10 of the coolest smart home gadgets you never knew you need

From smart locks to smart lighting, we went on a search to find the coolest smart home gadgets you never knew you need. Buckle up, because the future of home is here.

1. Smart lock: Smart Mortise 2 by igloohome

$649, available online at igloohome and at selected retailers.

You can’t do a listicle about smart home gadgets without mentioning smart locks. igloohome’s Smart Mortise 2 is the latest to join the (rather saturated) fray, but what makes this gadget stand out is how much features it contains in that sleek, slim body.

You get to choose from 4 modes of access: PIN codes, Bluetooth keys, RFID credentials and physical keys. If you have guests coming by, say a weekly cleaner, you can send them PIN codes or Bluetooth keys from wherever you are through the igloohome app.

Durations can also be set so to give them access to your property for a determinate time, after which your home remains secure once they leave.

Through the app, you can also track dates and times at which visitors enter your home through the activity logs*. (*PIN Code logs are updated only when the lock is synced to the app via Bluetooth, while Bluetooth key unlocks are updated in real-time.)

There are tons of other great features on the smart lock.

Some of our favourites include the child and pet safety feature to prevent accidental unlocks, an emergency jumpstart feature with a 9V battery in case the batteries are drained and the fire safety feature where the device automatically unlocks when it detects high temperatures from inside your home.

See here for more info.

As part of their eGSS promotion, igloohome is now offering 10 per cent off their products from Sep 9 to  30, 2020. Click here to enjoy the deal!

2. Smart doorbell: Arlo Video Doorbell

$279, available at Arlo’s online stores at Lazada and Shopee as well as Harvey Norman.

If you do a lot of online shopping and get deliveries on a regular basis, then the Arlo Video Doorbell is for you. Installed on your door, the Arlo Video Doorbell sends a video call to your phone directly whenever someone presses your doorbell.

You can then see from your phone who’s at your door. It offers an extra-wide, 180-degree diagonal field-of-view with HD quality so you can see everything with clarity.

And get this—it comes with a two-way audio feature that lets you speak to the visitor directly when the video call comes in. Or you can set up pre-recorded messages to respond even faster.

Other neat features of this smart doorbell include motion detection where the device sends you alerts whenever motion is detected on your front door, and night vision, which is useful for seeing who’s at your door at night, even without switching on any lights.

See here for more info.

3. Smart storage heater: Ariston Andris Slim2 Lux WIFI

$459, available at selected electronic stores.

There are currently two WIFI-enabled storage heaters under Ariston, but we wanted to highlight the Slim2 Lux because of its slim silhouette which makes it particularly suitable if you are thinking of locating it inside a small bathroom (BTO bathroom, anyone?).

Equipped with a 30-litre capacity, this storage heater features an LED display with an electronic temperature control function.

Link it up with the Aqua Ariston Net app and receive notifications on your phone for when hot water is ready.

You’ll also get information on the next available shower timing, energy consumption reports so you can monitor your shower habits, and you’ll get to set up weekly schedules also so you can have hot water whenever you need it.

See here for more info.

4. Smart refrigerator: Samsung Family Hub Multi Door (RF56N9740SG/SS)

$6,999, available at all major electronic stores.

Ever been caught in the situation of trying to remember what you have in the refrigerator when you are out getting groceries in the supermarket? Now you won’t have to. The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator comes with three in-built cameras that let you peek inside your fridge from your phone. All you need is to download the Family Hub app on your phone and sync it with the appliance.

The refrigerator allows you to download a variety of apps on it and with a visual screen on the door front, you can use the fridge to manage your family’s schedule, as a memo board to put up to-do lists or leave voice messages, or to share photos.

Bonus: it comes with a built-in speaker, so you can whip up today’s dinner along to your favourite tunes.

See here for more info.

5. Smart lighting: Smart Lighting by Ikea

Available at Ikea.

While smart lighting isn’t a huge surprise, you might be surprise to know that our favourite furniture giant Ikea carries a range of them. Similar to most smart lighting systems, the LED bulbs are where the “smart” features are.

You get the bulbs, fix them onto existing light fixtures, choose how you want to control them and voila, smart lights.

There are three ways to control Ikea’s smart light bulbs:

•  Remote control, purchased separately.
• 2. Your phone through the Ikea Home Smart app. You will need to purchase Ikea’s own hub, the TRÅDFRI gateway, first. Sync that to your home’s router to use the app.
• 3. Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit

For the completely clueless, get their newbie-friendly smart lighting kits that will have you setting up your system in no time.

See here for more info.

6. Smart curtains: Kyla Gen 2 Smart WIFI Curtains Motor and Track

From $249, available on Aztech’s E-shop and other authorised dealers.

Kyla who? Kyla is Aztech’s very own smart home brand. While they are known more for their routers and mesh systems, they’ve decided to seize on the smart home momentum and have just last year launched a range of products to turn your home into a smarter one.

This year, they added the Gen 2 Smart WIFI Curtains motor and track to the range.

Essentially, this device comprises a motor and curtain track. You will have to purchase your own curtain fabric separately. Depending on your window size, there are three track sizes to choose from. The longest one can accommodate window sizes of up to four metres.

By hooking up your curtains on the smart motor and track, you will be able to open and close your curtains, set up schedules (if you want to wake up to natural sunlight for instance) and set the curtains to open at specific positions of the track all through your phone via the Kyla app.

No more having to scramble out of bed to keep the daylight out when you want to snooze in. The gadget is also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

See here for more info.

7. Smart blinds: Ziptrak’s Motorised Blinds

Available at authorised retailers.

If you are looking for blinds suitable for semi-outdoor spaces like your balcony, Ziptrak’s an obvious choice. Originally hailing from Australia, these track-guided blinds are designed such that it moves along a track to prevent it from flapping in the wind during thunderstorms.

It also keeps insects out and air from escaping, which is a nifty feature to have if you are thinking of air-conditioning your outdoor space.

The motorised version of Ziptrak blinds are used in conjunction with either Somfy or Dooya tubular motors, the leading brands in the market. With these motors, the blinds are controllable via remote controls and can be equipped with sun and rain sensors for weather-based activation of blinds.

What this means is you will never have to worry about forgetting to pull down the blinds each time it rains. Alternatively, pair the blinds with Apple Homekit, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control them through voice commands or your smartphone.

See here for more info.

8. Smart fan: Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C by Xiaomi

$59, available at Mi Stores.

For affordable yet stylish smart home products, checking out Xiaomi first is a good bet. We love one of their latest offerings for the global market, the Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C that comes in a 7-blade, minimalist white exterior.

So what’s smart about it? You get to control it remotely with the Mi Home app. From turning it on and off and adjusting the airflow to changing modes (there are three modes in total) and setting a child safety lock, everything can be done on your phone through the app.

It is also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so voice control is no problemo. The height of the fan is adjustable—leave it as a standing fan or place it on your desk as a table fan. With a maximum height of one metre, it is on the shorter side of things though.

See here for more info.

9. Smart mirror: Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Pro Wide View

$799, available at Robinsons.

Do we need such an expensive mirror? Perhaps, if you spend a lot of time getting ready in front of a mirror. The Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Pro Wide View comes with three panels (so you get to see your face from all angles) with strips of light that light up automatically as your face approaches.

It is in built with a tru-lux lighting system that simulates natural lighting, which we know is the best light setting to apply makeup on.

For those who are always behind schedule, it also comes with an alarm feature that you can set up beforehand. When time is up, the mirror flashes its lights to let you know it’s time to go. But what’s really smart about this mirror is that you can use it with the simplehuman app.

Using the app, you get to capture light settings in places like your office or favourite restaurant and the mirror will recreate that setting for you so you can apply makeup that will look best in that particular setting. Pretty nifty, eh.

See here for more info.

10. Smart speakers: SYMFONISK Wi-Fi speakers by Ikea

From $179, available at Ikea.

Speaking of Ikea, the furniture giant recently collaborated with audio experts Sonos to come up with a range of WIFI speakers that do double duty (because Ikea).

Choose from either a WIFI bookshelf speaker (ideas: mount it on your kitchen wall or use it as a bedside table) or a table lamp with a WIFI speaker.

Even if you are a purist who think speakers should just do one job to sound good, you can’t deny how fabulously stylish these speakers look. They not only look smart, they are smart too.

You get to control them via the Sonos app and with the table lamp, incorporate it with a smart LED bulb (see above for deets) from Ikea and you can set the mood through sound and light using your phone.

This article was first published in Renonation.