If you’ve been waiting to dip your toe into the smart home waters, now — at this very moment — may be the best time to get started.
Amazon has packed its second annual Prime Day with special, one-day deals you can only get if you are an Amazon Prime member. Among them are deals on a host of Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, many of which work with its digital assistant Alexa and smart home hub Echo.
Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo
Image: mashable
If you’re game, you’ll need to start with at least one Echo device. The Echo is on sale right now at a steep Prime Day discount.
Normally $179, Amazon’s Echo Prime Day deal lops off $50 to bring it down to $129.
Thanks to Alexa, the Amazon Echo is always listening, ready for you to call her name and ask a question. However, with Alexa’s ever-growing list of smart home device connections, she can control virtual every part of your home.
Philips Hue lights
Philips Hue Starter Kit
Image: Philips
Bringing lights into your smart home fold is an obvious post-Echo step, but you have to choose a kit that will work with your existing setup. Fortunately, Prime Day includes a deal for Philips Hue Starter Kit deal that knocks 25% off (at checkout), bringing the total price to $125. Inside, you’ll find three Hue bulbs and a Wink-compatible hub. If you already have an Echo, you can actually order through it to get this lighting kit for 37% off.
Smart plugs
There still isn’t a smart option for every home gadget, but, since most are powered by electricity, it’s actually pretty easy to add a little intelligence with a smart plug.
TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
Image: TP Link
TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring lets you plug in any electrical device and add energy usage monitoring and the ability to turn off or set usage schedules, all from an app and, if you want, your new Amazon Echo and the Alex voice assistant. The Prime Day deal lops $10 off the price, bringing it to $29.99 per plug. Echo owners can use Alexa to buy the TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug (no energy monitoring) for $15 a piece.
Yale keyless lock
Yale Real Living Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt
Image: Yale
Smart home intelligence can extend outside the home — at least to the front door — and is especially welcome when you can’t find your key. There are now a host of new smart locks that let you stop worrying and keep your keys in your pocket. Yale’s Real Living Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt integrates with a Z-wave Hub (Z-wave does work with Amazon Alexa) and lets you use PIN codes to enter your home and will integrate with existing home automation system so you can lock and unlock the door via an app. It’s $204.21, but Prime Day lops another 20% off at checkout.
Holmes air purifier
Holmes Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo True-HEPA Premium Air Purifier
Image: Holmes
Back inside the house, the air is a little… well, shall we say, stale. Holmes Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo True-HEPA Premium Air Purifier does the air-freshening job of a regular air purifier, but with a little more intelligence. it connects to your Wi-Fi network and lets you control and monitor air quality via your smartphone. The Prime Day deal price of just $97.49 (50% off) is like a breath of fresh air.
Arlo security camera
Arlo Smart Home Security Camera System
Image: arlo
Now that you’re giving your home a partial brain transplant (there are a lot of amazing smart home gadgets, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, that are not on sale), it might be a good idea to protect it. Smart home security cameras are the next big thing. Prime Day has a rocking deal for the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera System, which actually includes five cameras and a base station. The whole set-up is wireless, weatherproof (not counting the base station) and can see in the dark. The cameras also have motion sensitivity so they can alert you via the dedicated app or an email when something has passed in front of one of the cameras. The Prime Day bundle deal is $499 for the whole system.
If you’re not ready for the full home conversion, perhaps you and to want to upgrade your consumable buying habits. Amazon’s Dash buttons — the ones you hit to reorder through Amazon necessities like toilet paper — are being offered for just 99 cents up front (instead of $4.99). What’s more, Amazon gives you back $4.99 when you make your first order through one of the buttons. Yup, you make money on the deal.
Many of these deals are in limited quantity, so if you plan on upgrading your home intelligence, you might want to make the smart move and act fast.
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