It may not yet be exactly the space age envisioned in The Jetsons. Made-to-order food won’t manifest before our eyes with a push of a button, robots don’t do all our chores and an assembly line of mechanical arms doesn’t get us ready for work in the morning.
But we’re getting there — or some version of there.
From robotic vacuums that map your floors to thermostats that know when you’re home and when you’re away, smart home technologies are advancing quickly. While there are still plenty of over-hyped products out there that don’t fulfill their promises, some new gadgets can reliably make your day just a little easier and potentially save you money too.
Here’s a look at five new smart home products that are worth checking out.
1.) Smart thermostats: Ever realize you forgot to adjust your thermostat while sitting at the airport, about to board a plane? Smart thermostats are the solution. Nest, a company now owned by Google, tends to get the best reviews from places like Consumer Reports and CNET. It has sensors that can tell when someone has left the house and whether the sun is shining. It learns from your heating and cooling habits and suggests ways to save a few dollars. And you can adjust your home thermostat from your smartphone. Similar products by Honeywell and Lennox feature similarly smart functions.
2.) Trouble sensors: By now, you’ve heard of the nanny cam and baby monitor. But things have gotten a little more functional than just eavesdropping. New water leak and humidity sensors can potentially save you thousands of dollars in damage by alerting you via smartphone about possible problems in your house. This can be particularly useful for snowbirds who may spend the winter in Austin and have a home in the cold North where pipes may burst or other problems may emerge unbeknownst to the homeowner. An active, whole-home system will monitor water flow and usage, and it will shut the water off when irregularities occur. Passive systems can sense leaks at specific locations, such as under a sink or in the basement, and sound an alarm. Some also will send you a text or alert. And, Leviton, for example, has a humidity sensor that will trigger a fan to kick on to reduce condensation. That can be convenient in a bathroom or in any area that gets damp and may develop mold.
3.) Smart locks and security: Many new luxury vehicles have keyless entry. Now, your home can, too. Smart locks, like the August Smart Lock, sense when your smartphone is close to the door and unlocks it. It allows for traditional key entry, as well, just in case you don’t have your phone. You can provide access to trusted friends, family or a plumber or dog walker who need to get into you home — and you can revoke that access whenever you’d like. Meanwhile, devices like the Canary offer new ways to monitor your home by detecting spikes in temperature that could indicate a fire and video to monitor what’s happening in your home. It isn’t as robust as a full home security system, but it can monitor smaller areas well and notifies your smartphone, giving you an option to call police or the fire department instead of automatically doing so.
4.) Music systems: The home sound system has been around for decades, but the way we play music digitally continues to change. Companies such as Savant have created systems that, while somewhat expensive, can channel music from your smartphone or computer to speakers installed in any room of your house. And, they allow you to adjust volume in different rooms with installed faders. Meanwhile, less expensive options such as the portable Jawbone speaker and Sonos wireless speakers can provide convenient audio for just about anywhere.
5.) Improved robotic vacuums: Though they had a fairly rough start — save for funny videos of cats and dogs attacking or riding atop them — robotic vacuum cleaners have improved enough for some homeowners to give them a second chance. New systems, such as the iRobot Roomba 760, have won good reviews despite their relatively high price. Consumer Reports broke down the current list of options here.