Smart home devices can really enhance the efficiency of our homes. But that doesn’t mean all of them are worth your money. In addition to being expensive, the wrong smart home devices can also add a layer of complexity to your everyday routine and compromise your home’s security. Having said that, here’s a look at five smart home devices I don’t think I’ll ever purchase.
1 Smart Refrigerator
Are smart refrigerators worth the hype? Not in my opinion. There may come a time when smart refrigerators are all we have to choose from. But until then, I’m going to stick with my regular “dumb” refrigerator.
Sure, a smart refrigerator allows you to control some aspects of your refrigerator remotely, like adjusting the temperature or viewing the contents inside without having to open the door. But these features come at a hefty price, and I am not entirely sure that they’re worth the investment. I’d rather save money on my initial purchase and avoid potential headaches later if the software crashes or glitches.
2 Smart Pet Feeder
There are a lot of smart home devices for pets these days, from security cameras to smart water fountains and self-cleaning litter boxes. And while I use many of these for my cats, something I’m still apprehensive about is the smart pet feeder.
The idea sounds really convenient, especially if you’re going to be away from home a lot, but there’s a chance the device could malfunction. All technology fails from time to time, and if that does happen, I’d rather my pet not be hungry until I’m back. So, until a more fool-proof smart feeder rolls out, I’ll stick with a regular bowl and feeding schedule.
3 Smart Toaster
I can see the appeal of some smart home devices, even if I personally wouldn’t purchase them. But a smart toaster is something I just can’t get behind. These devices allow you to choose your preferred toasting level from your smartphone, offer quicker toasting speeds in some cases, and even let you toast two pieces of bread to different levels.
And while these are useful features, my biggest issue with a smart toaster is its cost. Not everyone can or wants to spend a few hundred dollars on an appliance that essentially just toasts bread. And most people don’t need the kind of advanced features these devices offer unless they’re incredibly particular about their toast. For the average person, a basic toaster does the job just fine.
4 Smart Washers and Dryers
You likely already know what smart washers and dryers are and what they can do, but are they worth the money? For some, they might be. These appliances allow users to start and manage cycles when they’re not at home and check the progress remotely. What’s more, some of these devices can also be more energy efficient than regular machines.
But despite these benefits, I don’t see myself purchasing one. While the ability to manage my laundry remotely is nice, it’s not really a necessity for me at this point, especially when I still have to load and unload my laundry manually.
Additionally, smart washers and dryers can be fairly expensive, and let’s not forget that malfunctions down the line will likely cost more to repair as well. At least for now, a simpler appliance is better.
5 Smart Toilets
One of the smart bathroom gadgets that I don’t see myself ever investing in is a smart toilet. These come with a lot of bells and whistles, from automatic flushing to heated seats and sometimes even health-monitoring features.
But they’re often expensive and installation can be tricky (you’ll also likely have to pay someone a good amount of money to have it done). I’m also not comfortable with the amount of data sharing that’s required with some smart toilets. At the end of the day, I prefer a simple toilet that’s tech-free and will serve me reliably for years.
Not every gadget needs to be a smart device. When it comes to these types of devices, I’d rather opt for simpler technology instead.
