5 Best Smart Home Ideas

Smart homes are not just fantastic ways to get a little help taking care of chores and saving electricity, but they also make your home more beautiful. If you’ve delved into the world of smart homes and want to take it up a notch, check out these five ways to make life easier. Smart Vacuum + Mop This amazing tool handles vacuuming your floors, including hardwood and carpeting. Unlike some other brands and previous models, it also does a great job with pet hair. Best part? This model includes a mopping feature, which can mop up to 645 square feet if the water tank is full. It is operated by its app, and it also is compatible with Google Home or Alexa, which allows you to start cleaning by the sound of your voice. Outdoor Lighting and Camera Doorbells Many people use the Ring Doorbell tool, which allows you to see, hear and speak to anyone at your door from your phone, tablet or PC. Now Ring offers compatible floodlighting for your yard and walkways. These motion-activated lights provide both greater home security and help when you get home after dark. And even though they turn on with motion, they also are compatible with Alexa and can turn on by voice command, just in case. Voice-Controlled Thermostat The new Ecobee Smart Thermostat With Voice Control features enhanced Alexa and multimedia support with powerful audio components. This tool boasts an average of 26 percent annual savings versus traditional thermostats because you can control it with the sound of your voice via Alexa, and it automatically pauses your HVAC system anytime a door or window is left open. Smart Light Bulbs Smart light bulbs offer a flexible, easy-to-install smart lighting solution that saves money. Upgrade light fixtures by replacing old bulbs with smart ones so you can control the brightness, color and shade of each individual fixture. In addition, these bulbs will cost less in the long run, can save more energy, are compatible with Alexa, and last longer than conventional incandescent lighting. Alexa-Enabled Crockpot Need to go to work or run errands, but you also want a home-cooked meal for your family at the end of the day? With this 6-quart stainless steel crockpot, you can do it all. Toss your ingredients in before you leave, and use your voice or the Alexa app to start or stop the slow cooker, program cook-times or heat settings, and check the status of your meal from anywhere. Crockpot enchiladas anyone? For more tips and our latest updates, check us out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest!