In August, I did something I never imagined myself doing: I bought a house. After spending most of my adult life in New York City, I moved a couple of hours north to the Hudson Valley.
It’s been every bit as major an adjustment as I’d expected. Along with your standard new homeowner surprises — like a short-tailed shrew doing short-tailed shrew things in my laundry room — the move from renting to home ownership has brought a level of control I’ve never had over my own space.
For example, I’ve regularly turned down smart home products for review because I couldn’t install things like a smart doorbell in a place I didn’t own. It’s a small thing, perhaps, but I’ve spent much of the last couple of months making up for lost time.
Here’s a gift guide for the person in your life who recently moved — or for yourself, if that applies to you. Everything featured herein is something I’ve tested and currently use myself. Hopefully they’ll make your smart house feel a bit more like a smart home.
Apple Mac Studio/Mac Mini — $1,999/$599
The Mac Studio M2 and a pair of Studio Displays currently serve as the centerpiece of my office. The Studio is a hugely powerful machine in a fairly small package, and the SD card slot on the front is great for all of the photos I need to take for my job.
If asked to make the choice today, however, I might opt for the pint-sized Mac Mini to free up a lot of space on my desk. Certainly the $599 entry point is appealing, as well.
Aviron Interactive Home Rowing Machine — $1,999
I messed up my back last year. Like really, really messed it up. Because of this, I’ve had to give up on my morning runs. Cycling is great, but it’s something I prefer to do on an actual bike. I’ve ultimately landed on rowing, which offers a full body workout with significantly less impact than running.
Aviron isn’t a big name in connected fitness, but the startup has produced a great rower with a clever content library. Rather than simply relying on trainer video, the company built a suite of games designed to engage you as you work out. It’s a fun way to break a sweat.
Beflo Tenon Smart Adjustable Desk — starts at $2,399
Desks are important. Standing is also important. Ergo, standing desks are important. When I moved up from the city, I decided it was time to rid myself of the big, bulky desk I’d purchased second-hand over a decade ago. I wanted to see how the other half lived, so I reached out to Beflo about its over-the-top approach to the category. It’s kind of the Cadillac of standing desks.
The Tenon has all the bells and whistles and a starting price to match. The desk has a mechanical lifting feature controllable via touchscreen or Beflo’s app. There are USB ports and even lights. Honestly, it may well be overkill for a majority of people, but it’s not a bad idea to invest in a desk that should last you a while.
Bird Buddy — $299
I’ve wanted one of these since it was announced, but I’ve never had my own backyard. Bird Buddy is one of the first things I picked out for my new porch. The concept is simple enough: It’s a bird feeder with a camera. Of course, these sorts of products only work when well-implemented, and Bird Buddy brings clever innovations to the table. AI is used to capture videos and snapshots at the right time, and it has been expanding to include things like bird identification.
I will admit that it took a lot of trial and error to implement the system in a way that attracts the desired effects. Greedy squirrels were a challenge, though a conical baffle finally took care of the issue. Beyond that, the secret to Bird Buddy, like any other bird feeder, is patience. It can take birds weeks to find a new feeder. Once they do, however, word travels fast.
Branch Verve Chair — $509
I’ve recommended Branch’s chairs to anyone who asks. The company makes a supremely comfortable desk chair that makes long work days a little more bearable. They also look great.
I recently upgraded from the Ergonomic chair to the Verve — and I can fully recommend either one. The Verve is a bit pricier and nicer. Get a load of that coral color; that’ll break up your home office monotony.
Coway Airmega — $230
In certain parts of the world, air purifiers are a must have. As wildfires seem to get worse every year, that increasingly applies here in the U.S. I’m also a person with a lot of allergies who just moved to the woods, along with a prolifically shedding pet. I can’t say enough about how much a good purifier helps keep my home breathable.
Coway makes a HEPA purifier capable of cleaning up to 361 square feet in just over 12 minutes. Or you can clean up to 874 square feet in half an hour — which, honestly, covers most of my house. It also looks great, with a curved minimalist design you won’t feel like you need to hide when guests come over.
Dyson Gen5 Detect — $949
My Dyson and I have been through a lot. The vacuum has been banged against corners and dropped more times that I care to mention, but it’s still ticking. The biggest challenge of all, however, is a lionhead rabbit that seems to shed 5x her weight in hair every week. The Gen5 Detect is the only thing standing between me and a fur coat floor.
The floors in my new place are mostly hardwood, and the Dyson excels at sucking up particles and even the bits of hay scattered around my floor anytime the rabbit decides she’s mad at me. It handles the rugs equally well.
FoodCycler Eco 3 — $500
Dump your food waste into this $500 countertop appliance, hit Start, and in a couple of hours, everything from potato peels to lobster shells gets ground down into fertilizer for your growing army of houseplants. The FoodCycler is a win-win.
Hisense C2 Ultra Projector — $3,000
Here’s something embarrassing. I tested the Hisense C2 projector right before I had to leave town for a week to go to Disrupt. I found myself missing the experience. Nothing beats going to see a movie in a theater, but this high-end 4K laser projector comes close.
The picture is sharp and stunning, and the built-in speaker is plenty loud and clear. The system ships with a number of popular streaming apps built-in, including Netflix and Disney+. Ultimately, however, I’ve opted to utilize the HDMI port to plug in the Apple TV 4K, while outputting the video to a pair of HomePods. As I write this, I’m really thinking about which foreign horror movie I’m going to stream on the Criterion app tonight.
Nest Learning Thermostat fourth gen — $280
It’s not the most exciting product category, but a good thermostat makes a heap of difference, both for your comfort levels and energy bill. The Nest Learning Thermostat was surprisingly easy to install, speaking as someone without absolutely zero electrical experience.
The new display looks great and offers a lot of information at a glance, but I found that I’ve mostly forgotten it exists. That’s a net positive for a thermostat, the kind of product you only really think about when something’s gone wrong.
Nightside — $350
This was a fantastic housewarming gift from a colleague. Built by a small startup of the same name, Nightside is a warm and tall bedside lamp with an extremely clever track. The top raises up and features an adjustable mirror that reflects a beam of light for reading in bed.
It’s testament to being innovative without being high tech, and it hasn’t left my bedside since.
TP-Link RE715X — $99
If you own a house, you need a range extender. My place is only a little over 1,000 square feet, but I found that roughly half of my rooms weren’t getting good Wi-Fi cover. This little range extender is super easy to set up and plugs directly into the wall.
I went for the dual-band model, and have been happy with the performance, even as my army of smart home products continues to grow.
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