From keeping us connected to friends and inspiring us to explore the world, to helping us make those coins, technology can make managing daily life simple with smart gadgets that handle, well, everything. One place many people would love to automate is their home. Imagine being able to unlock the door from a phone, walk into the house and have the lights turn on automatically, get a full rundown of your schedule from a virtual assistant or enable a robot vacuum to clean the place from anywhere in the world? Cool right?
For many tech lovers, the allure of creating a smart home is a strong one, filled gadgets galore. But with so many products out there, it’s hard for a beginner enthusiast to know where to begin and what to ask for during the gift-giving season. That’s where we come in! Thankfully for you, #TeamEssence has a few tech junkies of its own, and we’ve rounded up dope gifts that range from affordable starter to must-have splurge so that you can get exactly what they need to make their smart home dreams come true.
01
Apple Homepod
Every smart home needs a hub and the Apple HomePod is a great place to start. Connect all your smart devices to the HomeKit app on your phone and use HomePod to control them all. Not #TeamiPhone? Google and Alexa are both great home hubs as well.
One of the easiest ways to get started in the smart home game is with, you guessed it, light bulbs. From warm whites to billions of bright colors, these bulbs can transform your home. Use the app to schedule on-off, fade, color change and even connect it to HomeKit, Alexa or Google Assistant.
Attach the August Smart Lock to your existing deadbolt on the inside of your door(no need for wiring or new keys), connect to your home's wifi and turn your your door into a smart door that can be controlled with your mobile device. Lock and unlock, give access to family, friends and keep track of it all with ease.
The smaller version of their popular air purifier, the Molekule Air Mini is perfect for the smart home enthusiast that lives in an apartment or cozy home. But don't think for a second that smaller means less powerful. This air purifier packs a punch clearing your air of everything from bacteria, mold and viruses to allergens and pet hair on a molecular level.
Like most of us, chances are your favorite tech junkie spends a lot of time with their television set. That's why this smart television from Vizio makes the perfect gift. Connect the set to their HomePod, Alexa or Google Hub and watch them use their voice to start movie night, change channels or even open their favorite apps.
Now this smart item is definitely a splurge gift, but one they'll be glad you gave them. The Neato Botvac D7 will clean your home with the push of a button in the free app from anywhere there's wifi. Not only can it create a map of your home, but you can schedule it to clean only the areas of your home that need it the most.
