Smart Home Gift Ideas for the Holidays
24 October 2021
As Debbie and I have moved through our home build journey we’ve talked to a lot of people and asked a lot of questions. With the discussions opening opportunities for us to learn more about integrating smart home technology in the design of our home we’ve also fielded a lot of questions about smart home tech.
With the Holidays around the corner and the shopping season upon us, we’ve had a lot of inquiries about smart home — ‘How do we get started?’ How do I …?’ etc. You get the idea. And with all the concern over supply chain and lead times on products — especially where chips are concerned — now may be the time to start crossing items off your gift list.
There are a lot of different options when it comes to a smart home gift. The range of smart products can be overwhelming to navigate, and nearly everything having some sort of integration to consider. The practical person in me says to buy something that solves a problem your giftee has talked about. But a lot of the fun in gift giving is giving something your giftee something fun or that they otherwise might not buy for themselves.
I’m going to take the fun route here as it may be the easier path from a gift giving angle. Let’s look at what makes life easier for the person you’re buying for and also lets them show off a little to curious guests. Let’s also not forget it should be fun and easy to set up. You might even find something you like for yourself!
I’m going to start off with something Debbie and I received as a gift. And something that I wasn’t (at least this early) considering for our smart home.
iRobot Roomba 694
It’s easy to think of robot vacuums as something that has been around for a fair while now, but it’s only in recent years they’ve become more than a gimmick and have come down to a consumer-friendly price. The iRobot Roomba 694 is on many lists of the best robovacs out there and there’s plenty of good reasons for it.
For starters, and this is important when it comes to smart home gifts, it works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This means that most people will already have a good way of controlling it. The Roomba also adapts to specific cleaning habits by paying attention to when the owner likes to clean and suggests schedules when needed. Debbie and I have ours scheduled to vacuum on certain days and when we’re gone so the robot is not under foot while we’re home.
Besides convenience, the 694 also does an impressive job when it comes to cleaning, and it automatically adjusts to the surface it’s on to make sure the cleaning is as deep as it can be.
Philips Hue Light Bulbs
Upgrading the lights in a house might not be the first thing anyone thinks of when they think of a smart home. However, smart lights are one of the most useful purchases anyone can make and, in our case, is a simple, easy and low cost entry into smart home. After all, everyone uses lights nearly every day, so making them “smarter” and more convenient is a no-brainer.
The Phillips Hue light bulbs come in many different variations, and while the ones that can change colors are definitely nice, they can be rather pricey. Instead, we recommend going for the standard white light bulbs for most people because they’re still useful for less. We still use the colored bulbs but generally for Holiday accent color around the house — inside and out.
These bulbs allow your giftee to use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to choose from countless different shades of white light (0–100%). We have ours scheduled and linked to sensors after hours and while we’re away to come on at specific times or by activity. But if your giftee doesn’t have a smart home hub, the bulbs can also be controlled via the Philip Hues app, allowing for easy light control.
Echo Studio
Music is another area that smart home has really enhanced. Smart assistants have made it very simple and convenient to add music to your home for a wide range of needs. I use it in our office while working at times as well as to help the grandkids fall asleep and for gatherings of family and friends.
The Echo Studio features five speakers, all of which are used to produce an incredible depth of sound for those who appreciate good-quality audio. It’s also effortless to use thanks to the Alexa integration.
Better yet, it even senses the acoustics of the room it’s placed in, which means that whoever gets this will always have the best possible sound no matter where they decide to put it.
Plus, the Echo Studio also has a built-in smart home hub, which means it can be used to control other smart home devices — like the iRobot Roomba 694 and Philips Hue light bulbs above. This dual-use is a huge asset for smart homeowners, especially those just starting out.
Arlo Pro 4 Security Camera
While not everyone may think they need security cameras, it doesn’t mean that the cameras won’t offer a little peace of mind regardless of the actual need.
The Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera is a versatile device that boasts a 160-degree wide-angle viewing experience. This camera can capture everything going on around the vicinity. Built-in image correction also makes sure the image is clear by offsetting the fish-eye effect caused by the wide-angle lens.
I set up some Arlo cameras for my parents on the exterior of their home to monitor things like visits from the UPS man and catch animals visiting at night. Besides the obvious security benefits.
After set up, the Arlo Pro 4 can send notifications about vehicles, people and packages to any mobile device. The camera even allows the owner to call a friend, activate a siren or contact emergency services if needed.
It’s a great purchase for anyone wishing for a bit more security around their home — and also for some that don’t think they need it.
Wyze Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are the kind of upgrade everyone should consider in their homes. Having control of lights that aren’t necessarily smart is a great feature that even people not interested in a fully decked-out smart home can get behind.
The Wyze Smart Plugs work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT yet don’t cost as much you’d expect for that level of flexibility. Better yet, they can activate vacation mode if you’re going away to have lights turn on and off between certain, semi-random hours to make it look like someone’s still at home.
If your giftee doesn’t have a smart home hub, the Wyze app for Android, iPhone, and iPad is one of the easiest ones to use around. So even if whoever you’re buying these for isn’t that tech-savvy, they should still be able to benefit from smartening up their plugs.
Eufy Security Doorbell
Even if your giftee isn’t keen on security cameras, having a smart video doorbell can be really helpful. We’ve all had people who come to visit that we’d rather not talk to, and having the ability to see out of the doorbell removes that worry.
The Eufy Security Doorbell has an incredibly clear 2K image along with special HDR and distortion correction technology. Basically, this device produces better imaging than most people can see with their own eyes.
Eufy’s doorbell also has a built-in speaker, which is perfect if a package is at the door. The doorbell camera can also distinguish different shapes, which means it won’t alert anyone if a cat walks around the front door. That’s really important with a smart doorbell, as false alerts can quickly make a video doorbell an annoyance.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
Make it easy for someone to automate their home temperature controls by buying them the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. This is a smart thermostat that works with Amazon Alexa to allow people to simply control the ambient temperature of their home.
The Nest thermostat actually learns from how people like their heating and AC and updates the temperature accordingly. It can be be used to track energy usage as well. And besides the voice assistant control, it can also be managed very easily via the Nest app (iPhone, iPad, or Android). It’s an excellent gift for those looking for flexibility, either home or away while also enjoying the benefits of automation.
Smart Dog Treat Dispenser
This one would definitely go on my fun gift list for the avid pet owner as its just as much for the pets as it is the owners you’re giving it to. The WOpet Dog Treat Dispenser is a smart way to allow people to give their pets treats, either home or away.
It’s always fun to give your dog a treat to encourage the right behavior. This treat dispenser makes it easy for you to do that, home or away. Along with the ability to shoot out treats to keep your dog(s) happy, WOpet’s product also has a great HD camera so the owner can check on their pet and give them a treat in real-time.
Hopefully this wide range of smart home products has not only crossed some things off your list but also generated some thought around other types of smart home gifts — for others or yourself. This post could have gone on for days with the variety of types and depth of products for smart home, these are just some I’ve used, been interested or just thought were fun. One of the great things about smart home is there’s so much open to the imagination and new products are being developed every day.
As for our home build project, the costs for construction materials continued to rise in September, with the selling prices of most materials reaching double-digit gains year-over-year, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Construction materials costs remain out of control despite a decline in some inputs last month. Meanwhile, supply chain issues continue to worsen. Lumber and plywood prices were one of the few categories that got a break, falling 12.3% over the past 12 months after reaching record-highs earlier this year.
Needless to say, we’re still undecided on the start time for our home at this point. At some point we may have to just bite the bullet and move forward. But our preference is not to over-pay for the house initially as this will only have us over-paying in taxes in perpetuity.
Circling back on this post, Debbie and I hope this has helped in your Holiday gift giving. We’d love to hear what you think of these of these suggestions and hear about your additions to the list. Let us know in the comments, DMs and email. Until next week …
In full disclosure, I’m not an affiliate marketer with links to any online retailer on my website. When people read what I’ve written about a particular product and then click on those links and buy something from the retailer, I earn nothing from the retailer. The links are strictly a convenience for my readers.
