Things to consider before buying smart home appliances
Before you have a smart home, you need to make smart decisions and the information below will help you do that.
25/02/2020
A smart home can make your life easier, let you avoid stress, and decrease energy use. Having gadgets everywhere might sound a little bit futuristic at the start, but it is perfectly within your reach! Although it’s certainly nice to be surrounded by technology, you shouldn’t just buy whatever you like. Before you have a smart home, you need to make smart decisions. Information from below will help you do that.
Smart appliance - what is it?
It is a device that you can connect to your smartphone using WiFi, in order to have remote control and gain more information about its efficiency. These appliances are more than just functional - except their essential functions, they will inform you whenever something is wrong and do some things on their own, without your intervention, if you programmed them this way. It’s a big convenience to have smart devices. For example, you won’t have to worry about choosing the right program for your washing machine anymore - it will analyze and select the best one for you. And you’ll have more time for yourself.
Get a “brain” first
The most common mistake that people make is buying too many smart devices and using only half of their potential. That’s why the very first thing you should purchase is a smart speaker that will allow you to give commands using voice. Such speakers used to be very expensive, but together with their popularity increase, the price decreased significantly. Right now, you can get the best devices, for example, Google Home or Alexa, for less than $99. Now that you have it, you can start looking for appliances that are compatible with it. There are Smart Home Compatibility Charts that allow you to check which devices are worth buying when you have a particular smart speaker.
Price
Due to their increased functionality, smart appliances cost more on average. It’s understandable, but once you get used to the convenience that they provide, you won’t imagine your life without them. And you’ll likely want to purchase more and more of them. Then it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying gadgets, which are not going to be useful for you. You could use websites like BestBudget.com that will help you make more informed decisions. Because of that, you’ll spend your money more efficiently.
Benefits of having smart devices
Different devices have different functions. Before you buy any of them, make sure to think about how they can benefit you and is it worth the money. For example, let’s take a look at smart lighting. The initial cost of light bulbs will be much higher, but having a smart lighting system benefits you in so many ways, that it’s very worth it. First of all, you’ll be able to save on energy bills. It, of course, depends on the technology that you currently use, but undoubtedly, you’ll pay less.
The best-LED light bulbs are super durable - they can last up to 50,000 hours. It means you won’t have to change them for about 10 years. On top of that, it’s so comfortable to have them. If you take a nap during the day and wake up late, you might be too lazy to get up and switch the light off. With a smart lighting system, you won’t have that problem anymore - the only thing you need to do is give a voice command, and that’s it. You can be sure that you’ll use such a feature very often. And in this case, it’s safe to say that investment was worth the money you spent.
On the other hand, you can have a smart oven, but not really use it frequently. Obviously, it’s very convenient to have an oven that you can operate by using your voice, but will you really need it if you are cooking twice per month? It’s a nice gadget, and all your friends and family members will be amused when they see how it works, but remember, not to make smart purchases, when you know that you won’t use them frequently. In such a case, it’s simply throwing money down the drain.
What should you be aware of?
According to estimations, by 2023, the cost of smart devices will drop significantly. This trend will likely be valid in the future as well, so devices that are currently considered as a premium may be more affordable.
Another crucial issue concerns safety. All your smart gadgets are connected to your WiFi. That’s why you should make sure to make a unique connection name, so you don’t give away information about your router type. Hackers know about particular router types weaknesses, so don’t make the job easier for them. Also, set a unique password, preferably with special character, so that your password isn’t easy to break.
Make sure to consider all these things before buying your smart home appliances. It will save you a lot of time and helps you choose the devices that will benefit you the most.