Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Products

Best Products of 2015: Home

Amazon's Echo finally makes it easy to have a smarter home

Jenny McGrath
By
alexa on raspberry pi best home product 2015 amazon echo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

best of 2015 homeWinner
Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo started off as a Bluetooth speaker and voice-control assistant with a few smart-home tricks up her sleeve. The cylindrical device appeared most useful for finding out fast facts (“Hey Alexa, what’s the weather like in Portland today?”) and putting on your dance-party playlist. But then Amazon started adding more and more capabilities, and now Alexa can dim your lights, tell you sports scores, and help you shop online, in addition to playing your holiday tunes.

The best part is, all you have to do is ask. A lot of people keep the Echo in their kitchens. That’s because if there’s one place you need hands-free information the most (besides maybe the bathroom), it’s the kitchen. If you’re in the middle of making Moroccan chicken and find you’re out of paprika, you can say, “Alexa, what’s a substitute for paprika?”

Recommended Videos

Amazon has added all sorts of third-party compatibility – including Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, and Wink devices – and this is only the start.

Related

Amazon wants to live inside your home, and it’s found the perfect way to invite itself in.

In June, Amazon opened up an SDK to developers, in the hopes that they’ll bring Alexa to all manner of devices. Right now, you need the Pringles-can-like speaker to find out the weather, but eventually you could ask your alarm clock.

While the Echo is a great hands-free assistant, it’s also designed to sell you more goods (via Amazon, of course). Its Dash technology — which lets you reorder goods at the push of a button or automatically does that for you when your coffee machine senses your running low on beans — isn’t incorporated into the speaker yet. If you want to order your pet’s favorite food, you can ask Alexa, but you’ll still need to take a few more steps to get it from your Amazon cart to your doorstep. But give Alexa the power of the Dash button (without having to stick plastic, branded buttons all over the house), and you’ll never be in short supply of paper towels or water pitchers filters again. Amazon wants to live inside your home, and it’s found the perfect way to invite itself in.

Runners up

Roost Smart Battery for Smoke Alarms

roost
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Roost Smart Battery is pricier than a typical 9-volt, but it may make your home safer. The Wi-Fi-connected battery sends you an alert if your existing smoke detector starts sounding. That means you can snooze it if you’ve simply burned your dinner or call the fire department if you’re not home. Anyone with a smartphone and a stepstool should be able to set it up, too.

LG SideKick Pedestal Washer

LG-SideKick-Pedestal-Washer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Look out below! The LG Twin Wash is a pedestal you put below your regular washing machine with a built-in washer. That means you can do two loads at once — one for your delicates and heavy-duty one for your sheets, for example — or just use the Twin Wash to take care of a small load of gym clothes or baby-goo-covered onesies.

Check out more Best Products of the Year

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jenny McGrath
Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
Blink sale: Up to 42% off home security cameras and video doorbells
blink mini indoor camera white set in a living room blurred in the background

To make sure that your family is safe at all times, you should think about investing in video doorbells and security camera deals. If you're thinking about buying them right now, you're in luck because Amazon just launched a sale for discounts of up to 42% on various Blink devices. As one of the most trusted names in the home security space with their compatibility with Amazon's Alexa, we don't think stocks will last long for these offers, so it's highly recommended that you choose what to purchase and proceed with the transaction as soon as possible in order to pocket the savings.

What to buy in Amazon's Blink sale

Read more
How to fix a Yale Assure Lock 2 that won’t connect to Wi-Fi
The Yale Assure Lock 2 Smart Lock Deadbolt keypad being used by someone.

The Yale Assure Lock 2 is one of the best smart locks, as it's available in a variety of formats and makes it easy to keep tabs on your front door when away from home. Much of this functionality is driven by support for Wi-Fi connections on select models, as you can quickly connect the unit to your home network and access all its features via its companion mobile app.

However, some users may notice their Yale Assure Lock 2 appears offline or that it's no longer connected to Wi-Fi. It can be a frustrating issue to deal with, as a lock that's offline won't let you access its best features – meaning you'll want to get it back online as soon as possible.

Read more
Get 50% off these incredible scent diffusers to luxuriate your living space
Hotel Collection scent diffuser with unique oils on sale

An excellent and convenient way to fill your home with luxurious, aromatic scents is to employ a diffuser, an electronic device that turns perfume-like oils into mist and disperses it into the surrounding air, in this case, the air in your living space or home. Hotel Collection is our favorite place to shop for new diffusers, supplies like oils, and other notable accessories. And wouldn't you know it? Right now, they're offering 50% off large diffusers when you use code JUSTFORYOU50 at checkout. That remarkable deal allows you to save half of the biggest diffusers from Hotel Collection, like the Penthouse or the Presidential models. They offer coverage for areas from 1,200 square feet up to 6,000 square feet, which means your entire home will smell splendid. Act soon because the deal will be over before you know it.
Shop Now
 
Why you should buy a Hotel Collection scent diffuser for your home
You deserve a true sanctuary to come home to. Not just one that is clean and inviting but also smells divine, like the scent of homecooked baking, fresh linens, or . You know, the kind of encapsulating scents befitting of an elegant hotel -- only within the comfort of your home. That's precisely what Hotel Collection diffusers and scents can bring into your livable spaces.

Starting with the diffusers that make it all happen, there are a variety of options, from small, like the Studio Pro Scent Diffuser, which covers up to 600 square feet, to extra-large, like the Double Presidential Scent Diffuser, which covers up to 6,00 square feet. Whatever the size of your home, property, or living space, from condos to mansions, Hotel Collection has you covered.

Read more