智能家居提高了您家的安全性，使日常任务更加方便，并带来了一个很酷的因素，这是您家中很少有其他人可以梦想的。
一个缺点是安装过程(installation process)。因为智能家居由许多不同的部分组成，所以很难准确地确定哪些设备可以与其他设备配合使用，以及您应该从什么开始。
为了帮助加快这一过程并让您一头扎进智能家居技术(home tech)，我们整理了智能家居入门套件，以帮助您确定适合您的设备类型。我们推荐了我们的首选产品，并提供了指向其他文章的链接，这些文章更深入地涵盖了所有这些主题。
让我们从房子的前面开始。
智能锁
智能锁不仅仅是增加安全性。它们使您更容易进入和离开您的家。你有多少次在你的手忙得不可开交的时候摸索着找到钥匙？你有多少次不得不把备用钥匙藏在门垫下面让遛狗者进来？
我们推荐August Smart Lock。它是消费者可用的智能锁最受欢迎的选择之一。它适合固定螺栓，只需一把螺丝刀即可在 10 到 15 分钟内安装。
设置好August后，当您的手机进入范围内时它会自动解锁，并在一定时间后再次自动锁定。
八月不能(August)用
撞键(bump key)捡起或打开。客人可以下载August 应用程序(August app)并获得一个临时密码来解锁门，这使其成为需要进入您家的不常见访客的完美解决方案。八月(August)还会记录每个进出的人，以便您始终了解家中发生的事情。
要了解有关智能锁的更多信息，请在此处查看我们的文章。
智能安全摄像头
您的安全摄像头(security camera)应该与整个家庭安全系统(home security system)相关联，最好是带有第三方监控(party monitoring)的系统。这意味着您不必一直在场或保持联系来响应问题；如果您家周围发生了什么事，监控公司(monitoring company)可以代替您联系当局。
另一方面，额外的安全摄像头(security camera)总是有帮助的。如果您正在寻找智能安全摄像(security camera)头来监控家中的特定区域，我们推荐Nest Cam Indoor用于室内，或Nest 安全摄像头(Nest Security Camera)用于室外。
两个摄像头都以 1080p 实时流式传输，并提供双向音频、夜视(night vision)和运动检测(motion detection)。摄像机仅在检测到运动时记录，因此您不必担心会填满云存储。
您将收到一条推送通知(push notification)，提醒您注意活动。从那里，您可以决定忽略它（如果您的狗触发了相机）或致电当局。
要了解更多类型的安全摄像头，请在此处查看我们的完整文章。
智能门铃
智能门铃有点像安全摄像头(security camera)，但它只覆盖一个区域：门前的那个区域。这些是“门廊海盗”的完美解决方案——那些喜欢在中午从门廊上抢走闪亮的亚马逊 Prime盒子的人。(Amazon Prime)
在我们的网上购物和送货(online shopping and delivery)社会中，您不能总是在包裹到达时在家取货，但您可以随时关注它。
对于前廊的安全性，没有什么比Skybell 高清可视门铃(Skybell HD video doorbell)更好的选择了。如果您对智能门铃有所了解，这可能会让人感到意外。Nest Hello和Ring都是受欢迎的选择，但Skybell HD(Skybell HD)在一些重要领域击败了它们。
首先(First)，它比其他任何一个选项都便宜，并且与Nest、IFTTT和Alexa集成。最重要的是，Skybell HD提供免费的云存储(cloud storage)。
缺点是没有网络应用程序(web app)，但大多数人无论如何都不会使用网络来检查他们的家。双向音频让送货司机(delivery driver)很容易知道将包裹丢到看不见的地方，或者警告某人您正在观看。毕竟，很少有事情能像知道他们并不像他们想象的那么隐身一样阻止小偷。
要了解其他智能门铃以及哪个品牌可能最适合您，请在此处查看我们的评论。
智能照明
智能照明是智能(Smart lighting)家居技术(home technology)的原创部分之一。轻按一下按钮就可以打开或关闭灯，这简直太棒了，但可以肯定地说它们已经是老新闻了。
这项技术仍然令人难以置信，但智能照明几乎无处不在。市场上充满了数十种难以分类的选择。飞利浦 Hue 和 LIFX(Philips Hue and LIFX)等品牌主导销售，但它们真的是最佳选择吗？
答案在于你想要智能白灯还是智能变色灯。除非您是色彩爱好者，否则(color aficionado)飞利浦 Hue 和 LIFX 提供(Philips Hue and LIFX offer)的 1600 万种不同色调将被浪费掉。对于您想要明亮的灯光（例如在厨房或浴室）的控制，白灯非常适合。
彩灯(Color)最适合用来营造氛围，这通常意味着间接照明。阴影(Shaded)灯、台灯和其他照明系统从变色灯泡(color-changing bulbs)中获益最多。
对于标准白灯，您找不到比宜家的 Tradfri 智能灯(Ikea’s Tradfri smart lights)更好的灯泡。每个灯泡只需 13 美元，这些是市场上一些最实惠的智能灯。他们与Amazon Alexa 和 Apple HomeKit 一起(Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit)工作。您可以在三种颜色设置之间进行选择：暖白、暖光和冷白。为了给整个家庭配备充足的照明，Tradfri 灯泡(Tradfri bulbs)是最佳选择。
但是，对于变色灯泡，(color changing bulbs)飞利浦 Hue(Philips Hue)很难出错。该公司成立于 1891 年，虽然他们的灯具并不总是很智能，但飞利浦(Philips)一直从事照明业务。变色Hue 灯泡(Hue bulbs)售价较高，入门套件售价约为 200 美元，但功能远远弥补了价格。
入门套件包含三个灯泡和Hue Bridge。设置系统后，您可以安排灯光在不同时间亮起，从多种颜色预设中进行选择（或制作您自己的颜色），甚至可以将灯光设置为与音乐同步。
如果您想了解市场上其他类型的智能灯，请在此处查看我们的文章。
智能恒温器
智能(Smart)恒温器不仅为您的家带来便利，还可以轻松降低公用事业成本。智能(Smart)恒温器了解您的日常模式并自动调整以适应您的生活方式。
当每个人都离开家一天时，恒温器会关闭，直到您回家前几个小时。智能恒温器全天进行微调，以使您的家保持一致的温度，而不会增加费用。
Nest是市场上的首选名称，但我们不推荐它。如果我们必须为普通人选择一个智能恒温器，那就是ecobee4。据说这款智能恒温器每年可为房主节省多达 23% 的供暖和制冷成本(heating and cooling costs)，但真正的吸引力在于其房间传感器。
大多数智能恒温器的基础温度读数仅基于他们所在的房间，但 ecobee4 允许用户在家中各处放置传感器，以便恒温器更好地读取整个房子的环境温度。
安装(Installation)仅需半小时左右。设置完成后，ecobee4 具有内置的Amazon Alexa，用户可以通过语音调节温度。
ecobee4 是市场上的最新产品，虽然与之前迭代的唯一区别是增加了Alexa，但价格并没有上涨。只需大约 238 美元，您就可以获得一个很棒的恒温器，它会及时收回成本。
要了解有关智能恒温器的更多信息以及您的选择，请在此处查看我们的文章。
智能助手
智能家居很方便，但语音控制(voice control)将其提升到另一个层次。控制您的智能家居的三个主要选项是Google Home、Amazon Alexa和Apple HomeKit（或Siri）。虽然每一个都有利有弊，但Google Home 和 Amazon Alexa(Google Home and Amazon Alexa grant)对您的家的控制级别基本相同。
(Apple HomeKit)尽管与 HomeKit 兼容的HomePod的音质是所有智能扬声器中最好的，但Apple HomeKit的兼容性更有限，并不是家庭控制的最佳选择。(home control)
我们的建议在于Amazon Echo Show。屏幕可以链接到兼容的智能门铃、显示天气、查看日历等等。您还可以向显示屏发出语音命令。由于亚马逊和谷歌(Amazon and Google)之间的不断竞争，Echo Show唯一缺少的是YouTube。
Google Home的声音比Alexa更吸引人，但Echo的功能是无与伦比的。亚马逊(Amazon)不断发布对Echo的更新，使其比以前更加强大。
要查看市场上各种智能助手的深入比较，请在此处查看我们的文章。
其他智能家居技术
您可以将数百种设备添加到您的家中。智能(Smart)插头可用于远程控制电源和监控能源使用情况(energy usage)，而智能烤箱和智能洗衣机和烘干机等更先进的设备可让您对日常任务进行语音控制。这些对于智能家居来说并不是绝对必要的，但如果您决定扩展它们，它们可能是很好的补充。
智能家居(Smart home)集线器可实现通常不兼容的设备之间的兼容性。例如，Zigbee 设备(Zigbee device)和 Z-Wave 设备（两种主要类型的智能家居协议）通常不能相互配合使用，但使用三星 SmartThings Hub(Samsung SmartThings Hub)之类的设备可以简化您的智能家居并授予(home and grant control)对您所有设备的控制权。来自单个应用程序的系统。
使用本文作为入门指南，但请记住，您对家的渴望是独一无二的。我们推荐的可能不是您的最佳选择。
花点时间熟悉可用的设备，然后确定最适合您的设备。在不知不觉中，您会忘记上次打开电灯开关是什么时候。
The Best Smart Home Starter Kit
A smart home improves your home’s security, makes day-to-day tasks more convenient, and brings a cool factor that few others additions to your home can even drеam оf.
The one downside is the installation process. Because a smart home is made of so many different parts, it can be hard to figure out exactly what devices work with others and what you should start with.
To help expedite this process and let you
drive head-first into smart home tech, we’ve put together the Smart Home
Starter Kit to help you decide exactly what type of device is right for you.
We’ve recommended our top choices for products and provided links to other
articles that cover all of these subjects more in-depth.
Let’s start with the front of the house.
Smart Locks
Smart locks are about more than just added
security. They make it easier to enter and leave your home. How many times have
you fumbled to find the key when your hands are full? How many times have you
had to leave a spare key hidden under the doormat to let in the dogwalker?
We recommend the August Smart Lock. It’s one of the most popular options for smart locks available to consumers. It fits over a deadbolt and can be installed in just 10 to 15 minutes with nothing more than a screwdriver.
Once you have set up the August, it will automatically unlock when your phone comes within range and automatically lock again after a certain amount of time.
The August can’t be picked or opened with a
bump key. Guests can download the August app and be given a temporary code to
unlock the door, which makes it the perfect solution to uncommon visitors that
need access to your home. The August also logs every person who enters and
exits so that you always know what is happening around your home.
To find out more about smart locks, check out our write-up here.
Smart Security Cameras
Your security camera should be tied to an
overall home security system, preferably one with third party monitoring. This
means you don’t have to be present or connected at all times to respond to a
problem; if something happens around your home, the monitoring company can
reach out to the authorities in your stead.
On the other hand, additional security cameras are always helpful. If you’re looking for a smart security camera just to monitor a specific area of your home, we recommend the Nest Cam Indoor for indoor use, or the Nest Security Camera for outdoor use.
Both cameras stream in real-time at 1080p and provide two-way audio, night vision, and motion detection. The cameras only record when motion is detected, so you don’t have to worry about filling up your cloud storage.
You’ll receive a push notification alerting you to activity. From there, you can decide to ignore it (if your dog triggered the camera) or call the authorities.
To learn about more types of security cameras, check out our full write-up here.
Smart Door Bells
A smart doorbell is kind of like a security camera, but it covers only one area: the one directly in front of your door. These are the perfect solution for “porch pirates”—people that like to snatch shiny Amazon Prime boxes off of porches in the middle of the day.
In our society of online shopping and delivery, you can’t always be home to pick up a package when it arrives, but you can keep an eye on it.
For front-porch security, few options are better than the Skybell HD video doorbell. If you know anything about smart doorbells, this may come as a surprise. The Nest Hello and the Ring are both popular options, but the Skybell HD beats them out in a few significant areas.
First of all, it is less expensive than either of the other options and integrates with Nest, IFTTT, and Alexa. Best of all, Skybell HD offers free cloud storage.
The downside is that there is no web app,
but most people wouldn’t use the web for checking in on their home anyway.
Two-way audio makes it easy to let a delivery driver know to drop a package
somewhere out-of-sight, or to warn someone that you’re watching. After all, few
things deter a thief quite like knowing they aren’t as invisible as they think.
To find out about other smart doorbells and which brand might work best for you, check out our review here.
Smart Lighting
Smart lighting is one of the original pieces of smart home technology. Turning your lights on or off with the tap of a button was nothing short of brilliant, but it’s safe to say that they are old news.
The technology is still incredible, but smart lighting is readily available almost everywhere. The market is full of dozens of options that can be hard to sort through. Brands like Philips Hue and LIFX dominate sales, but are they really the best options?
The answer lies in whether you want smart white lights or smart color-changing lights. Unless you’re a color aficionado, the 16 million different shades that Philips Hue and LIFX offer will be wasted. For control over lights that you want to be bright—such as in the kitchen or the bathroom—white lights are perfectly fine.
Color lights are best used to create ambience, and that usually means indirect lighting. Shaded lamps, desk lights, and other lighting systems benefit most from color-changing bulbs.
For standard white lights, you won’t find a better bulb than Ikea’s Tradfri smart lights. At just $13 per bulb, these are some of the most affordable smart lights on the market. They work with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. You can choose between three color settings: warm white, warm glow, and cool white. For outfitting an entire home with adequate lighting, the Tradfri bulbs are the best option.
However, for color changing bulbs, it’s hard to go wrong with Philips Hue. The company was first founded in 1891, and though their lamps haven’t always been smart, Philips has always been in the business of lighting. The color-changing Hue bulbs sell for a premium, with a starter kit coming in around $200, but the functionality more than makes up for the price.
The starter kit contains three bulbs and the Hue Bridge. Once you set up the system, you can schedule the lights to come on at different times, choose from multiple color presets (or make your own), and even set the lights to pulse in time to music.
If you’d like to learn about the other types of smart lights on the market, check out our write-up here.
Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats bring more than just convenience to your home—they make it easy to cut down on utility costs. Smart thermostats learn your daily patterns and automatically adjust to suit your lifestyle.
When everyone leaves home for the day, the thermostat shuts off until a few hours before you come home. Smart thermostats make micro adjustments throughout the day to keep your home at a consistent temperature without driving up expenses.
Nest is the go-to name in the market, but it isn’t our recommendation. If we had to pick a single smart thermostat for the average person, it would be the ecobee4. This smart thermostat is said to save homeowners as much as 23% per year on heating and cooling costs, but the true appeal lies in its room sensors.
The majority of smart thermostats base temperature readings only on the room they’re in, but the ecobee4 lets users place sensors throughout their home to give the thermostat a better reading on the ambient temperature in the entire house.
Installation only takes around half an hour. Once you’re set up, the ecobee4 has a built-in Amazon Alexa that allows users to adjust the temperature with just their voice.
The ecobee4 is the latest addition to the market, and while the only difference from the previous iteration is the addition of Alexa, there isn’t a step up in price. For roughly $238, you can get a great thermostat that will, in time, pay for itself.
To find out more about smart thermostats and what your options might be, check out our write-up here.
Smart Assistants
A smart home is convenient, but voice control takes it to another level. The three main options for controlling your smart home are Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit (or Siri.) While each one of these has pros and cons, Google Home and Amazon Alexa grant essentially the same level of control over your home.
Apple HomeKit is far more limited in its compatibility and not the best choice for home control, although the HomeKit-compatible HomePod has the best sound quality of any smart speaker.
Our recommendation lies with the Amazon Echo Show. The screen can link to compatible smart doorbells, display the weather, check your calendar, and much more. You can also issue voice commands to the display. The only thing the Echo Show lacks is YouTube due to the constant rivalry between Amazon and Google.
The Google Home has a slightly more appealing voice than Alexa, but the Echo’s functionality is unmatched. Amazon consistently releases updates to the Echo that make it even more of a powerhouse than it was before.
To see a deep-dive comparison of the various smart assistants on the market, check out our write-up here.
Other Smart Home Tech
There are hundreds of devices you can add to your home. Smart plugs are useful for controlling the power remotely and monitoring energy usage, while more advanced equipment like smart ovens and smart washers and dryers give you voice control over everyday tasks. These aren’t absolutely necessary for a smart home, but they can be nice additions if you decide to expand.
Smart home hubs enable compatibility between normally incompatible devices. For example, a Zigbee device and a Z-Wave device (the two primary types of smart home protocols) do not normally work with one another—but using something like the Samsung SmartThings Hub can streamline your smart home and grant control over all of your systems from a single app.
Use this article as a guide to getting started, but remember that your desires for your home are unique. What we recommend may not be the best option for you.
Take the time to familiarize yourself with what’s available and then decide what devices best work for you. Before you know it, you’ll have forgotten the last time you flipped a light switch.
