You've planned for weeks, left tabs open on airline websites to score the best tickets, bought a new suitcase, booked the time off of work way in advance, got your passport renewed, got to your flight on time, checked in and now, at the hotel pool, drink in hand you're wondering: Did I turn off the coffee pot? And did I actually remember to shut that upstairs bathroom window? Who left last, and did they shut the gate all the way?
The very last thing you want to do on your vacation is spend it worrying about what is happening back home. That's where the world of connected smart home devices are here to help you relax. From a wide variety of the best indoor security cameras to the best water leak detectors, there are a plethora of devices that can keep tabs on your home from top to bottom, while you sail, snorkle, hike or lounge. Here are some of our favorites:
An indoor or outdoor home security camera (or both)
Smart home security cameras placed indoors can keep a watch on the interior of your home and alert your smartphone through an app if they detect movement. Some of them can even use AI to let you know if they detect a human, or a pet, in a certain area and track that individual as they move across a room.
Outdoor cameras can do the same, but are weather-proof and some can add a spotlight for added security – or an alarm.
A video doorbell
Video doorbells are great because they contain a camera and a microphone, which enables you to "answer" your door virtually. You can see who is at your door, say hello, record the comings and goings of deliveries and get notifications sent right to your phone when the bell is rung. That means you won't miss any arrivals when you're busy in the basement – and you can appear to be at home, and responding to your doorbell, even when you're miles away.
A smart lock
Some smart locks can fit right over your deadbolt, while others contain a keypad or will even recognize the approach of your smartphone and automatically unlock. But all of them have security features that help protect your phone because they enable keyless entry using a variety of alternate methods like a passcode which means if you leave town, you can give a temporary code to your dog walker, a separate code to your neighbor to water the plants and a completely different code to your sister-in-law for emergencies.
You can set the codes to work at specific times, and you get alerts on when they're used or if your door isn't shut all the way when someone leaves. You'll never again have to ask yourself "Did I leave the door unlocked when I left the house this morning?"
A water leak detector
If you live in low lying areas, you know the hassle of having to check for leaks in the basement when it rains. And unexpected flood damage — say, from a burst pipe or water heater — is a real pain to clean up, especially if your stuff has been sitting in a soggy mess for the entire time that you've been away.
A water leak detector is designed to stay in a flood or leak prone place and give an alarm or send an alert if it senses excess moisture. Smart leak detectors can send alerts to a smart home assistant, like Alexa, or to your phone as well so you have time to either head home or call someone to come check on your home. It's not as smart as say, a door that can unlock itself, but it's a lot better than coming home and finding being surprised by water damage.
A bunch of window sensors
If you're away from home for a few days and someone has left a window open, or worse, someone somehow opens a window, you're going to want to know about it, right? Smart window sensors are small, attach with adhesive and are generally easy enough to set up in minutes. Just stick them on the windows you want make sure they're making contact and connect them with an app. If a window is opened and the contact is broken, the app will alert you that the window has been opened (or closed).
It's an almost effortless way to make sure that you know exactly what's happening with the entrances to your home, since these sensors are easy enough to attach to doorways as well.
Some smart lighting
While there are still mechanical timers for lights, they're pretty old school compared to the capabilities of the smart lights available today – which can be scheduled to go off at certain times, randomly set on a 'vacation' mode to appear as though people are moving through a home, or adjusted through an app to be brighter, warmer or dimmer depending on the users preference.
Smart lights are great because you can operate them from miles away, and most of them work alongside smart home assistants as well so they can be voice controlled if you're home.
Smart smoke detector
Much like a broken window or a flood, you want to know right away if there's smoke or fire anywhere near your home. Which is why you have a smoke detector. And if you get a smart smoke detector it will still alert you – via an app – if it senses anything amiss about the air quality in your home, even if you're miles away.
Whether it's smoke, carbon monoxide or hazardous chemicals, many smart smoke detectors can alert a user on their phone if something dangerous is happening. Some can send alerts to multiple people, or work with smart home assistants to make sure help gets to the home right away whether you're inside at the moment or not.
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