What is a smart home? The beginner's guide to a connected smart home
Control your home’s lighting, heating and electronic devices all via a smartphone
What is a smart home?
A smart home is a home that can automatically control lighting, heating and other electronic devices. Using a smartphone, tablet or computer, you can control anything from plugs, lights and smart thermostats - from in, or outside, your home.
What are the benefits of a smart home?
Smart home devices are convenient and can help keep you connected to your home wherever you are
Smart home devices could help you to save energy and money
Some devices are designed to help give you peace of mind when you’re out and about, like a smart motion sensor which notifies you when a door or window is opened, or when there's movement detected inside your home
Smart home devices can work together to give you a true smart home experience.
Why should I set up a smart home?
Smart home devices have a range of uses and benefits, and they’re easy to use and set up. So, whether you want more control and convenience in the home or peace of mind while you’re out, there’s a smart home device that will help.
It's easy to set up a smart home - all you need is an internet connection, a smart home device, hub and an app. You don't need a smart home expert - though with our Hive Thermostat, we do recommended you find a local tradesperson with the expertise.
What smart home devices do I need?
The smart home market is growing fast - big brands like Amazon and Google have smart home devices, and here at Hive we're always innovating to develop a smart home ecosystem. Here are just a few examples of the smart home devices at Hive:
Smart Heating
A smart thermostat lets you control your heating easily from your smartphone. You can turn your heating on or off, change the temperature and even set up schedules - all within the Hive app. Our Hive Thermostat is carefully designed to work with both your heating and hot water - and you could save money on your heating bill by never heating an empty home.
Smart Sensors
Smart sensors let you monitor what's happening around your home. You can check if there's been any motion at home and even get notifications the moment anything happens. Our Window or Door Sensor will monitor if your window or door is opened or closed. And for those with pets, there's even a motion sensor that's smart enough to tell the difference between people and pets.
Smart Lighting
Want to switch on the bedroom light from the living room? How about switching on a light at home while you're out and about? With smart lighting, you can do all that and more from your smartphone. Depending on the type of smart light bulb you have, you can dim the lights, change the tone or colour of the bulb and even turn lots of lights off in one go.
Smart lights at Hive are available in screw and bayonet fits, making it easy to replace existing light bulbs in your home.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are versatile smart devices because they let you control anything you plug into them. Our smart plug allows you to experiment with making different appliances smart and are a great way to start in the world of smart home tech.
A true smart home experience with Hive
All Hive devices work together from the Hive app and you can connect other smart home tech including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Philips Hue and Apple HomeKit. So you can start to customise your home to be the smartest of homes.
Plus, with Hive Actions, you can link Hive devices together for even smarter control of your home. Walk past a motion sensor in the hall and turn a light on in the bedroom. Close the front door and turn the heating off. You can pick from one of our most popular pre-set Actions or you can create your own unique Actions in the Hive app. The possibilities are endless!
