using your phone or computer, you can adjust the heating, and turn lights on or off.
You can easily use them in a series. If you need to turn the lights on as soon as you get home, simply plug them in when you get home, and they’ll automatically switch on as you enter the room. If you’re away, and just want to make the rooms you’re in cozier, you can plug them in every time you arrive home.
They can also be used to remotely control lights. For example, if you’re leaving the house to go to the office, and don’t want the house to get too bright when you’re away, you can plug your remote controller into a smart plug, and then allow the lighting to come on as soon as you get home.
Smart Thermostat
Speaking of lighting, if you have smart bulbs you can control the brightness of your lamps from the thermostat. By adjusting the temperature you can also set it to turn off the lights at certain times of the day and reduce the brightness when you’re at home.
Many smart thermostats can also be linked to your lights, meaning that when you go to work, your smart thermostat will set the temperature to ‘away’ and your lights will switch off, saving you money on your energy bill.
Smart Dishwasher
While the smart bulbs are probably the most obvious features of a smart home, the smart dishwasher may well be the most useful. It will automatically return to its cleaning cycle as soon as you switch off the tap.
Using an app on your smartphone, you can set the cycle you want it to run, and then it will turn on at the right time and run until you turn the tap back on again.
Smart Air Purifier
Much like the dishwasher, the air purifier is a simple, yet useful addition to your home. By using an app on your smartphone you can set it to run automatically once your house is filled with smoke, or when you’ve left the central heating on at full blast.
This is perfect for anyone who has allergies or just wants a tidy home. The air purifier will also go into sleep mode once the cleaning cycle is over, making sure you’re left with a more comfortable, de-stringified living space.
Smart Home Hub
One of the most useful features of a smart home is the ability to control it all from one app. Smart home hubs like the Honeywell Lyric Hub allow you to do just that.
By using the app on your phone, you can make sure your Philips Hue bulbs are turned on and off, set your thermostat to any mode you want, or even set up a schedule to have your lights switch on and off at set times of the day.
These are all tasks that you could do manually, but smart home hubs like the Honeywell Lyric Hub make everything easier.
Smart Window
Speaking of smart homes, let’s take a look at the windows. These can be connected to your thermostat, lighting system, and other smart home systems. By connecting them to your phone, you can control the temperature of the windows, turn your lights on and off, or simply make them lighter.
This is a handy feature for people who live in flats, or for people who like to have the window open, but still want to be able to sleep and breathe clean air.
Smart Power strip
An obvious one, but an important one. Smart power strips let you control multiple devices from a single unit. All you need to do is plug something in, and from your phone, you can choose to turn it on, switch it off, or even adjust its brightness. It’s a really convenient feature, and one that you can get free with an Amazon Echo Dot if you buy it using this link.
Smart Speakers
This is the one everyone’s talking about, and it’s certainly the most interesting. Smart speakers allow you to control smart devices from the comfort of your sofa and play music from your phone through a speaker that’s powerful enough to fill a room with sound.
Amazon’s Echo is still the most well-known, but Google’s Home is starting to catch up, and Apple’s HomePod isn’t far behind. One of the best features is the ability to link up smart devices to one another, so you can turn the lights on in your home, lock your front door and silence your alarm all with one command.
Smart Security Cameras
If you haven’t been tempted to buy one of these yet, you really should. Smart security cameras are a great way of seeing what’s going on in your home, and they’re easy to install. They also allow you to access the footage from your camera on your phone, allowing you to see exactly what’s going on in your home even when you’re not there. You can watch videos when you’re out and about, and also download clips so you can watch them whenever you want. As you’d expect, they can also be used for security purposes, meaning you’re able to watch who comes and goes.
Smart Wallpaper
Smart wallpaper isn’t just for smartphones, it’s also for computers and televisions. Thanks to the Magic Leap, you can now print your photos onto wallpapers on a computer, and then place them wherever you like. It’s a neat idea and one that’s certainly becoming popular.
Smart Hobs and Thermostats
You can control your thermostat, for example, using your phone, and you can turn on your heating, heating up the whole house, from wherever you are.
Your wireless thermostat doesn’t need a direct line of sight to work, either. It uses infrared sensors to work, so you don’t need to worry about leaving your heating on when you leave the house.
You can even use your mobile app to change the temperature while you’re out, so you don’t accidentally end up heating the whole house up in the morning.
These systems work alongside smart light bulbs that allow you to turn your lights on and off from your phone, and of course, voice control is possible too.
Smart Washing Machines
Another one that’s been around for a while, but is becoming increasingly popular. Smart washing machines offer a set of features that make them far more useful than traditional models. They come with ‘smart modes’ that make the washing process quicker, for example, and they can communicate with your phone.
You can control the settings from your phone using an app, and also check the status of your washing machine on your phone using an integrated web browser. It’s a brilliant idea, But some models have been criticized for the price, and for using separate washing machines for different garments.
Smart Bulbs
If you’ve got a Philips Hue lamp in your home, you’re probably aware of the fact that it can turn itself on and off using your phone. It might sound complex, but it’s actually fairly simple, and Philips even offers an app that lets you set timers for your light.
It’s easy to use, but as well as using Hue lights, you can also use connected bulbs from other brands. You’re able to set it up so that your lights come on at certain times of the day, for example, and you can even set a schedule for when you switch off your light bulbs.
Smart Toasters
If you’re having toast for breakfast in the morning, you’ll have noticed that one of the most important things is keeping the toaster from getting too hot. Toasters can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, and they can burn your fingers.
The Tovala smart toaster solves this problem, and you can easily check if the toast is cooked by simply pressing a button. It also recognizes your favorite bread and sends you a text message to let you know. It’s very clever.
Conclusion
It might seem a little early to be talking about the ‘Internet of Things, but as this article has shown, it’s already here. Not only are there plenty of exciting new innovations, but many of the devices being marketed are already available. The obvious question to ask is whether the ‘internet of things is actually helpful? What are the benefits, and are they worth the trouble? We’re not going to answer that here, but you can read our piece on the pros and cons of the ‘internet of things, to find out more.