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In the same way that you can create Applets with tecla-e through the IFTTT app to automate certain activities with your smart devices, these environmental control devices make adjusting the temperature, measuring air quality, letting in sunlight, and even sleeping peacefully, hands-free. Here are the top 5 devices that will make controlling the elements in your home efficient, no matter how tech-savvy you are.

 

Controlling Indoor Temperature

1. Nest Thermostat

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The Nest Thermostat is a smart device that replaces your existing thermostat to create a home that adapts to the temperature you are comfortable through every season. If you like your living room to be toasty during the afternoon and cool at night, Nest remembers so you don't always have to adjust the temperature through the app. When it's not saving you time, Nest is saving energy when you're away. The Nest Thermostat can use sensors and your phone’s location to check if you’ve left the house, then sets itself to an Eco Temperature to save energy. According to their website, the Nest Thermostat has saved billions of kWh of energy in millions of homes worldwide since 2011.

Don’t have central air-conditioning but still want hands-free access to keep it cool during the summer months? GE Appliances' WiFi-enabled Window AC allows you to communicate with your window AC unit communicate from your smartphone or tablet from any location and can respond to your activities and send you alerts.

Popular Applets:

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Monitoring the Air Quality in Your Home

2. Acer Air Monitor

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Acer Air Monitor was created to give you control of the air inside your home to breathe and live a healthier and more mindful life. The Acer Air Monitor is a real-time indoor air quality monitor which is able to detect most contaminants and pollutants that are released from our environment and daily activities. The data is revealed in an accessible way to understand and suggests preventative actions for you to try to maintain or bring your air quality to above average levels.

The information is laid out by highlighting six important air quality indexes: temperature, humidity, CO2, TVOC, and PM2.5/10. With this knowledge, Acer gives you the opportunity to impact your long-term health, all through your smart devices.

The LED light gives you a visual indication of the state of your home’s air quality, but you don’t have to worry about it glowing in your eyes at night. Acer Air Monitor detects the ambient lighting in the room to perfectly blend into your daily routine, waking up and going to sleep at the same time you do.

If your device is sending more and more negative notifications, WeMo has a line of air quality smart devices like the Holmes Humidifier and Holmes Air Purifier that will keep your Acer Air Monitor happy and allow you to breathe easy.

Popular Applets:

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Adjusting the Shades for Privacy or Sunlight

 3. Hunter Douglas PowerView

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You're watching a movie about a rich character who lives in a mansion wakes up in the morning to a pitch black room, leans over their bed and presses a button which slowly opens their blinds without needing to get up and pull a cord. This technology is now a reality with Hunter Douglas PowerView window treatments which can be adjusted to let in the precise amount of sunlight you want and then control and schedule through your smartphone or tablet.

PowerView also incorporates automation features called "Scenes" which can be set to operate independently, whether you are at home or away. You can even schedule Scenes to operate with the sunrise or sunset times of your geographical area so you never have to worry about being blinded by sunlight when your alarm goes off.

Check out our previous blog about smart home automation devices to read about Philips Hue lighting.

Popular Applets:

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Blocking Out Sounds When Sleeping

4. Eight Smart Mattress

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The Eight Smart Mattresses are the first beds designed to make your home smart even smarter. These mattresses measure your quality of sleep and are equipped with features that help you improve your restless nights. You can see how you slept last night, keep track of your historical data with sleep scores, adjust the temperature of your mattress. If you sleep next to someone, the temperature can also be adjusted differently on each side.

The sleep report includes:

• Time asleep
• Bedtime
• Wake up time
• Toss and turns
• Sleep breaks
• Heart rate
• Respiratory rate
• Light and deep sleep
• Bed temperature
• Room temperature

With IFTTT compatibility, Eight can connect to other smart devices to create a perfect bedroom environment. The simple act of going to sleep can trigger the lights to turn off, thermostat to cool down, white noise to begin and have your mattress track your sleep with one command. If you have Amazon Alexa, say "Alexa, tell Eight my bed is hot" and feel the temperature of your mattress cool down without ever having to unlock your smartphone.

Popular Applets:

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5. Nightingale

Imagine sleeping without being disturbed by a family member's snoring or a noisy bird outside your window at 6:00 AM. With 15 different ‘sound blankets’, Nightingale can reduce wake occurrences by masking common outdoor and indoor noises. The product includes two outlets that you can plug in on either side of the bedroom to create a 360-degree coverage of room's sound waves. The level of ambient sounds increases and decreases when the device detects a new or sudden sound in the environment. If you are a fan of white noise machines or apps, Nightingale is the perfect upgrade that features a new level of immersion and control.

Popular Applets:

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What adds value to all these products is not only their abilities to provide hands-free access to controlling one's environment, but also their automation capabilities. With IFTTT devices, the steps you take to change the temperature or open the blinds is reduced to one click or the simple action of entering your front door.