In today’s world, smart home devices are quickly going from sci-fi fantasy to part of our everyday. As we strive for efficiency, convenience, and a touch of luxury in our daily lives, these gadgets have become more than just trendy accessories—they’re integral components of our modern homes. In this post, we’ll show you the smart home devices that we’re buying over and over again. From voice-activated assistants that have become our go-to for daily scheduling, to innovative lighting solutions that set the perfect ambiance, we’re diving into the gadgets we can’t stop buying. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just beginning your journey into the realm of smart homes, join us as we uncover the devices that are transforming our living spaces into hubs of comfort and convenience.
Aqara Water Leak Sensor
We love these little Aqara Water Leak Sensors, and for good reason! They’re perfect for anywhere water can leak. Under the dishwasher, under the washing machine, underneath sinks, and under toilets are all favorite locations for us to have one of these sensors stashed. We even have a couple outside near things like irrigation controllers and faucets “just in case”. These leaks have alerted us a couple of times when water was leaking, preventing costly disasters. It does take a Zigbee hub, but you don’t have to use the Aqara one with these sensors. Plus, you can set it up to work with other smart gadgets in your house to help stop leaks right away. It’s a great way to protect your home!
- Requires Aqara Hub or Zigbee Hub
- Zigbee communication protocol
- Reports temperature, wet/ dry state, and battery level
- IP67 water-proof housing
- Replaceable battery
Aqara Smart Plug
The Aqara Smart Plug is a cool little plug that lets you control your stuff like lamps and other electric devices from anywhere. You can even talk to it using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant ( if your hub support it). These plugs are easy to use and helps you save energy by showing how much power your things use. You can set it to turn things on and off at certain times, like turning off your lights when it’s bedtime. We have these hooked up to various night lights throughout the home, as well as lights that trigger on events like meetings starting and even on our washing machine! Again, this takes a Zigbee hub, but you can use any Zigbee hub, not just the Aqara one. It also works as a Zigbee repeater, meaning adding one of these into your Zigbee network helps to make the signal stronger and communication more stable. Plugs like this are a handy way to make your home smarter and your day a bit easier!
- Requires Aqara Hub or Zigbee hub(sold separately)
- Zigbee communication
- Is a Zigbee repeater / router
- Single outlet
- Has power monitoring
- Has overload and overheat protection
Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug KP400
We love the Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug KP400. This is a Wifi smart plug that’s rated for outdoor use. We have a couple of them at this point, and honestly could use a couple more. They are perfect for controlling outdoor patio lights ( especially when you hook them up to be triggered by a door opening at night 🙌 ). They are also excellent for controlling holiday lights, outdoor pet warmers, fountain pumps and more. Pretty much any outdoor device that plugs in and could be controlled by an event or time is a great candidate to use one of these.
- 2 individually controlled outlets
- Weather resistant and IP64 rated
- Long Wi-Fi range up to 300 feet
- Control from anywhere with the Kasa app on your smartphone
- Voice control with Google or Alexa
- UL94-V0 PC shell material for fire prevention
Aqara Door and Window Sensor
There are a lot of Aqara devices on this list, and for good reason! These are overall just solid sensors that do what they are supposed to do for a reasonable price. This Aqara Door and Window Sensor is perfect for detecting if a door or window has been opened. We have them on our entry doors of course, but also on our garage door and outside gates. This way we can tell if the back door has been left open, or the garage door. I don’t know how many times we’ve had to drive back to check if we closed the garage door before we got this sensor. 😅 This sensor again requires a Zigbee hub, but you can use any Zigbee hub.
- Requires Aqara Hub or Zigbee hub (sold separately)
- Zigbee communication protocol
- Reports temperature, open / close state, and battery level
- Replaceable battery
TP-Link Tapo Wi-Fi Smart Plug
These TP-Link Tapo Smart Plugs are a great choice for people looking to update older devices with a bit of smarts if they don’t have a Zigbee hub. We used an earlier version of these plugs ( pre-Matter ) before we started switching to Zigbee, and still have quite a few of them in our smart home. We also like gifting these to folks who might be interested in a smart home but don’t have anything setup yet. They make great entryway devices to having a fully automated smart home and are perfect for smartening up lamps, night lights, and other devices.
- Works with Alexa, Apple, and Google Home Assistant
- Physical button to switch device on/off
- Wifi connectivity
- Matter support
- 15A max load
- Doesn’t block the other outlet ( on two plug outlets )
Roku Media Stick
The Roku is a small and easy-to-use device that makes your regular TV smart. With a Roku, you have the power to choose from a wide range of streaming services right on your TV screen. This means you can enjoy your favorite movies, catch up on TV shows, or watch live sports events with just a few clicks. Setting it up is a breeze, and you don’t need to be tech-savvy to navigate through its menu. It’s designed for everyone to use with ease. They regularly update their software, so you get the latest features and improvements. They also add new channels often, so your options keep growing. Whether you’re into movies, shows, or sports, Roku brings all these to your living room in a simple and enjoyable way. It’s perfect for anyone who loves watching TV without any hassle.
Smart home gadgets are more than just cool things to have. They’re changing how we live. From the Aqara water leak sensors that keep our homes safe from water leaks, to smart plugs that make our old lamps and devices smart, each gadget has its own special job. We’ve bought so many of these devices above for ourselves and others that they really should just be on subscription 🤣. These smart devices are making our homes better, saving us time, and adding a bit of fun to our daily lives. It’s pretty cool to think about what new gadgets will come next!
