These devices make your home smarter

Forget smart phones, there are loads of new smart devices for your home that can make life easier, more efficient, and let’s face it, more fun!

Of the MANY options available, today we will focus on our favorite items that can be used in any home, from renters, to luxury homeowners, or families looking to move in the near future. None of these smart features involve permanent installation, but provide convenience and peace of mind for years and years to come.

Here’s a sampling:

• iHome Smart Control Plug $ 46: First on the list is a feature that is new to the market but will no doubt be something installed in every home in the near future. Smart plugs! Not only do these plugs connect wirelessly to your phone or home control center ( see # 5 on our list!) but they save on energy because you can program your lights, tv, air conditioner, holiday lights, etc to come on only during certain hours of the day. You can even turn the lights on, cool off the baby’s room, and start the coffee maker before you arrive home!

• Amazon Echo $ 179: While it’s top rated voice controlled speaker, the Amazon Echo is

so much more than great sounding music! The Echo answers questions, reads the news, reports traffic and weather, reads audiobooks, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, and more using the Alexa Voice Service. It can even control lights, fans, switches, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers, locks, and more!

• Philips Hue White A19 Smart Bulb Kit $ 69: Want your light bulbs to be smarter? The philips starter kit wirelessly connects up to 50 lights and enables you to control your lights from your smart device via the Philips Hue App.

• Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat $ 249: This isn’t your average smart thermostat. The Ecobee3 intuitively understands when to turn on your heating or cooling system based on your home’s unique energy profile, the weather outside, and thousands of other data points to make sure you’re comfortable at all times. The Ecobee3 even senses which rooms are occupied and saves you energy and money.

• Samsung SmartThings Hub $ 89: Don’t want to mess with coordinating all of your smart home devices separately? Get a smart hub to manage your home seamlessly.. The SmartThings hub connects wirelessly with a wide range of smart devices and makes them work together.

• Nest Indoor Security Camera $ 164: Want to keep tabs on your home when you are away, or even in the next room? The Nest Cam detects activity and can send you a phone alert or even a snapshot. Enabled with a built- in speaker and microphone, you can talk and listen through the app to get someone’s attention ( or even tell the dog to get off the couch).

• Skybell HD WiFi Doorbell Camera $ 199: Not only does the skybell have full color night vision, 1080P, on- demand video & recorded clips, two way radio and motion sensor, it can also be integrated with smart lights and can automatically turn on the porch lights when motion is detected at night.

• Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt $ 164: Never worry about forgetting your keys again! The Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt stores up to 30 personalized user codes with build in alarm and Zwave technology to connect to your home automation system and allow you lock or unlock your door remotely via the web or smartphone.

• Nest Protect Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm $ 99: In a fire, every second counts and the Nest Alarm can send an alert to your phone as soon as smoke is detected, if an alarm goes off, or if the batteries are running low.