Assembling a smart house is not easy — and building a smart one an apartment is even more challenging. Not only do you have to wade through dozens of great products, but you’ll also have to discover ones that don’t require wiring or major reconfiguration of your apartment’s existing hardware.
Fortunately, there are some innovative smart home devices that make it easy to build a versatile smart apartment. From smart speakers and light bulbs to robotic vacuum cleaners and more, you’ll have plenty of ways to personalize your home. However, before you start your smart home journey, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Here’s everything you need to know about building a smart apartment.
What can you change in your apartment?
August
While the most exciting part of putting together a smart home is searching for products, there’s one thing you need to do before you hit the local hardware store: Talk to your landlord. What you can and cannot change in your home depends on the owner. If you’re renting a traditional apartment from a large corporation, your contract probably has strict rules about what you can touch.
However, if you are renting from an individual owner, you may have a little more freedom. Some might help you install a new doorbell or security camera, while others won’t want you to interfere. Others may even let you install a smart lock (as long as they have a copy of the keys). Either way, be sure to read your contract carefully and understand what improvements you can make.
Which smart home platform is right for you?
John Velasco/Digital Trends
Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung offer their own ecosystems for smart home devices. These individual ecosystems allow you to connect all your compatible products, giving you control of your smart bulbs, vacuum cleaners, locks and more in one central place. Figuring out which one is right for you isn’t an easy choice, but it’s hard to go wrong with either. Not only do all ecosystems offer deep catalogs filled with useful smart gadgets, but it’s never a problem if something doesn’t work with your current setup. Most products offer their own standalone app — so even if your new smart bulb can’t connect to the rest of your system, you’ll still be able to take full advantage of its functionality.
The best way to figure out the “right” smart home platform is to first pick a few products that you like. Then see which platform is compatible across all devices. If not everyone wants to work on the same platform, either replace your least favorite choice with another choice or choose the platform that has the most products in common.
Although it may seem intimidating, it’s not a problem if you choose a system you don’t like. In fact, a new piece of software (Matter) should be launching soon, which will offer a unified system for most of your smart home gadgets. This means, regardless of the products you buy, you will be able to use them all on the platform of your choice.
Finding apartment-friendly smart home products
Even if your apartment has a firm contract, there are still plenty of apartment-friendly smart home products that will suit your needs. Here are a few categories to consider, along with some suggestions to jumpstart your smart apartment plans. Remember: Be sure to double-check your contract before starting the upgrade.
A smart speaker
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Smart speakers often serve as a central hub for all your other smart home devices. They also offer tons of functionality in a pint-sized package, like listening to music, checking your schedule, or getting weather updates. Simply plug them into an electrical outlet, connect to your Wi-Fi network, and you’re good to go.
Our list of the best smart speakers can help you narrow down your options, but it’s hard to go wrong with the Sonos One. It’s a bit pricey, but you’ll get a product that sounds great, offers an easy setup process, and is compatible with a number of today’s most popular smart home ecosystems.
Smart bulbs
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Give your whole apartment a cool new look by replacing old light bulbs with smart bulbs. They allow you to easily adjust their brightness, turn them on and off remotely and improve energy consumption. Some even give you access to millions of colors beyond white and yellow, giving your home a soothing blue glow or a warmer shade of red.
The Philips Hue White Ambiance Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit makes it easy for apartment dwellers to get started, although our roundup of the best smart bulbs has plenty of other options to consider.
Smart plugs
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They may not be as exciting as a smart speaker, but smart plugs are a great addition to any smart home – apartment or otherwise. Once you plug them into your current sockets, you’ll be able to remotely turn appliances on or off, set daily routines and get tips on how to improve your energy usage.
If you don’t mind the lack of Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant support, the Amazon Smart Plug is a great option. Not only is it affordable, but it’s packed with all the features you’ll ever need in a smart plug. Not convinced it’s for you? Check out our other favorite smart plugs.
The robot vacuums
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Vacuuming is undoubtedly the worst household task. Robot vacuum cleaners are here to save the day and they are much better than the smart vacuum cleaners of just a few years ago. With adjustable suction levels for different surfaces, programmable schedules and the option to set “restricted” zones, no smart home is complete without a robotic vacuum cleaner. You’ll still need to empty them occasionally, but that’s a small price to pay to get that job off your “to-do list.”
The iRobot Roomba s9+ stands as one of the best choices on the market — even though its price is a bit high. If you’re looking for something more affordable, consider the Eufy RoboVac 11S Slim — or one of the other products in our best robot vacuum.
Smart locks
Wyze
Most smart locks are probably unavailable to renters because they require you to replace the existing deadbolt. That’s not the case with the Wyze Lock, which fits nicely into your existing gear and brings some brains to operations. Be sure to check with your landlord before starting this installation, as it may push the boundaries of your lease. But if you get approved, this could be one of the best ways to upgrade your smart apartment.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn