Holiday Gift Guide for Smart Home Devices

Getting that perfect gift for friends and family is a challenge. If you’re at a loss for what gifts to buy this holiday season, we’re here to help. As Southlake, Texas’ smart home automation experts, we stay on top of the latest trends in tech devices. This gift buying guide covers the best smart tech for both current smart home owners and people considering upgrading their homes.

For Current Smart Home Owners

If the person you’re trying to buy for already has a smart home, then they’ve probably already got a full set of gadgets and controls for every room. But don’t fret! Unless their smart home system was installed very recently, there’s one component they probably don’t have yet: voice control. Amazon Echo and Echo Dot are small devices that are easy to add to existing smart home systems, allowing you to control your home using just your voice!

In addition to asking Alexa’s normal capabilities, you can use the voice-controlled interface to initiate different smart home “scenes” that have saved settings for the best lighting, music, temperature, etc. for any given activity. For example, as you leave home each morning, just say “Alexa, turn on ‘Away.’” In response, your home’s lights will turn off, the shades will close, the music will stop, and your smart security system will lock the doors and turn on the alarm.

SEE ALSO: Explore What It Means to Live with Smart Home Automation

For Homeowners Just Getting Started

As wonderful as a full smart home automation system is, you don’t need all the bells and whistles right off the bat. To help friends and family dip their toes into the convenience and comfort that smart technology has to offer, consider getting an individual device that works great on its own but can also become part of a full automation system in the future. In addition to Amazon Echo, here are some other great devices:

• Nest Thermostat: The Nest Learning Thermostat helps save energy while also adding a lot of convenience to daily life. It allows you to control your home’s temperature from your smartphone so you can limit your heater’s use during the day and never have to walk into a chilly house after a long day away.
• Sonos: Sonos is quickly becoming the biggest name in home music systems. They do music right—no complicated programming, songs that are interrupted by a phone call, or speakers that refuse to sync up with each other. Instead, you get high-fidelity sound with just the right acoustics in every room of your home.
• Apple TV or Google Chromecast: To be able to stream shows and movies on your TV, you don’t have to throw out your current model and buy a new smart TV. For the loved ones in your life who haven’t upgraded to the latest 4K smart TV, consider getting them a device that converts their existing television into a smart one! For Mac lovers, consider an Apple TV. If Android is more their style, a Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV might be a better fit.

If you really want to make a big splash with this year’s gift, go beyond the few basic devices and create a full smart home solution. With the right technology, you can control everything from the window shades to the TVs to the security system using just your phone or tablet! Let us help design the perfect Christmas present for your family. Click here to contact us  and get started.