Smart Home Gift Guide: Unique Ideas Beyond Smart Speakers

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Creating an intelligent home has become remarkably straightforward. In addition to the familiar voice-activated assistant speakers from companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple – frequently highlighted in holiday gift recommendations – a diverse range of innovative smart home devices exists, capable of bringing joy, offering unexpected features, and potentially simplifying daily routines. This curated selection excludes those commonly recommended items and instead showcases distinctive products ideal for anyone looking to enhance their home’s intelligence. Or perhaps for your own use – that’s perfectly acceptable too.

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Brilliant

Brilliant Controls offers a central hub designed to manage all of your connected smart home products, alongside the addition of remotely operated light switches installed throughout your home. It features an integrated camera, complete with a physical shutter for privacy, enabling video communication between rooms or remote monitoring of your property. Compatibility extends to a wide range of devices, including Wemo smart plugs, Ring security systems, Sonos speakers, Philips Hue and Lifx lighting solutions, and smart locks from Schlage, Yale, and August, to name a few. The system continually expands its integrations, encompassing most leading brands; however, it may not be the ideal controller if you utilize less common smart home ecosystems. It includes native Alexa functionality and is also compatible with Google Assistant.

Price: Available from $299 on Amazon

Flair Smart Vent

While intelligent thermostats have become quite common, the potential of your home’s heating and cooling system may not be fully realized, even with one installed. Simple do-it-yourself enhancements can unlock greater efficiency. The Flair Smart Vent system is an example of this type of improvement. Although the initial investment is somewhat significant – individual vents begin at $79 depending on the required size – and a central control unit (approximately $100) is also necessary, professional installation or structural modifications are not required to benefit from its features.

Price: Approximately $200 for a starting package containing one vent and one control unit, available directly from Flair

Flume 2

While a lot of connected devices center around making life simpler or automating everyday chores, Flume’s innovative water sensor delivers a significantly important benefit: monitoring your water usage and notifying you of possible plumbing leaks within your residence. The company has recently launched its next-generation Flume Smart Home Water Monitor ($199), and this iteration boasts a simpler installation process and enhanced intelligence.

Price: $199 on Amazon

Meural

Looking for a unique present this holiday season? Consider the Meural from Netgear. This specialized, connected display is designed specifically for showcasing artwork. The company provides a subscription option, granting access to a vast collection of art from throughout history, and curates the selection to prevent repetition. Users also have the flexibility to display their own personal art on the screen.

Price: Beginning at $299 directly from Netgear

Sensibo

The Sensibo functions as an intelligent temperature regulator designed for individuals without a traditional ducted heating or cooling system. It provides control over window air conditioners, portable heaters, and contemporary heat pumps – essentially any appliance operated with a remote control. The most recent model is available for $149 (frequent discounts are often available) and delivers excellent performance. For comprehensive control, consider purchasing multiple units if you utilize several heating and cooling appliances.

The company first gained recognition by participating in TechCrunch’s Hardware Battlefield competition in 2015, and has since developed its product into a robust system capable of automating a user’s climate control requirements.

Price: Available from $115 on Amazon

DIY smart display

Numerous do-it-yourself smart home kits are currently available, and Adafruit offers a comprehensive selection. Their PyPortal is an excellent starting point for projects, offering builders a touchscreen and a foundational computing system suitable for a wide range of applications. Using only this kit, one could create a sophisticated alarm system, an intelligent display, or even replicate the functionality of an Amazon Echo.

Price: $55 from Adafruit

Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf offers products that function as dynamic, customizable art installations – and their futuristic aesthetic often resembles designs from science fiction. After assembling the individual, connectable panels, you can integrate them with platforms like HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home. For advanced users, services such as IFTTT allow for automated color adjustments based on current weather conditions, or visual notifications for incoming messages. Initial kits, including the necessary controller, power adapter, and several panels, are available for approximately $150 to $200. Additional panel packs are priced around $60 to $70, making it a potentially costly pursuit, though you can begin with a smaller set and expand your display gradually.

Price: Beginning at $180 directly from Nanoleaf.