5 Smart Home Devices You Should Install Before Summer

Many smart devices have become a year-round staple in modern homes. You use your smart speaker on the daily as it's ready to play your favorite tunes or answer queries regardless of the season. Your smart plugs are just as frequently used, controlling your various appliances day in and day out.

However, during the summer months, certain smart gadgets become especially handy for a whole lot of reasons. One, they elevate your living space's comfort even with the rising temperatures. They also minimize your utility bills during the hot season when your energy consumption may be at its peak. And, of course, like any other smart device, they deliver the usual convenience expected of such technology. To help you out this summer, we've compiled five of the must-have devices to transform your house into a smart home that's better equipped for the warmer months, from smart thermostats that can cool your rooms automatically to robotic pool cleaners that can keep your swimming area squeaky clean.

Nothing can get you in a foul mood faster than walking into your house on a scorching summer day, expecting a blast of cool air, only to be greeted by the same sweltering heat you were hoping to escape. And then you remember that you had turned off the HVAC before you headed out to work that morning. If this is a recurring issue for you every summer, it might be time to install a smart thermostat before the hot season rolls around.

Smart thermostats do what traditional ones do — control your home's temperature — but they're significantly more convenient. With voice commands or a few taps on your smartphone, you can adjust how cool you want your home to be without getting up from the bed or even needing to be inside the house. This means you can set your home's temperature while you're still on the way from work, making sure you'll return to a nice and cozy room. But beyond convenience, smart thermostats also save you money during the summer months when you'll typically use more energy — thanks to their smart learning capabilities. 

As you keep using the thermostat, it observes your habits, like your preferred temperatures and comings and goings. It then uses this data to adapt to your needs and preferences and adjust your home's climate automatically. This cuts down on energy bills, with the best smart thermostats helping you save up as much as 26% annually. Some models can also detect when a window or door is left open and automatically pauses your HVAC to prevent energy waste.

As much as you'd want your AC system running 24/7, it isn't always the most practical solution to your cooling problems. Perhaps you live in a place that only experiences hot spells for brief periods, or your house doesn't get much direct sunlight, keeping things relatively cool indoors. In such cases, a smart fan might be the better choice.

Like ACs, smart fans aim to keep you cool, though they operate differently. Instead of cooling the air, fans circulate it, which is often enough to provide a cooling effect. Although the air delivered isn't "cool" per se, smart fans come with convenient features that make them worthwhile. For one, they can be remotely controlled with your voice or through their companion apps. Several fans are also equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, allowing them to automatically set the wind speed to maintain a comfortable environment. Others, however, give you as many as 12 speeds to choose from, with different modes for different situations like everyday use or quieter operation during sleep. 

Portability is another advantage, particularly with smart floor fans. Some models are powered by batteries so that you can use them for backyard BBQ lunch gatherings. But the potential cost savings may be the biggest draw of smart fans for the summer season. You can save money with a smart energy fan as operating it is significantly cheaper than running an AC, with some models costing as little as $0.02 per day.

The sun's shining, the breeze is cool, and it's the perfect day to hang out in the front yard. But then, you notice your lawn isn't looking quite as vibrant as you'd like. Maybe you forgot to switch on the sprinkler again or left it off to avoid wasting water. If you want your lawn to be lush and green for the summer but without the burden of having to turn it on manually or the guilt of water waste, a smart sprinkler system could be the solution you need.

Smart sprinklers check off lawn care on your to-do list as they automate the watering process. It activates based on the schedule you create, which is also customizable for different areas of your yard with different watering needs. Smart sprinklers support apps and voice commands, so you can forget about running through sprinklers to get to your controller to make adjustments. 

All you need is a few taps on your phone or a quick call to Alexa or Google Assistant. Utility cost-wise, some smart sprinklers come equipped with flow meters to provide you with a clear picture of your water usage. There are also models with weather monitoring that can automatically skip a watering session if rain is on the horizon or adjust the schedule to prevent your lawn from being overwatered. There are even some savvy enough to modify water output based on your soil's condition and can shut off in the event of a leak, saving water and money in the process.

If lounging in your backyard pool is the highlight of your summer, you're probably well aware of how annoying it is to find your pool floor covered in dirt and leaves just when you're about to take a dip. Sure, you can always take the time to clean out your pool, but it isn't exactly how anyone wants to spend their summer days. That's where smart robotic pool cleaners can come in handy.

Smart robotic pool cleaners are designed to ensure your pool remains clean with minimal effort on your part. They can handle a wide range of cleaning tasks, from scrubbing away algae and bacteria on the pool's floors, walls, steps, and even waterline to capturing both fine silt and larger debris like leaves and twigs. Some models are even equipped with intelligent systems capable of assessing the pool's size and shape to optimize the cleaning time and ensure thorough coverage. With the device's Wi-Fi connectivity, you can control them via a mobile app or your favorite smart home voice assistant. This allows for easy scheduling of cleaning sessions, specifying cleaning zones, and tracking the cleaner's progress and cleaning history.

Speaking of ease of use, some robot cleaners are cordless, making them more flexible and portable. They also have user-friendly features like automatic retrieval for easy removal from the pool and plug-and-play operation, where the cleaner is simply dropped into the pool and activated, to make pool maintenance less of a chore.

Basking in the sun is one of the true pleasures of summer, but the sunshine can be a bit of a nuisance when you're indoors and trying to relax or get some work done. The rays don't only add glare to your screens but also turn your room into a makeshift sauna. Manually adjusting your window cover isn't always the most fun thing to do, especially when you need to do so multiple times a day. A more modern alternative is smart window blinds and curtains.

These smart devices bring both convenience and potential cost savings. Controlling your window covering is as simple as using a remote, a mobile app, or even your voice. These gadgets can also think for you, automatically making adjustments based on various factors. For instance, they can open or close according to a set schedule or align with your location's sunrise and sunset times to support your natural wake and sleep cycles. Meanwhile, some options respond to environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, weather, wind speed, and the room's light levels. Presence detection technology can also adjust settings based on whether or not you're home, and certain setups allow for scenarios like automatically closing the room when the TV is on to give you that movie-like feel.

From a financial perspective, smart blinds and curtains are a great investment to help you save energy and protect your furniture in the process. By blocking out unwanted heat, they reduce the need for air conditioning, thus lowering your energy consumption. Some brands even incorporate solar panels to minimize the need to charge the batteries. Plus, by protecting your rooms from prolonged sun exposure, they help preserve the condition of your furniture.