In recent years there has been a lot of hype about the growing popularity of smart home products such as voice activated speakers, responsive lighting systems. 3 Unique smart lighting products for your home. 3 Unique products for smart lighting for your home. Look like a work of art, change depending on the time of day, or play music in multiple rooms. These unique solutions have you covered! Read More These devices are often described as smart home accessories .
That's probably the wrong term when you consider that devices like the Amazon Echo Dot, Apple TV, and Philips Hue now have accessories to call their own. With these additions, you can make your smart home setup even more useful and convenient, and yes, in some cases, smarter.
In this article, you'll learn more about some of the accessories available for many of the most popular home products on the market. These include speakers, controllers, mounts, and others.
In 2016, Amazon introduced the Amazon Echo Dot. Priced significantly lower than the larger Amazon Echo, the Amazon Echo Dot offers better voice recognition, Echo Spatial Perception (ESP) (which allows dots to work with each other), and more.
Despite its small size (just 32mm x 84mm x 84mm), the Amazon Echo Dot, like its big brother A Comparison Guide to Amazon Echo Devices:Which One is Best for You? A Comparison Guide to Amazon Echo Devices:Which is Best for You? Which Amazon Echo Device is Right for You? We compare the Plus, Dot, Tap, Show, Spot, Look and Fire TV Cube to help you decide. Read More
Thanks to Bluetooth, you can connect your Amazon Echo Dot to external speakers. However, even with these, you cannot move the voice-activated device. That is unless you're using a Vaux.
Echo Dot (2nd generation) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Black Echo Dot (2nd generation) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Black Buy now on Amazon
The Vaux Speaker for Echo Dot addresses many of the limitations associated with Amazon's smaller Echo. It's a battery-powered speaker designed to house the Amazon Echo Dot. Due to its portability, you can now take your Echo anywhere you want to go. Better yet, it provides enhanced audio quality in a beautiful design. The Vaux also has a built-in 3.5mm audio jack for use with your mobile device or tablet.
Charging your Vaux takes 5-6 hours when not in use and 8-10 hours during operation. Battery run time is approximately six hours between charges.
The $50 Vaux Speaker for Echo Dot greatly complements your second-gen Dot and is available in black and white through Ninety7Life or, you guessed it, Amazon.com.
VAUX Wireless Home Speaker + Power Bank for Amazon Echo Dot Gen 2 Black / Carbon VAUX Wireless Home Speaker + Power Bank for Amazon Echo Dot Gen 2 Black / Carbon Buy Now On Amazon $19.82
The point looks great on its own. However, there are ways to make it look even better and keep it safe!
Amazon offers six cases for the Dot, available in woven nylon and full-grain leather. The former comes in black, indigo, and sandstone, while the latter comes in shades called Saddle Tan, Merlot, and Midnight.
The cases precisely fit the device, while maintaining access to the device's ports and buttons. And they're relatively cheap at $14.99 for the nylon versions and $19.99 for the leather models.
Other available Amazon Echo Dot accessories include third-party stands, cases, and cases.
Perhaps your first experience with voice recognition came from using the Google Home ($129), which was introduced in late 2016. Google Home Review Google Home Review Google Home is a smart speaker with a personal assistant, and it comes from from a company that literally knows everything. The $130 Google device answers questions, controls your smart home and plays music. Should you buy one? Read more . Resembling a two-tone air freshener, the voice-activated speaker can play music, control smart home devices and, when connected to a Chromecast, can act as an audio receiver for other devices.
There's currently an accessory for Google Home, a line of six colorful bases made of fabric or metal. These are $20 for the fabric models (mango, navy, and purple) and $40 for the metal models (carbon, copper, and snow).
Amazon Fire TV is a digital media player first introduced in 2014 Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Game Controller Review &Giveaway Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Game Controller Review and Giveaway Amazon launched Fire TV, a media center device not very different from the Apple TV, but with the games as the reward. Read more . Now in its second generation, Fire TV lets you stream high-definition audio and video content using a remote, mobile app, or optional game controller.
Fire TV - Previous Generation Fire TV - Previous Generation Buy Now on Amazon
The Sideclick Universal Remote for Amazon Fire TV accessory lets you control your Fire TV along with other devices, such as your TV, Blu-ray player, soundbar, and DVD player. The Sideclick works with all versions of the Amazon Fire TV and uses infrared (IR) learning technology to program eight buttons across multiple devices.
A successfully funded Kickstarter project, the Sidekick eliminates the need for multiple remotes, giving you more time to enjoy your entertainment. The $30 device is available to order on Amazon.
Take gaming to a whole new level with the official Amazon Fire TV Game Controller. Ergonomically designed, the controller includes instant voice search and a stereo headphone jack. With intelligent power management, the controller offers up to 90 hours of gameplay on a single set of batteries.
Amazon Fire TV Game Controller (Compatible with Fire TV Stick) Amazon Fire TV Game Controller (Compatible with Fire TV Stick) Buy Now on Amazon
You can purchase the $50 Amazon Fire TV Game Controller through Amazon.com. Other Fire TV accessories include mounts, Bluetooth keyboards, and colorful remote control cases.
Do you use an Apple TV (starting at $149) instead? Not surprisingly, there's also a growing list of accessories for Apple's digital media player, which was last updated in 2015. Is this the Apple TV upgrade you've been waiting for? Is this the Apple TV update you've been waiting for? Is here. It's finally here. The long-awaited update to the Apple TV has arrived, but are there compelling reasons to buy one in 2015? Read more.
First, there's the Sideclick for Apple TV, which, like the Fire TV model, costs $30. Available only for fourth-generation Apple TVs, Sideclick starter kits come with the universal remote and adapter clip and are connect to the 4th generation remote control of the black Apple TV.
SteelSeries Nimbus launched alongside the fourth generation of Apple TV in 2015. It lets you play hundreds of your favorite controller-compatible games on Apple TV or iOS devices.
Priced at $50, the SteelSeries Nimbus includes a built-in battery that can be charged using a Lightning connector. The controller lasts 40 hours between charges.
Will you regularly lose your Apple TV remote? Consider the Innovelis TotalMount, which attaches to the back of your TV for secure and convenient storage. Better yet, it keeps your Apple TV remote automatically charged.
You can buy an Innovelis TotalMount for $15 through Apple.
You usually need a smartphone to control smart home devices. While smartphones are great for making flexible changes on the fly or setting up complex routines, it can be a pain to search for an app when all you want is a single device to perform a simple function. Fortunately, now you can use accessories to control your devices with the push of a button.
The Flic Single is a series of Bluetooth smart buttons that you can place around your home to control devices.
For example, you can use a Flic in your bedroom to turn off all the lights, or put one in the living room to start playing your favorite music on your Sonos system. Buying wireless speakers? How to choose the best system for you who buy wireless speakers? Choosing the best system for you Don't invest in a wireless speaker system without these considerations in mind. A little thought can save you a world of money, time, and trouble! Read more . One Flic in your basement could control your heating system, while another could help control your security camera.
You can buy a pack of four Flic Singles for $99.
Looking for more? Flic Hub will be released in October 2017. It will allow you to set up and control all your Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Infrared devices with Flic devices. You can pre-order one for as little as $109, which includes the hub and three buttons. Additional buttons are $15 each, and you can add up to 50 buttons per Hub.
Another accessory that got its start on Indiegogo, the Nuimo calls itself the most magical controller in the world. It's a simple push-button design that lets you control smart speakers, lights, and more using Bluetooth Low Energy.
Priced at $199 and available through Amazon, the Nuimo features a high-precision glass-beaded polished aluminum ring with a double-hardened acrylic touch surface. It's available in black and white, so it can blend in with your home decor no matter where you decide to place it.
The list of accessories for smart home products is still relatively small, although that could change in the coming years. Whether they're speakers for your voice-activated devices or small controllers you can place around your home, these accessories help enhance the smart home experience.
Have you bought any accessories for your smart home devices? Let us know which ones in the space below.
