Smart homes are not a thing of the future; they're happening now! Here’s how to get your house all rigged up with the best smart devices.
A smart home is a happy home. At least, we’d like to think that. After all, there’s no better complement to a revamped interior than smart home devices that’ll make your life easier. As you’re touring furniture stores for the latest interior decor picks, indulge in some tech shopping with these amazing finds!
Best smart home devices in Singapore
igloohome Smart Mortise 2+
Take convenience to the next level with a smart keyless solution from igloohome. The Smart Mortise 2+ works together with the igloohome app to allow you to unlock your doors without a key, or grant access remotely when you have a visitor. You can even customise the type of access (and the duration) for each visitor for security purposes. Unlock your doors with an access mode of your choice: choose from fingerprint authentication, PIN codes, bluetooth keys and RFID credentials, whichever works best for you. Plus, you can monitor activity logs and battery status from the app. No Wi-Fi? No worries, the Smart Mortise 2+ works even while offline, so you don’t have to fret about unstable connections!
igloohome Smart Mortise 2+, $729, available online
Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor
Worried about your pets clawing at the windows or the kiddos stealing snacks from the cupboards? For all these and more, the Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor can detect movement related to the opening and closing of panels around your home. Link it up to your SmartThings app and it’ll notify you on the go if anything is amiss.
Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor, available at multiple stores including Courts, Best Denki and Challenger
Google Nest Mini
Created to fit seamlessly into your home both aesthetically (the Mini comes in three versatile colours: chalk, charcoal and coral, while the Google Home stands pretty with a fabric base) and as a unit, the Google Home is a delightful addition to any household. No really, we don’t just throw the word ‘delightful’ around. It’s a fully voice-activated speaker and you can make it perform various tasks including reading the news, playing music on Spotify, creating reminders, scheduling events and setting alarms. Set it to ‘Singapore English’ and you’ll find Google Assistant adding in local colloquialisms: cue the cool party tricks.
Google Nest Mini, from $79, available online
Bosch Smart Free-standing fridge-freezer
Bosch’s stainless steel fridge comes with smart connectivity that lets you access functions on-the-go. Its Serie 6 Free-standing fridge-freezer can be connected to the Bosch Home Connect app that takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping. See exactly what’s in your fridge thanks to the integrated cameras within!
Bosch Serie 6 Free-standing fridge-freezer, $2,199, available online
Sonos Play 1
If you love tech and you’re a major audiophile, picking a smart home speaker might get a bit frustrating. If a full-bodied sound is something important to you, Sonos Play 1 is a great-sounding device that incorporates the Alexa speaker with the audio expertise of Sonos. You’ll hear that Whitney Houston track in its full glory, don’t worry, but you get to request it just with a voice command.
Sonos Play 1, from $289, available online
Philips Hue smart lighting
Lighting is a big part of what makes a house a home – and Philips helps to make it a little smarter with its range of smart LED lights that offer a mix of colours and effects you can control remotely. Plus point: LEDs last much longer than other types of lights and consume less energy, too. Philips Hue lights also integrate well with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and other smart home platforms, so you can use voice activation to change the lights. Each starter kit comes with a bridge that allows you to use more of the fun features in the Hue app like lighting scenes and third-party ones.
Philips Hue Smart lighting, from $29 for a single bulb on Lazada
TP-Link smart plugs
We’ll let you in on a secret. You can actually make any device ‘smart’ without forking more money. Plus, it’s real simple and inexpensive. With the TP-Link HS105 plug, you can control power from your smartphone wherever you are. The app lets you create a schedule to switch the plug on and off, and has an ‘Away’ mode that will turn your devices on to make it look like you’re home. It can also be linked to other smart home devices such as Alexa and Google Home to voice activate even more gadgets. The possibilities are endless in this smart world!
TP-Link smart plugs, from $19.90 at Harvey Norman
Instant Pot Smart
Wondering why everyone’s talking about Instant Pot? It’s a pressure cooker, rice cooker and slow cooker… basically the ultimate cooking machine in the kitchen (it sautes and simmers, too). This item also has Bluetooth and its very own app where you can monitor the progress of your cooking or even start (and stop) a new cycle from your phone. Check out the app’s recipe database, select the one you want, and it will automatically send the preferred settings to your cooker. The best part? Its results are actually pretty legit.
Instant Pot, from $239 on Lazada
August DoorSense smart lock
Keys? So over it. What you need is a smart lock, arguably the most important part of a truly connected home. Opening and locking doors by voice activation is no longer a thing of the future. The August DoorSense lets you do all that and allows you to double-check whether you remembered to lock your door so you can put your mind at ease. It also comes with August’s internet bridge, Connect, where you can get doors to unlock for you automatically when you’re near home. No more rummaging for keys in your oversized bag…
August DoorSense, from $358, available online at Opulence
