Life can get complicated. Your home doesn’t have to be.
With smart products in every category, you can automate your life and your home. Products that work for you so that you don’t have to think about it. We’ve compiled a list of 7 compatible smart products we’ve reviewed that simplify your life.
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/amazon-echo-review-for-smart-home-voice-control/
Philips Hue 3rd Gen Smart Bulb
This is an RGBW smart light bulb by Philips Hue. Philips has been around for generations, making them a trusted brand, and their 3
rd generation smart bulbs are quite wonderful. You can opt for a simple white light, or choose an infinite amount of colors to accent your home. The third generation bulbs have improved upon color – previously, they did horrendously on blues, greens, and cyans, according to Lisa Feierman, who reviewed them. Lisa says that this version of the bulb performs infinitely better.
You can get multiple bulbs to use with each other around the home, so you can consider these as a good option for your smart home system. They can be voice-controlled with Alexa – “Alexa, turn on the lights” – making them a convenient choice to light your home.
Get the Philips Hue Starter Kit on
Amazon.
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/philips-hue-gen-3-smart-bulb-richer-colors-review-comparison/
Lightify GardenSpot Smart Outdoor Lights
The Lightify GardenSpot is a colored outdoor lighting system manufactured by Osram/Sylvania. These are a series of 9 pre-wired, RGB lights that have about a foot and a quarter of space between each light and the whole thing runs about 14 feet. More lights can be added to this configuration – three, to be exact.
There are Apple iOS and Android apps to control the lights, as well as an Alexa Skill. The system is controlled over WiFi, so you’ll want to make sure your signal can reach the outdoors, and get a signal repeater if it doesn’t. The Lightify GardenSpot is an inexpensive way to create a cool ambiance for your outdoor patio, lawn, walkway – whatever you like!
Get the Lightify (now called Sylvania) GardenSpot on
Amazon.
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/lightify-gardenspot-mini-rgb-outdoor-lighting-a-smart-home-review
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/nest-learning-thermostat-review/
Schlage Camelot 619 Smart Lock
The Schlage Camelot 619 is a Z-Wave-based lock that Art installed on the door of his Smart Dream Home Project. He has it automated so that every evening, between 8pm and 9pm, the Schlage is scheduled to automatically lock. The lock is also programmed to lock again at 11:30pm, just in case anyone is coming and going after 8:30pm and forgot to re-lock it. Pretty cool.
Worried about being locked out during a power outage? No problem. Schlage provides a key to use in case of emergencies, such as a blackout or if the lock stops working for any reason. The lock can be controlled with Alexa, although most smart locks do not allow you to unlock the door with the Echo, as this could provide potential problems with security. From what we can tell – they’re working on this.
Get the Schlage Camelot 619 on
Amazon.
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/schlage-camelot-619-smart-lock-review/
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/skybell-hd-full-hd-video-doorbell-review/
Wemo Insight Wall Outlet
The Wemo Insight is a wall outlet that plugs into your existing wall outlet, thereby making it a smart one. This is a great solution for renters or those who do not wish to replace their in-wall outlet but want to control their lights or other products remotely from their phone or via voice commands. The Wemo Insight can be used for anything with a standard plug, but we used it here for our entertainment system (before we switched to a projector and a screen).
We plugged the Wemo Insight into the wall, then a power strip into that. Our TV, speakers, and Playstation were all connected to that power strip. A simple command of “Alexa, turn on the entertainment system,” brought all of them to life. You can use it as a one-off plug, of course – this is just what we decided to do with it. The device has infinite possibilities.
Get the Wemo Insight on
Amazon.
http://www.smarterhomeautomation.com/reviews/belkin-insight-2-smart-switchoutlet-measures-energy-usage-a-review/
