Picking what type of smart technology is best for a home is really starting to feel like picking which college is right to attend. There are pros and cons of each option; this one is more expensive but should provide a better return on investment, meanwhile this one looks really nice aesthetically, but will it provide the necessary education?
When it comes to educating a home, there are seemingly more and more options every day. Here is another: the Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit. This kit comes with the necessary equipment to monitor, control, and secure a home from anywhere via a smartphone app.
The kit comes with a SmartThings Hub which connects with smart sensors to lights, locks, cameras, and more, two multipurpose sensors that monitor if doors, windows, cabinets, or the garage door are open or closed, a motion sensor for detecting movement in a home, and an outlet to control lights, electronics, and small appliances. By placing these devices around a home, they will detect if anything is amiss, such as an open window or door left ajar, and send an alert straight to the resident’s phone.
In addition to what is included in the $250 base kit, there are add-ons such as a SmartThings arrival sensor and a SmartThings Water Leak Sensor. The arrival sensor can be attached to a child’s backpack and, as soon as they arrive home from school, an alert will be sent to the mobile app. Similarly, the water leak sensor can be placed next to a water heater or under a sink and will send an alert at the first sign of moisture.
The hub connects to the home network via a ZigBee network and can be paired with hundreds of other smart devices and products from Bose, Honeywell, and First Alert.
SmartThings can also be used with the service If This Then That (IFTTT) which has pre-made ‘recipes’ that connect various smart devices around a home. For example, it can be set up so that if the SmartThings Water Leak Sensor detects water, then SmartThings will call the resident’s cell phone.
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