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Smart home buying guide
Work smarter, not harder by getting the right kit. Whether you’re making the most of your energy with a smart heating schedule or controlling your lights with a smart speaker, there’re tons of options to take your home into its smart era.
What’s a smart home?
It’s not as complicated as it sounds, a smart home is basically a system of clever devices that can communicate with each other and be controlled from your phone. It puts you in the drivers’ seat, no matter where you go. So, you can turn the heating down if you’ve forgotten to or set a schedule for the lights to come on while you’re away – all from the palm of your hand.
Benefits of a smart home
Convenience
Designed to simplify your daily routine, smart homes give you complete flexibility, whether you’re home or away. Change your security settings, light timings, heating, or appliances at the drop of a hat.
Security
Home is where the heart is, so look after it with the help of smart cameras, doorbells, and locks. They give you complete peace of mind with remote access, real-time alerts, and 24/7 monitoring. Now you can really relax on your jollies.
Energy efficiency
Save energy with the help of smart thermostats, lighting, and appliances. Not only do they give you complete control of what’s on and when, but they help adapt your habits and optimise the energy you’re using.
Cost savings
Look after your bills by being clever about how your home uses energy. Smart devices give you full control and complete visibility, helping you reduce using appliances unnecessarily which can help you save over time.
Smart home devices
Smart speakers
Smart speakers give you a direct link to the internet with just a word - think Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. You can use them for voice commands, playing music, answering questions, controlling other smart devices, and much more. You can even sync your speakers across the house, so you’re always in the loop. For the best experience, we’d recommend sticking with the same brand as they’re designed to work together seamlessly.
Smart lighting
Set up super convenient smart lighting around your house for energy efficiency and customisation that traditional lighting just can’t match. You can set timers and change the brightness or hue from your phone or with voice control when connected to a smart speaker. All you need to do is link them through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.
Smart heating
Control your home’s temperature with smart heating through the app or with voice control with a smart speaker. It lets you set schedules and change settings remotely. Some are really simple to set up, while others need a professional, especially for boiler integration.
Smart plugs
Make anything clever with a smart plug. It’s a Wi-Fi- or Bluetooth-enabled adapter that fits into a standard socket. Now your normal devices can be controlled on demand from your phone or smart speaker. It’s ideal for setting light timers while you’re away or turning your hair straighteners off remotely – no more worrying about whether you’ve left them on.
Smart monitoring devices
Smart doorbells
Home monitoring’s much simpler with a smart doorbell keeping its eye out for you. It has a camera, microphone, speaker, and motion sensors, so you can check what’s going on and even speak to visitors through the app.
Smart security camera
Protect your home from every angle with smart security cameras. They’re connected to the internet, streaming live videos to your phone or computer and sending notifications when movement’s detected. Some come with handy features like night vision, two-way audio, and cloud storage, so you can have complete peace of mind. There are options for both indoor and outdoor setups, so you can have the whole house covered.
Smart alarms
Smart alarms connect to your phone like most other smart devices, sending you notifications and working together with other smart tech, like compatible motion sensors. They’re easy to use and you can change any settings from your phone – handy if your pet sets it off while you’re out.
Smart sensors
It's really easy to control and connect your smart sensor to other products like alarms and cameras for a full security setup. Everything links to your phone, letting you check on everything or change settings without lifting more than a finger. Some detect motion in a room, and others attach to your windows, so you’ll know if someone’s somewhere they shouldn’t be.
Setting up a smart home isn’t complicated - in fact, it’s designed to be incredibly easy. Start by checking what your current devices are compatible with, so they can work seamlessly together. You could have an Amazon Echo, Google Nest Hub, or Apple HomePod as your main base. Everything will be connected through this base. Next, download the app to manage and automate everything from your phone. Make sure your network’s got a strong Wi-Fi connection. If you’ve got a lot of ground to cover, it might be worth getting Wi-Fi extending devices to keep everything running smoothly. Once this is complete, you can get cracking with setting up voice commands, making home life that little bit easier.
FAQs
- Which smart home devices are best for beginners?
A great starting point in building a smart home is to pick up a smart speaker or display. Then you can see how much you use it and whether you’d like more devices to be automated. Smart plugs and smart lights are also an affordable place to begin.
- Do smart home products work with Alexa or Google Assistant?
As two of the bigger smart home brands, most devices are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant but just check the product page before you order to make sure your new smart device will work with your current setup.
- Can smart home devices help save energy and money?
By automating tasks and giving you complete oversight of your home and what’s being used, you can tweak your habits to be more efficient, saving you energy and money in the long run. For example, if you forget to turn the heating off while you’re out, you can do it from your phone so you’re not warming up empty rooms.
- Are smart home products secure to use?
Smart home devices are as safe as you make them. They’re perfectly secure to use as long as you keep them updated, just like your phone or computer, and use strong passwords. If anything seems unusual, check the manufacturer’s website for steps on how to keep using your smart device safely.
- Do I need a hub to use smart home devices?
Depending on which devices you’d like to use, you may not need a hub. They’re handy if you’ve got lots of products to connect together and want to control them all through one app, and some devices need a hub to access all the features. Check the product page when you’re browsing to make sure you’re getting the device and features you need, with or without a hub.
- How do I install smart home devices?
Most devices are really easy to install. Just plug them in, download the app, and follow the on- screen instructions to get them connected to the internet and your phone. Some devices, like smart heating tech, need professional installation to integrate them with your boiler. Check the product page to make sure you know what’s involved before you order.
