What Are the Benefits of Home Automation?

The benefits of home automation include safety, convenience, control, comfort, and energy savings. 

Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest benefits that home automation provides and what kind of devices you should consider to reap these rewards.

It's amazing what a motion detector can do these days, from turning on outdoor lights to recording video to sounding the alarm on an intruder. 

But home automation takes things a step further by letting you create a chain reaction from one single event.

Let's say someone walks up to your porch, triggering the doorbell camera's motion detector. With a smart home security system, you can have the doorbell camera record the visitor and have all of the lights in the hallway and living room turn on, giving the impression that you're home. You can even have a smart speaker start playing the sound of dogs barking. 

Even smart smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors can be linked to home automations by unlocking all doors and turning on all lights when activated to facilitate your evacuation. 

Discover more of our favorite smart home security products:

• Best Wireless Security Cameras
• Best Smart Door Locks
• Best Driveway Alarms and Sensors
• Best Motion Detector Lights
• Best Door and Window Sensors

Home automation devices are controlled by your smartphone, which means you can adjust the system from anywhere—whether you're hours from home or just want to stay put on the couch. There are also some surprisingly niche products for more convenient parenting or aging in place. 

Many smart home gadgets also pair with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. As long as you have a compatible smart home hub, you don't even need your phone handy. Just shout the command.

Learn more about designing a convenient smart home:

• Room-by-Room Guide to Home Automation
• How Smart Home Tech Can Help Older Adults
• Smart Baby Gadgets for New Parents

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.

Because smart home products connect to smartphone apps, you usually have in-depth reports and controls at your fingertips that you might not have access to otherwise.

For example, you can get notifications whenever someone manually adjusts the thermostat. Or, by giving each household member their own home security or smart lock PIN, you can get notifications when each kiddo gets home from school. 

You can also see how your energy consumption has changed over time through a smart thermostat or view changes in indoor air quality with a smart air purifier. 

Consider getting smart versions of these products too:

• Best Air Quality Monitors
• Best Radon Detectors
• Best Home Humidifiers
• Best Dehumidifiers
• Best Robot Vacuums

Some people use smart technology to record shows or to play music throughout the home. Connected devices can also help create a comfortable atmosphere—they provide intelligent and adaptive lighting, sound, and temperature, which can all help create an inviting environment.

Best of all, you can set up multiple routines for any mood—whether you want bright lighting and energetic music in the morning or prefer a gentler start to your day. You can program the routines to start at specific times of day, at your voice command, when the front door is unlocked upon your arrival, or when motion is detected in a certain area of the home—just to name a few possibilities. It's all up to you. 

Set it up once and enjoy it everyday thereafter—or at least until you decide to switch things up.

Learn more about creating home automation routines:

• DIY Home Automation Guide for Beginners
• How to Set Up Alexa Routines
• What Is IFTTT? The Ultimate Guide

Many people invest in home automation technology for peace of mind. If you can’t remember whether you closed the garage after you left, you can verify remotely with an app. Or, you can set up geofence automations so that the garage door closes, all exterior doors lock, and lights turn on or off once your phone, security system key fob, or vehicle tracker is a certain distance away. 

Here's another great example: if you're worried about frozen pipes this winter, temperature and water leak sensors can notify you when that's a risk. Until then, you get to rest easy.

Plus, smart baby monitors and remote caregiving hubs like Alexa Together let you check on your loved ones—from a sleeping newborn to an aging parent. Even fur-babies benefit from home automation thanks to pet cameras—some of which dispense treats as part of a home automation routine.

Check out these possibilities too:

• Best Nanny Cams
• Best Kids GPS Trackers and Wearables
• Best GPS Dog Collars and Pet Trackers

Finally, smart gadgets support green living. They save energy by turning on and off at scheduled times or in response to environmental factors, cutting utility costs over time.

For example, one of the ways smart thermostats work their magic is through an occupancy sensor. If the thermostat senses that you're not home—or not in a specific room or zone—it goes into energy-saving mode. Your home consumes less fuel and you save some cash on your utility bill. 

And if you happen to be remodeling or building a new home, you can take some giant steps forward by choosing green smart home tech like greywater systems and smart fuse boxes.

Here are must-have smart devices for the energy-conscious:

• Best Smart Thermostats
• Best Smart Plugs 
• Best Smart Electrical Outlets
• Best Smart Light Switches
• Best Smart Light Bulbs

If you couldn't tell—we love smart home devices around here. It's fun to have so much convenience, comfort, data, and security at your fingertips.

The main disadvantage to a smart home is cost. Not only are the gadgets themselves more expensive than their "dumb" counterparts, but you also need sufficient internet bandwidth and smartphone storage to handle all of those connected devices and apps. 

If you have a roomy budget for a little experimentation, go for it. Think of it as self-care: all of the benefits of home automation are worth paying for since they can improve your quality of life. 

• How to Keep Your Smart Home Safe from Hacking
• How to Move With Your Smart Home Devices
• Outfitting Your Smart Home: Amazon Alexa Devices
• Best Google Home Compatible Devices
• Google Home vs. Alexa: Which Assistant is Best?