5 recommended smart home products. Use smartphones and sensors to control home appliances, lighting, entrance keys, and more!

The term “smart home” is thrown around a lot these days. A smart home is a "smart" home that utilizes technologies such as IoT and AI to network lighting fixtures, televisions, air conditioners, smart locks, and other home appliances and housing equipment to realize a more convenient and comfortable life. . By introducing smart home products, you can turn your home into a smart home.

There are various genres of smart home products. Smart speakers such as "Amazon Echo" are one of the representative smart home products, but there are many product options, so this time we will take up other smart home products.

[Amazon] Smart home products [Rakuten Ichiba] Smart home products

Smart remote control is a product for operating home appliances that support infrared remote control. You can control multiple home appliances. Smart light bulbs are products that can be attached to lighting equipment instead of incandescent light bulbs, and can be turned on and off by operating a smartphone app, and some can change brightness and color tone. A smart lock is an electronic key that can be unlocked with a smartphone app or IC card. A smart switch is a product that physically turns on and off a wall switch, etc., and allows you to control lighting, etc. that does not support infrared remote control with a smartphone app. Smart plugs are products for controlling home appliances that can be turned on and off by plugging and unplugging AC power. It can be used for simple devices such as fans and circulators.

There are two points when choosing a smart home product: "ease of use of the smartphone app" and "is it compatible with AI voice assistants?" Smart home products are basically operated from a dedicated smartphone app, so the usability and functionality of the app are important. Products that support AI voice assistants can be operated not only with smartphone apps, but also with devices that support AI voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri (e.g. Amazon Echo for Amazon Alexa).

This time, we will introduce recommendations for each genre of smart home products, selected with the above two points in mind.

Nature Remo 3

Highly functional smart remote control with 4 sensors

Nature Remo 3 is a smart remote control that controls home appliances that support infrared remote controls. The feature is that it is equipped with four sensors for temperature, humidity, illuminance, and presence. It is possible to automate such as turning on the cooling of the air conditioner when it exceeds.

You can also control the Bluetooth-enabled smart curtain "mornin' plus" and smart lock "Qrio Lock". It also supports voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. In addition, it also supports the GPS function installed in smartphones, so you can use it to turn on the air conditioner and warm the room when you get close to your home.

The app is easy to understand and many home appliances are preset, so it is recommended for those who want to make various home appliances smarter. The selling price on Amazon is about 10,000 yen.

【Amazon】 Nature Remo 3 【Rakuten Market】 Nature Remo 3

+Style Smart LED Bulb E26 (Dimming/Toning)

Smart light bulb that can adjust brightness and emission color

+Style Smart LED Bulb E26 (Dimming/Toning) is a smart light bulb compatible with the E26 base. Since the E26 base is the same as a general incandescent bulb, it can be attached to lighting fixtures instead of incandescent bulbs.

Brightness is equivalent to a 60W incandescent light bulb, and not only can you change the brightness with a dedicated smartphone app, but you can also freely adjust the light emission color from daylight white, which is easy to read, to warm incandescent light. You can easily turn it on and off from outside using the app, and you can set the timer to automatically turn it on and off, so it can also be used as a crime prevention measure. You can also control multiple products collectively. It also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so it can be linked with smart speakers.

It has a long rated life of 40,000 hours, saving you the trouble of replacing bulbs. The power consumption is as low as 6.7-8.3W, so you can save your electricity bill. This product is also recommended for those who use smart light bulbs for the first time. The selling price on Amazon is about 2500 yen.

[Amazon] +Style Smart LED Bulb E26 (Dimming/Toning) [Rakuten Ichiba] +Style Smart LED Bulb E26 (Dimming/Toning)

Qrio Lock Q-SL2

Smart lock to prevent forgetting to lock

Qrio Lock Q-SL2 is a smart lock that allows you to use your smartphone as a key. Installation is just a matter of fixing it to the thumb turn part inside the entrance with double-sided tape, so no construction work is required. Fits most keys, but some thumbturn shapes may not fit. We recommend that you check the website before purchasing.

There is also an auto-lock function, so you can prevent forgetting to lock the door. Also, just by approaching the door with your smartphone in your pocket, the door will be unlocked, which is very convenient when both hands are occupied. You can also share a duplicate key that limits the usage time with your family and acquaintances.

If you use the optional "Qrio Hub", you can unlock and lock Qrio Lock from outside via the Internet, and you can also notify your smartphone when the key is unlocked or locked. Return home confirmation is also possible. It runs on 2 CR123A lithium batteries, but you can put in 4 batteries and it will work for about a year.

The selling price on Amazon is about 20,000 yen.

【Amazon】Qrio Lock Q-SL2 【Rakuten Ichiba】Qrio Lock Q-SL2

SwitchBotbot

Smart switch that can turn the wall switch on and off

SwitchBot bot is a smart switch that can turn on and off the seesaw type switch attached to the wall using a smartphone. It is installed next to the switch and physically presses the switch by moving the protrusion growing from the SwithBot bot body. Installation is done with double-sided tape, so it will not damage the wall.

You can choose between "press" mode, which is a single press of the button, and "switch" mode, which is for switching on/off. Timer setting is possible, and if you use the optional "Hub Mini", you can turn on / off the switch via the Internet from outside, or use Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri to turn the switch on / off by voice. is also possible.

It uses a CR2 type lithium battery and can operate for about 600 days. Two colors, white and black. The selling price on Amazon is about 4000 yen.

[Amazon] SwitchBot Bot [Rakuten Market] SwitchBot Bot

SwitchBot plug

Smart plug that can turn AC power on and off

The SwitchBot plug is a smart plug that can turn AC power on and off. It is used by attaching it to an AC outlet and sandwiching it between home appliances. You can make smart home appliances such as fans and circulators that can be turned on and off by plugging in and unplugging while the power switch is on. Loads up to 1500W are supported.

By linking with smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, you can turn the power on and off with your voice. In addition to setting the power on/off timer, you can also use the optional "Hub Mini" and "SwitchBot Thermo-Hygrometer" to automatically control the power according to temperature and humidity. LEDs are provided to display the power and Wi-Fi connection status, so it is convenient to know the status at a glance. You can also use the smartphone app to know the current power consumption and today's power consumption.

The selling price on Amazon is about 2000 yen.

[Amazon] SwitchBot Plug [Rakuten Market] SwitchBot Plug

The products in the article are recommended by the Engadget Japan team. Sales information is as of the time of article writing, and prices and availability are constantly changing.