From the invention of the wheel, to the creation of the light bulb, to the advent of the cellphone—each leap in technology makes our lives easier. Smart home technology is the newest innovation to come along and improve our lives. Now you can check who’s at your door while you’re at work, schedule your lights to match your daily routine, and let friends into your home without having to make extra keys. Best Buy wants your home to be a well-oiled machine that offers convenience, security, and can even help you reduce the energy your home uses. That’s why we’re running this contest: We want to give Canadians a chance to win amazing smart home technology. Read on to find out how (and what!) you might win.
Smart home security
Making your home safer is easier than ever. Consider security cameras. There was a time when installing security cameras required professional help and a hefty fee. Now, however, most people can easily install their own smart home cameras. Options range from battery-powered, light-fixture powered, and AC-powered, so you can match your cameras to their location and desired use.
Smart cameras stream footage over your home’s existing Wi-Fi to the compatible app on your smart phone. Some models even offer the ability to engage in two-way conversation, and most offer real-time movement alerts. This means that no matter where you are, you can keep an eye on your home and be assured that all is well.
Also gone are the days of the unsightly, conspicuous, wired security camera; today’s smart home security cameras are sleek and unobtrusive. But don’t let their diminutive size fool you. Many models, like the Logitech Circle 2, the Nest Cam, and the Arlo Pro 2 can capture an up to 180-degree field of view in 1080p HD resolution and boast night-vision to boot.
And because the cameras are so small, they’re easily portable. You can place them wherever you need. For example, use one to keep a watchful eye on your children as they play outside, or on your new puppy while you are at work. You’ll be able to see when he starts to chew your leather shoes and tell him to stop.
Lighting is another way to improve home security and personal safety. Outdoor smart lighting has the advantage of adding ambiance to a garden, deck, or patio while simultaneously making it safer for you to walk around your home on dark winter nights. Of course, outside lights are a great crime deterrent too! Lights from the Philips Hue line offer you the chance to personalize your lighting indoors and out.
With these easily customizable lights, you can use the app on your phone to select from 16 million colours (yes, you read that right) to create just the vibe you want. Choose orange for an eerie Halloween glow, or go for red and green to add Christmas cheer. The rest of the year, they’re ideal for keeping walkways and paths brightly lit. Blog Editor Shelley recently discussed how big of a difference the Philips Hue outdoor product range can make to your home security and appearance, so head on over to read her article to find out more.
Smart Home Convenience
Have you ever locked yourself out of your house? Or received a sheepish call from your spouse as they shiver outside in the cold? With smart locks, like these ones from August, you can stop leaving a key in a flower pot or under the doormat. The August Smart Lock offers keyless entry through your Bluetooth enabled smart phone. The lock senses when you’re approaching the door, so you don’t need to worry about juggling bags of groceries as you search for your keys. You read that right, the door will unlock as you approach it, automatically! Plus, you can buzz people in from your phone and receive alerts when someone enters or when the door is left ajar. Blog reviewer Erin Lawrence tried out the August Smart Lock for herself, and she found it incredibly easy to install and even better to use. You can see for yourself by reading her review.
If you shop online, say from BestBuy.ca, you will love the security and convenience you get with smart cameras and locks at the entrance to your home. With smart cameras like the Logitech Circle, Arlo Pro 2, and Kuna Toucan, you’ll be alerted to movement and can keep an eye on your packages. The August Smart Lock lets you create a temporary key, so your ever-helpful neighbour can place the packages inside for you.
Smart home convenience isn’t just limited to outdoors either. The Lutron Caseta Dimmer Kit allows you to schedule, adjust, and turn-off your lights remotely from your smart phone. This means that you’re only using power when you really need it, which will reduce energy consumption and cut down on your electricity bill. So not only does smart lighting help you to save money, but it also helps you to do your part for the planet.
Kuna makes the Toucan Smart Sconce Lights that offer all the benefits of smart tech with the style of traditional decor. Smart home lighting is also effective as a security tool, as you can use a lighting schedule to give your home a lived-in look when you’re away for extended periods of time. And since smart lights can be controlled via your smart phone, you can dim the lights for movie night without even having to move the popcorn bowl off your lap.
Smart home compatibility
Most smart home brands, including Lutron, August, Philips Hue, and Nest, work with the Google Home Assistant, giving you hands-free control of your lights, locks, cameras, and more. The Google Home and Google Home Mini are handy helpers in their own right, that can play music, tell you the weather, and more. This article by Shelly gives you great ways for the whole family to enjoy using a Google Home or Alexa unit. Excited yet? The grand prize winner will receive a Google Home Mini of their own. But fear not; If you don’t have one already, you can get your own from Best Buy, or shop our selection of other voice assistants and accessories.
HOW TO ENTER
In a comment below, please tell us which of these three smart home benefits is the most important to you: convenience; security; or energy savings. Also tell us which product would most help you to achieve this benefit.
I personally enjoy the convenience aspect of smart home technology and would want the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect as I come from a long line of folks who forget their house keys, and it’s apparently an inheritable trait.
WHAT YOU CAN WIN
We will randomly draw four winners. One person will win the grand prize, one person will win the second prize, one person will win the third prize, and one person will win the fourth prize. The prizes are shown here (and also in the Rules and Regulations posted below).
| Grand Prize | 2nd Prize |
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| 3rd Prize | 4th Prize |
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This contest runs from October 19th until November 2nd.
Remember, you can only enter once. However, you probably know someone who would love to add some incredible smart products to their home, so please share this contest so that they too can have a chance to win one of these prizes.
Enter for a chance to win a Smart Home Prize Package Rules and Regulations
Good Luck.
| We frequently have many contests running at Best Buy, so check out the “contests in progress” page for more great contests to enter. |
Nest Temperature Sensor
Considering all the break-ins, home invasions and thefts in the area (we live near the city that has the highest crime rate in Canada per capita), the Smart home security would definitely be the most beneficial for us.
I forgot to add: NETGEAR Arlo Pro 2 Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Security System with 2 1080p HD Camera
Security is a top priority for me. I want to know my house is safe whether I’m in it or not.
We already have a Google Home Mini and we would not mind getting another one. Kids love to play with it/him/her (?).
Security is important for me. So the smart lock pro would be nice so I can make sure that I didn’t forget to lock the doors! Thanks best buy!
I would put convenience at the top of my list, but security and energy savings are close seconds!
Security is most important for me and any one of these: the Logitech Circle 2, the Nest Cam, and the Arlo Pro 2 would give me peace of mind! Thank you
Convenience would be great for me as I had a stroke a week before moving into our new home. Not having to waste limited energy or rely on my girlfriend to do things for me would be incredibly helpful for my independence.
Convenience is definitely most important to me! I love my google home and think that having a The Lutron Caseta dimmer kit would make “oops I forgot to turn off the lights…again” go from my normal morning thought to something I can do from work! I already love my google home and look for any excuse to add new devices that work well with it.
I think security would be the most important to me. we are often away from home for periods of time so this would allow us to check in on who might be in our yard while we are not there.
I forgot to add that the Arlo pro 2 would probably help with our security issue.
Having a 2 year old and my wife at the house, while I’m at work, security is always the highest priority for me. I understand the features the new security cameras now have allow me to monitor the house to ensure they are safe. Energy efficiency also helps lighten the load on the wallet :).
The August smart lock. I’m always scared I didn’t lock the door properly whenever I leave my house and i’m scared that my pets will run away 🙁
My wife and I had our first child this year and we bought our first home. Convinence is important and the August smart lock pro + connect would be helpful when trying to get groceries or (many) boxes of ready to assemble furniture into the new house while also carrying a baby. I already have a google mini in the nursery and it is very convenient to turn the lights on low and play something soothing during the (many) middle of the night changings and feedings. That being said security and energy efficiency are also of paramount importance to my family at this stage.
Convenience is the biggest thing for me. With a newborn at home, Google home minis have made things much simpler. Anything I’m able to do handsfree is a major help with a newborn.
Security is important to me and I would like the NETGEAR Arlo Pro 2 Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Security System with 2 1080p HD Cameras to feel safer in my home.
I like it for the convenience. The august smart lock would allow me to allow visitors in without needing to provide them with a key.
Security is most important for me and the Logitech Circle 2 Wired Indoor/Outdoor Camera would be a solution.
Smart home security is the most important to me,
For me it’s the convenience of the Google home mini that lets me control all the smart home tech.
Logitech Circle 2 cameras for safety and security
Security for me. Would love a smart door bell and lock!
While all three are important attribute for a smart home device.I think right now security is top of my list. Knowing all is safe at home is number #1 priority to me!
Energy savings is the most important for me, however I take in account the convenience because it saves you time and efforts, In regards to wifi lighting and automatic door lock as the August, I own one August and it’s really convenient, I can manage how enters my home also I can give to my relatives a virtual key in case they need to enter my home, for the next would be lights, it’s convenient have the control of all lights in one command but, at the end the most important is the energy savings, smart thermostat as the ecobee and nest are great, as well the smart thermostat for the water heater will let you manage the power more efficiently.
For me all those three are importnt, but the most important would be convenience. Makes life easier.
would love the Logitech Circle 2 cameras can be installed indoors and out to improve home security.
I’ve got some aspects of convenience and energy savings in my home already, so security would be top of the list for me. I’d love to try out the Arlo or Logitech cameras.
Security and convenience is a very important feature in anyone home.
Energy savings are most important to me. If I can save a couple bucks while having minimizing impact on another Earth, that’s a good thing!
smart home technology is still a developing technology with very vast unlimited potential. People who enjoy there privacy more, have to be catious about the possibity of a breach in any off these devices. But it all depends on how each and everyone uses these devices.
I really love the energy conserving aspect of these devices and security. But more than everthing else i would love people to be very catious about there wi fi connection and stay updated on all the new safty measures on the wifi router.
I personally love the convince aspects, especially since I spend alot of time automating things and make them even more convenient.
For me it’s Smart Home Convenience. To be able to turn lights on/off and lock/unlock my front door with my devices would save me from getting up or turning around from my drive to work when I forget to do something. It would also help for Smart home security with not having to worry about my house when I’m not home. Smart devices make life so much easier, I’d have my house wired from top to bottom if I had the money.
WOW! what a great addition this would make to my house.
Security is the biggest seller for me with energy saving a close second.
I think the smart locks would be great! With my kids always running around the neighbors with their friends it would be great to have a lock I can handle remotely in the event I was ever stuck in traffic after school and wasn’t there to meet them at the bus, or if they beat me home after playing at a friend’s house.
But honestly, all these products sound awesome!
Security, convenience, and energy savings are all great. I think the August smart lock Pro + Connect would check off both security and convenience off my list!
All of these products would work seemlessly to secure a house. Cameras would work has a deterrent not to mention instance notification when someone is the proximity. Smart locks will take away the hassles of finding keys when hands are full of groceries and lights to alert othets that house is never vacant not to mention the sensors. They can all work together to make a safer home.
The august lock and cameras. Safety for my family and the lock would allow my little ones to get in easier. I remember being locked out as a child. I certainly learned how to open a window to get in. If prefer my kids didn’t need to do it.
Security is the most important feature.
The Logitech Circle 2 would help monitoring activities and feeling safe wherever I am.
Security is the best feature for us. The Logitech Circle 2 Wi-Fi Indoor/Outdoor Wire-Free 1080p IP Camera would help with that significantly.
The amount if ordering I do for clients online. It would be awesome to have the doorbell so that I know when all my packages arrive and be able to drop the package inside my home.
People love to steal in my area. It would save me so much headache.
The luxury of being able to lock my house from my bedroom if I forgot to with some smart locks
I love Philips hue products for convenience and the idea of being able to control your houshold from virtually anywhere.
I like the Kuna Toucan outdoor security camera for safety reasons so we don’t have to open the door to strangers.
I just bought the car of my dreams! I really want to win a outdoor camera to make sure my baby is OK 24h/24h.
Definitely most important security. Knowing what is happening any given time is priceless. Convenience a close second, being able to be welcomed home with the lights you need, your door unlocked, etcetera.
The smart lock would be a great addition to my home together with alarm system and video doorbell. Probably if I need to pick one, August smart lock.
It would have to be energy. Being able to turn heat/cool on when i am leaving work saves money in the long run. Casetta wireless
It would have to be energy. Being able to turn heat/cool on when i am leaving work saves money in the long run.
I personally enjoy the security aspect of smart home technology and I would want the August smart lock Pro + Connect. Mainly because our children often forget to lock the house when they’re the last to leave, and my wife and I often get that feeling of, “Uh oh, is the house locked?” when the family is out and about.
Convenience, I like the ease of use and how it facilitates our life.
security need to know what goes on when I am not home
Security would be most important to me. When my partner is away for business trips, I am often left home alone. Knowing that my house is secured and safe, would give me more peace of mind. The Logitech Circle 2 Wi-Fi Indoor/Outdoor Wire-Free 1080p IP Camera would be a beneficial way to ensure that the inside and outside of my house is secured.
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