Talking toilets and automatic air purifiers
Smart home devices have come a long way in the last few years, and companies are jumping onto the wifi wagon left and right. Window shades, lights, refrigerators and even blenders can now talk to you through your iPhone.
Read more: 5 Robots That Could Soon Be Making Their Way Into Your Home
With so many options on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. Whether you want to make your home more convenient, create the perfect ambience, or just really need a toilet that beeps and flashes bright lights, we check out seven luxe smart home devices that are guaranteed to impress all your guests:
Vitamix Ascent blender
Photo: Courtesy of Vitamix
Vitamix’s Ascent series is the next level in kitchen blenders. The machine uses near-field communication (NFC) technology to talk to the container you’ve chosen and adjusts blend settings accordingly, so it’ll know whether you want to make a juice or a soup depending on whether you’re using an 8-ounce bowl or a 20-ounce cup.
The blenders also have a latent power. The bluetooth wireless connectivity function won’t be switched on until Fall 2017, but when it is, the Vitamix will be able to communicate with a cooking app that adjusts recipes to match the container size.
Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link
Photo: Courtesy of Dyson
Released at the end of 2016, the latest iteration of the original Dyson bladeless fan now has the ability to heat, cool and purify the air. The Pure Hot+Cool Link’s smart air filtration function is its biggest draw—you can monitor the room’s air quality remotely, and get the machine to automatically adjust air flow as well as remove pollutants and allergens.
Dyson claims that it can remove 99.95% of fine particles, including pollen, bacteria and pet dander. Even more impressive? It can capture odours and paint fumes.
Samsung Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator
Photo: Courtesy of Samsung
The Family Hub’s wifi-enabled touchscreen takes magnets and to-do lists into the 21st century. The monitor helps manage shopping lists, coordinate everyone's schedules, leave notes and reminders, and show off snaps from last summer’s family vacation.
The smart fridge also has three built-in cameras that take a photographic inventory every time the doors close, so you can indulge in some food photos on your phone whenever you’re feeling peckish.
Philips Hue lighting system
Photo: Courtesy of Philips
Turn your home into party central with Philips’ Hue lighting system, which can sync bulbs so they flash in time with music and films. You can play with 16 million lighting colors to achieve every ambience under the sun through the Hue app, or use the timer function to switch lights on and off automatically. It’s like Home Alone, but cooler. Did we mention the bulbs are eco-friendly, too?
Kohler Numi toilet
Photo: Courtesy of Kohler
Kohler’s top of the range Numi smart toilet is a true porcelain throne. In addition to your usual bidet, air dryer, deodorizer and heating functions, it has a motion-activated cover and seat, automatic flushing, illuminated panels, and—best of all—a music system that can wirelessly stream your favourite music.
The cherry on top of that huge, icing-covered cake? We never thought we’d say this about a toilet, but it’s also incredibly nice to look at.
Lutron Serena window shades
Photo: Courtesy of Lutron
Voice-controlled wireless window shades are no longer a pipe dream with Lutron’s Serena shade system. They’re currently the best option on the market, and can be operated with a remote or voice controlled with Siri through Apple’s Homekit. With a bit of extra tinkering, you can even connect them online and schedule them to open and close at specific times.
Savant hub system
Photo: Courtesy of Savant
To connect and control all your new smart devices, you’re going to need a hub. There are plenty of options on the market, like Samsung’s SmartThings and Amazon’s Echo, but if you’re looking for the best that money can buy, there’s really only one option.
Savant creates customised luxury home automation systems for the world's one percent (they count Bono and the late Steve Jobs as clients). They now also retail a host and remote set that can control pretty much any entertainment device, and help you create the perfect “atmosphere”—a blend of lighting, temperature, music and television that’s exactly right.
Like this story? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our top tatler_stories delivered.
See also: 5 Ways To Redesign An Eco-Friendly Home