Your house is getting smarter and products that help you with this are becoming more affordable. In this article we look at gadgets that simulate that you are at home, think of doorbells with communication functionality, remote-controlled curtains and automatic pet food bowls.
OptiCam Smart Plug – set of 3
price: € 54.95
www.bol.com
Are you not at home, but do you want to simulate that you are? Then you can turn on a few lights remotely. You can program this set of three plugs to turn on and off at the same time every day, but you can also use your smartphone to turn them on manually. The plugs also work together with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and the IFTTT service. You do not need a base station to use the plug set.
Arlo Pro 3
price: From € 199.00
www.arlo.com/nl
Do you want to know what happens in your house when you are not at home? Then you have to put up a smart security camera. The Arlo Pro 3 is not cheap, but one of the best of its kind. The camera is completely wireless, which means that you can hang it anywhere, both indoors and outdoors. The camera also has two-way audio on board. Handy, because this way you can not only hear what’s happening in the house, you can also communicate remotely with someone in the house. The camera is also equipped with night vision. You need a Netgear Smart Hub to use the camera.
Wyze Cam Pan
price: € 119.95
www.wyze.com
The Cam Pan is an intelligent camera with which you can monitor four fields of vision. You can view images from the camera directly on your smartphone and if you insert an SD card into the camera, you can also view the images remotely. The Pan Cam is for sale in the United States for only 30 dollars, unfortunately the imported model is a lot more expensive in the Netherlands. The Cam Pan records in 1080p and can rotate automatically to record all fields of vision.
Cleverdog Smart Wi-Fi
price: € 39.95
www.cleverdog.online
This camera from Cleverdog offers many functions for the price. You can use the camera during the day and at night and the device can record no less than seven days of footage on an SD card. You do have to buy this extra, incidentally. The fact that the camera can record so much image is because it is not an HD camera. The Cleverdog can only record in a resolution of 720 by 576 pixels. You can view the recorded images on your iPhone or Android device.
Linksys Velop 2-pack
price: € 259.00
www.linksys.com/nl
The Velop routers from Linksys use a mesh network. This means that you install a router with a number of nodes in your house that work together to guarantee you a perfect WiFi signal everywhere in your house. What does this have to do with safety? The nodes are equipped with the special technology Linksys Aware. Because the nodes work together, they detect if someone walks through the WiFi signal. If you have an intruder, the mesh system can give you a notification on your smartphone, all without a camera.
Philips Hue Starter kit E27
price: € 199.95
www.meethue.com
Philips Hue has a lot of products in its range in the field of smart lamps. In the starter kit you will find three E27 lamps, a dimmer and a Philips Hue Bridge. The lamps can communicate wirelessly with the Hue Bridge and you can control it again with your smartphone. The starter kit is available in three different styles: one with warm white lamps, one with warm to cool white lamps and one with white and colored lamps.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
price: € 249.00
www.nest.com
The Nest thermostat is a round device that ensures that you always have a good temperature at home. It is not just a thermostat, because after you have used the device for a week, it knows how hot you usually want it to be at home and it will gradually start working autonomously. It knows how long it takes to heat up your house and can anticipate this. You can operate the thermostat via your smartphone or view how your energy consumption has been in recent times.
Ikea Kadrilj
price: From € 109.00
www.ikea.com/nl
A smart roller blind? Yes, since last year Ikea has two smart curtains in its range: the Kadrilj and the Fyrtur. You can control both curtains with the supplied remote control, so that you can open them without having to get out of bed. If you have an Ikea Trådfri connection hub, you can even control multiple curtains with the Ikea Home app. The roller blinds are available in different sizes, the smallest costs 99.95 euros and measures 60 by 195 centimeters.
Netatmo Intelligent Thermostat
price: € 159.00
www.netatmo.com
A good competitor of the Google Nest thermostat is the intelligent thermostat from Netatmo. This thermostat is almost a hundred euros cheaper and can talk to Apple HomeKit, IFTTT and Homey, among others. But this thermostat is also very useful on its own, through the Auto Adapt function it can automatically determine when it should be switched on. All data can be viewed via an app and you can save up to 25 percent on your energy costs.
iRobot Roomba 980
price: € 615.00
www.irobot.nl
Vacuuming is not the favorite pastime for most people. You’d better leave this to a robot. Moreover, you don’t even have to be home for that. The Roomba 980 can be switched on and off via an app. In this app you can immediately see which surfaces the robot has already cleaned. iRobot not only has robotic vacuum cleaners in its range, you can also leave mops and lawn mowing to a robot.
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Wifi + Bluetooth
price: € 109.00
www.anovaculinary.com
If you don’t feel like cooking after work, switch on the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker remotely with your smartphone. This works on the basis of so-called sous-vide cooking: you put the food to be cooked in a sealed plastic bag and place it in a pan with water. You put the Precision Cooker in the pan and you can determine remotely when it should start heating the water in the pan.
Google Nest Hello
price: € 279.00
www.nest.com
You can use the Google Nest smart doorbell when you are not at home. The device has a camera so that you can see who is at the door when the doorbell rings. You can also play a pre-recorded message or communicate live with the person at the door. If you want, you can even use the Nest Hello as a surveillance camera. The doorbell can record in HD videos and store in the cloud via your home network. For the evenings and nights, the doorbell has a night mode so that you can always see perfectly who is at the door.
Nuki Smart Lock 2.0
price: € 229.00
www.nuki.io
Do you want the door of your house to open without anyone needing a key for this, for example if you sublet part of your house through Airbnb or if you want to temporarily give the cleaner or babysitter access? Then install a Nuki on your door. With the help of an app you determine who gets access to your house. You can also easily go inside without a key, you can leave your smartphone in your pocket. The Nuki also works with the Apple Watch.
Yale ENTR KIT YS-L1 30/35
price: € 299.00
www.yalelock.com
Yale is a well-known brand when it comes to traditional locks. The company has now also entered the smart lock market, the ENTR is a combination of a traditional key lock and a smart lock. You can give all kinds of people access, even if you are not close to your house. Opening the lock is via Bluetooth, so the person who wants to open the door must be close. If the system does not work properly, you can always open the door with an emergency key.
PetSafe Eatwell
price: € 44.69
www.petsafe.net
Are you not at home, but do you have to take care of your pet? Then investing in an automatic feeder might be a good idea. This automatic container can hold up to five meals. One meal can be eaten by your dog or cat, the other meal is hidden. Decide for yourself when the second meal can be given and the bin will turn a little further. A meal can contain up to 230 grams of food.
Motorola MBP-944 Connect Halo
price: € 349.00
www.motorolahome.nl
If you want to have a drink at the neighbors, but you have a baby at home, there are really only two options: arrange a babysitter or purchase a baby monitor. This smart baby monitor from Motorola can be mounted on the box and has a range of 30 meters indoors or 200 meters outdoors. The Halo can project different light shows to reassure your baby and it is even possible to talk to your baby through the built-in speaker.
Z-Com Baby monitor
price: € 36.99
www.bol.com
A baby monitor with WiFi does not have to be expensive, this model from Z-Com proves that. For less than forty euros you have a baby monitor with which you can view your baby via your smartphone. The baby monitor has a range of up to one hundred meters indoors. The camera can detect movements and the camera automatically rotates here. The Z-Com has night vision and can record images in 1080p quality.
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