New technology is finding its way into the marketplace at a rapid pace. Gadgets and devices are not only making our lives easier, but they’re also making our homes safer. Find out what you should buy if you’re looking for some of the best security products and sensors for your home or your home office.
Home security
Choosing the right home security product isn’t easy. Here are some of the highest-rated options.
Smart lock: One of most popular smart locks on the market is the Kwikset Kevo Touch-to-Open product. Kevo’s newest deadbolts let users unlock the front, back or side doors with the touch of a finger. This Bluetooth-enabled smart lock can be controlled remotely via your smartphone. It also easily keeps track of who is entering and exiting your home.
Smart doorbell: See and speak with anyone at your front door withSkyBell HD. When a visitor presses the doorbell, SkyBell sends a live feed alert to your smartphone. The camera produces 1080p video. There’s also full-color night vision and motion sensors. Multiple users can access SkyBell at the same time and the system provides free cloud storage for recordings.
Security camera: The Netgear Arlo Pro 2 is touted as one of the easiest cameras to install. The product has great video quality and two-way audio. This camera is wireless, weatherproof and offers sound-triggered recordings. Its 100-decibel siren can be programmed to go off when it detects certain sounds. There is a USB port that lets you store recorded footage and the camera comes with rechargeable batteries.
The Arlo Pro 2 can be paired with other smart home devices and works with Amazon Alexa with support for voice commands.
Early detection
Smart home sensors can detect water leaks, changes in the home environment, open doors or windows and so much more.
Water leak sensor: The Fibaro Z-Wave Flood Sensor is a water leak sensor that can be used with a power adapter or a battery. With its Z-Wave technology, this device can be paired with other smart home devices. If there’s a leak in your home, you will be alerted immediately via your smartphone, tablet or email and an internal alarm will sound.
Water backup insurance — which is offered by insurers like Hippo — should be included in your homeowners policy. But a good water leak sensor can limit the damage caused by a broken pipe or leaking toilet.
Multisensor: The Aeotec Multisensor 6 is a versatile device that can detect motion, temperature variations, light, humidity and vibration from intruders or earthquakes. It can also sense the presence of ultraviolet light, which can bleach furniture and cause eye damage. This is another sensor that can be integrated with other smart home devices. It can help you control your home environment and notifies you when there are changes.
Window and door sensor: The Schlage Door and Window Sensor is a reliable product. The sensor is affordable and easy to install. You can opt to receive alerts via your smartphone or email when your doors or windows are left open or forced open when you’re not home.
Home office
If you often work from home, there’s a good chance that you have space that you’ve transformed into an office. Buying smart home technology for your workspace can help you focus and be more efficient.
Air quality control: The air quality in your home can be compromised by dust mites, mold, cleaning equipment and poor ventilation. Office equipment, like printers and copiers, can emit paper fibers and inorganic gases into a room. Pure Cool is an air purifier produced by Dyson that captures 99.97% of particle pollutants, according to the company. An LCD display on the front of the device identifies pollutants in real time. And the Dyson Link app records detected levels of pollutants and schedules times for purification.
Pure Cool is compatible with Amazon Alexa. That means you can easily control the air quality in your home office using your voice.
Smart outlet: There are a number of devices that can drain electricity and drive up your utility costs. The Wemo Mini Smart Plug lets you automatically schedule times to turn off your devices when you’re out of the office and turn them back on when you plan to clock in. Wemo can be controlled from an app on your smartphone. It can be activated using Alexa or Google Assistant and is compatible with the Nest Thermostat.
Brian Collins is a writer for Hippo, an InsurTech company that’s reimagining home insurance through the lens of homeowners – building policies with more comprehensive coverage for today’s consumers at up to 25% less than competitors. Hippo Insurance is available to homeowners in 13 states throughout the US and will be available to more than 60% of the nation’s homeowners by the end of 2018.
