Smart homes are on everyone's lips – add intelligence to your home with large and small appliances

Smart homes, home automation, and remote control are a growing trend—and for good reason. They make life easier, save energy, and improve home security. You probably already knew that robot vacuums count as smart small appliances and part of a smart home, but did you know that traditional appliances like ovens, cooktops, washing machines, and dishwashers can also be smart? If you're ready to jump on the smart home bandwagon, read this article where we dive into the modern smart features of both large and small appliances—features you didn't know you needed—with help from our experts.

Smart Home Appliances – What Do You Need Them For?

Don't worry – even though we're talking about smart home appliances, their intelligence is still quite modest, and they're not planning a robot uprising anytime soon. On the contrary, smart devices are fundamentally designed to make everyday tasks easier and faster, save energy, and improve home security. Product specialists for large and small home appliances Matti Mustakangas, Linus Lönnroth, Joonas Heiniö, and Tuomas Maung explain how smart home appliances can help with daily life, energy savings, and even enhanced security.

How Do Smart Homes and Home Appliances Connect?

Smart home devices have traditionally included things like smart lighting, remotely controlled outlets, smart speakers, and perhaps robot vacuums. They certainly are, but a smart home can also include ordinary home appliances and small appliances like ovens, cooktops, washing machines, dishwashers, coffee makers, or air purifiers – as long as the devices are smart.

What Makes a Home Appliance Smart?

• The appliance can be connected to your phone via wireless network or Bluetooth
• The appliance can perform tasks automatically
• You can control the appliance using a phone app, such as starting the device or scheduling it to turn on at a specific time

Does Every Smart Appliance Need Its Own App?

All smart home appliances in your home can be controlled through a single app if they're devices from the same manufacturer with smart features. For example, Bosch, Siemens, and Miele each have their own apps that let you control everything from washing machines and dryers to dishwashers and ovens.

Can Home Appliances Be Integrated into a Home Automation System?

If you've built a home automation system around a specific ecosystem like Apple HomeKit, Google Home, or Alexa, you can also integrate smart home appliances into them. Just make sure you purchase an appliance that's compatible with your ecosystem.

Add Intelligence Where You Need It

If you love spending time in the kitchen, invest in appliances that make cooking and other kitchen tasks as smooth as possible. Smart devices for household chores aim to minimize your involvement in housework. If you're interested in health, wellness, and living comfort, get devices that provide data and tools to improve these areas.