It’s 2018, and the concept of a total smart home is becoming more realistic. The connectivity of our lives is similar to something we would have seen in an eighties science fiction film. Technology has granted us otherworldly capabilities, and homes are running safer and more efficiently than ever. You can control locks, lights, music, cameras, and your thermostat all from your phone. The advancements made in the smart home industry over the last couple of years have been nothing short of jaw-dropping. While there are many popular smart devices, there are also some that would surprise people. Here’s a list of ten smart devices that you probably haven’t heard of:
1) Smart Microwave – Whirlpool Over the Range Microwave with Scan-To-Cook Technology
Your smartphone can control this incredible microwave. It will send you a notification when your food is ready, even if you aren’t near it. It connects to WiFi, and you can control the time, power, and cooking type. It also has a feature that lets you scan the barcode on the food and send cooking instructions directly to your microwave for that specific food. The microwave will set it to the exact settings that it requires to cook correctly.
2) Smart Outlet – WeMo Mini Smart Plug
These outlets help the forgetful homeowner control their plug-in devices from afar. Forget to turn something off? Do it from your phone. Leave your curling iron plugged in? Ease your mind with your phone. It will also save you money. Nobody likes to go all around their house to unplug all of their cords before they leave their home, just to save money. Now if you have these outlets installed, you can cut off the power to all of your electrical equipment with just a few taps on your phone.
3) Smart Barbecue – Traeger Timberline Wood Pellet Barbecue
Traeger joined in on the smart home trend by introducing a WiFi enabled barbecue. With their WiFire technology, a person can control their grill from inside their house. You can change the temperature, the smoke levels, and even set timers. They created an app that has thousands of apps that contain settings. You can automatically send those settings to your Traeger so you can grill to your exact specifications.
4) Smart Litter Box – Litter Robot III Open Air with Connect
One of the most commonly hated tasks is cleaning the litter box. This WiFi compatible litter box keeps you updated with notifications. You can even keep track of your cat’s health with statistics about how often your cat is using the litter box. It automatically cleans itself after a cat uses it, making sure there isn’t any unwanted odor. All you have to do is empty the box when it gets full, and it even notifies you when that happens.
5) Smart Trashcan – Genican Trash Can Scanner
Update your trash list in real time as you throw away items. The Genican scans barcodes you throw away and adds them to a grocery list that you can access from your phone. If the item doesn’t have a barcode, you can tell it what you’re throwing away with your voice.
6) Smart Air Quality Monitor – Awair
Awair is a device that can be useful for everyone. If you suffer from allergies or care about the air you are breathing, a smart air quality monitor can benefit you. Awair allows you to get readings of your air from an app. You can monitor temperature, humidity, CO2, chemicals, and dust. Rest assured knowing that the air you are breathing is healthy. You can even connect it to other standard smart home devices like thermostats, fans, and humidifiers.
7) Smart Toothbrush – Kolibree
The Kolibree smart toothbrush is pretty impressive. It tracks your brushing progress as you go. It takes note of how well you brush and any places you might miss. It also reminds you to brush your teeth twice a day, so you never forget. You can turn toothbrushing into a competition with your significant other. They even offer a toothbrush for kids that attempts to make brushing fun.
8) Smart Shower – Evadrop
Now you can start your shower from anywhere. The Evadrop smart shower allows you to set temperature preferences, set timers, and track your water usage. Monitoring usage and trends help the user adjust their habits, so they are getting the most out of their shower. By regulating water flow and setting timers, it saves water and money. This smart shower can even automatically adjust the water flow by sensing what you are doing in the shower. It will raise the water pressure if you are rinsing, and lower it if you are shaving. Just another way to save water.
9) Smart Water Pitcher – Brita Infinity
Believe it or not, there is a water pitcher that connects to WiFi. Yes, you read that right. The pitcher automatically orders a new filter when the old one needs replacing. Welcome to the Internet of Things.
10) Smart Toilet – Kohler Numi
The Kohler Kumi is the revolutionary device that every home needs. This toilet is capable of many different settings that are customizable for specific people. The lid automatically opens, and the seat is always warm. It has automatic flushing, deodorization, and UV cleansing. The bidet has adjustable water pressure and temperature settings. Not to mention it has ambient light and Bluetooth music capability. It even has a foot warmer. I doubt anyone will want to leave this toilet.
We are moving toward an age where everything in our homes will be connected. All working together to create the most efficient version of themselves.
Guest article written by: Josh Matteson is a writer for Lula, an on-demand home services company based in Kansas City.