Four devices to seriously smart up your home.

Our phones have been smart for quite some time now. Next up: our houses. The opinions on whether to call it a ‘smart house’ or a ‘connected house’ tend to differ on the world wide web. We won’t get in the middle of all that, we’ll just tell what you need to know. Simply put, a connected house is a home equipped with devices that do the work for you. Some are built into your house, others you can easily plug in later. Some of them are connected and communicate with each other, also known as the Internet of Things. Others can think and act for themselves, known as artificial intelligence. They’ve all got one thing in common though: you rule them. Meaning: homeowners operate them with applications, voice commands or automation. You know, with an “Ok Google” or “Alexa”. If you’re not ready to command an entire army of devices just yet, you can just start of slow with some of these highly connected products.

Yes, we know. Smart plugs and switches are not the most advanced slash sexy smart devices, but if you want to experience what living in a smart home feels like, they’re perfect to start off with. Because they’re easy and affordable. Plug them in a power socket and you can turn whatever appliance is connected to them on or off with your smartphone or your voice.  That’s not all though, you can also monitor how much energy they’re using. You’ll be surprised by the amount your home is consuming while you’re not around. Big pro? Now you can do something about it and switch those things off from your phone.

Smart light bulbs aren’t just here to light up your room. They’re here to match your mood with a single swipe of your finger. Whether it’s by diming, brightening, or by changing color. Some can even play music. They wirelessly connect with a matching phone app or smart hub. No need to install dimmer switches in your home, you can just control them from anywhere. Anytime. In a Christmas mood? Switch your light color to green and red. Forgot to switch of the bathroom light? No biggie. In short: you’ll save money and boost the entertainment level of your home with these babies.

If you’ve got a bossy side, this might just be the thing for you. Smart speakers are often powered by a virtual assistant like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. You have to control them with your voice. Which basically means you can boss them around all you want, and they won’t mind. “Alexa, what’s the weather like in Berlin? Alexa, how is Nina Derwael doing at the Olympics? Alexa, do I have any meetings planned today?” Do we need to keep going? It’s safe to say, the possibilities are endless. Additional plus? They can also serve as a central hub for all your other smart devices. So you can easily get Alexa to turn off the lights or lower your smart thermostat as well.

If cats love smart vacuum cleaners, who are we to question their judgment? While our feline friends might be fond of the warm air the give off, we mainly love them for taking that horrible cleaning chore off our to-do list. The most advanced ones will scan the rooms in your house, virtually mapping them out before they start. Afterwards you can set up your own cleaning plan or start up your robot vacuum remotely, from your phone. One thing’s for sure though: you’ll come home to a clean house. Sounds purrrrfect, doesn’t it?