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Everyday living gets smarter every year.
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In the digital age, the concept of home is being reimagined by the advent of smart technology, transforming everyday living spaces into hubs of convenience, comfort and entertainment. Never has this been so clear as when you take even a cursory tour of the HGTV Smart Home 2023. If you need further evidence of just how expansive this industry is becoming, a study by Grand View Research, Inc. determined that the home automation industry will reach a staggering $444.98 billion by 2030.
Smart home technology, once fodder for dystopian storylines on TV, has evolved into a widely accepted seamless integration of devices and systems that streamline tasks, enhance security and personalize our environment. From the moment you wake to the soft glow of a sunrise simulation to the reassuring click of a smart lock securing your home at night, these intelligent systems work collaboratively to simplify routines, conserve resources and provide peace of mind. Smart home devices not only respond to our immediate commands but also anticipate our needs, learn our preferences and adapt to our lifestyles, offering a bespoke living experience that was once the stuff of science fiction.
Image Source: HGTV
Noteworthy tech in the HGTV Smart Home 2023
Each year, HGTV builds a new, technologically advanced home in a different location within the United States. The contest is typically run as a sweepstakes, where viewers can enter for a chance to win the annual smart home. Entries are usually accepted online through the HGTV website or via mail. The main prize is, of course, the HGTV Smart Home itself, which includes the home, all of its furnishings and the latest home technology. In addition to the home, there are often other prizes, like cash awards or vehicles.
Coolest devices in the 2023 HGTV Smart Home
Laid out below are just a few of the most highly sought-after pieces of smart home tech in this year’s HGTV Smart Home 2023 and their less expensive counterparts.
GE Profile Kitchen hub
The GE Profile Kitchen Hub is a unique and high-tech kitchen appliance from General Electric. It’s designed to serve multiple functions and is geared towards making the kitchen experience more interactive and connected.
- Interactive screen: The GE Profile Kitchen Hub features a large touchscreen display that can be used to access recipes, watch videos, control smart home devices and more.
- Vent hood: The screen is built into a vent hood, allowing it to sit above your range or cooktop. This design not only provides essential ventilation but also offers a central view for following recipes or watching videos as you cook.
- Cameras: The device includes front-facing and downward-facing cameras. The front-facing camera can be used for video calls, while the downward-facing camera is intended to capture your cooking, which can be useful for sharing your culinary adventures on social media or with family.
- Integrated apps: The Kitchen Hub comes with a suite of applications designed for the kitchen. These can include recipe apps, music and video streaming services and other smart home integrations.
- Connectivity: Being a smart device, the Kitchen Hub connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network. This allows it to pull up recipes, stream content and interact with other smart devices in your home.
- U+ Connect: This is GE Appliances’ smart platform that allows various devices to connect and communicate. For example, if you have a GE oven, the Kitchen Hub can interact with it, setting temperatures, timers and more.
Not looking to shell out nearly $1,200 for this type of tech? Consider an Alexa. While not as advanced as the Kitchen Hub, it is still a solid virtual assistant option for the kitchen.
DAKboard Wall Display v2 Plus
DAKboard is a digital wall calendar that integrates with various online calendar services to display your events, tasks, weather and other custom information. The DAKboard Wall Display v2 Plus is one of their products, designed to be a versatile, visually appealing display for personal and professional environments.
- Screen: The Wall Display v2 Plus includes a high-resolution screen designed to make texts and images clear and easy to read from a distance.
- Customization: DAKboard is known for its highly customizable displays. Users can choose different layouts, fonts and color themes to match their preferences or interior design.
- Connectivity: The device connects to Wi-Fi to sync with various online services like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook and others.
- Photo display: Besides showing calendar and weather information, DAKboard devices can cycle through personal photos or artwork, making them a dynamic alternative to traditional picture frames.
- Integration: DAKboard devices support integration with various third-party services for weather, to-do lists, news and more.
While the Dakboard Wall Display v2 Plus will run you close to $500, the Skylight Calendar is a solid replacement for around to $200 less.
Image Source: Samsung
Samsung AirDresser Grand
The Samsung AirDresser is an in-home garment refreshing system, which uses air and steam to clean and deodorize clothing. It is part of a new category of home appliances intended to reduce the frequency of traditional washing and dry cleaning.
- Jet air and air hangers: The system blasts air to loosen and remove dust from inside and outside your clothes.
- Steam cleaning: It uses steam to sanitize clothing, removing bacteria, viruses and allergens.
- Deodorization filter: The filter captures and reduces odors, leaving clothes smelling fresh.
- Gentle drying: Clothes are dried at a low temperature to reduce the risk of shrinkage and heat damage.
- Smart control: Integration with Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem to monitor and control the device remotely through a smartphone app.
- Self-cleaning: An internal system helps to maintain the device by removing scale and residue.
- Wrinkle care: The AirDresser can smooth out wrinkles without the need for ironing.
- Capacity and design: The AirDresser Grand offers a larger capacity to accommodate more items of clothing and potentially an updated design or premium finish.
Not nearly as fancy as the $1,100 AirDresser Grand, a handheld steamer, like the Conair Turbo EstremeSteam is a great option for quick sanitization and keeping clothes wrinkle-free with ease.
SimpliSafe Wireless Home Security System
SimpliSafe is a company that offers a variety of home security products and services, with an emphasis on ease of installation and use. Their systems are known for being wireless and user-friendly. These systems are typically marketed toward homeowners and renters looking for a quick, easy and effective DIY security solution.
- DIY installation: SimpliSafe systems are designed for easy setup without the need for professional installation. The devices can be placed on shelves or adhered to walls without drilling.
- Variety of packages: SimpliSafe provides different equipment packages to suit various home sizes and security needs. You can start with a basic set and expand with additional sensors and accessories as needed.
- Components: A typical SimpliSafe kit includes a base station, which is the central hub of the system, wireless door and window sensors, motion detectors and a keypad. Additional components might include glass break sensors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and panic buttons.
- No contract monitoring: SimpliSafe offers optional professional monitoring services on a month-to-month basis, without the need for long-term contracts. This professional monitoring can dispatch emergency services in case of a break-in, fire or other incidents.
- Smartphone control: SimpliSafe has an app that allows you to arm and disarm your system, receive alerts and monitor your home from anywhere.
- Integration: SimpliSafe systems can integrate with smart home devices and platforms, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing for voice control and other smart home automation.
- SimpliCam: They offer an indoor camera called SimpliCam, which can be used to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. It comes with features like motion alerts and the ability to stream live video.
- Design: SimpliSafe sensors and devices have a discreet and modern design to blend in with home decor.
- Battery and cellular backup: The system is equipped with battery backup to keep your home secure during a power outage, and the professional monitoring service includes cellular backup to maintain communication with the monitoring center if the Wi-Fi goes down.
- Environmental protection: SimpliSafe also offers sensors that detect water leaks and freezing temperatures to help prevent environmental damage in your home.
- Privacy protection: Features like camera shutters allow customers to control their privacy.
While the Simplisafe wireless home security system is great, it does come at a price, of about $320. If you’re looking to spend a little less, don’t fret, Amazon is full of more affordable DIY wireless security systems.
Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker
The Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker is a product by Kohler, known for combining the functionality of a showerhead with the entertainment feature of a wireless speaker.
- Showerhead: It’s designed to provide a full-coverage spray, offering a quality shower experience with good water pressure.
- Removable wireless speaker: The center of the showerhead houses a wireless speaker that can be easily detached and used independently. The speaker connects to devices via Bluetooth to play music, podcasts or other audio streams.
- Water-resistant: The speaker is designed to be water-resistant, which is essential for any electronic device used in a shower.
- Rechargeable battery: The speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. When fully charged, it supports several hours of playtime.
- Magnetic docking: The speaker is held in place with magnets, which makes it simple to detach and reattach to the showerhead.
- Harman Kardon sound: Some versions of the Moxie speaker are engineered with sound by Harman Kardon, delivering a high-quality audio experience.
- Voice assistant compatibility: Depending on the model, the speaker can sometimes be compatible with voice assistants, which would allow you to control music and other functions with voice commands.
- Multiple colors and finishes: The Moxie showerhead may come in a variety of colors and finishes to match different bathroom decors.
- Installation: It’s designed to be easy to install, fitting onto a standard shower arm.
For those who enjoy listening to music or podcasts in the shower, the Moxie Showerhead and Wireless Speaker system brings convenience and a bit of luxury to the everyday routine. If you’re looking for the same luxury at a more affordable price, you’re in luck. There are plenty of showerhead speaker combos at all price points on Amazon.
Image Source: Kohler
Anthem Digital Shower Control
The Anthem Digital Shower Control is another Kohler product that provides a high level of personalization and precision for the showering experience. It is designed to provide a user-friendly interface to control various aspects of the shower.
- Digital interface: The Anthem Control includes a minimalist display with easy-to-read buttons.
- Customizable settings: Users can save their preferred shower settings, making it easy to start the shower with their personalized preferences at the touch of a button.
- Multiple outlet controls: The system can control multiple water outlets, allowing users to switch between them or use them simultaneously for a luxurious shower experience.
- Smart home integration: Advanced models feature integration with smart home systems, enabling control via voice commands or through smartphone apps.
- Easy installation: Even though it is a sophisticated system, companies like Kohler design these controls to be as easy to install as possible, sometimes compatible with existing plumbing.
- Safety features: Many digital showers include safety features like automatic shut-off after a certain period or if the water gets too hot, which can prevent scalding.
- Energy saving: Some models offer features that help conserve water and energy, aligning with eco-friendly practices.
If you’re after the type of precision temperature control that only a digital display like the Anthem Digital Shower Control can provide, consider the much more streamlined and affordable BLTFAUCER Digital Display. While it doesn’t provide as much customization as the Anthem model, it will allow you to achieve and monitor the exact shower temperature you want.
Elements Hexagon Starter Kit
The Elements Hexagon Starter Kit is a product by Nanoleaf, which is a company known for producing smart lighting solutions that are popular for their modular, geometric design and customizable lighting scenes. The Elements Hexagon Starter Kit is part of Nanoleaf’s Elements line, which focuses on combining smart lighting technology with decor.
- Hexagonal panels: These are the core of the product, designed to be attached to form patterns on your wall. They’re hexagon-shaped to allow for a variety of configurations.
- Wood look: Unlike the original Nanoleaf light panels, which have a very futuristic look, the Elements line has a more natural wood-like appearance, allowing them to blend into home decor more seamlessly when turned off.
- Customizable lighting: Users can customize the illumination of each panel to create scenes or set the ambiance. This can include warm to cool white light settings, designed to mimic natural elements like a fireplace or thunderstorm.
- Interactive control: The lights can be controlled via an app, where users can select or design scenes, schedule on/off times and adjust the brightness. They can also respond to touch or sound.
- Smart home integration: The kit is compatible with most smart home systems, allowing for voice control.
- Rhythm feature: With the rhythm feature, the panels can synchronize with music in real time, creating dynamic light shows in response to the audio they detect.
- Simple installation: The panels attach to the wall with adhesive strips, which are included in the starter kit, making for a relatively easy setup without needing to drill holes.
- Expandability: The starter kit includes a certain number of panels but can be expanded by purchasing additional expansion packs at any time.
The Elements Hexagon Starter Kit is a great system for incorporating upscale and entirely unique lighting into a space. That said, there are also a ton of customizable hexagon lighting solutions on Amazon for a range of prices.
Smart home. Seamless tech. Smiling faces.
The rise of smart home technology stands as a testament to human ingenuity and the quest for an enhanced quality of life. As we look to the future, the integration of these intelligent systems into our homes continues to evolve, bringing new levels of ease and enjoyment. These devices do more than just perform tasks — they create experiences, foster safe environments, and cultivate moments of joy and relaxation.
In a world where time is precious and personal happiness is paramount, the smart home is less about the gadgets and more about the freedom they afford us — the freedom to spend less time managing our homes and more time savoring the pleasures of life. As we embrace this era of connected living, we find that the true genius of smart home technology lies in its ability to fade into the background, creating a symphony of convenience.
Looking for your own place to add tech to? Whether you want to replicate the HGTV Smart Home 2023 or just add some DIY home automation, the future revolves around tech-forward homes. Check out our available apartments and houses for rent.
Source: rent.com