Smart home gadgets are increasing in popularity, ease of use and quickness of setup. What many people may not initially realize is that smart home gadgets are not just for indoor use anymore. While indoor gadgets like thermostats are still a great idea, your outdoor areas can now become an important part of your smart home. From security devices to keep you and your family safe to gadgets that can help you maximize your space and fun, outdoor gadgets are a smart investment.
Sprinkler Controller
If you have or are considering an irrigation system for your lawn, a smart sprinkler is a clear choice. Just like smart thermostats can give you precise control of your HVAC system from anywhere, so a smart sprinkler system will provide for your irrigation controls. Gone are the days of your sprinklers spraying water while mother nature also rains down. App control, auto-scheduling and up-to-the-minute weather alerts will give you full control of your system, saving you time and money, according to Skydrop. Additionally, some smart sprinklers can be advanced enough to give you water metrics, root depth on your grass, predictive analysis and more.
Porch Camera
According to Safety.com, outdoor cameras are built to withstand the elements and permit you to communicate with people at your door. Whether an overhead angle smart cam or a smart doorbell cam, these devices can help enhance your home security in a big way. Many smart cameras and doorbells will allow you to get real-time visuals on your porch and front door area and even allow you to talk with someone on the outside, regardless of where you happen to be. Additionally, these cameras can usually be hooked up to some type of digital storage, allowing you to view or review footage in the case of a problem or accident. Itโs even possible that installing security features such as a smart camera system could reduce your home insurance rates.
Smart Grill
Digital appliances are a hot commodity for cooking inside your home, and now they can also be found outside with smart grills. Now your phone joins tongs as an essential grilling tool, as you can fire up your app to help you cook and barbecue perfect. Available in a wide variety of grills and smokers for a range of price points, the smart grill can revolutionize your backyard cookouts. With abilities such as remote starting, alerts to flip or remove your food, heat control and remote monitoring, you are now able to more freely move about instead of being tied down as you flip those dogs and burgers. Smart grilling can make the whole process of an outdoor cookout easier and safer.
Smart Lock
Standard doorknob and deadbolt locks have been a standby for home security seemingly forever. However, even these long-time technologies can be upgraded to become a part of your smart home using smart locks. The smart lock replaces your old deadbolt with a digital version that opens and closes the bolt via an app. No more needing to hide a key for strangers or thieves to find, and you can even open the lock remotely to let people in, such as kids, housekeepers or dog-sitters, according to ZWave. Combine with a home cam system as mentioned above to have complete front door security and peace of mind.
Smart Bulb
This smart feature can be both indoor- or outdoor-capable. When using these advanced lights outdoors, make sure that your smart bulb is rated for outdoor use. Smart bulbs are simply a Wi-Fi-capable light bulb that you can connect to your smart home setup. Plug it into the socket and it will give you the ability to control the bulb through a handy app. Features such as scheduling, dimming without needing dimmer switches, remote access and turn on, color changing and even the ability to function as a speaker and use voice controls are all options, depending on the bulb.
As technology marches ever onward, it helps to be up to date on the latest and greatest home innovations. Whether you need security upgrades or just want to make a space easier to use, smart gadgets can get the job done for you. Just remember to follow proper Wi-Fi and internet security protocols with your gadgets and you will be all set towards some major upgrades to your exterior environment.
