Smart-home technology is front and center these days, with a range of devices and price points to make any house the smartest in the neighborhood. These handy, high-tech devices allow homeowners to control everything from lighting to thermostats to garage doors, all by remoted gadget or voice command.
STORY: Jessica Dauler
PHOTOS: Sara Hanna
Amazon Echo Dot ($35)
Alexa is Echo’s virtual assistant, developed by Amazon, to control your smart home devices. You will initially need the Echo speaker to power Alexa, but Alexa also works directly with a number of smart home products. Using nothing but your voice, you can play music, search the web, shop online, make travel arrangements, order an Uber, get weather reports, set alarms and so much more.
Target
3535 Peachtree Road N.E.
Atlanta 30326
404.237.9494
target.com
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 4-Bulb Starter Kit ($200)
A smart bulb is one of the easiest ways to experiment with home automation. Just screw the bulb into any existing light socket, connect it to your Wi-Fi and access control via the app. It’s easy to make over a room and change the ambience to any of the multitude of color choices. Brighten or dim the lights for a party, or add security while you’re away from home. It also works with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Bed Bath & Beyond
1 Buckhead Loop N.E.
Atlanta 30326
404.869.0457
bedbathandbeyond.com
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub ($99)
This smart garage door opener connects directly to your home’s Wi-Fi network and can be controlled from anywhere in the world using a smartphone or tablet. Program the opener to set alerts and be notified when the door has been opened, closed or remains open by accident. The device allows for reliable remote entrance for friends, family or deliveries.
The Home Depot
2525 Piedmont Road N.E.
Atlanta 30324
404.841.5608
homedepot.com
Ecobee4 Wi-Fi Thermostat ($249)
A smart thermostat allows out of home access to your heating and cooling, daily scheduling and room sensors to help manage hot or cold spots. Placing the clever remote sensors in favorite areas allows Ecobee4 to read the temperature and detect occupancy to ensure rooms are properly cooled or heated. This version comes with built-in Alexa technology.
Best Buy
2537 Piedmont Road N.E.
Atlanta 30324
404.842.0938
bestbuy.com
Ring Video Doorbell ($99)
The easy-to-install and very popular Ring doorbell allows users to check on their property and see, hear and speak to anyone at the door from a smartphone, tablet or PC. The innovative design blends in discreetly to your home or office, and built-in motion sensors alert users to visitors, deliveries and on-demand live viewing.
Office Depot
2625 Piedmont
Road N.E.
Atlanta 30324
404.467.7554
officedepot.com
