The holiday season brings plenty of joy, but if you’re hosting any parties or housing any relatives, it can also be incredibly stressful. However, with the wealth of smart home gadgets released over the past few years, many of your daily chores can now be automated — freeing up your time to reconnect with family (or get caught up on your holiday shopping list).
Products like robot vacuums, smart lights, smart plugs, smart speakers, and smart locks are more useful than usual during this time of year, helping to reduce your workload and give your guests added convenience while visiting.
Ready to make your holidays stress-free? Here’s a look at how to deck out your pad with smart home gadgets to streamline your holiday season.
Create a festive ambiance with smart lights
Smart lights are arguably the easiest (and cheapest) way to upgrade your home. They’re also a perfect fit for the holidays, as many of them give you access to thousands of colors that can be used to cultivate some holiday cheer. Whether you want to turn one room into a cascade of reds and greens, sync the lights to your music, or simply dim them for a sophisticated dinner, smart lights are a must-have this holiday season.
You can check out our collection of the best smart lights for the holidays. Beyond smart bulbs, Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights are a great option for the winter, as they offer full support for Matter — making it easy to integrate them with the rest of your gadgets.
Bring the big game to life with a soundbar
There are tons of big sporting events taking place this holiday season — and there’s a good chance some of your guests will want to tune in to watch some football or basketball. Your built-in TV speakers are probably fine, but if you really want to impress your friends and family, consider springing for a soundbar.
These come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price tags, and they might require a bit of tinkering to get working properly with your setup. They’re more than worth the effort, however, as they’ll turn your family room into a bonafide home theater with thumping bass and room-filling sound. Many of them can also connect to Spotify, allowing you to play some tunes when no one is watching the big screen.
Check out our best soundbar roundup for a list of great products available now.
Get an assistant with a smart speaker
A good smart speaker is worth its weight in gold. Not only can you ask it questions (such as checking the weather or your calendar), but it can also play music without taking up much space. This makes them a great fit for the kitchen (you can also have them set timers so you don’t forget to check food cooking in the oven while you’re entertaining guests), letting you and your family enjoy a nice meal with some jolly background music. They’re also useful as a central hub for your smart home, allowing you to control connected gadgets with your voice or directly through a smartphone app.
You’ll find plenty of choices on our best smart speaker list.
Alternatively, you can look into smart displays. These offer many of the same features as a smart speaker, but come with a display that allows you to make video chats or catch up on some streaming while you cook dinner. The Echo Show 8 is an easy recommendation, thanks to its impressive audio quality, tons of supported apps, and a reasonable price of $150. For something newer, check out the revamped Echo Show 15 or new Echo Show 21 — both of which work great as smart TVs for your kitchen or small living space.
Automate your cleaning with a robot vacuum
Who has time to vacuum during the busy holidays? Gain back a few minutes of your day with a robot vacuum, which can be quickly programmed to clean entire sections of your home without requiring any manual input. Many of the high-end robot vacuums on the market will even let you set up boundaries or “no-go” zones if there’s anything sensitive in your home you don’t want it to clean. Some can even double as a mop — while others are capable of automatically emptying their dustbin.
Better yet, robot vacuums make it easy to clean up any messes that might happen during your party. They’re also a fun novelty and any guests that haven’t seen one before will likely be impressed by its functionality.
Our best robot vacuum and mop combo list gives you plenty of options, though some of our favorites include the Roborock Qrevo Curv and Dreame L40 Ultra.
Upgrade your front door with a smart lock
Not only do most smart locks look better than their traditional counterparts, but they offer a ton of functionality that’ll serve you well during the holidays. Depending on your specific choice, this could include the ability to remotely lock or unlock the door via a smartphone app, check if your door was left open, or set up temporary passwords for guests.
A smart lock might not be necessary if you’re just hosting people for a few hours, but if you have extended family staying with you for a week, they’re worth the investment. Not only will they give your visitors a way to access your home without needing a spare key, but the ability to check in and make sure a door wasn’t left open should give you peace of mind when you’re away.
If you need some help finding the right product, be sure to check out our roundup of the best smart locks. Our top pick is the Yale Assure Lock 2, which is available in a variety of formats (including keyless), can work over Wi-Fi, and supports several profiles for different members of your home or frequent guests.
Save energy with smart plugs
Smart plugs are a great way to cut costs on your energy bills this winter, as they give you remote control of your electrical outlets. They’re a perfect fit for indoor holiday lights, as many of them can be set on a timer to turn on and off at specific times — saving you the hassle of running around unplugging everything at the end of the day. They can also help you monitor your energy use and even give you tips on how to save a few extra bucks.
Most smart plugs are surprisingly affordable, including many of the options on our best smart plugs list. If you’re going to use a smart plug to control your exterior lights, be sure it’s rated for use outdoors, as most indoor plugs aren’t safe to use around rain and snow.
