Top 10 Coolest Tech Gadgets For The Home

Sometimes stepping onto the scales isn’t all that enjoyable, but the whole experience is given a gadget-y boost with the recent wave of smart body analyzers. Rather than watching the dial tick toward your weight, all of your vital statistics are now in the palm of your hand, and at the balls of your feet. With tech fromthe likes of Withings, FitBit and InBody you’re given information such as your weight, body mass index, body composition, fat percentages and heart rate. Some models even give you weather reports and measure indoor air quality! The data is then stored on an app, and your progress is recorded, making a healthy life a whole lot more achievable.

The humble kettle is a pretty handy kitchen appliance: it’s there in the morning when you desperately need coffee to function, and it’s there in the evening when you’re ready for a cozy tea before bed. Thanks to products like the iKettle, the whole hot drink experience is made even better; as this thing requires no wait time whatsoever. By remotely setting the water to boil through an app, you give yourself a few more minutes in bed, or you can conveniently have hot water waiting for when you get home. Or what about something like Sage’s Smart Kettle, which has various temperature options to brew the perfect cup of whatever your heart desires? The days of dawdling in the kitchen until the kettle clicks are long gone!

Though some of us actually like spring-cleaning, most of us would really prefer not to have to do the chores – and vacuuming has to be one of the worst! But why do for yourself what a robot could do for you? Robotic vacuum cleaners require just a few buttons pushed before tackling messy floors, leaving you to get on with other more interesting endeavors. While older models rely on onboard sensors to tackle the job in a mostly random way, newer designs do incorporate mapping technology for greater efficiency. Old or new though, robot vacuum cleaners require bare minimum effort, and they’re a source of never-ending hilarity if ever your pets decide to ride them!

Why is it that whenever we’re away from our homes we convince ourselves that we’ve left something on? And when we’ve made ourselves comfortable in our favorite spot on the sofa, we realize we’ve gotta get up again because something’s switched off. But inventions like Belkin’s WeMo Switch and home automation system eliminate all those inconveniences by bringing control of our electrical outlets to our smartphones. If you’re at work worrying that your hair straightener is about to catch fire; there’s an app for that. When you’ve just gotten into bed but you’ve forgotten to turn the bathroom light off; there’s an appfor that. It promises “your home at your fingertips,” and that’s exactly what it delivers.

We’re often guilty of overlooking how crucial lighting is in our homes, but without it we’d be lost – and probably stubbing our toes, banging our heads and generally walking into stuff! Today lighting is a lot more than just a lamp in the corner, as wireless LED systems allow us to set the perfect mood for any occasion at the touch of a button. Products like Philips Hue, which is controllable through a smartphone or tablet, offer a whole range of colors and tones, and by sequencing and scheduling your setup you can create your very own light show. More so than anything else on today’s list, these systems really do changethe way we see the world.

The shower is arguably the most satisfying spot in the home for singing. Unless you’re lucky enough to own a recording studio, bathroom acoustics are the best you’re gonna get. But too often the backing track just isn’t up to scratch. With shower speaker technology quickly improving, however, music can now be imbedded in your bathroom walls. A far cry from the shower radio, developments like Kohler’s SoundTile speakers are designed to deliver high-quality, far-reaching audio, so that you can listen (and sing-along to) your favorite tracks. Products such as the VibrAcoustic bathtub even bring the music into the water itself, literally submerging you in sound.

Our house keys are both massively important and immeasurably annoying. Without them we’d be locked out of our homes, probably in the rain, with no one to turn to but the crazy old cat lady next door. However, probably because we rely on them so much, a lot of us are constantly misplacing them – usually when we’re already running late! Fortunately, with remote control door locks, the hassle is over. Simply open and close your locked doors from afar via an app: it’s smart, safe, secure, and way more difficult to lose. Plus, some models might see your phone coming and open up as you get near, or shoot you a text when an unknown person tries to get inside.

Personal assistant apps are part and parcel of the smart phone generation. The ‘ask a robot age’ was ushered in by the likes of Apple’s Siri, and now companies like Amazon and Google have applied that same type of tech in the home. Amazon Echo and Google Home are more than just sources of random facts though; they’re ultra-intelligent smart technology hubs designed to link our homes to the various everyday apps we rely on. From the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, these products can offer help, guidance or just a well-timed joke. Before long, they become part of the family!

The smart TV market is exceptionally competitive, with new innovations being unveiled seemingly on a weekly basis. But brands like Samsung and LG consistently appear to be one step ahead of their rivals are, having both helped pioneer the curved TV screen; a product designed to allow an ideal view from any seat in the room. And models like Samsung’s UHD 105S9 Series are the crème de la crème: the curved screen, LED backlighting, super-fast refresh rate and pristine picture quality all add up to a truly cinematic experience, played out on an incredible 105” screen. But, there is a sizeable price tag for all this power; it’ll set you back a whopping U.S. $119,999!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Thermal Leak Detectors

- Robotic Wheeled Alarm Clocks

- Internet Refrigerators [aka Smart Refrigerators]

With all this high-tech home gadgetry, the security of the house you store it in is vital! And fortunately, companies like Canary and Nest Labs offer phenomenal peace of mind, courtesy of their pioneering work in home automation. Their range of products stops you from ever having to worry about what’s going on when you’re away from your house: cameras let you monitor from afar, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors tell you whenever a problem arises, and learning thermostats ensure that whenever you are at home, the environment is exactly how you like it. Essentially, home automation systems like this create a two-way relationship between you and the place you live. They welcome us to ‘the thoughtful home’ and set the modern standard for smart tech companies worldwide.
 
Do you agree with our list? Which tech gadget do you think is best? For more house-proud top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.