If you want to make your home more organised, more eco-friendly or just a little lower maintenance, check out these incredible smart home gadgets.
Nest Learning Thermostat
The Nest Learning Thermostat is widely regarded as the very best smart thermostat money can buy. It self-controls hot water and heating based on your usage, automatically adapting to your schedule after just one week of use. That means if you usually turn the heating on as soon as you get in from work, Nest will do that for you. You can also control it from afar with an app. In addition, the app shows you exactly how much energy you use every day and provides a detailed monthly report. This allows you greater control over your energy spend.
It comes in four stylish designs, so it looks pretty good too.
£279 (with professional installation)
Google Home
A personal assistant for the digital age; Google Home is similar to Amazon’s Echo, just a little more stylish. It uses voice recognition to set alarms, add items to a shopping list, create appointments, play music, read out your daily schedule and set the temperature on your Nest thermostat. And if you need to settle a friendly debate about which Beatles album sold the most copies, Google Home can help.
It works with your smartphone (Apple and Android) and other smart home gadgets.
£129
Furbo
Furbo is a smart camera that allows you to see what your furry friends are up to while you’re out. A built-in microphone and speaker lets you to talk to your dog or receive an alert when they’re barking. You can even fill the device with food, and with a press of the button on the app, release a treat for your dog. It’s been designed with input from professional trainers and vets and is a great way to keep an eye on your beloved pet while you’re at work.
£249
Philips Hue Bulb Starter Kit
A light bulb seems like an unlikely smart gadget but this is no ordinary light bulb. The Philips Hue bulb can be controlled remotely from wherever you are. You can set timers and light schedules, turn off all the lights at once, or set Hue to wake you up gently in the morning. There’s a lot more Hue can do and it works with a number of voice control platforms.
£49.99 (for the starter kit which includes two bulbs)
Dyson 360 Eye
The most expensive of all the smart home gadgets listed so far but probably worth it if you really hate vacuuming. The Dyson 360 Eye is a robot vacuum cleaner with twice the suction of any of its counterparts (according to Dyson). It’s small and compact but it packs a punch. All you have to do is turn it on and sit back and watch as it works its way around your home. And if it does get stuck on anything you don’t have to rescue it, it will navigate back to safety and then start again.
A robot vacuum is never going to be as powerful as a standard vacuum but this is a very good option for in-between cleans.
£799.99
