Nest Smart Thermostat
Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat replaces the old thermostat and immediately starts saving energy and money. Partnered with a smartphone, custom settings will lower the temperature at night, warm up the house upon waking and reduce heating or cooling swings when owners are away. On average, people save 10 to 12 percent on heating bills and 15 percent on cooling bills according to Energy Trust of Oregon reserach, with the device often paying for itself in less than two years.
Blueair Purifier
Leveraging a mix of filters, ionizers and fans, the Blueair HEPASilent air purification system captures 99.97 percent of particles down to 0.1 micron. A range of sizes are available to suit different spaces.
Haiku Light
The Haiku Light fixture from Big Ass Solutions brightens when someone enters a room and turns off when it detects the absence of movement. The light-emitting diode (LED) fixture produces 50 percent more light than a typical 15-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL).
Natufia
The Natufia Kitchen Garden is a fully automated vertical garden that easily fits into a kitchen area. Natufia manages the non-GMO, certified organic seed germination, watering, nutrient needs, humidity control and light cycles, freeing the gardener to simply pick and savor year-round fresh produce. While pricey, it provides an option for urbanites that both lack outside growing space and prioritize convenient healthy eating.
Smart Robot
This handy droid vacuums up dust mites, allergens, pet hair and dirt. iRobot’s Roomba 880 detects debris, maneuvers around most furniture and curtains, features a high-efficiency particulate air filter to suck up the small stuff, works on a variety of surfaces and automatically plugs itself in to recharge.
Self-Cleaning Toilets
The bowl of Toto’s MH wall-hung, high-efficiency toilet with powerful 3D dual flushing is coated with a nanotechnology glaze that seals the porcelain with an ionized barrier; its non-porous surface repels visible and invisible waste. The company’s smart toilet model also cleans itself.