I have a home filled with devices connected to my router, but I'm not fully convinced that these have made my home smarter.In fact, many of my favorite purchases, those I can recommend with an unequivocal yes, don't require an app at all.A night light that stays on when the power goes out It also doubles as a flashlight Close If there is one cheap upgrade you can make to your home that will absolutely improve your quality of life, it's this.
Get a night light that stays on when you lose power.You'll never find yourself stranded in pitch dark.These night lights also serve as flashlights when you unplug them from the wall.
I have a house filled with portable power stations I can use to turn the lights back on, but I need the flashlight to help me see our breaker panel in the first place! My phone is typically the most convenient light, but I don't always have it on me.Meanwhile, these night lights are practically shouting "Look at me!" I purchased several GE 4-in-1 Power Failure LED Night Lights from Amazon, and they were my favorite purchase of 2025.Mine relies on AA batteries, but there is a variant with a built-in battery you can switch to instead.
Hot water dispenser Enjoy drinks without waiting for water to boil Close As an avid tea drinker, I loved my electric kettle.I also resigned it to the donate pile as soon as I was sent a Waterdrop M6CG countertop hot water dispenser.Owning one of these things is like having a Keurig without being limited to overpriced, wasteful K-Cups.
Put your mug under the dispenser, choose the temperature, and walk away.When you come back, your tea will have steeped.Yet while the countertop hot water dispenser instantly displaced my kettle, I didn't use it for long.
As a homeowner, I have the option for a built-in hot water dispenser instead.Waterdrop's K6 instant hot water dispenser now sits next to my kitchen faucet, and it's my favorite kitchen upgrade so far.Unlike the countertop version, it doesn't need to be manually refilled.
It also offers more precise temperature controls.It may not have the attractiveness of a smart kettle, but I can still fill a teapot with instant hot water when I want to serve tea the traditional way.Samsung Music Frame A Bluetooth speaker that I want in every room of the house Close I have ambient music playing all throughout the day.
It helps wake me up in the morning as I start to get my kids ready for school.It helps me concentrate as I write.Nothing complements ambient music, music that's intended to blend into the background, quite like a Bluetooth speaker that is just as non-intrusive.
The Samsung Music Frame is that speaker.Samsung's picture frame shares its name with the Frame TV, but these are very different products.While the TV has an always-on matte display and comes with Tizen OS, the Music Frame is a traditional picture frame that happens to double as a Bluetooth speaker.
It's up to you to supply a paper photo or pay extra for a custom canvas.If you funnel the power cord through the wall as I have, the only tell is the frame's thickness, which is bulkier than the other frames on my wall.The Music Frame technically integrates with Samsung SmartThings, the company's smart home platform, but you don't need to download that app at all to use the Frame as a speaker.
Just plug it in, pair it, and start listening to sound that is surprisingly rich.The Music Frame isn't new, so while it remains pricey, you may be able to find one refurbished and heavily discounted, as I did.A battery-powered fan Airflow wherever you need it My home has central air conditioning, but if I have a choice between cranking up the AC and turning up a nearby fan, I'd rather feel air blowing against my skin.
Yet even with ceiling fans in nearly every room, some areas still don't get the air.That is why SwitchBot's Circulator Floor Fan isn't a gimmick — it's actually one of my favorite additions to my home this past year.I love this fan so much that, even after being sent a free review sample, I very quickly purchased another one of my own.
Like all SwitchBot products, this fan can connect to a SwitchBot hub, be controlled by an app, and integrate with all sorts of automations.That's not the best thing about it.What I love most is the fact that it's simply an attractive-looking battery-powered fan that's easy to pick up and move wherever I want it to be without having to drag around a cord or look for an outlet.
I can now float a fan in the middle of our living room without introducing a tripping hazard.The built-in light also provides just enough ambiance to help me navigate spaces at night.The product functions just fine as a portable fan, without requiring an app for setup.
Skipping the app makes a smart home more resilient I enjoy my share of smart home automations.It's nice having certain lights come on automatically in the evening and turn off in the morning.I like having ceiling fans that turn on and off based on whether I'm in the room.
But these fail when my smart home hub loses power or the internet goes down.The products above are always useful, no matter what my networking is doing.
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