How to make smart gifts for the home

As we make our lists and double check them, no doubt many gifters are considering the wisdom of gifting smart home devices. While smart home devices like smart speakers, smart bulbs, and the like are quite popular and certainly fun to receive, this buying decision is fraught with complexities: which devices make the best gifts, and how do you choose which smart system for the home? home would be. a welcome gift?

How to gift smart home products

Generally speaking, if you choose a smart home gift, you want it to be something that is not only easy to set up but also easy to use. Otherwise, your recipient will constantly come to you with technical support questions throughout the year.

For that reason, we recommend choosing a gift from a trusted major brand. While it’s true that you can save some money on ultra-discounted smart bulbs, for example, the potential aggravation of using an unfamiliar or unsupported app or interface can frustrate the recipient. Brands that are known for making devices that “just work” or offering reliable customer service will mean that if something does go wrong, you won’t be in trouble.

What kinds of smart home devices make the best gifts? Ideally, choose something that works with a wide variety of smart home systems. When it comes to the battle of Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and more, the last thing you want is to pick up an Apple HomeKit-only device and find out that the person you’ve gifted it to can’t use it.

Still not sure what to buy? We’ve picked out some clever gifts that are sure to delight him.

Philips Hue White and Color LED Smart Button Starter Kit

Give the gift of light

Consider giving the Philips Hue Starter Kit to someone who’s itching to jump into the smart home game. This handy kit includes the obligatory hue lighting bridge, which acts as a Wi-Fi controller to bridge the gap between phones and light bulbs. There are also multiple bulbs included in the package, and these easy-to-operate, fully programmable, color-changing bulbs can do a lot to dynamically change any room. Also, the app is easy to use and the system works very well.

Doorbell Video Doorbell 4

Give a welcome gift

Everyone should have a video intercom. Not only are they tremendously convenient for keeping an eye on Amazon deliveries or potential porch hackers, but they also provide an added layer of home security. It’s also great to be able to open the door not only from anywhere in the house, but from anywhere in the world, providing the illusion that someone is always home. There’s also no downside to being able to scare off a salesperson without getting caught up in a conversation.

Amazon smart plug

Turn an everyday device into a smart product

A smart plug can turn almost any everyday appliance, gadget, or gizmo into a smart device instantly. Amazon’s smart plug is one of the simplest and easiest-to-operate options we’ve come across. Once you’re connected to the Alexa app, you can connect anything from a fan to a coffee maker to a space heater and more, then control it with the Alexa app.

Google Nest Hub

A good gift for smart home newbies.

If you’re helping someone start creating a smart home with your gift, it’s a good idea to start with a product that acts as a smart home hub and can interact with and control other smart home devices. From here, they can easily add gadgets and grow with what you’ve planted for them.

The smaller version of Google’s smart speaker with a display also has sleep tracking and detection built in, making it a great bedside or home hub device with a smaller footprint and price.

All-New Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 Release) with Clock | Smart speaker with clock and Alexa | cloud blue

Give the gift of an Alexa smart speaker

This diminutive version of Amazon’s popular Echo speaker uses an LED interface on the front for simple information sharing. The newer version has improved speaker quality and is ideal for any small space where you’d like to add some smarts.

Apple HomePod Mini

Perfect for the people in your life who love Apple products.

Apple’s HomePod is expensive, but the HomePod Mini is a bit more affordable. Best of all, it puts you squarely in the Apple ecosystem, where not all devices work well. But it sounds great, and for an Apple enthusiast, this could be the ideal home hub.

Govee Glide Hexa Pro Light Panels

An unexpected gift for the smart home

There sure is a use case for smart light bulbs. But having some lights that are purely decorative or just for fun is the main reason to give them away. These flat LED wall panel lights mount with a nifty upright bracket that’s easy to remove. They’re controlled with a companion app where you can create dynamic color-changing scenes that resemble everything from the northern lights to the glow of firelight. They also interact with Google or Alexa.

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