Top smart home gadgets of 2023

Thanks to the numerous smart gadgets that have come to the market over recent years, finding the perfect gift for a techy friend is easier than ever before. Smart home devices allow you to incorporate futuristic functionality into your home. In this article, we gathered the best of the best smart home gadgets for you and your close ones.

Amazon Echo Show 15

The Echo Show 15 is Amazon's biggest Echo device to date. Boasting a 15,6-inch HD screen and a picture frame design, the device can be mounted on the wall of your choice, both horizontally and vertically. Besides looking pretty cool indeed, the Echo Show 15 makes a perfect central smart hub.

Powered by Alexa, you will have access to a vast amount of helpful widgets, all of which can be opened and controlled through voice commands. You can check your calendar, ask for the current weather reports in your zone, display recipes, and much more. The display has a built-in speaker, allowing you to enjoy your favorite songs on Amazon Music and Spotify. That said, the Echo Show 15 sound quality is not that great, but that's not a major issue as you can pair it with other smart speakers in your home.

The Echo Show 15 is also great for surveillance purposes. The integrated camera allows you to take a live peek at the room where you've placed your device. And thanks to the clever privacy slide you can quickly disable the feature whenever you like. Furthermore, the Echo Show 15 has sound and motion detection capabilities. Don't forget to connect the device to your smart doorbell, you will be able to see who's knocking the door.

Amazon's Echo Show 15 can also be used to watch your favorite series and movies. It supports several streaming apps including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more.

You can get yourself an Echo Show 15 on Amazon for as low as $279.

LG Tiiun Indoor Gardening Fridge

If you have green fingers, but your house doesn't have a garden, the LG Tiiun smart indoor gardening will be your new best friend. Looking like an item taken straight from a science fiction movie, LG's Tiiun is a unique home appliance that lets you grow herbs and vegetables in your living room, all year round.

The device stands approximately 3 feet tall and it boasts two large growing trays that offer space for up to six different herbs or plants on each tray. Owners of the Tiiun will be able to choose from 20 different pre-planted seed packages.

LG has incorporated an impressive amount of technology into the Tiiun. Thanks to the Flexible Water Control System, the internal temperature of the gardening cabinet automatically looks for the optimal conditions for organic growth. In a similar way, the Tiiun is able to mimic daylight cycles. Moreover, the internal watering and moisture system makes sure that your plants are always perfectly hydrated. A fun fact about this amazing invention is that Tiiun means "to sprout'' in Korean.

Asof now, the Tiiun is strictly available in LG's home market South Korea, where it sells for about $1250. The device is rumored to make its international debut somewhere during 2023.

GE Profile Smart Mixer

During its presentation at CES 2023, General Electric dubbed the GE Profile Smart Mixer "the smartest stand mixer in the world". By blending classic mixer features with smart technology, the device is designed to make mixing a piece of cake.

The mixer has a generous 7-quart bowl capacity and it is packed with useful features that we've never seen before in this type of kitchen appliance. Perhaps the most innovative of the bunch is Auto Sense, a technology that actively monitors the texture and viscosity of your mix. Thanks to this issue, over-mixing and under-mixing will never be an issue again. We also find a built-in smart scale, which allows you to precisely weigh your ingredients directly in the mixing bowl. After adding an ingredient, you can simply zero out the scale and move on to the next ingredient.

Are you tired of having to wash your hands between each step in order to keep the controls from getting sticky? By connecting the mixer to Alexa or Google Home you will be able to voice-control your device. The voice-activated features include adjust speed, set speed, set timer, and stop mixer.

The GE Profile Smart Mixer is for sale on the General Electric website for $999.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is an intelligent thermostat that can help you save an average of 10 to 12% on heating bills and 15 % on cooling bills. The device monitors your cooling and heating habits with the purpose of building an automated schedule around your preferences. The thermostat is also capable of adapting to your life as the seasons change.

The device comes equipped with a high-res LCD screen and a touch bar on the side, which can be used to raise or lower the temperature. The screen automatically lights up when you walk into the room. By installing the Nest app on your smartphone, you will get full access to all of the thermostat's features, besides being able to control it from anywhere. Furthermore, by granting access to your phone's location, the Nest Learning Thermostat will automatically switch to Eco Temperature when you leave the house.

The thermostat continuously sends usage statistics to the Nest application, allowing you to see how much energy you use on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. After having used the Google Nest Thermostat for about a year or two, you will have saved enough energy to cover the costs of its purchase.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is available on Google for $249.

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera

The Pro 4 Spotlight Camera is a feature-rich outdoor security camera developed by Arlo. If you are looking for a reliable and easy-to-use way to monitor your property while you are away or at home, this camera is the way to go.

Thanks to its wire-free design and included magnetic mount, installing and setting up is a piece of cake. The Pro 4 Spotlight is specially designed for outdoor use, meaning that it will withstand any type of weather conditions. In contrast to many other wireless security cameras, the Arlo Pro 4 is able to hook up directly to your Wi-Fi network, without the need for a SmartHub.

Featuring 2K HDR video, 12x zoom, extra wide 180-degree capturing, and color night vision, the camera delivers superior image quality. There is also an integrated spotlight, which helps you see important details at night. Other important key surveillance functions include auto zoom and motion tracking. You will receive instant alerts on your smartphone whenever motion is detected. The camera also supports Alexa, Siri, and Google Voice commands.

If you want to take your home security to a next level, you can decide to subscribe to the optional Arlo Secure Plan. This plan gives you access to multiple advanced features, such as 30-day event history, one-tap direct dispatch for police, fire, and medical help, object detection, and 24/7 professional monitoring with live security experts. Prices for Arlo Secure start at $4.99 monthly for a single camera.