As the temperatures cool and the days get shorter, patios shift to marshmallow roasts and gameday grilling. It’s a great time to make your outdoor entertaining smarter and add convenience, security and fun while you’re at it. Here are a ways to bring your smart home outdoors.
Add a smart camera
The Ring Floodlight Cam includes live video, automated lighting and a siren to deter intruders.
Ring Floodlight Cam
Keep your eye on all your outdoor entertaining spaces (and the valuables in them) with an outdoor smart camera, like Netgear’s Arlo line. Want a camera that sheds light on your outdoor space for added security? Check out the Ring Floodlight Cam, which includes a siren and live camera feed in the Ring app.
If you have a backdoor near your patio, consider a smart doorbell with a camera like the Nest Hello or August doorbell. No matter what camera style or function you choose, adding a set of smart eyes to your patio space lets you monitor your outdoor space with ease.
Opt for smart outdoor lighting
Philips Hue Calla path light is just one of many smart lights announced by the company this summer.
Philips
Outdoor lighting adds a special ambience to any patio or entertaining space. Smart outdoor lighting has come a long way and you have more options than ever before.
Philips Hue hit the outdoors big time this year, with a collection of smart outdoor lights, including a path light and several wall-mounted fixtures.
Of course, you can always opt for smart bulbs in your existing fixtures. the Cree Connected LED and the Sylvania Smart Plus Zigbee LED work well as generic bulb replacements.
If your patio space has a ceiling, consider a smart fan. You’ll get the climate enhancing benefits of a fan with smart lighting built in. Fan manufacturers like Hunter and Haiku make models that work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Schedule with smart plugs
The iHome outdoor smart plug works with all three voice assistants.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Patios have plenty of dumb devices just waiting to be smartened. Whether its patio string lights, a space heater, mosquito lamp or outdoor sound system, you can control your outdoor devices remotely, check their status and even schedule them to turn on and off with the help of a smart plug made specifically for the outdoors.
Models from iDevices and iHome work with multiple voice assistants, include scheduling and are rated for water and dust resistance.
Turn up the volume with outdoor speakers
The Ultimate Ears Megablast is fully waterproof and has Amazon Alexa built in.
CNET
Adding music to your outdoor spaces is a no-brainer for any gathering. With the right smart speaker, you can bring your voice assistants outdoors as well.
The Ultimate Ears Megablast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built in.
If you’d like to take the Amazon Echo or Google Home speaker you already own outdoors, try a battery case. Clip in your device and you’ll have a portable smart speaker with up to 12 hours of battery life.
Extend your Wi-Fi
The Netgear Orbi Outdoor Extender takes your Wi-Fi signal farther.
Chris Monroe/CNET
All the smart home improvements to spruce up your patio need one thing: good Wi-Fi. If your home’s signal doesn’t reach every corner of your outdoor living space, there are a few things you can try.
Mesh Wi-Fi systems use are one way to go. If you already use Netgear’s Orbi mesh network, the Orbi Outdoor can take your signal to the outdoors and is weather-resistant, so you can rely on your outdoor Wi-Fi signal year round.
No matter what devices you add to your outdoor spaces, bringing you smart home outdoors has never been easier. There are plenty of products out there to help you enjoy the great outdoors while staying connected to the rest of your home.
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