Here’s How I Enabled Home Automation For Maximum Comfort And Security In 2024
By Do you want a smart house where everything works just by telling it to work? Many would’ve said it was all just a pipe dream. However, fast forward a decade to 2024; home automation is now the “next big thing” everyone wants a piece of.
Home automation using smart home devices is one of the trendiest things in the market. Everyone wants to set up smart home devices in their houses as IoT (Internet of Things) continues to grow.
However, if you thought only enterprise industrial IoT was relevant, think again. Moreover, market research indicates that the home automation market will grow by 11% annually till 2030.
To set up a smart home in 2024, you need to do so properly since leaving out essentials isn’t a smart thing to do. Therefore, read this post till the end to learn some of the most essential smart home devices you need for home automation in 2024.
Smart Home Automation: How Did I Set It All Up?
Smart home automation is all about giving you total control over all your IoT devices in your house. Therefore, using various smart home devices lets you sync and control every aspect of your house.
Since I wanted home automation, I had already planned what I required, down to my shopping list. Sure, it took me a couple of months to buy it all.
However, I now have several smart features in my house that make me spend less effort doing various things after a tiring day at work.
For my home automation ecosystem, I built it with Alexa voice control in mind. All the devices I use have Alexa voice-control enabled, allowing me to control everything using my voice! Moreover, they must also have smart sensors and inter-compatibility with each other for a perfect “home automation ecosystem.”
Therefore, keep reading this post to learn what home automation devices I used to turn my home into an automatic smart home!
Home Automation: Essential Smart Home Devices You Need In 2024
Home automation will only work if you have all the necessary devices. It won’t mean much if you have a smart security camera but no device to look at your CCTV footage.
Therefore, home automation works best when you have set up multiple interconnected IoT smart home devices.
I have compiled a list of the essential smart home automation devices you must install in 2024. So, keep on reading to learn what they are!
1. Smart Speaker: Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Price: $99.99 (Amazon)
You need confirmation to hear it all when you command your smart home automation devices to do your bidding. This is where the Amazon Echo comes in to notify you of everything – and play music!
The Amazon Echo is a good smart speaker. As a part of Amazon’s line of smart home automation devices, it runs on Alexa. Therefore, it lets you control all smart IoT devices in your house by simply saying “Alexa, ….”
This is why it’s compatible with other Alexa-based smart devices like the Fire TV, Echo Show, and every other device on this list. Therefore, its mic is your primary voice controller for all your smart home devices!
Regarding its controls, you just need to tap on the top of the device to control it if you don’t wish to say anything. Moreover, it has a built-in LED display that shows the current time, the name of the music, the alarms, the weather, and more!
It can also give you real-time updates on news, weather, and much more by simply asking Alexa! Furthermore, it has great sound quality for playing music, albeit not as loud or bassy as a big speaker.
2. Smart Display: Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Price: $149.99 (Amazon)
While the Echo Dot above gives you an audible representation of every IoT device, the Amazon Echo Show gives you a display to do so.
The Amazon Echo Show is like a typical tablet device. You can watch Netflix, listen to Spotify, and more with it. In addition, you can also video call people and look at the calendar simply by saying, “Alexa, ….”
However, its primary use lies in giving you visible control over other smart IoT devices in your house. Therefore, you can control your smart lights, thermostats, security cameras, video doorbells, and more!
The Echo Show 8 has an 8” touchscreen, which has a good resolution and is responsive. Moreover, it has a 13MP camera that lets you video call other people! However, you must have their phone numbers to do so.
Therefore, pairing this with the Amazon Echo Dot gives you the ultimate smart home automation hub for controlling all your devices!
3. Smart TV: Amazon Fire TV Omi 65” 4K
Price: $449.99 (Amazon)
What’s a smart home if you don’t have a huge 65” smart TV hanging from your dining room wall?
The Amazon Fire TV Omni 65” is an amazing smart TV. Sure, it’s expensive, but it’s worth every dollar. This smart TV has one amazing feature that I think is its smartest – a 100% hands-free experience. Therefore, you don’t need the Fire Stick – simply say “Alexa, ….” and you will be good!
In terms of quality, it supports 4K Ultra HD resolution for crisp sharpness. In addition, it also supports Dolby Vision and HDR 10, which automatically optimizes color, contrast, and brightness to give you a cinematic theater-like experience!
This is the biggest TV I have ever had in my house, perfect for my post-dinner Netflix binges and playing games on my PlayStation 5!
However, you can integrate it with your other smart home automation devices since it’s an Alexa-enabled device. Therefore, it functions like a bigger Amazon Echo Show.
Recommendation: I recommend you buy the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar with this to get the most cinematic audio-visual experience! This combo will cost you $749.99 (Amazon).
4. Smart Lights: Philips Hue Color Ambience
Price: $98 (Amazon)
Voice-controlled smart lights in your house are one of the easiest ways to identify a smart house. Nothing screams smart home automation more than seeing the lights in your room light up just by saying, “Alexa, turn on the lights!”
For this purpose, the Philips Hue Color Ambience bulbs will be your best bet. These $98 smart bulbs come in a pack of two, providing enough light for two small bedrooms or your entire living room.
This smart bulb has many colors and hues to choose from. If you check its box, it reads “16 million colors and hues” – which is insane. Therefore, your room has an unlimited assortment of colors thanks to this smart bulb – which you can change anytime!
Moreover, since it supports Alexa, you can turn it on, change its colors, and adjust its brightness using your voice! I love changing my room’s vibe using my voice!
Therefore, if you want a dim room for relaxing or a brighter room for studying – you can just tell it! Conversely, you can also use the Philips Hue app as well!
5. Smart Security Camera: Ring Indoor Cam
Price: $74.99 (Amazon)
Your home automation setup is incomplete without a smart security camera for house security. Here, you must choose a smart camera that records everything clearly and lets you see real-time footage. Therefore, I recommend you buy the Ring Indoor Camera (2nd Gen).
There are two primary reasons why I recommend this smart camera. The first reason is its high-quality recording. I bought this smart camera last year and always find it amazing how great the 1080p HD video quality is! Even in real-time, there seems to be no lag and no pixelation!
Secondly, I am in love with its Night Vision mode. Using the Ring smartphone app, you can turn on Night Vision and see everything clearly, even when it’s pitch-black outside! Dear thieves and burglars, we are smarter than you think we are!
Moreover, it supports Alexa. Therefore, you can voice-control many of its features with the Echo Dot and see real-time footage with the Echo Show!
6. Smart Video Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell
Price: $179.99 (Amazon)
After being blown away by the Ring Indoor Cam, I bought another Ring camera – the Ring Video Doorbell.
As expected from Ring, this video doorbell gives me the best view of who’s knocking on my door. However, it’s the simplicity that I like the most. Visitors to my house just must press the doorbell button, and voila! I will instantly see who’s there using the Ring app on my smartphone.
Moreover, I can read them clearly, too! After using it for months, I never found any crackling or external noise. Even when it was windy outside, I could still hear the voices of my guests!
However, another smart aspect of this video doorbell is its motion detection. I get notified whenever someone stands near my doorstep before pressing the bell. Therefore, doorbell pranksters – I know who you are!
7. Smart Thermostat: Amazon Smart Thermostat
Price: $79.99 (Amazon)
Winters can get very cold in many parts of the world, like Canada and the northern USA. Therefore, why don’t you buy the Amazon Smart Thermostat and keep your house warm and cozy?
Amazon created this thermostat with an eco-friendly initiative in mind. Therefore, unlike other thermostats, the CO2 emission is very low, ensuring that you don’t become a cause of global warming.
Moreover, it also uses significantly less energy than traditional thermostats- saving you lots of money on your electricity bills! The US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that this will save $50 on your annual electricity bills (which I confirm)!
Whenever I feel cold during winter, I simply turn it on through Alexa! Moreover, this smart thermostat also has smart sensors for home automation. Therefore, it automatically makes your room warmer or cooler by sensing whether you are around!
Furthermore, it records your favorite temperatures and automatically sets them according to your presence! It knows that I prefer it to be in 83 degrees Fahrenheit!
8. Smart Lock: Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Smart Lock
Price: $109 (Amazon)
Your house’s door needs the most security, which the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Smart Lock provides. Besides being smart, it’s also 35x more durable than standard door locks!
One of the main reasons I bought this smart lock is its compatibility with Alexa. Therefore, I don’t even require my keys to unlock my door. The power of my voice is enough!
However, your voice is not the only key to your door. This smart lock also supports your fingerprint, an 8-digit password, and even the Ultraloq app! Moreover, it can store up to 50 fingerprints, so your family members can enter whenever they want!
I found this device my perfect door security setup with the Ring Indoor Cam and the Ring Video Doorbell!
9. Smart Vacuum: iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
Price: $549.99 (Amazon)
I find mopping the floor to be very boring and tiring. In other words – I hate it. That’s why I bought the iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO automatic robot floor cleaner – another smart product that’s a staple in most home automation setups.
This robot vacuum cleaner uses smart sensors to map your room fully. Therefore, it knows very well where your walls, furniture, beds, and carpets are. This lets it set a cleaning path for itself automatically!
Moreover, it has smart vacuum technology that automatically sucks up all dirt from your floor and carpets. Therefore, if you have a furry pet in your house, you can say goodbye to their fur lying around everywhere! I now almost find no cat fur on my floor!
Furthermore, it automatically empties all dirt every 60 days. This is amazing since I must carry the trash bag outside, reducing my effort!
Conclusion: Smart Homes For Smart Families
That’s it for this home automation guide of 2024! Even though there are a lot more smart devices that I can add to my house, these are the essentials that every smart home must have. Therefore, I hope you turn your house into a smart house as quickly as possible!
I hope you found this post to be useful! If you need help buying smart home automation devices, drop a comment below, and I will get back to you. Thanks for reading this post!
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