With the holiday season in full swing, it's time to start thinking about that perfect gift for friends and family.
Smart home devices make great gifts for everyone, and for those that may not be tech savvy you can give the added gift of your assistance setting it up.
From smart lightbulbs to GPS tracking dog collars, below we highlight 12 of our favorite smart home devices of 2021. Let's get started!
#1: Lutron Caseta Smart Light Switch
When most people picture smart lighting, they think of light bulbs and LED strip lights. But there are a dizzying variety of smart lighting products on the market. Including the Lutron Caseta Smart Switch, one of our top gifts of 2021.
Lutron Caseta’s light smart switches and dimmers allow you to “smarten up” your existing lights by adding wireless controls. You'll be able to control your lights remotely, automate activation, use voice assistants from Google, Apple, and Amazon, and plenty more.
Installation is also a cinch. While smart switches need to be hardwired into your home’s wiring, Lutron Caseta doesn’t require a neutral wire, which makes it an ideal option for older homes and buildings.
#2: August Smart Locks
If you have a friend or family member who’s constantly losing their keys or getting locked out of their home, the August Smart Lock could be their perfect gift.
It’s versatile, powerful, easy to install (it fits over most regular deadbolts), and allows you to access your lock from anywhere in the world.
No more hiding a key under the doormat and hoping it doesn’t get into the wrong hands. With the August Smart Lock, you can track front door activity, grant guest access via digital keys, and, of course, remotely lock and unlock your door with the companion app.
#3: Philips Hue Lights
Smart lights have become increasingly popular in recent years, but none so much as the ones from Philips Hue.
Known for their dependability, ease of use, and vast array of colors (we’re talking more than 16 million options!), Philips Hue’s smart bulbs are compatible with most standard-sized light fixtures and can be controlled via smartphone app or smart speaker.
They’re also packed with unique features. You can sync your lights with movies, TV shows, and music, schedule your lights to brighten in the morning or darken in the evening, and even scan a photo from your phone’s library to recreate the lighting conditions.
#4: Lifx Smart Bulbs
Since we’re already on the topic of smart light bulbs, we should also mention Lifx.
While you need to install a Hue Bridge in order to control your Philips Hue lights remotely, Lifx bulbs connect directly to Wi-Fi in your home without a bridge. This all-in-one functionality simplifies the setup process and makes them ultra-versatile.
Lifx bulbs are also capable of producing billions of colors, so whether you're looking to create a mellow or high-intensity vibe in your home, Lifx can help you achieve it.
#5: Notion Smart Starter Kit
Looking for a gift that keeps on giving? Then you may want to look into buying a Notion Sensor Starter Kit.
What’s great about Notion’s multifunctional sensors is that they can be used to monitor multiple things at once, from water leaks to temperature changes, sounding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, opening and closing doors, and more.
Plus, with Notion’s handy smartphone app, if anything is detected, you’ll immediately receive a notification so you can take the appropriate action.
Another benefit is that Notion’s sensors are super easy to install! All you have to do is download the app, plug in your Notion bridge, and peel-and-stick the sensors onto various surfaces in your property, like doors, cabinets, and near smoke alarms (here’s some inspiration for how you can use Notion).
And, if you want another layer of security, you can upgrade your system to Notion PRO. Get additional notifications: push notifications, group texts, and phone calls so you don’t have to miss a notification while you're traveling, sleeping or just busy.
Once you’re set-up, you can stay connected to your home no matter where you are. Plus, Notion's Cyber Week starts on November 29th so you can give your friends and family the gift of peace of mind this year at a fraction of the cost!
#6: Whistle Smart Dog Collar
From treat-tossing dog cameras to self-cleaning litter boxes, the smart pet product industry is growing rapidly. But when it comes to smart collars, nothing beats Whistle.
The brand's newest model is the Whistle Switch smart collar, which not only allows you to track your dog or cat’s GPS location and receive smartphone alerts when they leave a designated safe area, but also lets you monitor their health, set fitness goals, and more.
Insights from the Whistle Switch smart collar empower owners to take action to help their pets live happier lives. Whistle allows pet owners to communicate with and understand their pets without having to take them to the vet.
#7: Ecobee Smart Thermostat
By definition, a smart thermostat is any thermostat that you can control via an internet-connected device, like a speaker or smartphone. But the Ecobee’s line of smart thermostats offer so much more than this.
It’s packed with useful features, like the ability to learn your habits and automatically adjust to eco-friendly temperatures, identify problems with your ducting or HVAC system, track energy usage, and more.
When you consider that heating and cooling costs make up nearly 50 percent of your energy bill, a smart thermostat like Ecobee could save you a big chunk of change.
#8: Wemo Smart Plug
A smart plug is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to transform ordinary appliances, lighting, and other electronics into smartphone-controlled smart home devices. This alone makes smart plugs a wonderful and highly-versatile gift.
If you’re looking for a recommendation, we have to go with the Wemo Smart Plug.
There's no need for an expensive hub or a subscription to use Wemo – the Wemo companion app and Wi-Fi chip inside the plug are all you need. Plus, Wemo is compatible with a ton of other devices, like Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, Nest, and much, much more.
#9: Rachio Smart Sprinklers
Gardeners rejoice! If you’ve ever worried about your lawn’s health while you’re away on vacation, you should check out Rachio’s Smart Sprinkler Controller – it’s a smart device that acts as your own watering assistant.
Once installed, you can connect the controller to your home Wi-Fi using the Rachio app and control your watering schedule from anywhere in the world! You can start, stop, pause, or skip individual zones, and even create a custom watering schedule.
The device can even use local weather data to determine exactly how much water your yard needs.
#10: Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera
With dozens of unique and powerful products, Arlo is one of the biggest names in home security. But one of our favorites? The recently released Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera.
With a long-lasting battery (no hardwiring necessary!), a sharp HD video feed, and flexible, easy-to-install mounting hardware that works with Apple, Google, and Amazon voice assistants, the Arlo Pro 3 is a superb gift for any security-minded friend or family member.
#11: Dyson Air Purifier
Air purifiers are all the rage these days – and when it comes to indoor air quality, the Dyson Pure Humidify+Cool Air Purifier is lightyears ahead of the competition.
Unlike most other purifiers on the market, the Pure Humidify+Cool Air Purifier is actually three devices in one: it can purify (capturing 99.7% of air pollutants), humidify (it will actually figure out the best humidity level for your home by drawing on local weather data), and cool your home all at the same time.
But best of all, you can connect the Pure Humidify+Cool Air Purifier to your smartphone to track your home’s indoor air quality in real-time.
#12: Snoo Smart Sleeper
As a new parent, there’s nothing more relieving than finding a product that can help your baby fall asleep faster (and stay asleep longer). And that’s exactly what the SNOO Smart Sleeper promises. Created by pediatrician and author Dr. Harvey Karp, SNOO is a responsive baby bassinet that uses rhythms, sounds, and motions to soothe fussy newborns and create a “womb-like” environment.
All parents have to do is tuck their baby in with the built-in swaddle, and SNOO will do the rest. When it senses that your newborn is crying instead of sleeping, it will automatically start cycling through a series of white noise sounds and gentle rocking motions until they calm down.
If it fails to soothe your baby within a few minutes, it will send an alert via a smartphone app so you can step in for a feeding or diaper change.
That’s all for now! We hope this gift guide gives you all the inspiration you need for the smart device lovers on your list.
