Trying to pick between all these Smart-Home accessories can give anyone a headache, and researching every product just takes up too much time. I’ve made a list for those of you who are just starting to add Smart-Home accessories, such as Wi-Fi Cameras, Keyboard, Smart Lights, Doorbell and Smart Hubs. Here are some of the Smart-Home accessories you should own.
D-Link Mini HD Wi-Fi Camera
If you are looking for a small but effective Wi-Fi camera. The D-LinkMini HD Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-8000LH) is a perfect buy. The D-Link mini can fit anywhere in the house without standing out, thanks to convenient size and design, your Wi-Fi camera will look like you just added a new piece of decor to your house. The DCS-8000LH has a built-in IR LED, this will allow for 16 feet of night vision, when your house is in total darkness. The HD 720p video, with a 120 degree wide-angle lens, will let you see everything that’s going on in clear view.
Keep tabs on your home while you’re away, with the mydlink Lite app—the app is available for Android and iOS. While using the app, you have the option to switch from day mode, to night mode. You also have the ability to record you live footage, as well as take a picture from the app. The app also offers Sound and motion sensors, so when any loud noise, or moments happen in the house, you will receive push notifications to your smart device. Setup is quick and simple via Bluetooth.
Price: $59.99
Logitech Craft Keyboard
No home is complete until you own a Bluetooth keyboard—but not just any keyboard. The Logitech CRAFT keyboard. Logitech CRAFT is Logitech’s newest flagship computer keyboard, their new keyboard gives you access to app-specific computing tools, all of this with just a twist of a dail, better know as the Crown.
The Crown makes life easy, it takes away from constantly having to navigate through tons of applications. You can now eat the apps you use the most with just a turn of the dail. The Crown also works perfectly with, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro. In Windows and in macOS, you can adjust brightness in Adobe Photoshop CC. For Windows users you can enlarge text in Microsoft PowerPoint, and for those of you, who use Microsoft Excel—you now can instantly create charts, as well as adjust the volume of your computer. You can Install profiles from Logitech Options software allowing you to pick the apps you use the most.
The Bluetooth powered keyboard can connect up to three different devices. On the top of the CRAFT, you will see 1,2,3 buttons, these buttons are where you will be able to program the devices you want to use, allowing you to switch between three different without any problems—you can even use the CRAFT on the iPad Pro.
Logitech’s CRAFT’s backlighting turns on as soon as your hands come close to it, the keys also adjust its brightness, so if you have the light on, the backlight will dim down, once It gets a little darker in the house, the keys will have a nice bright glow.
With the Logitech’s CRAFT lasting a week without charging, offering consumers a well crafted keyboard, that gives you amazing precision—this elegant Bluetooth keyboard is a must have addition to your Smart Home.
Price: $199.99
The Ring Video Doorbell 2
Ever wonder why you keep receiving packages that are damage? Or, wanting to know who’s ringing your doorbell, without having to stop what you’re doing to check? Well, now you don’t have to. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 always you to see everything that’s happening in front of your house, without having to get up.
You can watch everything that happens in the front of your home in 1080HD video—you can see who’s at your front door, as well as hear and speak to them. The smart doorbell offers consumers, Infrared night vision, live view on demand with video and audio, adjustable motion sensors and of course, 1080HD wide-angle video. Setup is pretty quick and easy, you will have everything you need in the box to setup the Video Doorbell 2, yourself.
Keeping tabs on who come in and out the house while you’re away is easy, just download the app which is availed for iOS, Android, Windows 10, and Mac. Through the app—you can get instant alerts, thanks to the motion sensors, that you can adjust to your liking. You’ll never have to worry about battery-life, you will receive an extra rechargeable battery pack.
With The Ring Video Doorbell 2 allowing you to answer your door, with the two-way talk feature, weather-resistant, quick release battery pack and controlling everything through your mobile device, you’ll never have to answer, or deal with an unwanted guest.
Price: $199.00
Harmony Hub
Now you can get rid of all those controllers you have, with Logitech’s Harmony Hub you can now control all your smart home devices in one place. The Hub works with over 270,000 entertainment and smart home devices, you can set activities to fit your lifestyle.
The Harmony Hub can control your TV, Cable, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nvidia Shield, Media players, Lights and so much more. The best feature of the Harmony Hub, being able to work with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, so if you don’t have your mobile device by you, or your hands are full—you now can just say what needs to go on, or off and the request will be done.
Don’t feel like turning everything off one-by-one, you don’t have to. With activities, you can setup one that will turn off everything in a particular room. For instance, going to bed, and want to turn everything off, just make an activity, “Going To Bed” and Alexa, or Google Home will turn everything off. Logitech’s Harmony Hub makes life a little easier.
Price: $90.00
Philips Hue
The Philips Hue lighting system give you a ton of options, you wouldn’t be able to do with your normal lighting system. The Hue works with indoor lighting, as well as outdoor lighting, you can choose from Hue lightstrip, and Hue White and Color lights. In order to set up your lights, you must get the their Smart wireless hub called: The Bridge.
The Bridge is the brains of the whole set up. You will connect it to your Wi-Fi router, once the Bridge is up and running you can plug in the light strips, or install the light bulbs. Download the Hue app for your iOS or Android device, this will allow you to set up Daily Routines, Scenes, Home or away which lets you set a timer for your lights to go on, that way it looks like you’re at home, when you’re not. The Hue is also voice controlled, just link your Bridge to Amazon’s Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, The Google Assistant and many more.
The Hue Starter Kit: $99.99
