Smart devices to help you stay safe on vacation

November '22

Whether hitting the road for the long Queen’s Birthday weekend or traveling further abroad for a few weeks during school holidays, you’d want to make sure that your house will be safe. Try these smart devices and gadgets to help protect your home while you’re away or tuck them in your bag to stay safer when you’re on the move.

Lights

A house that’s perpetually dark – or with too many lights on in the middle of the day – can indicate that there’s no one home. Smart bulbs or lamps plugged in to a smart outlet can help. Some allow you to set a timer to turn lights on and off at certain times of the day, while others will do so randomly. For external lighting, installing motion sensors would be a clever idea. Someone lurking will often turn the other direction in a hurry when startled by an unexpected light.

Sounds

Noise coming from the house can have the same effect as lights. You could have Alexa play music periodically to make it sound as if you’re having a great party. You can also use available playlists of everyday sounds – pots and pans banging while cooking, dogs barking, TV show dialogue.

Sprinklers

Dead grass could be a dead giveaway that you’ve left town for a few weeks. Make it look like you’re still around, tending your garden, with a smart watering system. Many of them you can set and forget, such as by putting them on a timer. Others, when connected to your home network or smart hub, can adjust based on local weather reports, only watering when the lawn needs it and not right before it rains.

Lawnmower

Overgrown grass can have the same ill effects as a brown lawn. A smart mower like Mowbot can help. If you’re worried about keeping the mower locked up while you’re out of town, though, you might just pay a neighbour’s kid to do your lawnmowing for you.

Get the lived in look

One of the biggest deterrents to thieves is human activity. If it looks like you’re home, most intruders will go elsewhere. These smart devices can give your home that lived-in look, even when you’re chilling on the beach.

Lights

Sounds

Sprinklers

Lawnmower

Enjoy peace of mind

Keep an eye on things even while you’re away. It’ll be much easier to relax and unwind when you trust that everything is as it should be back home.

Smart Lock

You’re at the airport and you’ve checked that you have your passport for the 100th time, your phone is fully charged, you have a full stash of beach reads … but did you lock the door when you left home? With a connected smart lock like Schlage Encode™ Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt, you can check from anywhere using the Smart Home app. And if you did forget, no worries. Simply use the same app to lock the door and go catch your flight.

Maybe you’ve left a pet at home or are worried about your new houseplants surviving while you’re away. Create a unique access code for a pet sitter or plant waterer. There’s no need to lend them a physical key and you can see it on your app every time they’ve used their code. You’ll have better peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of.

Video doorbell

One of the many wonderful things about the Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt is that it works with the Ring Video Doorbell [. All from one app, you can see who’s on your porch, speak to them, and unlock the door if you want to. Again, it’s a terrific way to provide easy and secure access to a house sitter or see if someone is poking their nose around things when they shouldn’t be.

Furbo

We love the idea of a pet camera, especially for those short trips. Cats are self-sufficient, so they'd be fine while you leave for the weekend, but you still might like to see and talk to them. Regardless of how long you’ll be away, you can treat yourself and your pet with the comfort of this technology.

Robot vacuum

This is admittedly less about home safety and more about mental sanity. Come home to a clean house, especially if those fur babies are really, really furry, with a robot vacuum.

Smart Lock

Maybe you’ve left a pet at home or are worried about your new houseplants surviving while you’re away. Create a unique access code for a pet sitter or plant waterer. There’s no need to lend them a physical key and you can see on your app every time they’ve used their code. You’ll have better peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of.

Video Doorbell

Furbo

Robot vacuum

This is admittedly less about home safety and more about mental sanity. Come home to a clean house, especially if those fur babies are really, really furry, with a robot vacuum.

Take it with you

You want to be smart on the road, too. These portable smart devices can help you protect your travel gear and enjoy your trip more.

Luggage tracker

Slip a luggage tracker like one from Trackdot or a tile key tracker in your suitcase, daypack, purse, or even wet bag. It will make it easier to locate your gear, if it’s somewhere in the airport, still in the back of your Uber driver’s car, or overboard on that rafting trip.

Baby monitor

In case your vacation is less rafting and more baby friendly, you can tuck a portable baby monitor that works with a smartphone app in your bag. That way, you can keep an eye on your little one at the Airbnb. Everyone will rest easier.

Clothes

Yes, your clothing can be smart too. Cooler and more stylish than a bucket hat, the Neviano swimsuit has a built-in sensor that monitors UV levels and tells you when to seek some shade. There’s also the Levi’s Commuter x Jacquard jacket that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, as well as other shirts and jackets that can help keep you extra warm using battery packs or infrared light.

UV sanitizer

A portable sanitizer that uses UV light to help disinfect small items can help you stay healthy while traveling. This one from Harvey Norman is small enough to fit in your purse or pocket, and great for cleaning your phone, keys, and other small items on the road.

Luggage tracker

Baby monitor

Clothes

UV sanitizer

A portable sanitiser that uses UV light to help disinfect small items can help you stay healthy while travelling. This one from Harvey Norman is small enough to fit in your purse or pocket, great for cleaning your phone, keys, and other small items on the road.

Your home should feel like a haven, but we know sometimes you just have to get away for a bit. When you do, keep this blog in mind to help keep your home safe before leaving on vacation.

SMART HOME HUB

Luggage tracker

Baby monitor

In case your vacation is less rafting and more baby-friendly, you can tuck a portable baby monitor that works with a smartphone app in your bag. That way, you can keep an eye on your little one at the Airbnb. Everyone will rest easier.

Clothes

UV sanitizer

A portable sanitiser that uses UV light to help disinfect small items can help you stay healthy while traveling. This one from Harvey Norman is small enough to fit in your purse or pocket, great for cleaning your phone, keys, and other small items on the road.

Your home should feel like a haven, but we know sometimes you just have to get away for a bit. When you do, keep this blog in mind to help keep your home safe before leaving on vacation.

Smart Home Hub