The 10 Hottest Smart Home Gadgets Of 2021 (So Far)

CRN looks at the hottest smart home gadgets of this year so far, including a new home health lab that provides health recommendations and a device that helps people make better sourdough starters.

New Solutions For Everyday Life, Security And… Sourdough Starters

If you’re looking to deck your home with new smart home gadgets, you’re in luck, as there are many new devices and device types hitting the market this year and beyond.

This includes some familiar names like Amazon Echo and Ring, but there are other kinds of smart home devices that may catch your fancy, like a new set of smart grills and a first-of-its-kind smart monitor for sourdough starters. There are also new kinds of security solutions, including one that uses Wi-Fi waves to detect human presence and another that disperses harmless smoke in case of a break-in.

What follows are the 10 hottest smart home gadgets of 2021 so far.

For more of the biggest startups, products and news stories of 2021 so far, click here .

Amazon Echo Show 10

Echo Show 10 is the latest Echo smart display from Amazon, which says that the device is a “complete reimagination of Alexa” and “has been upgraded in every way.” The device consists of a 10-inch, adaptive HD display that can rotate automatically and silently so that users can always see the screen and stay in frame for video calls as they move around. The device’s front-firing tweeter speakers and woofer also rotate with the screen to provide directional sound. Thanks to the device’s rotational features, it can periodically scan the room and detect people when Alexa Guard is in Away Mode. Echo Show 10 is available now for $249.99.

Bisu Body Coach

Bisu Body Coach is a home health lab that provides personalized health advice based on urine and saliva samples. The device reads and analyzes the urine or saliva samples from a one-time use collection stick that is placed in the device, providing results and health recommendations in the smartphone app within two minutes. The vendor, Bisu, plans to provide different sticks for a range of tests over time. The first test type will analyze electrolytes, hydration, antioxidants, fruits and vegetables intake and oxidative stress, among other things. Bisu is currently accepting applications for a beta stage, and the company expects rollout to begin this year, with FDA approval expected in 2023 or later for baby health and fertility tests. Details on pricing is not available.

Breadwinner

Breadwinner is a smart device that helps bakers make better starters for sourdough bread. This is made possible by infrared and ambient air sensors built into the top of a standard, 16-ounce mason jar that tracks the growth of a sourdough starter and its temperature, helping bakers determine how much and when to feed it and when it’s ready to bake. The device has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows it to transmit the data to an app that displays visualizations on starter growth, temperature and height. It is currently a prototype, but it is available to buy for $140 when it is in stock.

Flic 2

Flic 2 is a system of smart home buttons that allows users to program each button with different actions for various smart home devices. Every button can perform three different actions by supporting triggers for one push, two push and hold. For instance, one button can switch on the lights, turn on music and begin a smart home routine through the three triggers. Users can identify buttons by affixing function-specific stickers to them from Flix’s set of 40 stickers. The buttons are compatible with more than 1,000 devices and services, which includes Apple HomeKit, IFTTT and Philips Hue. The Flix 2 Starter Kit, which comes with three buttons and the Flic Hub LR, is available now for $159.99.

FogShield

FogShield is marketed as the “world first IoT 5G all-in-one standalone intruder prevention solution.” In other words, it’s an advanced security camera with fast internet connectivity, but what sets it apart is a smoke diffuser that disperses harmless smoke when an intruder is detected in a building. The device doesn’t require an IoT gateway as it comes with 5G Cat-M connectivity, and it works with existing security systems. In addition to the smoke detector, it comes with an HD video camera, two-way voice communication and a PIR motion detector. Details on pricing and availability were not available.

Hex Home

Hex Home is a home security system that uses Wi-Fi waves to detect human presence and motion, giving customers an alternative to traditional security setups. The vendor, Origin Wireless, claims that Hex Home is designed to reduce the number of false alarms by allowing users to tweak 10 sensitivity levels to filter out things like pet and mechanical motions. The system consists of two devices: the Hex Command, which is a pod that sits on a surface, and a Hex Sense, which plugs into the wall. With these two devices, users can see motion changes in real time and historically. The Hex Home smartphone app also lets users change system modes to manage the siren and customize alerts. Hex Home is available now starting at $179.99.

Lenovo Smart Clock 2

The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is a new version of Lenovo’s smart clock that can come with an optional wireless phone charger that snaps the phone into place when docked. The Smart Clock 2 comes with a four-inch touch screen that can show time, weather and photos, among other things, and it can also play music, control smart home devices and help plan out your day. The device, which also supports voice control, sports an updated design with three colors to choose from: Shadow Black, Heather Grey and Abyss Blue. The Smart Clock 2 is expected to release in September for $89.99.

Phyn Smart Water Sensor

The Phyn Smart Water Sensor can protect against water damage by detecting leaks and sensing changes in temperature and humidity. Made by Belkin’s Phyn smart home brand, the sensor is available in one-, two- or three-packs, and it can be placed anywhere in the home and send alerts when moisture is detected. The Phyn Smart Water Sensor can be combined with the Phyn Plus to turn off water to the house when leaks are detected. It can also come with two accessors: the Phyn Water Sensor Extension Node, which helps the sensor detect leaks in narrow spaces, and the Phyn Water Sensor Cable, which extends the sensor’s water detecting capabilities by four feet. The Phyn Smart Water Sensor one-pack retails for $39.99 while the Extension Node retails for $9.99 and Sensor Cable retails for $25.99.

Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro

The Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is a “re-imagining” of a floodlight that Ring calls its “most advanced outdoor security camera” equipped with radar-enhanced 3D motion detection technology. The camera’s 3D motion detection technology comes with a radar sensor that can detect when an object crosses a certain distance threshold, which, in turn, activates the camera to send a motion alert. Thanks to camera’s 3D motion detection technology, the floodlight can provide an aerial map view of motion events and display the paths people take in the camera’s view. Other features include color night vision, a 110-decibel siren and a microphone array. The Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is available for $249.99.

Weber Genesis Smart Grills

Weber is bringing new intelligence to the grilling experience with its Genesis smart gas grills. The grills use the company’s Weber Connect technology, which uses temperature probes, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and a smartphone companion app to provide step-by-step assistance on how to grill the best meals. The smartphone app lets grillers know when to flip their food and when it’s reached the right temperature, the latter of which is also indicated through audible notifications from the grill itself. The grill and smartphone app also provides fuel level monitoring. The 2021 Genesis smart grill line includes Genesis EX-315 ($1,029), EX-335 ($1,239) and SX-335 ($1,349).