15 Best Smart Home Gadgets (Number 8 is Really Weird!)

Looking for the coolest and best gadgets for your smart home? I’m rather impressed with some of these new useful smart gadgets. You won’t find your typical smart home gadgets here. These are some of the more off the wall gadgets that we ran into and thought you might be curious to read more about.

Currently, the best smart home gadgets are:

• Bond
• PetSafe Smart Feed
• Anova Precision Cooker
• QiLi Ceiling Lamp
• Dojo
• Weber iGrill Mini
• Flower Care 2
• Muse: Brain Sensor
• Circle – with Disney
• Feiyen Echo Dot Hanger 
• Blink XT Smart Security Cameras
• Tonbux Wi-Fi Smart Plug Power Strip
• Schlage Z-Wave Connect Century Smart Lock
• Sensibo Sky
• Logitech Harmony Hub

I know that we all know about smart home thermostats and smart home security and all the normal stuff that I discuss here on a daily basis.

I think you will find some of these smart home gadgets are a little more intuitive and solve everyday problems that we all run into. Heck, some of them are just for fun.

You can click on any of the pictures on the right to take a deeper look at each item over on Amazon. So here is my list of 15 of the best gadgets for your smart home that you should take a look at in 2018.

1. Bond

This little smart hub is great as a smart home gadget. I don’t usually think of ceiling fans right off the bat when I think of smart homes. But now, when I do I think of the Bond. Basically, it allows you to turn your old remote controlled ceiling fan into a smart ceiling fan.

It allows you to control up to 6 ceiling fans with one single controller and from one central location. It has support for both iOS and Android APP.

It was really easy to set up too. You just download the app, then point your remote at the BOND and you are done.

It also integrates slickly with Alexa and Google Home. Just bear in mind that if you don’t have a remote for your current fan, Bond won’t be able to help you.

2. PetSafe Smart Feed

Every time you go away from home for vacation or an outing you don’t want to forget your fuzzy buddies. This lovely little item allows you to control your dog or cat’s feeding times from anywhere. You can use your iPhone or Android smartphone to do so.

It also allows you to set up to 12 meals to feed on your pets own schedule. You can use the “feed now” option to allow feeding outside of normal feeding times.
It is definitely flexible, as your pet’s meals can be dispensed from 1/8 cups to 4 cups.

You can use the “slow feed” option which allows food to dispense slowly over a 15 minute period. This will help prevent bloating and vomiting. Because that’s the last thing you need happening when you aren’t there to clean it up.

This also allows you to get alerts so that you know that your pets are eating on the schedule you set for them. It’s easy to clean and has a reliable design for a smart home gadget. Overall I highly recommend it.

3. Anova Precision Cooker

I grill. I don’t cook. At least that’s what my wife says. The Anova Bluetooth Precision Cooker cooks in a way that you literally can not screw it up, so it doesn’t really matter if I can cook or not anymore. I get to enjoy food that I cooked and came out as good as any professional chefs’.

Sous vide cooking has been around forever and produces restaurant quality results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method. You can cook everything from meats, fish, vegetables and even desserts.

It’s easy to use too for a smart home gadget! Just attach the cooker to any pot, add your water, put your ingredients in a sealed bag or glass jar, drop it in, then press start. Seriously, if I can do this, then any Homosapien can!

4. QiLi Ceiling Lamp

Everyone is looking for the next best thing in smart home lighting.

Ahhhh, but it’s not just a ceiling lamp! There is an awesome sound speaker inside the lamp. You can play the music from your phone through the speaker. Absolutely a must have if you want to relax and unwind after a long day. I like the idea of having one of these in the bathroom.

It has multiple light colors built right into the LED Ceiling light, and warm white as well as cool white for options as well as dimmable functionality. You can use the iLink app to control the colors. You can control it via Bluetooth from 16 to 20 feet away. The only downside is that you can only pair it with one phone.

It does also have a timer setting so that you can time the start of the smart ceiling lamp to turn it on or off automatically and have it set to any color you want. You can even set the bulb to wake you up in the morning with a naturally soft light. It definitely has some great features and is an interesting smart home gadget for just about any home.

5. Dojo

Finally! Smart Cybersecurity! Dojo allows you to protect all of the devices on your network from malware, viruses and just about any cyber attack while keeping your privacy intact. Dojo is pretty neat. It makes sure that all of your smart devices and network are secure.

This was really easy to set up. Basically, you connect your Dojo to your router, download the Dojo app and Dojo does everything else. As someone who used to work in Network Security Sales, it’s nice to see smart detection and prevention for the home user.

This little gadget also automatically detects, blocks and mitigates cyber threats. The app will give you real-time risk information on privacy breach detections and anything that it blocks. It is constantly learning by studying your smart home network which allows it to enhance and protect at all times.

6. Weber iGrill Mini

As I said before, I don’t usually cook, I grill. So when I grill I like to have my meat grilled or smoked to just the right temperature. I’m actually a fanatic about this. Pork that is not cooked to the right temperature is awful.

This little tool has a magnet mount and a 150 Bluetooth range that allows me to wander around a bit more than I used to be able to when I was smoking meat.

The iGrill mini has a smart probe that measures temperatures between -22° F (-30°C) to 572° F (300°C). It comes with an app that allows you to monitor it. It also has a temperature LED indicator with proximity wake-up shows the progression from start to done without lifting the lid on your grill or smoker.

Who would have thought I’d be writing about smart gadgets for your grill!?

7. Fower Care 2

This is a smart plant monitor that gives you real-time wireless analysis for your indoor or outdoor plants. This will read sunlight, temperature, moisture and what the fertilizer level is.

It is waterproof so you don’t have to worry about putting it outside. The battery life can last up to a year and yes it is included when you buy one.

The app stores a daily growth record. They even have a database of over 5,000 plants and flowers that you can find your plants in. This little smart home gadget also works in both the United States as well as in Europe.

8. Muse: Brain Sensor

That’s right! I did indeed say brain sensor. Ok, well really it’s a personal meditation assistant. Basically, this is how it works….you put on your earbuds, start the app and close your eyes when you are meditating. It immerses you in the sounds of the beach or a rainforest.

While you are meditating it measures how calm your mind is and it translates that data into weather sounds. So for example, you’ll hear nice peaceful weather sounds when you are calm. When your mind wanders off the weather will intensify which guides you back to being calm again.

After your done meditating you can see all the data, and set new goals. I’m not the meditation type (although I probably should be), but I’m pretty impressed with this little smart home gadget.

9. Circle – with Disney

Every good parent is concerned with what their kids are doing online (or at least they should be). Screen time is a big discussion in our house as well and we figured it was about time to do something about it.

Circle with Disney gives you the ability to filter what your kids see and allows you full parental controls without having to be ultra tech-savvy.

You control it right from your smartphone, and yes it is compatible with both Android and IOS. You will want to check before buying to make sure that your router is compatible. You can find a full list of compatible routers here.

I love the fact that you can control online time limits with Circle and that you can even pause the internet all together with a single tap on your phone.

If you think this smart gadget might be something for you, then you should check it out over here on Amazon.

10. Feiyen Echo Dot Hanger 

I have an Amazon Echo, in fact, I have a few of them. The one issue that we have had is where to put them. Yes, I know they are small, but sometimes you just don’t want to have that extra wire kicking about. This is a way to fix that and a great alternative to the others on the market, that require drilling holes.

You can set it up in seconds because there is a secure lock to keep the echo dot in place. This also holds your cord, so you can literally say goodbye to it. The best part of this little doodad is that it improves the responsiveness of the Echo Dot because the microphones are completely exposed.

Overall I just love the convenience and functionality of having this for my Echo Dot. Be aware though, it only works with the Echo Dot 2nd generation. Still, this is a very useful smart home gadget for anyone who has purchased or will be purchasing an echo dot.

11. Blink XT Smart Security Cameras

I’ve got to tell you. This is probably one of my personal favorite smart home gadgets that I have ever purchased. I don’t take security lightly and these smart security cameras run like a clock on two AA lithium batteries.

The best part is. The batteries in these cameras last for up to two years. Personally, I have mine in high traffic areas and the batteries last me a year without a flinch keeping homes secure.

They are made to withstand the coldest of weather and are more durable than one would imagine. I have these in here at number 11, but honestly, I should have put them at #1!

12. Tonbux Wi-Fi Smart Plug Power Strip

I need more of these! The Tonbux Wi-Fi Smart Plug Power Strip uses your existing home Wi-Fi network to provide wireless control of your home appliances in a rather efficient manner. No need for a hub or a subscription this time.

You just connect this USB power strip to your wall outlet, and download the smart app, then add it to your account via your home network. When you turn it on/off on app, you can turn your devices on and off and set schedules from anywhere in the world, which offers you a surprisingly intelligent life.

13. Schlage Z-Wave Connect Century Smart Locks

Smart locks are in high demand these days. In fact demand for smart locks is projected to exceed 135 million units by 2024. The Schlage Connect’s programmable keypad lock takes the keys and smartphone out of your hands and also has a built-in alarm.

They are also compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Home, so you can control them via your voice as well.

You can add or delete codes for specific family members or temporary codes for service people like housekeepers if need be. This awesome smart lock supports Z-wave technology, it is also compatible with both the Wink Hub and The Samsung SmartThings Hub. If you’d like to read more about smart locks, in general, I have tons of information on this site about which smart locks are best for different occasions.

14. Sensibo Sky

So you want to make your air conditioner smarter. Well, now you can control it from anywhere at any time. This is going to save me a ton of money this summer when I’m not home. This works with any remotely controlled air conditioner: Split A/Cs, Window A/Cs, Mobile A/Cs, Cassettes & Central A/Cs that already have a remote control.

This works on a geofence and automatically turns the A/C off when you leave and turns it back on when you come home. That is a huge saving.

Sensibo works with both Amazon Echo and Google Home. You can even control the temperature with your voice! How cool is that? Sensibo also works with SmartThings and IFTTT. I’ll take three, please.

15. Logitech Harmony Hub

Want to control your TV with Alexa or Google Home? I know, I know…I mention this all the time lately. But it has been one of the most helpful smart home gadgets I have purchased personally. This is just the best entertainment hub on the market in my opinion.

You can use Amazon Alexa with your Logitech Harmony Hub to turn on your television to your favorite channel by just using your voice. You can set it up to turn any of your home entertainment equipment off or on with the sound of your voice actually. It allows you to combine up to 8 remotes and countless apps into one easy-to-use smartphone app.

Don’t want to see your devices anymore? Want to hide them in a cabinet? Then this is perfect for you. You won’t see that stuff anymore. You can also check out my short review on the Logitech Harmony Hub to find out more.

Conclusion

These are just some of the fun smart home gadgets that I talk about regularly on the blog. If you find this information useful please bookmark us for future posts like this one.