Every graphic designer loves that one corner in the house where creativity strikes!
But are you ready to adopt this new lifestyle with the right smart home devices that the pandemic has manifested on us?
Yes, setting up your home office is more than having a laptop and a work desk!
Since we’re all enjoying the work from home lifestyle, I thought to suggest some cool smart home devices for graphic designers to give them more power on single command via their smartphones.
Of course, having a virtual assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant is the first step towards this new home economics but there are a few essential gadgets that will improve your work patterns.
Considering owning these best smart home devices will literally give you the power not less than a ruler in his own digital kingdom.
A kingdom where he doesn’t need to move to get non-work things done.
Sounds interesting?
Come, let’s dive into the list of the best smart home devices that I’ve handpicked for every designer out there.
You might be thinking why exactly you need to own all (or a few) of these smart home devices while working from home, right? Before I start suggesting the best smart home devices, let’s take a minute and discuss their importance so you should know why you’re spending your hard-earned money on each option.
Apart from them, a designer can have many more benefits with various smart home devices that I’ve tried to mention in the post. You can literally be in charge of your life by consuming energy effectively, monitoring how you spend time online and keeping track of your calorie deficit etc.
Since we’re on the same page about using the best smart home devices, it’s high time to suggest some cool options. I’ve tried to keep the list as diverse as I could to suggest to you those options that you’ll be using frequently during the work on a daily basis.
Come, let’s start discussing what smart home devices should be on your hotlist, below!
Since you’re going to work from home, let’s start with the security aspect of your home office and I’ve some ideal options to suggest as the best smart home devices.
Having a trusted security system in your house eliminates worrisome thoughts and gives you full control over your privacy and safety. So, I’ve added these two beautiful security options in the best smart home devices for designers, below!
Connectivity: Wireless | Dimensions: 3.15 x 131.89 x 92.52 Inches | Weight: 11 ounces | Color: White
Waterproof, night vision, and clear quality are one of the few features that convinced me to include Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera in this list. There are 3 cameras in the pack that cover the most vulnerable areas of your house and offer you mobile view access, too. What more do you need to make your home smart via one of these perfect smart home devices for graphic designers?
Connectivity: Wireless | Dimensions: 3.3 x 3.5 x 1 Inches | Weight: 1 lbs.| Color: White
This one’s a treat for single parents that I wanted to share with you all!
If you’ve an infant around (while you work from home), Nanit Plus would be a blessing for you as a parent that comes with wonderful features. Not only helps you in monitoring your angel but also allows you to know what she’s doing with real-time sound.
Since you’re going to work from home, you need to include an air quality control device in order to complete your smart home devices list. I understand how we, designers, have zero idea about unseen pollutants and dust particles that impact on our health. So, let me introduce you with some smart air quality monitor options, below:
Weight: 11lbs. | Dimension: 10.79×10.79×20.47 Inches | Display: n/a | Battery Life: n/a
Work in a clean environment with this magical invention from LEVOIT!
The best feature of this air purifier is its QuietKEAP technology that absorbs the fan’s sound and lets you work in a peaceful environment. Also, it purifies the room with 5x speed so you can breathe in a cleaner environment. And not just clean air, it also eliminates the odor that may impact your pleasant mood. Along with that, it also offers you the ease of handling with only 11lbs. total weight.
Weight: 7.1 ounces | Dimension: 3.2×3.2×1.2 Inches | Display: LCD | Battery Life: Up to 6 Hrs.
And if you’re seeking a solution to keep track of your indoor air quality, Temtop’s P10 Air Quality Monitor is the perfect choice that should be a part of your smart home devices.
The 3rd Gen Temtop Particle Sensor feature is what catches the smallest dust detail present in the air and alerts on in time to make amendments and fix the issue. Also, the VA-LCD screen offers you a clarity from the distance to keep track of the air quality.
There’s one common habit of all creative people, we want full control of our environment!
Since I’m suggesting you some cool smart home devices to transform your home office experience, don’t forget to add smart speakers in your buying list. For suggesting you an ideal speaker deal, we’ve shortlisted these two awesome products.
Weight: 2.34lbs. | Color: Triple Black | Size: 4.09×4.69×7.56 Inches | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wired | Battery Life: Up to 12 Hrs.
The first smart speaker recommendation comes from Bose that offers you a 360-degree sound quality!
Bose knows our work preferences so this smart speaker comes with versatile connecting methods such as voice control facility and Bluetooth connectivity. And the 10+ Hrs. battery timing is another plus point of this speaker that makes it a worthy inclusion in smart home devices.
Also, it offers you a portable experience if you prefer to place it in a different location on different occasions during the work with only 2.34lbs. total weight.
Weight: 7.7lbs. | Color: Black | Size: 8.1×6.9 Inches | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB | Battery Life: n/a
And if you’re seeking a high-fidelity sound solution, try Echo Studio!
The powerful microphone not just catches your words from any distance and direction but also offers you an excellent sound quality with its Dolby ATMOS technology.
And the best feature is its syncing ability that turns it into an intercom to check on your family members right from your work desk. It weighs about 7.7lbs. so you won’t be needing an extra hand to grab it, readjust it and resume working in a peaceful environment.
Since this list suggests some essential smart home devices for graphic designers, how can we miss to mention laptops?
Owning a laptop gives you a sense of mobility when you can walk around the house (if you’ve to) that an AIO might not offer.
So, here are my top picks!
Storage: 256GB | Weight: 3.1 lbs. | OS: MacOS | Processor: 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 | RAM: 16GB | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
500 Nits brightness, best color quality, and fastest processor are one of the few features that make Apple’s MacBook a must have for every designer when it comes to work from home and having the right smart home devices. And the lightest weight along with widest screen are another ideal feature that I personally prefer in this wonder form Apple for all the creative community.
Store more with its 256GB and keep your important files safe and close to you. Also, it makes your graphics design work comfortable with a powerful graphics card that is another highlight of this laptop option.
Storage: 32GB HDD | Weight: 3.1 lbs. | OS: chrome OS | Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Dual-Core | RAM: 4 GB | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 500
And if you’re on a budget, don’t be sad as ASUS can compensate for your creative needs with its 2.4GHz Intel Dual-Core processor and a nice 14” screen size. You might not get enough storage space as Apple’s MacBook offers but 32GB HDD storage is okayish if you’ve an external hard drive to store your files.
It also comes with a comparatively powerful graphics card (Intel HD Graphics 500) that keeps your editing software working without a glitch. It weighs about 3.1lbs. which is another similarity between these two ideal laptop options for designers.
And how can I miss to mention printers that are an integral part of a graphic designer’s professional life (both in office or during WFH). You think of a creative design, you create it in Illustrator but have no idea how it will look when you’ll print it.
That’s why I always preach the importance of having a printer at your home for times like these!
Here are the selections that I found worthy to be included in your smart home devices.
Type: Inkjet | Weight: 18.6 pounds | Print Speed: 14.5 PPM | Paper Size: Up to A4 | Paper Capacity: 150
If you’re a creative speedster who prefers to work with the fastest gadgets, I’d recommend using Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer that offers you a nice 14.5 page per minute printing speed. Also, it supports papers up to A4 size so checking your designs won’t be an issue before you share the final product to your clients. And it weighs about 18.6 lbs. so you can readjust it with ease when rearranging your home office.
Type: Inkjet | Weight: 18.7 pounds | Print Speed: 9 PPM | Paper Size: Up to A3 | Paper Capacity: 200
And if you prefer to print in bulk, Epson Expression XP-15000 Color Printer should be your choice with its 200-paper capacity feature. Also, it offers a nice 9PPM speed which compelled me to add it into the best smart home devices for graphic designers.
The only downside that I noticed is its limited paper size support (up to A3) otherwise it’s a good investment for your home office.
Nothing irritates a designer more than getting up to adjust the temperature of the room, especially when he’s deeply immersed into a brainstorming session. Once you rise from the chair, you lose the excellent design idea that just came after a 2 Hrs. pondering.
Don’t spoil your mood and control everything via your mobile phone!
I’ve some real cool thermostat options that you must include into the smart home devices to make your work from home experience comfortable and non-irritating. Plus, these options offer you complete control over their handling with voice activation, too, so you never have to rise from a brainstorm session or a client meeting on Zoom.
Here they’re!
Color: Black | Dimensions: 4.29 x 4.29 x 1 Inches | Weight: 1.85 lbs. | Features: Built-In Occupancy Sensors
ecobee Smart Thermostat offers you complete control over your premise’s temperature. It comes with multiple features that make your WFH experience comfortable. It not just maintains the room temperature but keeps track of your presence and saves energy, too, with automatic turn on/off capacity.
And the best part is that you can integrate it with your virtual assistant, too, along with having the ideal weight (1.85lbs.). Along with that, you can control the temperature via the mobile app that comes with this life changing product for creatives like us.
Color: Snow | Dimensions: 3.31 x 3.31 x 1.07 Inches | Weight: 0.31 lbs. | Features: Energy-Saving Temperature Control
And if you’re looking for a cost-friendly option to add in your smart home devices, Google Nest Thermostat can be the perfect option!
It can be hung anywhere in the house and you can set it in minutes. Plus, you may control it with your virtual assistant and set the mood (and temperature, of course) as you prefer while working from home.
It can also guide you for saving on energy consumption, too, with its specialized programming that differentiates it from other options available in the market.
When everything is going smart, why not your lights?
Yes, there are some cool smart lighting options that complete your smart home devices and offer you full control via a smartphone application or by voice activation. In order to suggest some cool smart home devices, I found these awesome lighting options for your home office arrangements.
Weight: 1.3lbs. | Dimension: 3.74×3.74×5 Inches | Type: LED | Usage: In-Door | Wattage: 8.5 watts
Bright, dim or semi-lit transform the environment with your voice and Sylvania’s Wi-Fi LED Smart Light Bulb!
Not only it offers you complete personalization but also reduces your energy consumption issues, too. And the best part is its multi-color feature that allows you to tweak the ambience a little and give your surroundings the correct feel. Along with that, you may control it via the smartphone application and stay where you’re during the work.
Weight: 9.1 ounces | Dimension: 5.35×4.72×4.72 Inches | Type: LED | Usage: In-Door | Wattage: 7.5 watts
And if you’re looking for a multicolor bulb, I’ve another recommendation to complete your smart home devices with Peteme LED RGB Color Changing Bulbs!
Along with consuming lesser energy, it also comes with a pack of 4 multicolor bulbs that offers you full customization facility to transform your home office with accurate ambience. Also, you can integrate it with your Alexa Echo and control your lighting with voice commands, too.
Can you recall the most time-consuming chores that eat up your energy daily and leave you exhausted with piles of work?
It’s dusting and cleaning the house!
Creative or non-creative, no one likes to spend hours cleaning the house and that on a daily basis. And these non-professional activities may also prove a mood killer especially when you’ve to work on an important creative project.
I’ve a perfect solution to solve this time and energy issue, automatic vacuum cleaners.
In order to equip you with the best smart home devices, I’ve shortlisted these two wonderful options.
Color: Black | Surface: Carpet, Hard Floor | Controller: Alexa, Vera | 6.7 lbs. | Battery Time: 3+ Hrs.
ECOVACS Deebot OZMO T5 Robot Vacuum offers you a peace of mind and sets your muscles free from scrubbing and mopping with its laser navigation that doesn’t leave a stain behind. What I liked the most in this automatic vacuum cleaner is the ability to set a No-Go Zone and work in a stress-free manner. It offers you a nice 3+ Hrs. battery life that is enough for managing your house’s cleaning and that on autopilot mode.
And also, it weighs about 6.7lbs. that allows you the ease of handling this wonderful gadget. It is an ideal option for managing the cleaning of your carpets, rugs and even plain floor, too.
Color: Gradient Blue | Surface: Carpet | Controller: n/a | 10.5 lbs. | Battery Time: n/a
And if you’re seeking to cut costs while finding the best smart home devices, consider buying noisz by ILIFE (NZS8 Pro)!
This powerful vacuum cleaner comes with a 2000Pa suction power that removes stubborn marks from the floor or carpet with ease.
Also, it offers you full personalization facility with its route planner to decide which section of your house you want to clean for the day and which you don’t. Forget about mopping the floor and maintain a crystal-clear flooring while you work on your creative projects.
Since we’re surrounded by gadgets and devices, the standard sockets fail to compensate our needs and we always need more ports to plug our devices.
So, I included smart plugs!
Yes, they’re a thing and they’re quite famous especially when it comes to smart home devices!
Consider these awesome smart plug options and never feel inadequate on your socket needs.
Color: White | Weight: 1.55lbs. | Dimensions: 14.17×2.49×1.48 Inches | Outlets: 6 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi
The first recommendation is from Kasa Smart Store that offers you ample socket quantity to plug unlimited devices at the same time!
Not only does it offer you adequate sockets to plug and charge your devices, you also get 3 USB ports, too. It also works with your Alexa and Google Home Assistant that let you control it via voice command.
Color: White | Weight: 6.4 ounces | Dimensions: 2.5×1.5×1.6 Inches | Outlets: 1 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi
And if your search for smart plugs includes a virtual monitoring system, try Etekcity’s ESW15!
This is a fantastic choice for those who prefer to control everything with their voice as it supports both Alexa and Google Home Assistant. Keep track of your energy consumption via the smartphone device and turn on/off the plug via your mobile device, too. And it weighs only 6.4 ounces in case you want to keep it all the time during travel.
You may find it interesting: 13 Essential Work from Home Tools for Designers to Setup Home Office
So, this was a little effort to suggest you the best smart home devices for graphic designers!
I hope my endeavors to make your WFH experience better, safer and smarter, especially with ECOVACS Deebot OZMO T5 and Nanit Plus that is a blessing to single parents.
Feel free to explore all and pick the perfect smart home device for your home office. Adios!
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