Smart Home Gadgets That Are the Newest Must-Haves

Over the last decade, home automation has made its way into our lives, bringing with it many conveniences that have made our lives much easier. Survey findings showed that around 65% of Americans own at least one smart device in their home, be it a smart speaker, thermostat, vacuum, fridge, and even toothbrush. It’s safe to say that with time, we can expect to see more and more smart home accessories in our homes as technology advances and becomes more accessible.

But with all these gadgets and smart home technologies coming our way, many of them teeter on the line between being genuinely useful or a fun gimmick. Some home automation ideas are truly revolutionary and break new ground when it comes to improving upon common household appliances and devices. 

1. Multi-Functional Smart Outlets

Benefits of Using Smart Power Sockets

Every household appliance, smart or not, needs the power to function. With all those appliances, devices, and gadgets being plugged into the grid, having smart outlets is a great way to control the power consumption in your home. 

A key feature of smart outlets is that they allow you to schedule when the appliances will turn on and operate them from a distance as you would with home automation devices. Say you have a regular coffee maker that simply plugs into the wall. When you’re not using it you unplug it to conserve energy. Instead of having to unplug it every time and then plug it back in whenever you want to use it again, you can simply set a timer on the smart plugs to activate and deactivate automatically

2. No-Touch Faucet

Why Your Kitchen Could Use a Smart Faucet

Smart home devices are all about giving you greater control over your appliances and allowing you to customize them, making them more in tune with your needs and desires. One great example of this is the smart faucet, which features no touch controls. Motion sensor faucets are by no means a new invention and they have been around since the 80s. But those old used gestures simply activated and deactivated the water. 

Modern smart faucets use hand gestures to not only activate but also control the water pressure and even the temperature. This has several practical advantages to it, with the primary one being that it keeps your faucets clean. Smart faucets also turn off automatically, conserving water that would have otherwise been wasted. It’s also great for kids who can’t reach the handles of the faucets or when they forget to turn them off. 

3. Smart Thermostat

One of the Best Ways to Conserve Energy

Controlling the thermostats is one of the biggest responsibilities in any home. During the cold seasons, it’s important to have it on to keep your household from getting sick. However, if you lose track of how long your heating is on and leave it on for long periods of time, you’ll waste a lot of energy and rack up a hefty utility bill.

A smart automatic thermostat takes the control away from your hands and gives you the pleasure of sitting back and letting technology do all the work. The smart thermostat can be programmed to turn on automatically when the temperature outside drops. But once the interior gets warm enough the thermostat deactivates, preventing pointless energy consumption. Smart thermostats also have a phone app that allows you to turn on the heating before you get home so by the time you walk in through the front door your home is nice and toasty. You can even set the thermostat to heat up specific rooms in the house, so for example, you can heat up the bedroom and have it cozy and warm by the time you’re ready to hit the sack. 

4. Automatic Home Locks

How to Boost the Security of Your Front Door

Keys are very practical and have served humanity for centuries. But as useful and secure as they may be, they do not allow for much practicality outside of if you have a key you get in, if you don’t have one, you don’t. Smart home locks give you more functionality and extra control over your home’s access points.

Smart locks allow you to remotely open the door without using a key. You can also give access to certain individuals without having to make a physical key specifically for them. Smart locks also allow you to monitor who comes in and out of your home. And, by far one of the best features of smart locks is their auto-lock setting. No longer will you need to check if your door is locked three dozen times before leaving. Even if you leave it open the automatic lock will close on its own.  

5. Water Leak Detection Sensors

Leaking Water Could Create Serious Issues

Leaky plumbing is a common issue in most homes. It’s almost a given that everyone has some sort of problem with their plumbing. Many of these plumbing problems occur because many homeowners are not aware of any leaky pipes and get in touch with a plumber when it’s too late.

Smart leak detection allows you to have regular updates on the state of your plumbing. The sensors put out an alert the second they come into contact with moisture, warning you of a possible leak. The primary benefit of these home automation gadgets is that they allow you to track down the leak earlier, lowering the risks of any serious problems. 

6. Electronic Pet Feeder

Electric Pet Feeders Are the Newest Trend

It would be so much easier if our pets reached a level of intelligence that would allow them to microwave pizza rolls on their own when they got hungry. But we’re not there yet and most of their feeding must be done by us. However, what if you’re at work throughout most of the day and don’t have the opportunity to visit your pet at home and feed them yourself? Smart pet feeders are your answer to this problem.

As with most other smart devices, smart ped feeders can be programmed to activate at a specific time of the day and feed your furry (or scaly) member of the family without needing you to do anything. Alternatively, some pet feeders can be activated whenever your pet approaches the feeder. A special device on your pet’s collar will signal to the feeder that your pet is nearby and the feeder will automatically fill the bowl with their favorite snack. 

7. Smart Mirror

Smart Mirrors Are The Future

If you are looking for a smart appliance that really makes you feel like you’re in the future, it's the smart mirror. Combining a screen with the reflective surface of a mirror, these smart devices will relay all kinds of useful information to you as you’re washing up in the morning.

Imagine as you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or apply

g makeup, you can also watch your favorite show, catch up on the latest news, or even take part in an online meeting. All of these features are great for individuals who are always in a morning rush but also don’t want to lose out on valuable information or entertainment. In fact, if you wish to take your futuristic smart mirror further into the future, you can invest in a touch screen one as well, which will give you control over the mirror on the spot. 

8. Smart Oven

Stay In Control With A Smart Oven

Smart ovens are quite a recent invention and they have already caught the eye of cooking enthusiasts everywhere. There are certain features they offer which make these ovens valuable additions to your roster of cooking appliances.

The first step in baking is typically to preheat the oven. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes a tedious step and many cooks waste a lot of time waiting for the oven to reach its desired temperature. Smart ovens allow you to activate them, set them to a specific temperature, and as long as you’re connected to the internet, do this on the go. So, while you’re still at the grocery store buying all the ingredients for a chocolate lava cake, you can preheat the oven on your way back and have it hot and ready to be used by the time you get home. 

9. Smart Toilet

Smart Toilets Are Now Widely Available

You’ve likely heard about those smart toilets in Japan that have some crazy features, like a self-cleaning bowl and heated seats. These toilets are now widely available and you do not have to book a flight to Tokyo to check them out in person. Smart toilets are great additions to modern bathrooms and can make your personal bathroom time much more pleasant.

The self-cleaning feature of smart toilets is fantastic as it keeps the seating sterile. This is especially important with children and older individuals living in the household who need to be kept away from germs due to their weaker immune systems. Smart toilets also have systems installed that allow them to use up less water than traditional toilets. The toilet can tell the difference when it is flushing down liquids or solids and it can use up the right amount of water. 

10. Covert Night Vision Security Cameras

Security Cameras Are Now Available in Full HD

Home security has really come a long way since those bulky, box cameras. Nowadays, you can install home security cameras that can not only record in high quality 4K resolution, along with night vision capabilities, and a wide field of view, but the cameras can be a lot less visible. The night vision is especially useful as it allows you to record and capture footage at night when intruders are more likely to make their move.

With the advancement in technology, we can fit more advanced tech into smaller, more covert devices. Modern cameras can be quite small, which allows homeowners to hide them in discrete locations. Fix them to a branch on the tree, cover it with leaves, and no one will notice it. Or you can put one on a bookshelf and disguise it as a decoration to keep your most prized belongings safe and secure. 

11. Automated Coffee Maker 

Have Your Morning Coffee From A Smart Machine

Starting the day off with a brew to give you that jolt of energy you need for work is a routine for many people out there. Coffee makers have been a staple kitchen appliance for almost a century. To celebrate the (approximate) centennial anniversary of the coffee maker you can partake in the evolution of this amazing appliance by investing in something a little more high-tech than your typical pot.

Smart coffee makers allow you to brew your own coffee without even needing to be near the appliance to make it happen. Connected to the internet, you can use your smartphone to brew the coffee before you even reach the kitchen. Additionally, smart coffee makers come with lots of personalization features, allowing you to tailor your coffee drinking lifestyle any way you please. You can set the number of cups you need to be brewed, as well as how strong of a brew you want, and how hot you want it to be.