From money-saving thermostats to the rolls-royce of lawnmowers here are the top five smart gadgets to invest in… and five others not to bother with (including a FRIDGE that takes selfies)
Control hot water and heating from your smartphone
1) The money-saving thermostat
Hive Active Heating & Hot Water Thermostat Kit, Argos, £179
How it works: Control hot water and heating from your smartphone.
RATING: 5/5. Really clever.
2) The self- dimming light
Hive lightbulb, Argos, £19
How it works: A lightbulb you can dim, or turn on and off, using your phone.
Hive lightbulb: Surprisingly useful
RATING: 4/5. Useful, if pricey.
3) The ‘smart assistant’ who knows everything
Amazon Echo Plus, Amazon, £139.99
How it works: A smart speaker you control by speaking to Alexa, an intelligent ‘virtual assistant’. Functions include answering questions and playing music.
RATING: 4/5. Surprisingly useful.
4) The doorbell you can answer anywhere in the world
Ring 2 video doorbell, John Lewis, £178.99
How it works: Be alerted on your phone when someone rings your doorbell, and speak to that person via a video link, regardless of where you are.
RATING: 3/5. A bit glitchy, but a great idea.
Bosch Indego 350 Connect Robotic Lawnmower: A robot that cuts your lawn while you enjoy a beer, or even while you’re on holiday
5) The rolls-royce of lawnmowers
Bosch Indego 350 Connect Robotic Lawnmower, John Lewis, £799.99
How it works: A robot that cuts your lawn while you enjoy a beer, or even while you’re on holiday. It operates all by itself, manoeuvring around obstacles and returning to charge.
RATING: 5/5. This is the future!
AND FIVE NOT TO BOTHER WITH
Kettle 3rd Generation Smart Jug Kettle: Clever idea, but it loses points for being difficult to set up
1) The kettle that boils as You get home
Kettle 3rd Generation Smart Jug Kettle, Currys, £99.99
How it works: Can be activated to boil via a smartphone app as you return home.
RATING: 2/5. Clever idea, but it loses points for being difficult to set up.
2) The fridge that takes selfies
Bosch KGN36HI32 Fridge Freezer, Argos, £924.99
How it works: Cameras inside allow you to see what’s in your fridge while in the supermarket.
RATING: 2/5. Good fridge, terrible cameras, a nightmare to set up.
3) The posh portable lamp
Philips Hue, John Lewis, £69.95
How it works: Portable lamp, below, with a rechargeable battery you can take into the garden.
RATING: 2/5. A candle in a storm lantern would be cheaper and more stylish.
The posh portable lamp: A candle in a storm lantern would be cheaper and more stylish
4) The remote controlled washing machine
Hoover DWFT412AH3 12KG 1400 Spin Washing Machine, Argos, £666
How it works: You can control it from your phone.
RATING: 1/5. It won’t load the machine, or do your ironing.
5) The souped-up electric blanket
Silentnight Alexa- enabled electric blanket, Amazon, £50.99
How it works: Ensure your bed is warm by asking Alexa to turn it on.
RATING: 1/5. Couldn’t set it up.
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