Seconds after stepping inside the Best Buy Smart Home at the National Home Show I came to a realization: I have a very stupid condo. Let me explain… Although I’m absolutely fascinated by technological advancements that can improve our quality of life, I actually don’t have any smart appliances or devices in my house. I truthfully didn’t know how many products were out there until I walked through the perfectly-curated Best Buy Smart Home. My mind was blown at every turn. As I hopped from room to room, I found myself making a wish list of items that could help turn my condo into a smart home. A gal can dream, can’t she? Here are my top picks…
Smart Home Technology For The Living Room
Meural V2 27″ Digital Canvas Frame – This may just be the first piece of smart technology that I introduce into my home. That’s because the digital canvas basically puts an endless gallery of masterpieces at your fingertips. And when you have limited wall space like I do, it’s a brilliant way to shake things up and change the mood in your living room. With just the wave of a hand you can scroll through over 30 000 different works of art (or your own photos) and select one to put on display. You can also learn about the art by swiping up! This makes for a great conversation piece in any home and is perfect for those who love art and photography.
Sobro Smart Coffee Table With Refrigerated Drawer – Um, a coffee table that keeps your drinks cold? Yup, it exists. Oh and it also has 2 USB charging ports, dual Bluetooth speakers and LED lighting under the table. It’s a game-changer for those who entertain in the living room — I’m thinking Super Bowl and Oscar parties! Topped with sleek tempered glass which has an integrated touchscreen, the high-tech coffee table looks ultra modern.
Belkin WeMo Dimmer Light Switch – Cool tech alert: you can sync your lights to sunrise and sunset with this device! Easy to install, the Wi-Fi enabled smart dimmer lets you choose the desired level of brightness and set schedules to suit you and your fam. You can also control the lights from your smartphone or tablet when you’re not around — a lifesaver for those who forget to turn off the lights before running out the door.
Photo c/o Best Buy Canada.
Smart Home Technology For The Bedroom
ZEEQ Smart Pillow – Do you snore? Does your partner? Snoring can be a huge problem in the bedroom (one that forces couples to sleep in separate quarters) so this pillow may be a godsend for some of you! It actually detects snoring and gently vibrates to get you/your partner to change your sleeping position. But it gets better: it has built-in speakers so you can enjoy audio books or sleep music without disturbing your partner. It also has a sensor that tracks your movements and sends data to your smartphone to help you keep tabs on the quality of your sleep.
Nightingale Smart Sleep System – If both you and your partner like to sleep to soothing sounds, then this may be the sleep system for you. Designed to mask disruptive indoor and outdoor noise, the Nightingale fills the entire room with a blanket of sound. It can be customized to your room acoustics and plays sleep or nature sounds that could help you get to sleep 38% faster than you would on your own! The smart outlet is sleek and can be controlled via smartphone, PC, or with Google Home. I’m seeing lots of potential for this small device: perhaps a sound machine for baby? And it will def be great for travel as some hotels/Airbnbs are super loud!
Photo c/o Best Buy Canada.
Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation – Want to reduce your energy usage up to 20%? This smart thermostat can help you do exactly that. Not only will it alert your mobile device if the temp is too low/high so you can remotely adjust it, but it actually learns your schedule and temperature preferences over time and programs itself to save energy. It’s even smart enough to turn down the heat when you’re away at work!
Photo c/o Best Buy Canada.
Smart Home Technology For The Kitchen
LG 36″ 29.6 Cu. Ft. InstaView French Door Refrigerator – Knock, knock. Who’s there? Your drinks! Knock twice on the tinted glass InstaView door-in-door panel and the interior lights up so you can see what’s inside your fridge without letting out the cold air! Not only is this a fun tech feature to show off to friends and fam, but it helps keep your food fresher for longer.
Click And Grow Smart Indoor Garden – This is for all of you out there who can’t keep a plant alive. AKA me. No matter how hard I try, it’s one endeavour I fail at miserably. But I’ve always dreamt of growing and using my own herbs in the kitchen so the smart garden is something I’d love to own one day. It monitors the health and growth of plants and automatically delivers an optimal amount of nutrients, water and oxygen to them. No green thumb needed here. And it’s the perfect size for any condo kitchen!
Photo c/o Best Buy Canada.
Google Home Mini – Ah yes, the mini version of Google Home. I never thought I’d live to see the day when we have hands-free control over home appliances. Imagine telling Google Assistant to turn on the kettle or asking it to guide you through a recipe… The kitchen possibilities are remarkable and endless. You can even preheat your oven if it’s a smart appliance! Bonus: the puck-shaped Google Home Mini device is sleek and small so it won’t clutter up your space — essential since every inch counts in a condo…
So there you have it: my condensed wish list. To be honest, I wanted pretty much everything I saw inside the Best Buy Smart Home. I love that most of the items go beyond just being trendy/fun and are specifically designed to make homes more energy-efficient, functional and safe. Do you guys live in a smart home? Let me know what devices/appliances you have so I can check them out!
A huge thanks to Best Buy Canada for inviting me to participate in the #BestBuySmartHome challenge at the National Home Show and for sponsoring this post. As always, reviews and opinions are my own.
6 Comments
Chantel
March 14, 2018 at 1:08 pmI need the grow smart indoor garden in my life asap. With this tech, i might actually have a chance at keeping a plant alive 😁😁
Sarah Baldeo
March 14, 2018 at 1:26 pmI would definitely want the Click & Grow Smart Indoor Garden! It’s a miracle I’ve grown a 7 year old boy and can’t keep a plant alive!
Erica
March 14, 2018 at 7:16 pmIt all sounds soooo cool! I need that anti snoring pillow though!
Naila
March 14, 2018 at 9:52 pmI definitely love the Nightengale Smart Sleep System. It would work wonders for my husband, my toddler and myself! I really could have used this when the toddler was a baby. I’ve been through many different white noise machines!
Colleen C
March 15, 2018 at 1:07 pmWe already have some smart home products (smart plugs, ring doorbell, smart thermostat) I’d love to add a Google mini to sync up with my pixel & make life super easy. I have my eye on that smart garden too! (Fresh Basil anyone?)
Janice L
March 15, 2018 at 5:06 pmTough to choose between the garden and the pillow! I love my light switches, smart oven and Google home though :p