Christmas Gift Ideas 2020: Home Automation and Smart Home

The connected home: within everyone’s reach

A few years ago the connected house sounded like a science fiction movie to us. We have become accustomed to seeing certainly bizarre concepts in films that make us think that enjoying a smart home is something very future or, at the very least, very (very) wealthy pockets. Nothing is further from reality. Having a smart plug to control the Christmas tree or a bulb that turns on or off at the time you say are proposals that are part of the Smart Home and that can be yours for very little money.

There are also somewhat higher investments that offer us also greater capacities: robot vacuum cleaners sweep our house, making us forget what a broom is, while air purifiers, so fashionable now, help maintain a cleaner environment and have everything under control from your phone.

During this unusual 2020 we have spent more time at home than ever, so perhaps you have realized that it would be good for you to have some of these equipment to be more comfortable or you have lit the light with certain equipment that would be a gift perfect for this Christmas. Whatever the case, you have to take a look at our special selection. All yours.

Alexa Echo Speaker

We could have put a specific model but it is difficult to choose within the Amazon Echos catalog. Still, we want to draw your attention to two models that we believe represent the essence of this family quite well. On the one hand the Echo Dot, either 3rd or 4th generation , being the cheapest of all, and on the other hand the Echo Show 5, since its screen provides added value that you will surely like to enjoy.

Regarding the first, what to tell you that we have not already told you. The small speaker of the firm combines in a very small body all the advantages of an intelligent assistant, with a very wealthy Alexa capable of responding to almost everything. You can ask him to remind you of things, report the weather tomorrow, or tell you a joke. Also order him to turn on the TV at home or turn off the light in the hallway – for that, these teams will have to be synchronized with your speaker, of course. The 3rd generation Echot Dot is the older model, with a pickup design perfect for camouflaging wherever you want, while the 4th generation Dot speakerIt is more modern and attractive, with more attractive lines. With the discounts they have now, it’s just… a matter of taste.

The best

• Alexa is a very important assistant
• The price is very tight
• They are placed anywhere

Worst

•  They have no screen
• The sound of your speaker for music playback is correct, no more

As for the Echo Show 5 , its added value is on the screen. If you want to go a little further with this type of equipment, his thing is that you get the Show 5, since its 5.5-inch screen will allow you, in addition to displaying certain information that you ask, make videoconferences with other people who also have the equipment (now with group calls !) and even watch recipes, news or even movies and series – it has just now added support for Netflix.

The best

• The screen, it was clear, wasn’t it?
• Alexa

Worst

•  Its price is higher (although it is now half price!)

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3H Purifier

In 2020 we have become much more aware of everything that may be “polluted” around us and there is special attention to air quality. That is why you may have considered buying an air purifier, a device that is still rare in homes but this year, as we say, is starting to gain momentum. And do you know who has a smart one with a pretty interesting label? Well, the queen of adjusted prices, Xiaomi.

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3H is a large device – not excessive since there are much more bulky devices of this type – that is responsible for filtering ultrafine particles of only 0.3 microns, being effective with harmful substances such as PM2.5 and formaldehyde. Everything is controlled from a mobile app, of course, where you will see at all times the current situation of the room in which it operates (also on its OLED screen) and you can make certain decisions, from changing the degree of work to scheduling work hours .

The best

• Its design is minimalist and modern
• It has a HEPA filter
• Supports Google Assistant and Alexa

Worst

• It is not a discreet team: its size is considerable
• In the most demanding functions it makes noise

Dyson V11 Absolute Extra Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

We have already told you about some of the best robot vacuum cleaners that currently exist on the market, so today we are going to stop our attention on another product for cleaning the perfect home for those who do not want something so autonomous and are in favor of cleaning deeper. And it is that where you put a cordless vacuum cleaner like this Dyson to remove everything else. The team has a very powerful Dyson Hyperdymium engine – yes , developed by themselves – that rotates at a speed of up to 125,000 rpm. And how does that translate into your day to day? Well, in a tremendously powerful equipment capable of absorbing all kinds of dirt, thanks to its different levels of suction, and that is not especially noisy despite its heart attack speeds.

Something interesting that incorporates this latest edition, the V11, is its screen, a small round LCD panel on the operating body that will allow you to select the modes of the vacuum cleaner and see the battery time remaining – is there anything worse than suddenly realize you’ve run out of battery in the middle of the job? Its use is very simple (through touches of a lower physical button that it includes) and attached to its attachable battery (now you can remove it quite easily by pressing a button and connect an additional one that you buy if you do very long cleaning sessions) They are two new features that make this model quite special. To purchase it you can visit the official website of Dyson -on Amazon has a non-recommended surcharge.

The best

• Its cleaning capacity is incredible
• The screen gives you good feedback on its use
• Its autonomy has improved compared to the V10

Worst

• Its price is high compared to the competition
• The additional battery does not come in all packs and you may have to buy it separately

iRobot Braava Jet M6

It has been one of our discoveries this year. iRobot doesn’t just have robot vacuum cleaners; It also has a floor scrubbing robot that you can make a good fix at home. The Braava Jet M6 mops wet at home, leaving the floor even cleaner than if we just vacuum it. It is configured through the same iRobot application (in fact, you can even program vacuum cleaners and scrubbers so that when the first one finishes, the second one begins and leaves the floor gleaming), which gives you the advantage of being able to program it however you want , both in hours and in rooms to act.

Its passage through the house is quite silent and is accompanied by several types of mops so that you can choose the one that best suits the result you want to achieve. To clean, you just have to be aware of filling your water tank (you will have to do it each cleaning, unless it only works in a room or two) and the soapy solution (iRobot recommends using only its official one so as not to clog your pipes, although if you want to try on your own with your scrubber, it is your responsibility). She takes care of the rest by herself.

The best

• Makes very little noise
• You will be surprised how compact it is
• The iRobot application for its control is quite complete

Worst

• Its work is slow, it moves much slower than a robot vacuum cleaner
• Needs to be recharged practically on every job

Anova Precision Cooker

Any kitchens in the living room? Well, few things will make you more excited than receiving the ANOVA Soud Vide Precision Cooker this Christmas . In case the product catches you a little new, we tell you that it is a device thanks to which the Sous Vide technique can be applied, which allows to maintain the juices, flavors and nutrients of the food thanks to its cooking, constantly , at low temperature .

The good thing about this equipment is that it is intelligent and has Wi-Fi connectivity , allowing it to be controlled through a mobile app where we will adjust the parameters for the perfect cooking. Be careful, there is a larger version, in size and power (this only reaches 1,000W), but if you are not going to cook in large quantities, with this proposal that we make you have more than enough and its price is more adjusted. To buy it you can check the official website of Anova Culinary -on Amazon is currently not available.

The best

• It is more compact than its brothers
• Your control from your mobile
• Perfectly fulfills its mission

Worst

• Has less power than other models

Nuki smart lock

We have talked to you several times about the Nuki smart lock and it seems to us one of the most interesting solutions that exist within the home automation system – so much so that some other publisher of this medium ended up buying it for their home. With it you can control the opening and locking of the door of your house, managing everything from a mobile app. Its installation is not complicated and with a few steps you will have configured its use to your liking.

In this way, you can forget your keys at home, since now you can enter through your smartphone (and even your Apple Watch, if you have it), without carrying anything else, and even configure it to open automatically when you are at home. a few meters from home – of course, this is an optional feature. Do you want a family member to pick you up at home and they don’t have the keys? Easy: from your phone you can open it instantly. Do you have a house for rent and you cannot receive the tenants? You give them access by invitation and they will enter the home without you having to go to open them. Everything is always registered, so you will always be aware of when the door of your house is opened or not.

The best

• Leaving the house without keys is tremendously comfortable
• Simple installation
• Your remote is perfect

Worst

• The mobile app could be more intuitive
• The device uses batteries (they must be changed every 3 months)

Baintex Easy Parking

Very much in the line of the Nuki lock, there is a model specially designed for your garage door. This is Baintex Easy Parking and it takes care of opening you every time you approach with your vehicle, without keys, cards and not even touching your mobile. It is configurable, of course, so that if you prefer, you can configure it so that instead of the automatic opening, it detects that you are nearby and then asks you on your phone (or smart watch) if you want to open the garage.

The installation needs certain knowledge, but just in case you don’t clarify, you should know that it has online technical support where they attend to any questions quite well. And as for the thing itself, it is small and discreet, so it takes up quite little. You won’t even have to carry the keys to the garage, isn’t that great?

The best

• As with Nuki, not carrying the keys is very comfortable
• It has NFC so you can also use the opening / closing by contact with your mobile
• You can share your access with multiple users

Worst

• If you live in an urban area, automatic opening is not recommended
• Its installation could be complicated depending on the door motor you have