The holiday season is once again upon us, and for a couple of years, I’ve written up entire holiday gift guides to help you with your buying decisions. But not this year. This year, I thought it’d be cool to enlist the help of some of my tech friends who also happen to be some of your favorite creators.
Their names? Juan Carlos Bagnell (Some Gadget Guy), Hayato Huseman (Android Central), TK Bay, and Max Weinbach (XDA-Developers).
For this collaboration, I asked them to suggest a device from five categories that they think would make a great gift this holiday season. Of course, I also have my own recommendations, and over five different articles, you’ll get to read them all.
This article will focus on our favorite smart home tech. Whether you want a new smart speaker or need some more intelligent lighting solutions, this list will help you tackle your smart home shopping in the blink of an eye. Enjoy!
Juan Carlos Bagnell: Arlo Cameras
There are a ton of IOT products set to invade our homes, but I haven’t found any camera system as easy to implement and manage as a set of Arlo cameras. Rechargeable units, one base stage with emergency alarms, a terrific app with GOBS of cloud storage. There really isn’t a better “plug it in and go” home monitoring solution.
Buy Arlo Cameras
Hayato Huseman: LIFX Lights
Smart lighting is easily my favorite home tech; I can turn on, dim, or even change the color of my lights with a simple voice command. LIFX’s products all work without a hub, the bulbs are brighter than Philips Hue’s, and the Z Strip looks great behind an entertainment center.
Buy LIFX Lights
TK Bay: Google Nest Hub
When it comes to smart speakers, the best experience is always going to be when you have a display to see the search results that you’re looking for. The Nest Hub offers a great speaker with a small display that you can have on your nightstand, in the office, or even in the kitchen.
Buy Google Nest Hub: $129.99
Max Weinbach: Google Nest Hub Max
The Nest Hub Max both sounds amazing and has great functionality. Having a security camera built into your Google Home with a display makes it the perfect smart phone phone.
Buy Google Nest Hub Max: $229.99
Me: Lenovo Smart Clock
TK and Max may’ve suggested some smart displays already, but my selection, the Lenovo Smart Clock, is a little different. It works nearly identical to the Nest Hub, but it’s designed to replace your traditional alarm clock with one that gives you access to the Google Assistant. I absolutely love it. Being able to yell at Google to wake you up tomorrow is a true pleasure. Plus, it’s absolutely adorable.
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