I am sure you have seen some of the new gadgets out there that are designed to make our lives easier and more efficient. With the proliferation of smartphones, we are living in a more connected world and our homes should be no different. Check out some devices that can do just that!
Nest
We see these everywhere! As the desire to have a more energy efficient home becomes more prevalent, Nest was at the forefront. Heating and cooling a home is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive energy cost in our homes. Do you leave your A/C on when you leave the house for an hour? What about 2 hours? What about for the weekend? Nest aims to solve this by “learning” your schedule and your habits so you use energy more efficiently. It also lets you control your thermostat via a wifi connect so you can have your home nice a toasty when you arrive home on a cold day.
Nest has also introduced a camera and smoke detector to keep you connected to your home at all times.
Nest Thermostats start $249, $199 for the camera, and $99 for the smoke detector.
Find out more information at nest.com
Sengled
A smart home does not stop at a remote control thermostat or camera. Sengled takes a connected home one step further with LED light bulbs with built in features like a camera, bluetooh speaker, or boost your wifi signal. I mean let’s face it, we all need our wifi.
Technology does not come cheap. Sengled LED bulbs start around $50 on Amazon.com.
Check out their products at http://www.sengled.com/
Kiwiset Kevo
What’s worse than fumbling for your keys with your hands full of grocery bags? Cars already allow you to unlock the doors without taking out your keys, why should your home be any different. Kevo does just that. By connecting the lock with your phone via bluetooth, it senses you as you approach the door. You can unlock the door by simply touching the lock. No more fumbling for keys in the dark of night!
Locksets start at $199 on Amazon.com
Learn more at: http://www.kwikset.com/kevo/
Iris by Lowe’s
Now you have all these high tech devices and each has their own app, how confusing right? Iris is the solution to this. Iris is designed to be the “hub” of your home and connects all your wireless home devices. From their app you can connect and control things like your alarm, light switches, camera, door locks, and even your sprinklers.
The hub starts at $49 and additional connectable devices are extra. They also have a subscription plan that allows you access to extra features.
Learn more about Iris at www.irisbylowes.com