Smart home devices are increasingly popular these days. With automation assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant making device control easy, many homeowners are looking for the perfect devices to pair with them. With so many new devices to choose from, it can be a bit intimidating trying to figure out exactly what you need for your home. To help you out, here are a few items that might fall outside of the usual “must haves” but will completely transform your home for the better.
NVIDIA Shield TV Player
There’s a good chance that you already have a streaming device like a Roku in your home, so why would you need another streaming player? Not only does the NVIDIA Shield have some pretty impressive processing and memory stats, but it’s also compatible with a wide range of devices, and it comes ready to integrate with everything via Google Assistant. You can stream game content using NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW service as well. If that wasn’t enough, it runs Android TV apps so it’s capable of adding streaming channels that may not be available on Roku.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip
A power strip might seem like an odd choice to add smart capabilities to, but it’s a must if you’re trying to be energy-conscious and reduce your carbon footprint (along with your electric bill). With six individually powered outlets and three USB ports, this smart power strip lets you control what is and isn’t getting power via voice commands through most major digital assistants. That makes it easy to turn plugged-in devices on and off while also letting you monitor energy consumption for each device remotely.
Kohler Moxie Showerhead
Bluetooth speakers are increasingly common these days, and there are already a few models that are designed for use in the bathroom. So what makes this speaker option different? Aside from the showerhead being designed by the fixture pros over at Kohler, the speaker itself is located right in the center of the showerhead, so you don’t have to worry about the sound of your shower overpowering some little speaker elsewhere in the room. The speaker is easy to remove for charging and transport and comes in multiple color options to make customizing the look of your shower that much easier.
Yale Smart Delivery Box
Porch thieves are increasingly a problem as more people order items online. This simple-looking box is designed to take care of that problem, however. When you receive a delivery, the driver simply needs to place the package inside the box and let the lid close. Once closed, the smart lock in the lid engages and no one can open the box until you personally disengage it. There’s even a version of the Smart Delivery Box that allows you to set the lock for multiple uses on days when you’re expecting several packages and need to be able to reset it without collecting your package after each delivery.
Brilliant Control
If you really want to step up your smart home game, consider installing the Brilliant Control. This Alexa-enabled touch controller can control your devices, supports in-home video chats and gives your home a futuristic look because the controller is mounted directly into a wall switch. As you add new devices to your network, you can add icons directly to the Brilliant Control’s display so that you can have direct control over them with a simple touch.
Smarten Up Your Home
While some smart home devices are as easy to set up as plugging them in and setting up an app on your smartphone, others like the Brilliant Control require a bit of wiring knowledge. If you need to get an electrician or smart home expert in to help you set things up, you can depend on us to help you find the right contractors.
