Smart technology is something that has become a staple in our everyday life over the last ten years and is only going to become more prevalent as time goes on. While smart technology makes our lives easier in many senses there is the question of is it worth it? With many pieces of the latest technology being priced anywhere from £35 to £3,000. Through this article, there will be advice on both useful smart technology and smart technology you could avoid.
Useful smart technology
All these devices are classed as ‘useful’ as they are bringing something to your home that you did not have before or helping you to save money around your home.
Smart home hub
To start off with, a smart home hub. A smart home hub is the first bit of smart technology, aside from a smartphone, that many people will buy. The hub allows you to connect to the rest of your smart devices in your home and acts as the heart of your smart home. Most smart home hubs also allow you to control your other devices via voice commands, which can be very useful if you cannot find your phone or if you want to change something on the fly. A smart home hub will not break the bank either as they range from £35 to £280 however each has its own pros and cons so make sure you do your own research before buying!
Video doorbell
Video doorbells have been around for a while now and are often that extra bit of added security that is missing from homes. Video doorbells work by connecting to a companion app on your smartphone via your home’s Wi-Fi connection. This will then cause a notification to fire when your doorbell’s motion sensor detects someone at your front door. This means a video doorbell is ideal for when you are out of the house at work or shopping. It also adds that extra layer of security spot people who may be outside your home in the middle of the night. Prices range from around £77 to £350, just like with the other devices on this list doing your own research for each different model is advised.
Smart thermostat
Arguably one of the best smart devices that anyone can buy is the smart thermostat. Just like the doorbell, these thermostats are connected to your smart hub via your home’s Wi-Fi and connect to your phone, laptop, or computer via a companion app. The thermostat is connected to your boiler via the same connection as your previous thermostat. The best feature of these thermostats is that they can help you save money on your heating bills. This is due to the features such as the ability to program a detailed schedule into your thermostat and the smart learning feature. These features mean that you can be saving money on your energy bills while you are out of the home and sleeping by setting your schedule that way. Smart thermostats work with all boiler types for example a combi boiler, the most common type of boiler. However, all boiler brands are compatible with all smart thermostats. So, make sure your boiler is compatible with your selected thermostat before purchasing. The price of these smart thermostats ranges from around £60 to £300.
Smart technology to avoid
These pieces of smart technology may not be avoided forever, but currently, it is best to avoid them as they are not adding much to the devices that they are set to replace.
Smart fridge
Smart fridges have been around a while however only recently have, they are seemingly taken off. The features of a smart fridge depend on which manufacturer you decide to buy from. However, some of the features are sending a notification to your phone if your door is left open, let you know if your ice is running low, ability to watch TV on the inbuilt tablet, and the ability to play music. While all these features sound great they come at a very high price tag, with smart fridges ranging from £1000 to £5900. This is a huge price tag for something that does not have many useful features other than notifications about the door being left open and running out of ice.
Smart light switch
Smart light switches are connected to your phone via your home’s Wi-Fi connection to a companion app. The main features of smart light switches are that you can select different pre-sets, turn your lights off and on and adjust the brightness in a room all from your phone. While these features are great for ease-of-use smart light switches can cost anywhere from £19.99 to £99. You have also got to consider that these are going to need installing through all your home, which will cost a lot of money.
Smart kettle
Just like the other devices, a smart kettle connects to an app on your phone. The main features of smart kettles are that you can control what temperature the water boils at, set the kettle to boil via the app or a voice command to your smart home hub, and the ability to set timers for the kettle to boil. While all of these are very handy features to have available to you the price of these kettles is not worth it. Most of these kettles start at around £92 and can get as expensive as £290. For many people, this price tag makes a smart kettle not worth it.
While all smart technology has uses some are not worth it now as they have such limited features that make their purchase a waste of money, such as the smart ridge, kettle, and light switch. However, devices like the smart hub, thermostat, and doorbell all add an element of connectivity and ease to your home which makes them worth buying.