If you’re looking for stocking stuffer gift ideas, smart home products have everything you need. First, many of the products are small and affordable. They easily fit into any stocking stuffer besides the fireplace. Second, they are extremely helpful. Many people have yet to experience all the benefits a smart home offers. From voice control to setting up routines, smart homes change the way people interact with technology at home. Let’s look at some smart home ideas as stocking stuffers.
Smart home stocking stuffer ideas
Smart speakers
For anyone new to smart homes, smart speakers make a great gift. With a voice-activated assistant built-in, they set the foundation for learning basic voice commands. Google, Amazon, and Apple all make smart speakers, each with its own wake-up word. All three brands have mini versions that will easily fit into a stocking.
The benefit of smart speakers is hands-free control. Your gift allows someone to find the weather, hear the latest news, or play a podcast. Remember, speaker placement is key so try to think where that person would use it the most. It could be in the bedroom to be used as an alarm clock, or in the kitchen as a cooking timer. Parents can buy it for the kids and place it in the bathroom. Set timers for bath time for young kids, or have teens use it to play music while they shower.
If you’re gifting a smart speaker to someone, it helps to know which type of smartphone they have. It makes sense to keep it in the same ecosystem someone is already in. For example, if they use an Android smartphone, the Google Nest Mini makes a great companion. They can use it to set reminders via voice. Those notifications will then come onto their smartphone. Remember, the bedrock of any smart home is smart speakers. This is why they make great gifts for people starting out.
Smart plugs
If someone already has a smart speaker, smart plugs make the perfect stocking stuffer gift. They are small, affordable, and incredibly handy around the house. Smart plugs fit into existing electrical outlets and any device plugged into it suddenly becomes smart. Users can remotely control devices like heaters and lights with their smartphones. They can also set schedules for when devices turn on and off. This is great for things like the light inside a fish tank.
Smart plugs also work in tandem with smart speakers. With voice commands, anyone can turn devices on and off. This is a perfect gift for morning coffee drinkers who have a smart speaker in their bedroom. Connect a coffee maker to a smart switch and then someone can turn their coffee machine on in bed through a bedside smart speaker. By the time they get to the kitchen, fresh coffee awaits.
Item tracking devices
We all know someone constantly misplacing things like keys and their wallet. In fact, that may be you. Item tracking devices are small, Bluetooth-enabled gadgets that attach to various items. Once paired to a phone, users can easily find missing items like luggage, borrowed tools, or a purse. Some will even emit a sound to help you find them. Using an item tracking device is great for finding the TV remote control in the living room.
Apple AirTag and Tile are two of the leading manufacturers of item tracking devices. Both utilize the network of other users to track items. For example, if you lose your wallet and other Apple or Tile users are near it, the app will notify you of its location. This crowdsourced network helps people locate missing items virtually anywhere in the world.
They make great gifts for frequent travellers. It gives them peace of mind knowing they can track their checked luggage virtually anywhere in the world. Users can even place one with their passport so they never lose it on a trip. In short, item tracking devices ensure nothing important ever goes missing again.
Smart bulbs
Smart lighting is a popular smart home trend. A great stocking stuffer idea is smart bulbs. These are shaped like a traditional incandescent light bulb but they bring an array of smart features. First, they provide multi-colour options. Users can change the colour and brightness with an app on their smartphone. Second, they work with voice commands. By connecting smart lights to a smart speaker, lights can be turned on and off with voice prompts. Third, they can be grouped together. Multiple smart lights can be grouped together and controlled as one.
When choosing smart bulbs, remember that some bulbs require a hub that is connected to the home router. Choose this type of bulb if you’re adding to someone’s existing lighting system. If this is their first smart light, choose smart bulbs with no hub required. They quickly connect to your Wi-Fi network and can replace an existing light.
There are also smart white LED light bulbs to choose from. Unlike the multi-colour lights, these allow users to dial into different white temperatures. These can range from a bright white light to a soft white light that resembles a sunset, making them a great gift idea for people who have sleeping issues. By changing the light to an orange sunset, users can prep their circadian cycle for bed. During the day, they can change it to a bright white to keep them alert, especially during the winter months.
Smart home gadgets make great stocking stuffers
Traditionally, stocking stuffer gifts are practical. They are useful gifts people can use right away. That’s why smart home products make great gifts. They’re available for use anytime someone is home. With a smart speaker, bring voice assistants into the home and set the foundation for a smart home. Smart plugs let people turn lights, heaters and even coffee machines on with their smartphone or voice commands. Finally, smart bulbs let people control the light colour, intensity, and schedules hands-free.
Be sure to read the smart home buying guide and the smart plugs and switches buying guide for more gift ideas available at Best Buy.
