It’s easier than you think to turn your home into a smart home. Start with a smart speaker, get familiar with how it works, then add other elements. Smart lighting is usually a good first step, allowing you to control lights from a smartphone app and/or voice commands. From there, you can dive into other useful areas, like smart security (video cameras, doorbells and locks), smart displays, and smart temperature control. The possibilities are endless! Once you get going with a smart home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. And you might find yourself tempted to keep adding more and more to it.
Why smart home technology is worth exploring
Having a smart home is about more than just being able to show off to your friends and family by pressing a button or giving a voice command to make something happen like magic. There are some practical benefits, too.
Convenience: Let the dog walker into the house while you’re at work using a smart lock. Instruct the delivery person to leave the package under the porch chairs. Adjust the lights or temperature from virtually anywhere. A smart home affords loads of convenience.
Energy savings benefits: Having a smart thermostat that auto adjusts the temperature based on ambient temperature or when you’re not home will help save energy in the long run. Being able to do things like turn off lights remotely can do the same.
Security: See who is at the door or get motion alerts to stop thieves or pesky animals from infiltrating your home (and garden!) You can also keep an eye on the house while you’re away on vacation, offering peace-of-mind.
It’s no surprise smart home gear is growing in popularity in Canadian homes. Here, we’re highlighting 5 smart home essentials worth exploring.
1. Smart security: cameras, doorbells & motion alerts
Set up a smart security camera, and/or a smart video doorbell at the front door to see who is there from virtually anywhere. You get peace of mind when you’re at home and while you’re away. Talk to the person at the door, letting a solicitor know you aren’t interested or advising a neighbour that you’re busy and will come by later. Smart cameras and doorbells with motion alerts can inform you when motion is detected within a specific perimeter, like on your driveway or walkway. Cameras, it should be noted, can be set up around the perimeter of the home, too. You might place one on the side of the house to keep a closer eye on a back or side door, or facing the backyard.
Smart security is useful inside the home, too. Keep an eye on the baby while they’re asleep in the nursery, or on pets while you’re at the office. In many cases with both outdoor and indoor cameras, you can view live and past video footage, though some might require a subscription.
Smart video doorbells are becoming massively popular since they combine a security camera with a customizable doorbell. Outdoor cameras, meanwhile, help homeowners feel safer and capture important footage in the event of theft, trespassing, or a missed delivery.
2. Smart door locks for keyless entry
Rather than carry around physical keys, smart door locks allow you to lock and unlock a door right from your phone. This is useful for family members like latchkey kids, but also others, like grandparents, guests, or a babysitter. Those who run rental homes also appreciate the feature. Use remote access to let someone in and lock the door behind them, or lock it remotely if you think you forgot to do so.
With advanced smart door locks, you can grant temporary access codes that only work for a specific period of time, certain times of the day, or for one-time use. Some have biometrics for fingerprint scanning along with PIN pads, even voice control. Lock-out alarms can sound if someone makes too many incorrect code attempts, alerting you of a potential breach. Many smart door locks have fail-safes that allow you to use a physical key in the event of a problem.
3. Digital assistants & smart displays
A smart display operates identically to a smart speaker except for the addition of a screen and the benefits that come with having one. Once set up, use your voice to control other smart devices in the home, like the thermostat, lights, music, and more. Ask about the local traffic or weather. Set reminders, hear (and see) calendar appointments, or queue up a music playlist. You can even conduct video calls or initiate videos, like an instructional video while cooking or a feed from your connected security camera. A smart display is essentially a smart home control hub that serves as a portal into every connected device, with visual feedback. Naturally, smart displays are ideal for the kitchen, home office, or main living area.
4. Smart temperature control
Replace your old thermostat with a smart thermostat that can intelligently adjust heating and cooling on the fly. Over time, they learn your habits and can sense the ambient temperature. When no one is in the house, it will adjust the temperature accordingly. Before you’re likely to be arriving home, it can do the same. Imagine being away on vacation when there’s an unexpected cold front, but you turned the heat down. You can remotely turn the heat back up to avoid frozen pipes or returning to a frigid house. With some models, you can control the temperature from the comfort of your couch using voice commands. Over time, a smart thermostat saves energy and money on electricity bills. Plus, it keeps you comfortably warm and toasty or sufficiently cooled as needed.
5. Smart speakers for entertainment and control
As mentioned, a smart speaker is a great first smart home device. Use it to get familiar with voice or app commands to do things like play music. Ask it about the weather, to play your favourite podcast, hear the news headlines in the morning, and more. Over time, once you buy additional smart devices, link them to the speaker so you can control everything using voice commands through services like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, or all in one app. Set up scenes to say something like, “Alexa, turn on good morning” for the lights to come on, air conditioning to drop a few degrees, and your morning playlist to commence. Or say “Hey Google, turn on good night” for the temperature to drop, lights to go off, and the door to lock and security camera turn on. They’re so small and unobtrusive, not to mention affordable, so you can get one for every room or floor of the home. Some even have intercom capabilities, so add one to the kids’ bedroom as well! Note that there are larger-sized smart speakers, too, that offer the benefits of big, enveloping sound with smart speaker capability.
Quick smart home checklist
Before choosing the products you want, go through this quick checklist. For more detailed information, check out our smart home buying guide.
- Confirm compatibility with your devices. Most work with all major platforms for voice and app control but some might be exclusive. This could include Alexa, Google, and Matter. Make sure the items you buy all work together.
- Look for installation limitations. Some video doorbells are designed to replace existing ones, operating on batteries. Others use wiring that’s there and require more intricate installation. Confirm installation requirements first.
- Check for subscriptions. Some devices require a subscription for things like cloud storage of captured footage from a camera or video doorbell, live views, perimeter set-ups, and more. Verify what’s includes for free and what requires additional fees so you can factor it into the cost.
- Upgrade Wi-Fi if needed. For smart home gear to work, you’ll need a good Wi-Fi connection. If necessary, look into upgrading your router and/or wireless internet.
How to make your home smarter
It’s simple and affordable to make your home smarter. Start with a basic smart speaker. Set it up and get familiar with how it works. Once you have gotten the hang of it, add a few smart lights to the equation. Connect them to the app and smart speaker to control them by voice and the app. Spend some time enjoying the convenience and capabilities.
Then add more, especially when you find great deals. Look at a smart thermostat, smart video doorbell, smart security cameras, and a smart lock. Eventually, you might decide to upgrade to a smart display or add one to the kitchen or living room and relocate the smart speaker. Before you know it, you’ll be tapping a single button or speaking commands to set the mood, trigger devices, and adjust settings. You’ll feel like you have your own personal butler at home.
Check out a wide selection of smart home gear at Best Buy Canada.
