So we’ve looked into all the recommended tech products in the Smart Lights & Displays categories yesterday and today is the day for recommending all devices that we reviewed in 2021 that can improve your health and home security.
Let’s get into it.
Smart Security
We’ve seen plenty of smart security products this year ranging from video doorbells, cameras (both wired and wireless), sensors, and many more. While there are lots of them out there, we normally only see the best ones being designed and manufactured by a handful few manufacturers.
Video Doorbells
I highly recommend every house to install one. They are very useful when you are not home because you can answer and talk to your visitors where ever you are. We had a couple of occasions this month where I answered the door without being home and I’m glad I did. This was done on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2. It has an enhanced 1536p HD video resolution and the image quality from the video (both live streaming and recording) is simply rich and detailed.
If you are looking for a wire-free option because you don’t have a doorbell hardwiring, Arlo Essential Video Doorbell is a great alternative. While not as good in terms of resolution compared to Ring’s (1080p), it has pre-recorded messages, siren, and can detect many objects including packages smartly (if you join their subscription). It’s also cheaper and can be used wire-free.
Security Cameras
If you have a driveway and a garage, definitely look at installing a new Floodlight Security Camera. Not only it can lit your way in the dark, it can also monitor and record any movement around your house. I recently swapped from Swann Floodlight Security Camera that I installed in 2019 with the newer Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. It has a really good image quality, 2000 lumens of brightness, and even supports connecting to your 5GHz home network wireless channel for quicker, stable connection.
But what if you have to monitor your house indoor when you are away for holidays or to make sure your pets behaves as they should? We looked into two simple, yet intuitive indoor cameras this year like Arlo Essential Indoor Camera. It has a unique built-in privacy shield/cover that you can close from the app when you’re home. It’s something that you don’t normally get with the other indoor cameras.
New to the smart security market this year, Google announced their first generation of cameras and doorbells so Ring, Arlo, Swann, and D-Link should be on their toes. Google Nest Cam Battery that I reviewed a few months earlier is one of the top indoor cameras out there.
It looks really elegant, minimalist, but also a great, wide-angle lens to capture more in the scene. It has plenty of advanced options including Familiar Face Detection, but usually unlocked only if you subscribe to Nest Aware.
Not exactly a smart security product to check for intruders, but this Owlet smart sock ensure the security of your baby by monitoring your child’s heart rate and oxygen level in real time. Should an anomaly occurs, the sock will beep a loud, audible alarm. Check out my personal experience with using the Owlet Smart Sock Plus and when we’ve had its alarm went off a few times!
Smart Health
Looking to get fit this year? Or, there’s always be next year but make sure you get these smart devices that can track, monitor your health and make recommendations based on the results.
We’ll start with a device that everyone knows: a Fitbit. This year, I reviewed Fitbit Charge 5 tracker that can track and do a lot of things. It can track your usual daily activities like steps and sleeps, but also your heart with its heartrate real-time monitor, and built-in ECG+ECA. It’s a lot to pack within such a compact device on your wrist.
If you’re more worried about your blood pressure readings, make sure to grab this personal, in-home, cardiovascular monitor, Withings BPM Core. You can carry it anywhere with you and take an accurate blood pressure test + ECG. Compared to many other digital blood pressure monitor/checker, the BPM Core is more accurate as it borrows the concept of the good old, vintage blood pressure checker.
For Oral Hygiene, if you aren’t using a dental floss yet, then you need to grab one of the waterflossing machines. At the moment, the market is pretty much being owned by Waterpik here in Australia (though I’m reviewing one from Philips now).
I’ve used the Waterpik machines for years and I just came back from the dentist today. She’s really happy to see my progress. I used to have a really bad gum disease with 9mm-12mm gum pockets and due to COVID, I haven’t had my gums and teeth checked for almost a year. Out of my surprise, she was happy to see that I didn’t have any more gum bleeding and the deepest gum pockets she could see were 3mm in depth (which are healthy gums!). So yeah, waterflossing works, guys.
I’m mainly using the Waterpik Whitening (without the whitening tablets now) but any waterflossing machines are good. Make sure to check all of the Waterpik machines I’ve had used and reviewed and pick the one you like most.
My main oral hygiene every day is waterflossing, followed by brushing my teeth for 2 minutes using the Oral-B iO Series 9 at the moment. I tend to switch my electric toothbrush between the Oral-B and Philips Sonicare back and forth (whenever a newer model is available for a review). The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 is also on my recommended list and as good.
Both the Oral-B and Philips Sonicare are good, so pick whichever you like more and if any of them is on sale.
