Back in August, we moved into our new house ( hopefully our forever home) and decided to outfit it with some tech to make our lives easier. Since Christmas is around the corner we figured we would share our favorites with you in case someone on your shopping list is a tech nerd like we are! Stay tuned till the end as we are also giving away something awesome.
1. Alfred Home Smart Lock
The lock on our new door was incredibly tight so we were looking at options for replacing it when Alfred reached out to me. They kindly sent us their DB2 model to try out and we are obsessed with it! This is a Bluetooth touch screen smart lock with a keyed-entry lock option and has tons of different features such as:
- Assign up to 20 unique PIN codes
- Connects via Bluetooth to the Alfred Home App
- Status indicator lights
- Voice prompts in multiple languages
- Privacy mode
- Network ready
If you purchase the Alfred Connect Wi-Fi Bridge you’re able to connect it to your smart hub such as Alexa or Google home. We have ours connected to our Google home hub and it has been a lifesaver and made our lives so much more convienient. They offer a wide variety of models and price points to choose from and their app is incredibly easy to use. We love that you can assign a one time passcode in an emergency to someone and after it is used they no longer have access. So much simpler than having to get your key to the person or needing to change your code if you no longer want them to be able to get into your home at anytime.
We are going to be giving away something from them but if you’re interested in purchasing one for yourself click here!
2. Google Nest Doorbell
Our front entry was lacking a peephole and front window so we had no way to see who was at our home. So, obviously, it was either replace the entire door or purchase a video doorbell and with Google’s new gadget it was a no-brainer. We went from a bungalow to a two-story home so I’m not always able to get to our front door as quickly as I used to be so I appreciate all the features the Nest has that make things much easier.
- 24/7 surveillance
- Answer the door in real-time or preprogram responses
- Battery Powered option available
- Alerts that let you know if a person, animal, or parcel has been seen
- Connects with your other Google tech ( we love it with our home hub)
- Nest Aware is a subscription that stores activity for 60 days and has lots of great features such as familiar faces, share video clips with family, etc.
3. Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch
Let’s be real I wish every light in our house could have a dimmer on it! While that might not be the case I think switching out your switches to smart switches is a fantastic idea. These are able to be connected to your hub as while, ours just happens to be Google of course. You are able to program trigger phrases such as ” movie night ” which will shut off specific lights and dim others to a specified level. Or, you can say “family room” and request your hub to turn off the room which would turn off the lights and TV. Our kids aren’t the best at getting every light off so this is a time and money saver.
4. Nest Thermostat
I feel like we have talked about this gadget before but it is worth mentioning again. We have actually had this product for a couple of years now and have nothing but great things to say about it. You are able to control it via your phone which is great as you are starting to travel again. So, you are able to turn down your thermostat while you are away in the Wintertime for example but, when you’re on your way home turn it back up so you come back to a nice warm home. It is a great money saver and it is fantastic for the environment not heating or cooling your home fully when you’re away!
5. Nest Cam
You can never be too careful especially when moving to a brand new neighborhood. This product is next on our list to purchase as an added sense of security. You’re able to have these cameras outdoors or indoors and have them all synced up to your hub just like all of the other Nest products on our list.
- Set alerts for specific things such a people, vehicles, animals, etc
- Take action immediately as notifications come in real-time from your app
- Customize your camera with a wide variety of accessories such as stands, weatherproof cable, and more
Giveaway
We are so excited to have partnered up with Alfred to giveway a DB2 Smartlock and Alfred Connect Wi-Fi Bridge ( total value $340.00) to one lucky reader!
Our winner willl be chosen on Friday, November 5th
Please enter on the widget down below, open to Canadian residents only
*Disclosure: we did receive products some products in exchange for inclusion however, as always all our opinions are our own*
