Jennifer Sheahan: The smart home devices worth the spend
Smart lighting; The living area in Jennifer Sheahan's home. Picture: Moya Nolan
In the last decade or so it seemed like every possible item in our homes was being made “smart”. Calling an item smart just means that it is connected to the Internet, and so can be controlled remotely.
The flurry seems to have subsided recently, and in the calm after the hype storm, I thought it would be good to look back and critically assess which of these smart items turned out to be useful in the long run.
I work in the technology sector, so when it came to designing my own home I was keen to explore the devices on offer.
A note on brand recommendations: Every review website I researched for this article had different recommendations. Ultimately, the best device for you is the one that offers the right features for your individual needs. I will be covering the type of devices I find most useful, but not specific brand or model recommendations.
Any devices I refer to below are ones that I use myself and have had a good experience with. There may be better, upgraded versions available for you. For security purposes, it is wise to only buy from reputable brands, ensure your Wi-Fi has a strong password, use a different password for each device, and change your passwords every few months or so.
For me, the most useful family of smart home devices has been security cameras, both indoor and outdoor. It is truly comforting to be able to check in on your home and make sure everything is okay when you are away.
Smart home security cameras can be installed anywhere — they can either be wired to the mains or can be wireless with rechargeable batteries lasting quite a few months. These cameras can be programmed to notify you if there is motion and some even have an intercom function so that you can speak through the device to whomever may be on the other side.
Certainly, in my neighbourhood security cameras have been invaluable in warding off potential burglars, and in one case even tracking down a stolen motorbike.
My house is tiny so installing cameras that cover the entire perimeter was a quick job. If installing a camera outdoors sounds like too much work, it’s a great idea to simply place one (or a few) inside on your windowsill looking outwards. It is worth noting that installing home security cameras in your home is legal, although any images captured of public areas outside the boundaries of your property come under Irish data protection law.
I don’t know how I ever lived without my robot vacuum cleaner. If you don’t have one go and get one now, or put it on your Christmas wish list. I have the Kyvol Cybervac E31 and I love it.
It’s perfect for regular cleaning, works equally well on hard flooring and carpets, and has a mop function which is super for my hard floors. I will say though that you ideally still need a normal vacuum cleaner. In my experience robot vacuums get 90% of the job done, but it’s helpful to have a more robust vacuum for the occasional deep clean.
I love my Alexa. I have one upstairs and one downstairs — both Echo Dots — and I use them almost constantly to listen to radio, music, and podcasts, to set timers and alarms, to control my smart plugs, and most often to answer questions such as “how much is 6oz of flour in grams”, while my hands are covered in dough.
The sound is great, and while Alexa sometimes struggles with my Irish accent, in fairness she usually gets the gist of what I’m saying.
Another very simple but extremely useful family of smart home devices that I use daily is smart plugs. Smart plugs allow you to effectively turn almost anything into a smart device.
I have all my lamps plugged into smart plugs, which means I can turn them on and off with a simple voice command, and easily set them up on timers. Most smart plugs require a smart speaker for voice commands, so check that the plug you’re buying is compatible with your smart speaker device. Mine are all TP-link.
Nobody will ever convince me that a smart fridge is necessary or even useful. However, my combi washer-dryer is a smart appliance and I use that functionality surprisingly often. While most washing machines have a delayed timer function, this requires you to know what time you’ll be home.
Being able to control remotely from your phone gives you more flexibility. You can throw in a load of laundry in the morning and then make sure it finishes just as you are coming in the front door so that it’s not sitting in a soggy mess for hours.
I didn’t buy a smart oven and slightly regret it (although I do plan to upgrade in a few years as air-fryer ovens become mainstream). The convenience of throwing in a casserole in the morning and having a hot dinner waiting for me when I come home from work would be amazing.
I also want to install a smart device that will remotely open and close the Roman blinds in my front windows but have yet to find one that works well.
Finally, there are two fun devices on the market that I want to experiment with. The first is the Flic Button (flic.io) which is a smart button that controls any smart device. The second is the Switchbot, which pushes buttons remotely. The simplest devices have the most endless possibilities!
