The immense rise of smart technology has worked wonders in our lives, turning tasks and manual labor into something easy, automated, and often hands-free.
However, as we bring more and more of these cameras and sensors into our homes, concerns for our individual privacy and security are a completely natural response. As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, I research, test and write about many smart home must haves daily, from the best cordless vacuums to the best air purifiers – and I empathize with all the wary consumers I've spoken with.
There are many smart products out there that may not be suited to you and your home, or may just seem too complicated to use, but there are also so many options that could help enhance your day-to-day life and how you set up your home. So, I've handpicked the best smart tech gadgets that I can personally vouch for, whether from testing, owning myself, or seeing in action first-hand. I also caught up with other trusted tech professionals to hear their recommendations.
Smart tech gadgets that will transform your home
1. Smart bulbs
The Solved team at Homes & Gardens are all fans of smart bulbs. These bulbs are a simple, quick and inexpensive lighting trick to tailor the mood lighting of a room; such as more cozy, dim lighting when relaxing in the evening and brighter, task lighting when you need visibility. Another smart lighting benefit is that many smart bulbs can even change color, which is great for evening lighting or when hosting.
I've set up Philips Hue smart bulbs in my bedroom and living room and I can control them using my phone, choosing from a whole color wheel or set color schemes.
White and color ambiance at the tip of your fingers. Connect via Bluetooth and instantly perfect the mood of a room, shining up to 806 lumens.
You can take things up a notch by installing motion sensors so that the lights turn on when you enter a room or pass a hallway. It'll help to cut energy bills while making your home feel a little bit more automated. It's also a great way to reduce potential slips and falls.
'Intelligent lighting that's paired with motion sensors is a game-changer for preventing falls, especially when it comes to those late-night bathroom runs,' shares Neal K. Shah, healthcare professional specializing in senior individuals and CEO of CareYaya. You can explore more smart technology for bathrooms in our separate guide.
'Phillips Hue lights, when paired with simple motion sensors, can create a pathway for you that lights your way at only 10% brightness – just bright enough to see where you're stepping but not so bright that it acts like a wake-up call for your eyes,' he adds.
Never manually turn lights on again with automatic sensors, that can also help light pathways for those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.
2. SAD lamps
While we're talking lighting, a SAD lamp can improve your body's natural sleep cycle and your general mood and well-being. Particularly important during winter months when the days are shorter, a SAD lamp will simulate the light of the sun rising and setting, introducing a more natural wake-up and helping to lessen the effects of seasonal affective disorder.
I use a SAD alarm clock that gently wakes me up in the morning, and I couldn't live without it now. I use the Lumie Bodyclock Luxe 700FM (from Amazon) which also has FM radio and Bluetooth connectivity to play my own music.
Match your bedroom lighting to your natural circadian rhythm to improve your sleep and wellbeing.
3. Smart blinds
Instead of opening and closing your blinds every day, why not set them on autopilot so that you never have to lift a finger? That's exactly what smart blinds can do, the latest window blind idea that allows you to create schedules or open and close them from your phone. And just like the SAD lamp, this is an easy, hands-free way to improve your sleep and wake up in a way that's naturally aligned with your body's rhythms.
SmartWings make some of the most popular smart blinds in the market, with a range of motorized linen options that can completely block out sunlight.
4. Robot vacuums
We've tested 15 of the best robot vacuums at Homes & Gardens and we love how much this smart home cleaning tool has changed our day-to-day lives. First off, having a robot do a sweeping run of your floors once or twice a day massively reduces how often you should vacuum, and it's genuinely so nice being able to walk around on consistently clean floors.
The most advanced models will pull dust and dirt from deep within your carpets, mop your floors, create detailed maps of your home, and have a cleaning station that stores this mess for weeks without you having to empty it yourself.
'Robot vacuums do more now than ever before (including mopping!), and they are really easy to set up and use,' explains Erin Lawrence, professional tech reviewer at YouTube.
Plus, pet owners won't find many solutions more effective than the best robot vacuums for pet hair. Our dogs' and cats' constant shedding can be impossible to keep up with, particularly if you try vacuuming pet hair without the best vacuums for pet hair. But after speaking with dozens of consumers as part of our vacuum tests, the most common answer to the issue was a good-quality robot vacuum, like the eufy S1 Pro Omni – the best we've ever tested.
In our eufy S1 Pro Omni review, we outline what makes this the best robot vacuum we've ever tested, with deep floor cleaning with its powerful vacuum and mop.
Our iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ review lays out what makes this stylish robot such a strong investment.
Read our full eufy X10 Pro Omni review to find out what makes it so impressive at this price point.
5. Indoor and outdoor cameras
A video doorbell and outdoor cameras are some of the best security measures to have at home. The peace and safety of being able to see when people come to your home or, in the worst cases, intrude onto your property, is a real blessing.
With a video doorbell you can speak to couriers when you're out of the house, and if you feel comfortable doing so, open the door for them to leave the parcel inside, then lock up after. It's also been praised by people with limited mobility who aren't always in a position to get to the front door.
Indoor cameras are great for more advanced security, but a more fun way of using them is to watch and speak to your pets while you're out. Anybody with an anxious dog will know all too well the pain of leaving the house, but this way you can speak to them and calm them down wherever you are.
'Security cameras should always keep an eye on what matters most to the user, providing them with peace of mind while they’re away,' explains Rachel Bradshaw, representative from Abode. 'Whether it’s kids playing in the backyard, pets that are home alone, or packages on their front porch, the user’s priority can be kept safe and their minds at ease with the right security camera.'
It's always a smart idea to use the same brand across all home security so that you can access everything on one app. From personal experience, I'll always vouch for Ring.
Check on your pets at home and keep an eye on where they are with the Pet Tag, that has helped thousands of owners rescue lost pets.
I've seen Ring's outdoor cameras in action at their most recent showcase event, and I almost couldn't believe how high-quality the picture is in even the darkest environment.
My family has used a Ring doorbell for almost a decade and it's always done the trick, with no issues or troubleshooting the whole time.
6. Smart plugs
Put simply, a smart plug lets you control any appliance from a smartphone app. Think turning off the lights after you've left the house, or powering up your best coffee maker or best air purifier before you walk through the door. It effectively gives you greater control of your home whether you're in the house or not.
'Smart plugs are essential but often overlooked. They can do an underrated and potentially life-saving task: automatically turning off your appliances that might otherwise be left on too long and be dangerous, like a space heater or a coffee maker,' shares Neal K. Shah.
'For people with arthritis or other hand or arm challenges, smart plugs make it possible to turn on or off wires kinds of gadgets, like lamps, without wrestling with tiny switches,' he adds.
Smart plugs are also a good eco-friendly gadget for sustainable living as they can help to minimize the energy waste of devices that are plugged into them.
Take full control of all plugged-in appliances wherever you are with this top-rated pack of Kasa Smart plugs.
For more smart home tech recommendations, we explore smart bedroom tech that can help track and improve your sleep, as well as how to add smart kitchen technology to your home that can transform the way you use the culinary heart of your home.
