Unexpected Smart Home Devices That Could Make Your Home More Efficient

If asked, just about everyone would say that they lead a busy life. Whether you have a 9 to 5 job, go to school, or juggle a family and all of their schedules, every single one of us is bustling around, trying to finish our to-dos before the day is done. Because of this, it's always helpful when you can find a shortcut or automate a minor task. While taking a few steps to switch on the lights or take 20 minutes to write your grocery list seems minor, at the end of the day, these tasks add up. That's where smart technology integrations come in. Whether they lock your doors or program your favorite recipes into the oven, they help make life easier. But while we know an Echo can help you order things on Amazon without lifting a finger, and Philips Hue lights can dim or switch off without you having to get off the couch, which unexpected home devices can make your home more efficient?

Each of the seven items on this list helps make your home tasks easier in some way. However, they're not as obvious as mainstream gadgets most people have heard of, like smart locks, light bulbs, and fridges, for example. To be included in this guide, each product had to meet a high standard, with more than 100 reviews and an average rating of 4.0 stars or higher. For more information on our methodology, please refer to the last section. 

A phantom power drain is when inactive appliances continue to use energy even though they're not in use. Examples of common culprits include TVs, washing machines, computers, and microwaves, just to name a few. While it might not seem like a big deal, a 2015 Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) report found that it can make up 23% of your energy bill. (This was the organization's most recent study.) However, walking around your house and unplugging major appliances like your TV screen, printer, and dryer can be a pain. Instead, use a smart power strip to control what is in use and not from the convenience of your phone. It's one of the easiest ways to make your home a smart home.

The Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300 has received over 8,000 reviews and scored an impressive 4.6 stars. Of those reviews, 82% were 5 stars. This strip has six smart outlets, all of which monitor how much energy each plugged device consumes. These stats are then reported on the Kasa app. If you find that a certain appliance or gadget is draining your energy, you can turn it off via the app. You can also turn on certain devices from your phone, whether that's a lamp for your kid playing in the bedroom or a TV you want to turn on for your pet since you're running late. It can also be integrated with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana, allowing you to use voice commands.

Purchase Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300 on Amazon for $79.99. 

Purchase Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300 on Office Depot for $79.49.

Have you been burned before by either a leaky basement or unexpected mold in the laundry room? If you have, then you know it takes vigilance not to be caught unawares by moisture. But who has the time — or anxiety threshold — to check on their pipes daily? Instead, outsource that worry to a leak detection sensor. These smart sensors are placed in leak- or humidity-prone areas and will alert you when there is moisture present. Place it anywhere from under the kitchen sink to a basement wall, and be rest assured you have around-the-clock monitoring. 

When it comes to installing a water alarm, the best one in this category is the D-Link DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor Kit. It has received nearly 350 reviews on Amazon with an average of 4.1 stars. Of those reviews, 64% are 5 stars. This particular pick was also chosen as #1 by Wirecutter, thanks to its super-speedy response times. It's very simple to set up and integrate with Google Assistant, and utilizes a bright strobe light and loud siren to alert you when there is water present. A push notification will also appear on your phone if you connect to the free mydlink app, and your Google speaker will alert you if anything is amiss. Plus, you can buy up to 16 sensors and link them together, protecting your entire home. 

Purchase D-Link DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor Kit on Amazon for $79.99.

Purchase D-Link DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor Kit on Walmart for $74.99.

When there is a heat wave during the summer, it can be tempting to keep the A.C. running, even if you leave your house. While this is simple enough to do if you have a smart thermostat and central A.C. — you can simply turn it back on 30 minutes before you get home — it was previously impossible if you had a window unit. However, with the rise of smart air conditioners, that's no longer the case. Thanks to their smart home integration, you can schedule when to turn them on or off via an app, ensuring your energy bill doesn't skyrocket during the summer. 

The Midea 10,000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner received 4.3 stars out of a whopping 22,000 reviews. Of those reviews, 72% were 5-star ratings. This particular unit can cool up to 450 square feet of space. Not only will it help save energy via its smart control on the MSmartHome app, and voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant devices, but its design will also help. It has a patented compressor with an inverter, which boosts power when the unit needs to cool a hot room, and then automatically decreases power when it hits a specified temperature. Because of this, it's the first window unit to be awarded the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient Certification and can save you upwards of 35% on your energy bill compared to comparable units.

Purchase Midea 10000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner on Amazon for $419.

Purchase Midea 10000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner on Walmart for $389.99.

Phantom energy isn't just a vampire indoors — it can hit you outdoors, too. That's where a smart outdoor plug can step in. These plugs are weather resistant, allow you to control whatever you have plugged in via your phone, help you schedule timers for when they turn and off (taking the task of your mental load,) and are integrated with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands and recipes. This will allow you to have things like rope lights along your patio and inflatables on your lawn. You can turn them on and off on your phone or via a schedule, ensuring you're not mindlessly wasting energy. 

The Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug has over 15,500 reviews with 4.6 stars. Of those reviews, 81% of them were 5 stars. It's one of the highest rated in its category because it has up to 300 feet of strong WiFi connection thanks to its amplifier, ensuring it doesn't lag with your commands. It also has two outlets that you can independently control, giving you multiple options. 

Purchase The Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug at Amazon for $24.99.
Purchase The Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug at Target for $24.99.

Despite our best efforts, the bathroom can be a dirty place, and two of its most high-touch areas are the doorknob and light switches. They're also some of the dirtiest surfaces in the home. If you find yourself constantly running around with Clorox wipes trying to negate the spread of germs on the light switch as people leave the bathroom, then smart motion switches can be a game-changer for you. These switches will sense when you enter and leave a room, automatically turning them on and off. These can also be great to install in the entryway and mudroom to limit the spread of germs. 

The Lutron Maestro Motion Sensor Switch received over 13,000 reviews and 4.6 stars. Of those ratings, 77% of them were 5 stars. The motion sensor automatically turns the lights on and off when a person enters or exits a room, but its sensing technology also picks up if there is other movement in the space, ensuring it doesn't turn off if another person is in the area. Reviewers think it's a great value for the price, and that its sensitivity to movement and level of performance is top-tier. The downside is that this is best used for small rooms, like bathrooms and mudrooms.

Purchase Lutron Maestro Motion Sensor Switch on Amazon for $24.

Purchase Lutron Maestro Motion Sensor Switch on Home Depot for $20.77.

When it comes to helping us wake up, we've got many aids. Coffee machines begin brewing at a certain hour to release the smell of java and alarm clocks can glow warm light to help pull us out of REM cycles. But things would be so much easier if you could open the curtains automatically and let the sunshine in. Luckily, rather than blearily stumbling to the window to draw back your curtains, you can instead automate that process with the help of a smart device. Smart curtains can be opened and closed via voice command, app control, or be programmed for certain periods. This not only will help your household start their mornings with less friction, but it can also save you energy. If you have them programmed to draw during the hottest points of the day, your rooms won't get as sweltering during the summer. They can also be beneficial for protecting furniture, flooring, and art, as they can block the sunshine streaming in with a simple automation. 

The SwitchBot Curtain 3 received a 4.0 rating out of over 900 reviews. This small gadget hooks to your curtain and drags it open or closed during your designated times. It also has a silent mode, which opens your curtains quieter and slower, which is perfect for the mornings. You can control it via its app or integrate it into your smart home system and use voice commands via Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, and IFTTT. However, you need to also buy the SwitchBot Hub 2 to do that, which is an extra $70. 

Purchase The SwitchBot Curtain 3 at Amazon for $89.99. 

Purchase The SwitchBot Curtain 3 at Walmart for $89.99. 

Most people stay on top of their cleaning to ensure their home doesn't stink. Whether you have a house full of pets, smelly teens, a roommate who loves to fry fish, or a partner who sneaks in smokes on the back patio, sometimes staying on top of the odors can be a challenge. But rather than stressing about cleaning the space or airing out the rooms, streamline the process with the help of a smart air purifier. This nifty gadget will not only remove viruses, bacteria, and allergens from the air, but it will also nix embarrassing odors. It will help you make your house smell amazing. 

Dayette Smart WIFI Air Purifier received nearly 1,650 ratings and got 4.6 stars. Of those reviews, 81% were 5 stars. It removes pollutants and odors up to 3,000 square feet, taking that worry off your plate. It has an air quality sensor that automatically changes the fan speed depending on the air quality of the room. For instance, if you make pungent food for dinner, the sensor will kick the fan on to higher speeds, but once it dissipates, the fan will automatically lower. The gadget not only displays the air quality on its screen — with blue being very good, green being good, yellow being fair, and red being bad — you can also see it on its integrated app. Speaking of the app, you can also monitor your air quality when you're away from your home by checking it. It allows you to turn the gadget on and off, schedule certain times to kick it on or off, and connect it with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice commands.

Purchase Dayette Smart WIFI Air Purifier on Amazon for $229.99.

To select these standout smart home products, we first looked at which under-the-radar items could improve efficiency in the home. The criteria were to choose items that weren't as reported on as the heavy hitters in the smart home world, such as smart light bulbs or camera doorbells. Instead, we zeroed in on unexpected products that our readers might have yet to be aware were integrated with smart technology. These products help the home run efficiently in some way, whether that's by cutting back on energy or automating certain tasks. Secondly, we looked at reviews and ratings. We only chose products that had more than 100 reviews and an average of 4.0 stars or higher, ensuring enough users have tried and vetted their quality.