Smart devices for the home offer lots of benefits. All are designed to make your life a little easier. They make it simpler to run your home efficiently, minimize your impact on the planet, and help you lower many household bills.

Everyday objects, such as doorbells, refrigerators and home lighting, have been made more intelligent (and useful!) through integral computers and internet connectivity. By being able to connect with Wi-Fi and communicate with other devices, smart devices can be controlled from anywhere within the home and even further afield from your phone or tablet. You can also view smart devices’ data output and monitor their use from outside from wherever you are, too.

If you are starting to build a smart home from scratch and are not sure what to start with, here is a guide to the most essential smart devices. All are an inexpensive starting point and are available via the eshop on orangemobile.

1.   Smart Wi-Fi plugs

We know that there’s not usually anything particularly glamorous about a plug. However, upgrading your household plugs is one of the fastest and easiest ways to start becoming more energy efficient. They offer two key advantages over your regular home plugs.

First of all, you can monitor the energy consumption of anything you use them with. This could be a lamp, mobile phone charger, television, hairdryer, fan, or any other item you can use a regular household socket for.

The second advantage is the ability to limit the use of the plug by using a timed on/off setting and creating a schedule. For example, you might have family members who forget to turn electrical items off when they leave home for the day. By setting a timer to switch off the plug when you are never at home, you can be sure that no energy is wasted.  

Smart plugs slot into existing household sockets. You then plug the device of your choice into the smart plug. The product is compact and inconspicuous, and compatible with smart speaker devices for even easier operation.

2.   Smart bulbs

Smart bulbs are another example of how something as dull as a regular light bulb can be way more fun (and energy efficient). Your regular bulbs are easily exchanged for smart bulbs and, as to be expected, smart bulbs are the energy-efficient LED bulbs. It is easy to control the bulbs remotely and through a timer. All you need is the app on your smartphone or tablet.

Smart bulbs have additional interactive features, too. Look out for the ability to adjust the brightness to your liking. Various modes are available, such as working, reading, and nightlight modes. The color of the bulb is changeable, too. With music reactivity enabled, you have ready-made party lighting.

3.   Smart SOS emergency call button

For ultimate peace of mind, an SOS call button is a must-have item. This small device is lightweight and wearable, and is connected to your home Wi-Fi. This connection can then be used to immediately alert you to an emergency, such as a fall or medical episode, while you are out of the home.

 These devices are ideal for elderly, young or vulnerable family members to use. In an emergency, simply touching the button will alert you to a problem via your smartphone. Setting up the device’s ability to alert you via the app is a quick and easy procedure. The device’s battery is rechargeable and can operate in standby mode for many months.

4.   Smart body fat scale

Ditch your regular scales in favor of a much more comprehensive smart scale. These scales have a distinct advantage in that they can connect to your smartphone, making it much easier to track weight loss progress and monitor your health and fitness goals.

Smart body fat scales can calculate your weight, muscle mass, body fat, bone density and more. They can also indicate your calorie requirements for weight loss or weight maintenance. Smart scales can store data as well as send it to an app on your smartphone, making it even easier to see your progress.

5.   Smart security cameras

Smart security is hugely popular and there are multiple products that can help you with peace of mindwherever you happen to be. Indoor cameras are an inexpensive entry point into building a network of home security. They are easy to set up on a table top or can be wall-mounted, and they have a whole range of useful features.

Smart security cameras are activated by motion sensors. Any motion detected will automatically set the camera to push a notification to your phone. You can then control the camera remotely to get a better picture of what’s going on by tilting and panning it via the app. One way speakers also allow you to speak to whoever is in the home. Recording is supported via a memory card. 

Smart products for all

The range of smart devices now available is great and growing all the time. Multiple products are both useful and inexpensive. Introducing smart devices into your home is both affordable and life-enhancing, by freeing you from expensive energy bills, making life a little easier, or giving you a little bit more peace of mind.