The best smart home devices for a healthier home
What is a healthy indoor climate?
You probably know what an unhealthy indoor climate feels like. Thick, stuffy air. Dark, draughty spaces. Unpleasant smells. Rooms that are too hot or too cold.
Poor indoor air quality and poorly ventilated spaces can lead to negative health effects, including headaches, fatigue, poor concentration, and increased risk of asthma, allergies and respiratory issues. Dry air can irritate eyes and skin, while excess humidity can cause dampness and mould leading to allergic reactions, as well as eye, nose, and throat irritations.
In contrast, being in a healthy indoor climate feels good whether you’re hard at work or simply relaxing. Critical components include:
Generous daylight levels
Humans need daylight! It boosts mood and helps keep our circadian rhythm on track for quality rest. Adequate daylight is associated with more energy, less eye strain, and increased immunity to diseases and infection.Fresh air and good ventilation
Good ventilation and lots of fresh air help to control humidity, reduce allergens, and prevent headaches and fatigue. Fresh air can also help us feel more alert and connected to the world outside.
- Smart home devices can help you ventilate your home, regulate temperature, and maintain a healthy home environment.
- AirBird® is a smart home device that consistently measures CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity. It chirps and emits a soft light when action should be taken to improve air quality.
- VELUX Active with NETATMO combines the NETATMO device for measuring air quality and noise levels at home with VELUX Active, a smartphone app that connects to electric and solar powered roof windows. This smart home solution can improve air quality, light control, temperature, and more, easily and quickly from your phone.
Why is a healthy indoor climate so important?
Studies show that we spend 90% of our time indoors. For many of us, our homes are not only where we sleep, eat, and relax; they’re also a place for work or study. Since we spend so much time in these multi-purpose spaces, they need to be healthy so that we in-turn can be happy, healthy, and productive.The best smart devices for a healthier home
Sometimes we’re not aware that the indoor climate isn’t optimal until we feel its negative effects, such as losing concentration or getting a headache. Smart home devices can take the guesswork out of maintaining a healthy indoor climate in your home, no matter the weather or time of day. Here are a few of the best.AirBird®
Many years ago, bright yellow canaries were sent into coal mines to warn miners of toxic gas leaks. This was the inspiration for the AirBird®, an indoor air-quality smart home device that was developed in collaboration with VELUX Group, Leapcraft, and GXN. It measures CO2, temperature, and humidity every few minutes. When carbon dioxide levels are too high, AirBird® makes a chirping sound and flashes soft lights to indicate that it’s time to take action to improve air quality, such as opening windows to let in fresh air. It makes a different sound when air quality levels have returned to normal.
AirBird® is battery-powered and ready to use straight out of the box. With its elegant, Japanese origami bird-shaped design, it’s as stylish as it is smart!
Read more about AirBird® at getairbird.com.
VELUX ACTIVE
Imagine waking up to natural light instead of a beeping alarm clock or arriving home to a beautifully aired-out space after a long day at work. These are just some of the ways VELUX ACTIVE smart home technology can help make your home more comfortable.
VELUX ACTIVE is an easy-to-install indoor climate control kit that connects VELUX solar-powered or electric roof windows, blinds, and shutters with a user-friendly smartphone app, so you can control your home’s indoor climate from anywhere. The smart sensor monitors the temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels, then automatically operates your connected products when the levels are either too high or too low, from opening windows on a hot day to closing them when rain is on the way.
You can manually operate the connected products via the app and even create customised schedules. Smart speaker integration comes as standard, so you can close the blinds for a nap with a simple, “Hey Siri!”
Learn more about VELUX ACTIVE smart home devices
NETATMO Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor
This smart device for the home measures the air quality, noise levels, humidity, and temperature, then sends alerts to your smart device about potential issues. It even gives suggestions on how to resolve them. Whether you want to keep an eye on CO2 levels to avoid headaches, optimise noise levels for a good night’s sleep, or get the right humidity levels to help an asthmatic child, the Monitor will tell you what adjustments to make.
With a sleek cylindrical design, NETATMO Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor will look cool in any home.
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