5 days ago
Does Dad Like Tinkering? He'll Love These 5 Smart Home Gifts
If you're still looking for a great Father's Day gift -- and I know it can be hard sometimes -- smart home tech is a perfect place to start. If you know a father who loves to tinker away, work on hobbies, mess around with tech or generally experiment with things around the house, I've got give five ideal gifts he'll love to set up and solve problems only a dad could find.
Aqara Protect Kit
Aqara's mini system is great for watching over small spaces.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
This tiny, standalone security system is perfect for a one-person setup to guard something they love. It comes with a central 2K indoor camera hub and three very small sensors to stick to any surface. There's a motion sensor, a vibration sensor, and an open/shut sensor, all which tie back into the camera and Aqara app for updates. The camera can sense motion and even gestures, among other AI tricks.
This system is probably too small for a whole house but it's the perfect size for Dad's study, gaming room, closet or garage where he has things he may want to keep watch over.
SwitchBot Air Quality Sensor Meter Pro
SwitchBot's air quality monitor is the cheapest way we've found to watch air quality in your home.
SwitchBot
This air quality sensor is as easy as they come: Take it out, pull the battery tab, and it starts sensing humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide levels and more, wherever you put it. You can control and fine-tune settings with the app or monitor it from a distance, but it's not really necessary for on-the-spot readings.
Dad can take this sensor everywhere to monitor temperatures in places that may be too hot or cold, narrow down where an AC or air purifier could do the best work, or pinpoint an air quality problem that's been irking him.
Arlo Cam Essential Gen-2
Arlo's Essential model includes many great Arlo features at a more affordable price.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
This outdoor-friendly security camera isn't just a way to keep an eye on the yard and barbecue. With an $8 Arlo subscription, it unlocks powerful AI recognition features that can do everything from recognize gunshots to learn specific objects and whether they suddenly appear or disappear. It's a great cam for both security and techy dads who like to play around with the latest features and see what devices can really do.
Plus, dad can add a solar panel to this Arlo wireless cam so he never needs to worry about bringing it back in for charging.
Emporia Smart Plug
Emporia's smart plug let's you manage minute details of energy use.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
If your dad loves saving money and tracking how home appliances are functioning, this is the smart plug for him. This plug comes with full energy management so users can see exactly how much electricity it's using over time. It allows detailed scheduling, or automated peak hour scheduling so it turns devices off when electricity is the most expensive. That makes it great for dads who are always telling you to turn off the lights.
Amazon Echo Show 15
Widgets display on the home screen of the Echo Show 15 as a panel that swipes out from the side.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Dad can mount this large 15-inch Show smart display on his wall (or on a nearby counter) and get a hub to control all Alexa-connected smart devices, from looking through security cams to telling Alexa to turn up a connected thermostat or play his favorite band. It can also record and display reminders, give weather updates and show live sports clips.
Users can even set up home screen widgets to keep an eye on specific data or one-touch app access, depending on what they like. And dad may also appreciate the built-in Fire TV capabilities if he's a Prime user and wants to stream a show.
For more info on excellent smart home picks, take a look at the cheap home products our editors are still using, the best smart home devices, and the best smart gifts for renters.
