HOME As you’re spending more time there, make it the absolute best it can be
1 PAWFIT 2
Rugged, waterproof, and plenty clever, the Pawfit 2 allows you to track your dog’s movements both to see how healthy they are and to work out just where they’ve run off to now. If they do get lost, program in a voice message for anyone that might find them, or trigger an on-collar alarm that should (fingers crossed) send them back to you in a flash. £55, pawfit.com
2 ZEROWATER 23-CUP DISPENSER
A Brita-beater? Perhaps; ZeroWater claims its proprietary five-stage filters can zap impurities you wouldn’t want in your water, including chromium and lead, and bundles in a waterquality meter to prove it. This filter jug fits snugly in your fridge, and can contain about five and a half litres of pure, cold, clean H2O. £45, zerowater.co.uk
3 BLINK OUTDOOR
The successor to the excellent Blink XT2 is a fantastically cheap and easy way to improve home security, with a wireless and weatherproof shell that can run for two years on a single set of AA batteries. New this time is local storage, so you don’t have to rely entirely on Amazon’s servers – though you do also get subscription-free online footage backups. £100, amazon.co.uk
4 GOOGLE NEST AUDIO
Brick-sized and perfect for blasting some house music (sorry), the Nest Audio sees Google refocusing its smart speaker line to focus on audio. This is far louder and bassier than the slightly elderly Google Home, which it supersedes, and great for the kitchen or bedroom. As the price might suggest, though, you won’t be throwing out your hi-fi any time soon. £90, store.google.com
5 AMAZON ECHO
The 4th-gen Echo has gone from cylinder to sphere to create more space for drivers and the speaker array has been bumped up, giving it a louder, warmer sound. Additionally, the smart home guts of the now-dead Echo Plus have rolled down into this cheaper sibling, and it can now interact with Bluetooth mesh devices from Amazon’s new Sidewalk family. £90, amazon.co.uk
6 JOY RESOLVE BARISEUR 2.0
This is a combination of alarm clock, tea maker, immersion coffee brewer, and a happy morning, one which promises to rouse you with bubbling water and delicious aromas rather than the skirling of your phone’s alarm. You can even get a matching wireless charger to plug into its USB port.
Around £380, joyresolve.com 7 NANOLEAF SHAPES TRIANGLES
The newest entry in Nanoleaf’s Shapes line doesn’t just look cool, it’s smart too. The panels are touch sensitive, they’ll automatically detect the layout you’ve given them, there’s music visualisation, a superb app, integration with TVs and smart platforms – the list goes on and on.
From £90, nanoleaf.me 8 FURBO
The Furbo is right at the top of the pet camera tree. It has a great sensor with effective night vision, two-way talk so you can chat with your pets when out, and bark detection so you’ll know exactly when to log on and dish out remote admonishments. All that and it can fire a treat across the room, ensuring your dogs give it the appropriate respect.
£189, shopuk.furbo.com 9 IGLOOHOME SMART PADLOCK
This looks great and is super secure too. You can unlock the weatherproof, tamper-proof Igloohome Smart Padlock using Bluetooth or with a PIN – and if you want to grant someone one-time access, the app makes generating a single-use PIN a breeze. Perfect for an Airbnb, or letting your neighbours into your shed.
£99, igloohome.co 10 DYSON 360 HEURIST
Many robot vacuums aim for elegance or compactness, which doesn’t necessarily translate to great cleaning. Dyson’s vac is chunkier than its rivals, but that’s to make room for a full-width brush bar, a 78,000rpm digital motor, and some of the brainiest navigation intelligence you’re ever likely to find.
£800, dyson.co.uk