16 of the coolest smart home devices from 2014

By Jenny McGrath December 29, 2014

This year almost seems like a watershed moment for smart home devices. A deluge of new appliances, hubs, and apps aimed at making our houses more connected came into the marketplace, and even more popped up on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Some were designed to keep us safe, like smart smoke alarms and outlets, while others were just fun, like the smart photo frame. In fact, there was so much neat stuff this year, we had a hard time narrowing down what give as gifts this holiday season; it seriously helped that not all the devices on this list are actually available yet. It just means 2015 is going to be even more smart-device-laden than 2014.

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Jenny McGrath

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…

Smart Home

Arlo Pro 3-pack of security cameras is down to $400 from $700

A woman assembling a Arlo Pro 5S on a wall.

For anyone keen to make their home more secure and accountable through a set of security cameras, Best Buy is currently the place to go for security camera deals. At the retailer, you can buy a three pack of the highly regarded Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight Security Camera for $400. That means you’re saving a huge $300 off the regular price of $700. This is the ideal time to upgrade your home security for less and we’re here to tell you all about it before you commit to a purchase.

Why you should buy the Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight Security Camera
Arlo makes some of the best home security cameras around with pretty much its entire range being worth your time and money. With the Arlo Pro 5S, you get a great level of detail. There’s two times the video resolution of HD so you can zoom in up to 12 times to see sharper details. Due to its night vision, you can also see color at night for better identification of what’s going on. A wide 160-degree field of view combined with auto image correction cuts down on fish eye effect so everything looks just how you would expect it to. There’s also AI object detection so the Arlo Pro 5S is capable of detecting if something is a package, person, vehicle, animal or similar.

Smart Home

Yale’s newest smart lock is designed for renters

Yale -- the company responsible for the well-reviewed Assure Lock 2 -- has just launched its first retrofit smart lock built specifically for renters. The Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi is an interior-only smart lock that fits on top of most standard deadbolts, allowing renters to bring a bit of smart functionality to their home without the need to replace the underlying hardware.

Installing the Yale Approach should take just 10 minutes and doesn't require much more than a screwdriver. And since it doesn't require a new set of keys or lock swap, there's a good chance it'll be supported by most landlords. Along with an easy installation process, the Yale Approach uses features like Auto-Lock and Auto-Unlock to let folks easily enter their home and secure it when they leave.

Smart Home

Best air purifier deals: Save big on Dyson, Shark, TCL and more

A Germ Guardian purifier placed on a living room floor.

While dust, debris, and pet dander are almost always in the air, with the warmer seasons come all sorts of allergens to be concerned about as well. You don’t have to go after one of the best air purifiers to keep the air in your home clean, as even more affordable air purifiers work well enough to make them worth your while. This is especially true when you factor in some savings, and there’s a lot of air purifier deals taking place right now. We’ve rounded up all of the best air purifier deals below. They include the likes of Dyson, Shark, and other brands making the top smart home devices right now, so read onward for more information on how to save on a new air purifier.
Alrocket HEPA Air Purifier -- $39, was $70

Excellent for a nightstand, the counter, or an end table. this relatively small air purifier offers cleaning for up to 215 square feet. H13 level HEPA filtration ensures that most odors and contaminants are eliminated, with microscopic particles captured, to provide relief to asthma sufferers and beyond. It is relatively simple, so there are no smart features or serious programmable modes, but that's okay. A touch-based control panel on the top, with LED indicators, allows you to adjust the system's timer, indicator lights, and power. You can add your essential oils or fragrances to the top to help disperse a more aromatic scent.