Create a Smart Home

If you’ve been wondering what a smart home is, you’ve come to the right place. LED Direct will guide you through smart home gadgets and how to make a smart home. What we know as smart home, was previously referred to as home automation and Internet of Things.

Smart home technology uses automated devices to control processes in your home using an internet connection. Smart homes devices include lighting, security, heating, and even robotic vacuums. An internet connection allows you to control devices remotely using your smartphone or a virtual assistant like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. That might sound a bit lazy to some, but the beauty of a smart home is that it gives you more time to concentrate on important tasks or having fun.

A smart home system is usually set up to run from one ecosystem or central controller – connecting all your devices together. Many smart home users will choose their virtual assistant for this task, with the relevant app downloaded to their smartphone to perform initial set up. Most smart home devices can run via multiple platforms so you can always change your ecosystem later.

Once you have chosen your ecosystem, you can begin building your very own smart home. Some devices will connect straight to your Wi-Fi and some require a hub to connect to the internet. This is where Zigbee comes in, a low-cost, low-power device which creates a ‘mesh’ network to connect your devices.

For instance, you have Zigbee-enabled lights like Philips Hue bulbs and a Zigbee-enabled light switch like a Flic 2, and you want the light switch to control the light bulb. Using Zigbee the two devices - both from different manufacturers – connect and communicate through a common language. Many of our products use Zigbee so you can be sure of seamless smart home device connectivity.

If that sounds like more than you bargained for, there are simpler methods to integrate smart home products into your life.

Helpful Smart Home Gadgets

Smart home gadgets can be helpful for home security, saving energy, and making life simpler day to day. The easiest of all smart home gadgets is lighting and you don’t need a virtual assistant to enjoy all the benefits of this technology.

LED Direct stock a superb array of smart lighting from leading LED brands, ensuring our customers access only the best smart home products, at the best prices. Our smart home lighting range includes the brilliant Philips Hue, endlessly fun and stylish Nanoleaf smart lights, and Ledvance innovative smart home lighting. Not only do smart lights improve the look and feel of your home, but they also provide added security while you’re away.

If you want to improve your home security, we can supply the full complement of smart home security devices to provide complete peace of mind. Smart home security devices include lighting, Ring doorbells, cameras, motion detectors, and tamper sensors. Any part of your home, inside or out, can be connected to your smart home security system, without breaking the bank.

Make your central heating super-efficient with smart home heating control. Products like our Tado Smart Thermostat give you full control over your heating wherever you are, ensuring no energy is wasted – we’re talking energy savings of up to 30%!

Smart plugs are one of the best and simplest smart home gadgets – they turn any normal home device into a smart home device! Many of our customers love them because poorly located wall sockets can make devices tricky to reach and turn on or off - with the addition of a smart plug, you can turn off a device remotely! If your child or pet likes to fall asleep on you so you can’t reach a switch, use a smart plug!

Set the Mood with Smart Home Devices

Not only does smart lighting allow you control lights from one central controller, but you can also use smart lighting to transform the ambience of a room or an outdoor space. With a variety of colours and configurations to choose from, smart lights are great for supercharging your gaming and home entertainment experiences – LED strip lights react to on screen content!

Most smart bulbs are dimmable and will change colour or lumen output as they follow your desired schedule or settings. If you are hosting a special dinner or settling down for a movie night, set the mood with your smart home lighting, with a single tap. There are even smart light settings to boost studying and improve close-up work like reading or crafting.

If you don’t have a virtual assistant, but still want to enjoy all the perks of smart lighting, our leading Philips Hue and Nanoleaf ranges offer a control hub to connect smart lighting and accessories to, controllable via your smartphone.

Want to know more? Check out our smart home guides.