There are numerous reasons to set up the The best smart home devices to your living space. For some, it is about making your home more efficient in energy during the summer months; For others, it is to make their homes safer with security cameras. A Recent CNET survey He found that 71% of North -Americans are taking steps to prevent porch robberies, which smart domestic devices can help to deter.
Years ago, having a smart home seemed to live in the future. Now it’s easier than ever to make your smart home. After and the end, smart domestic devices They are much more accessible and affordable, so anyone can have the smart home of their dreams. But if you just start trying to make your home smarter, the number of options can be intimidating, or maybe you think it is still very expensive or too technical.
These worries are valid, but smart homes are no longer only for technologies or percent. Here, I will explain three easy steps to start a smart home by 2025.
How to start a smart home
Starting with a smart home can be disconcerting, but it doesn’t have to. The first steps are to choose the platform with which you want to manage your devices, choose a few devices, and make everything work together with scheduled automations.
Remain with me and at the end of this you will be ready to start your trip home smart.
Step 1. Decide a platform: Google, Amazon or Apple
The Amazon Echo Show 5 is an excellent smart screen for a night table or an office counter. It provides visual comments but does not take up too much space.
First you have to decide a platform to connect and manage your devices. Doing this allows you to have a single application to see, control and link for automation. Smart Home Standard Matter has opened the interoperability between devices, which is fantastic but also has inconvenience.
I recommend establishing on a platform that connects devices of various brands and allows you to manage them from a single application. For beginners, we will focus on Google, Amazon and Apple as the main options for a centralized platform. These are the most ubiquitous and all three offer smart speakers who act as nuclei to connect and control your devices.
Using a smaller third -party platform like Smartthings, Assistant or Aqara can have benefits such as flexibility in device connectivity and local processing, but they can also be higher. Therefore, going with one of the three great mentioned above will be the best commitment to beginners.
If you are an iPhone user with several other Apple devices in your home, the best option is Apple Homekit. Although the platform is not as robust in the compatibility of the device as Amazon and Google, it is so reliable.
Your options for a hub include the Hompod or Homepod Mini. These smart speakers will help manage devices, allow more compatibility and make the connections more reliable. But iPhone users do not have to use the Apple Smart Home Platform as Google and Amazon, each has applications on the App Store to use these platforms.
The Apple Homepod Mini is a large entrance door to start a smart house for those of the Apple ecosystem, as it gives access to Siri and is a wire border router.
Android users should consider Amazon Alexa and Google Home at the beginning of their smart home. Each platform is compatible with more than 50,000 smart domestic devices Of thousands of brands, with Alexa with more than 100,000.
These two platforms have similarities, but the differences between them are clear. As expected, Google integrates perfectly with other Google devices and services such as YouTube, calendar, gmail and photos. The same goes for devices where you will get the best experience with the products of the Google Nest ecosystem. Like Apple, Google’s Smart speakers, screens and more It can also be your hub to connect devices.
Amazon Echo devices are available in many styles, but they can all be large at home attendees.
Amazon Alexa is the only platform with a zigbee control and the subject integrated into its speakers and echo screens. This feature provides the brand a lot to the competition. As I said before, there is a narrow race between Amazon and Google, and the differences will determine your choice. Amazon connects perfectly with Ring products and offers services such as main music, main video and others that you will not find on other platforms.
Amazon also continually improves Alexa, now with a conversation Alexa Plus. Not only Alexa Plus will be more conversational, but it can also manage more complex orders and even facilitate purchases in Amazon than ever. There are also some new features such as looking for home security videos or controlling music or movies with your voice. However, Alexa Plus costs $ 20 per month.
While one CNET survey He found that about half the adults in the United States (50%) use a domestic voice assistant since the beginning of the year, Alexa is the most popular with 27%of North -American adults. Despite this fact, more than 50% of Alexa users would not pay an additional for Alexa Plus, as the cost and privacy are important concerns.
When you consider your choice center platform, I strongly recommend getting a smart screen on a smart speaker if you only get one and you can afford it. This is due to the fact that you can see Netflix, YouTube and other video services, watch your camera and video video video and control other smart devices. For Amazon Alexa, I would go for the Echo show 8For Google, the Nest hub max And Apple does not have a smart screen right now.
Step 2. Choose a few easy -to -integrate devices
Smart devices have many shapes and styles, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get them.
Collecting a platform is essential, but it is not the funniest part of a smart home. That’s when you start choosing fun devices. Knowing where to start can be overwhelming with so many devices. Apart from the smart speaker or screen of the chosen platform, I recommend Smart lights or smart caps as initial devices.
These devices have a great impact for low effort and are also some of the most affordable. Smart lights are diminished and can be set up in more than 16 million colors, depending on which light bulb chooses, we recommend bulbs Wiz. Of course, getting smart lights means you can control them from anywhere and set up schedules to operate automatically.
Nanoleaf light panels are an excellent way of adding atmosphere to a unique room and element panels also add heat.
Smart caps are very similar to the lighting of what is possible at a low cost. Smart caps provide smart functionality to things such as lamps, cafes, fans, etc. Schedule appliances to feed and turn it off automatically and control them can be remotely useful for many. There are Many ways to use a smart connector To add comfort and functionality to your home.
Of course there are many more options than plugs and lights for your smart home. Another popular incorporation is a Video Bellbell; Our higher selection here is the Video Arlo Doorbell 2k. These devices are excellent to keep an eye on the front door, chat with visitors and maintain the tabs to those who come and go, even when you can’t be. Combine your video timbre with a Safety camera and close For more peace of mind, both can be controlled through your new smart center.
There is probably a smart version of almost all appliances, including thermostats, Cleansers vacuum cleaner, Grass grass, caps outdoors, Light switch, ovens And more.
Step 3. Set routines and automation
Smart caps are a quick and easy way to add not only remote control over appliances, but also automations.
Once you are comfortable by adding and controlling smart domestic devices, you can start automating your smart home. Although there are many complex and unique automations, including these Four I love to use in my houseIt is best to start simple.
Begins by creating a Routine for Alexa To light the lights in your salon at sunset or set a Automation for your Google House To start coffee in the morning. These automations are what I use daily and find it impactful. I also connect devices to sensors like this Aqara Motion and P2 light sensor to detect movement in a space or Smart -of -door contact sensor and window To say -you when a door or window has been opened or closed. These sensors, combined with other smart devices, add new layers to your smart home automations.
Google Home gets Gemini integration to help with assistant.
A smart home is moving further when you start linking various devices for automation. For example, if the house temperature reaches a specific temperature to light the AC, a fan, close the blinds and light some lights. Some third -party services, such as IFTTTProvide more ways to automate devices than on your central platform app and you can connect Google, Amazon or Apple services.
Once you have a handle in your smart home with a few devices and automation under the belt, you can start contacting different settings and devices to adjust your settings. Then you can start using your smart home for holiday fun such as setting a chilling scene for Halloween. We also put a Smart house trap sheet Together to help -you on your trip to find the whole Funny ways to use your smart home.
