A Smart Home is made up of a bunch of smart devices, all connected together to the internet and your home. There are many kinds of these devices today, but most fall into a handful of smart device categories. By adding an internet connection, smart devices provide new experiences over the non-connected versions of yesterday.
Below is a list of smart device categories you can find today. Check out the link for each category to get more info. Soon, I’ll have the entire list covered (I have my work cut out for me!), giving you all the detail you need to make your home smarter.
| Category | Usage | Example Command | |
| Blinds |  | Open and close the blinds or shutters remotely. You can fully close/open or open by a percentage. | Open the windows. |
| Cameras |  | In addition to turning the camera on and off, Cameras provide you updates on what they detect, like motion or people. | Turn on the front door camera. |
| Contact Sensors |  | Lets you know when a door, window, or anything else you attach these to is open or closed. | Is the window closed? |
| Dehumidifiers |  | Decrease the humidity in the room with the smarts to keep the humidity from rising too high. | Turn on the dehumidifier. |
| Door Bells |  | Get notifications when someone is at the door. | Who’s at the door? |
| Door Locks |  | Lock and unlock your door, and my favorite – knowing what the current status is. | Did I forget to lock the door? |
| Fans |  | Fans that allow you to turn them on, off, and change the fan direction and speed. | Turn on the fans. |
| Garage Door Openers |  | Similar to Door Locks, Garage Door Openers allow you to lock and unlock the door and check status. | Close the garage door. |
| Humidifiers |  | Increase the humidity in the room with the smarts to keep the humidity at a certain level for you. | Turn on the humidifier. |
| Humidity Sensors |  | Lets you know the humidity in a room. Also works well with a Humidifier and is usually connected with one. | What is the humidity in the bedroom? |
| Light Sensors |  | Tells you the amount of light in an area, typically in a unit called “Lux”. | How much light is in the dining room? |
| Lights |  | Allows you to turn the lights on, off, and change the brightness and color. | Turn on the lights. |
| Microwaves |  | Lets you change temperature and cook things remotely. You can also get helpful notifications. | Make some popcorn. |
| Motion Sensors |  | Detects motion in an area. Think of it as a simpler camera. | Is there motion in the backyard? |
| Sprinkler Controllers |  | Setup schedules and check to see if your yard is being watered. | Turn on the water in the backyard for 30 minutes. |
| Televisions |  | Change inputs, channels, and volume on your TV without a remote. | Turn on the TV. |
| Temperature Sensors |  | Gives you the temperature in a location. | What is the temperature in the basement? |
| Thermostats |  | Remote control is available, but the main draw is adaptive technology that more efficiently controls the temperature in your home. | Make it warmer. |
| Vacuum Cleaner |  | Enables the ability to control timers, schedules, and start cleaning. | Start a cleaning. |
| Voice Assistants |  | These make the Smart Home useful and convenient. Control your devices at home by voice. | Tell me the news. |
| Wall Plugs |  | Lets you control any simple appliance via the Internet. These can also provide stats regarding power usage. | Turn on the desk fan. |
| Wall Switch |  | In addition to the normal button behavior you expect, it is also controlled via the internet. | Is the living room fan on? |
| Water Sensors |  | Lets you know when water is detected, like from a broken pipe – potentially saving you from water damage. | Is there water in the bathroom? |
Let me know if I missed any categories. I’m sure w’ell add more as the industry grows and more categories come to market.
