Inviting the extended family over at Christmas isn’t always the fun and games that you first pictured. However, these household additions won’t cause an argument after one too many eggnogs.
Despite the Internet of Things boom not having been as explosive as first predicted, GlobalData expects IoT connected devices to increase from two billion to 4.5 billion in the next three years.
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While the convenience of a connected home is all well and good, investing in expensive technology isn’t always worth the seconds it saves. However, these best smart home gifts will help to make the home more connected without breaking the bank.
Ember temperature control smart mug
How much does it cost? – £99.95
Average rating – 4 stars
The perfect gift for – The forgetful tea drinker
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By GlobalDataWhat makes it a great gift? – It’s hard to fault the world’s first temperature control mug. Yes, the price tag is steep for what is an incredibly simple product, but not so much when you consider all of the time (and energy) that is saved reboiling the kettle.
It also brings an end to those (gross) mouthfuls of cold tea and coffee. The user can set their perfect temperature for each beverage via the Ember app, and the mug maintains its contents at that temperature until it’s consumed. It’s built-in battery will keep your cup warm for up to 80 minutes, or forever if placed on its charging coaster. It won’t stop a layer of skin forming over the top, but it does keep it hot long enough for a forgotten cuppa to still do the job.
With the ability to customise the colour of the front LED, allowing to differentiate between each (admittedly rather plain) Ember mug, why not grab one for each of your caffeine-addicted family members this Christmas?
Airthings Wave Plus Smart Radon Detector
How much does it cost? – £239.00
Average rating – 4 stars
The perfect gift for – Health-conscious homeowners
What makes it a great gift? – Solving humanity’s pollution problem may be a tough task, but with the Airthings Wave Plus at least you can ensure the air you’re breathing is of adequate quality. You can spend all the time in the world making sure your house looks clean, but without a way to monitor the nasties you can’t see, who knows what might still be lurking?
The Airthings Wave Plus keeps track of CO2, Volatile Organic Compounds, humidity, temperature and air pressure. It also monitors radon – an invisible gas that causes more deaths per year than house fires and drowning.
Each metric is tracked and presented through the Airthings app, helping to visualise how air quality has changed in the past 48 hours, week, month or year. With good air vital to staying healthy and active, this offers a great way to monitor populated spaces and act to ensure air is of the highest quality at all times.
Hozelock Cloud Controller
How much does it cost? – £239.00
Average rating – 3 stars
The perfect gift for – Those that are on holiday more often than not
What makes it a great gift? – Keeping a garden prim and proper takes hard work. However, the Hozelock Cloud Controller takes over some of your outdoor duties, allowing you to automate the watering of your garden with a few taps of your finger.
Controlled via a smartphone app, the Hozelock Cloud Controller allows its user to schedule watering times, controlling the frequency and duration to suit their needs. Weather information is presented via the app and push notifications warn you of sudden changes, ensuring that your garden gets the right amount of water no matter where you are in the world.
Withings Sleep
How much does it cost? – £99.95
Average rating – 4 stars
The perfect gift for – The last one asleep and the first one awake
What makes it a great gift? – Smart beds can cost thousands, but Withings’ sleep tracking mat makes your bed smart at a fraction of the cost. Providing ‘advanced sleep tracking’, the mat monitors sleep patterns and cycles, tracks heart rate and listens for snoring (don’t worry – you’re not being recorded) to determine whether you’re getting a good night’s sleep. Not only can it help to improve your sleep hygiene, but it can also help to detect conditions such as sleep apnea, which goes undiagnosed in 80% of cases.
Unlike a smart watch or tracker, with Withings Sleep there’s nothing to wear. The mat is installed underneath the mattress and gets to work tracking throughout the night. Unlike wearable devices, the mat causes no discomfort and, given its hidden, it doesn’t look unsightly in your bedroom.
However, for those interested in making their home truly connected, the Withings Sleep’s most impressive feature is its ability to interact with other smart devices through IFTTT integrations. Essentially, you can programme your lights to turn off when your sleep mat detects you’re bedding down for the night, or turn on when you arise from your slumber. It can also be integrated with smart thermostats to control the temperature during your rest, as well as other smart devices. This feature makes the Withings Sleep much more than a sleep tracker… Like Alexa, but controlled by your sleep cycle instead of your voice.
Perfect Bake Pro
How much does it cost? – $99.99
Average rating – 4 stars
The perfect gift for – The budding baker
What makes it a great gift? – The Perfect Bake Pro puts hundreds of recipes at your fingertips, making it easy for even the most amateur of bakers to bake delicious cakes, cookies and other creations. Using the ingredients left in the cup, the Perfect Bake Pro recommends what to pop in the oven next, helping you to measure, pour and mix with precision.
Connected via Bluetooth, you can browse more than 500 recipes, including desserts, such as cupcakes and cheesecakes, appetisers and sides, through your smartphone. Alternatively, add your own and let the Perfect Bake Pro act as sous chef as you work your way through those family recipes.
Ruggie alarm clock
How much does it cost? – $99.00
Average rating – 4 stars
The perfect gift for – Serial snoozers
What makes it a great gift? – It has been proven that hitting snooze offers no benefit. In fact, it has been scientifically proven to make us feel groggier. Yet, the vast majority of us continue to hit the button at least once (if not multiple times) each morning.
Ruggie is a smart rug that doubles up as an alarm clock, forcing its owner to get out of bed at the first time of asking. With an adjustable sound setting and the ability to upload custom audio, the Ruggie can be tailored to suit its sleeper, ensuring that wake-ups are as painless as possible.
