CES 2022: Top 20 Home Tech Products
We were so happy to return to Las Vegas this year to see what’s new in home technology at the Consumer Electronics Show.
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The show was significantly smaller than normal, but there were still more than 2300 companies exhibiting during the week representing 119 countries. We saw plenty of great smart home technology, from companies of all sizes, and the good news is that there are still plenty of new ideas and innovations out there to improve your home, your health, and the planet.
While there were also a lot of press announcements made by companies who didn’t attend or exhibited virtually, we focused on the things we saw in person in Las Vegas.
These are our 20 favorite home tech products that we believe are worth watching for in the coming year. We already have several of these at home ready to test, so look for video reviews coming soon. If you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Smart Home Technology
Belkin WeMo Smart Video Doorbell
More info: Belkin.com
Wemo plugs and switches were some of the first smart home products we used back in the day but we haven’t been keeping up with them lately. We were pleasantly surprised to see their new Wemo Smart Video Doorbell, available for pre-order now.
The Wemo Smart Video Doorbell has a clear, 4 megapixel camera and a huge 178 degree field of view to allow you to see packages on the ground. The night vision is some of the best we’ve ever seen on a video doorbell.
We especially love that the Wemo smart doorbell works with Apple HomeKit secure video, allowing us to store all our video using iCloud.
Bosch Spexor
More Info: Bosch.com
The Bosch Spexor is a mobile smart security device that packs multiple sensors in just a 4.7 inch tall device. The Spexor can monitor noise, motion, air pressure and air-quality, and alerts you to changes in the environment through its companion app.
It runs on rechargeable batteries that last for two to three months and has its own e-SIM card so you can use it with or without Wi-Fi. Take the Spexor with you when you travel or leave it in your vacation home, storage shed or in your car.
The Spexor is available in the EU now and Bosch plans to introduce it in the US sometime this year.
Cync Smart Thermostat
Shop: Amazon
Cync, the smart home brand from GE Lighting, continues to expand their smart home product line this year with the introduction of smart home devices beyond their traditional lighting products. In addition to an expanded set of smart bulbs, they’ve added an outdoor camera and a smart thermostat.
They were also one of many companies at CES to formally announce their commitment to Matter, the new smart home connectivity protocol.
We especially love the Cync Smart Thermostat. The thermostat can be installed without a common wire, making it compatible with most every home. It works alone and with optional temperature sensors that can be added in multiple rooms to keep them all comfy. Best of all, all this solid design and compatibility starts at just $119.99.
The thermostat will be available to order this month at major retailers.
U by Moen Smart Faucet
Shop: Amazon
Over the last few years we’ve seen smart faucets that work with your voice to get it to deliver exactly how much water you want at the right temperature. But really, do you want to have to talk to Alexa when you use your faucet?
The new U by Moen Smart Faucet also incorporates touchless sensor control so you can just wave your hand over your faucet to deliver the water you want, when you need it. Of course you can also control it with your voice assistant or using the Moen app.
It’s built for either professionals or DIY home installers with an included battery pack so you can get started right away. It even comes in a model without a handle.
Mui Board
More Info: Mui Labs
Just because your home is smart doesn’t mean it can’t look good. Mui labs has designed a new calm, visual interface that works with Alexa through its stunning natural wood Mui Board.
The Mui Board is part of a larger platform that filters out all the technology noise and gives the user control over their home through a minimalist, aesthetically pleasing interface.It can even recognise handwritten commands and translate it into action.
Behind the scenes, the Mui team also intends to support the Matter standard, so in the future more and more devices could be controlled through their platform. We hope it comes to the US soon.
Third Reality Smart Blinds
Shop: Amazon
We’ve been looking at smart blinds for years but we’ve yet to see a high-quality blind with technology we believe will last for years that aren’t outrageously priced. We were pleasantly surprised to find the new smart blinds from Third Reality at CES.
The Third Reality blinds have a great design, powered by four double-A batteries in the bottom that are easy to change. There are easy ways to move them up or down with a button on the blind and a remote, or, since they use Zigbee, you can easily control them with a compatible hub and your voice assistant like Alexa.
Beyond the tech design, the team chose really high-quality blackout shade materials that look nice and would be really effective for bedrooms and living rooms. We can’t wait to try them and hope to review them soon.
Toucan Security Light Camera
Shop: Amazon
We first met the Toucan smart home team at CES in 2020 and we reviewed their battery-powered video doorbell and outdoor camera later that year.
This year, Toucan has redesigned and improved those products and is introducing its new Toucan Security Light Camera, which uses radar-based motion detection instead of a PIR sensor to improve accuracy. It also includes a super bright LED and great night vision, giving you a beautiful, clear view from their Toucan app.
Toucan also introduced a new outdoor camera with the radar based motion detector and a larger battery for longer times between charges. You can even add a solar panel.
The Security Light Camera will be available to purchase in February this year and we look forward to reviewing it soon.
Waay Home Power Door
More Info: Waay Home
If you’ve ever wanted a Star Trek sliding door in your house, now you can get one that’s pretty close from Waay Home.
The Waay automates both interior and exterior sliding doors with a motion sensor, so it will slide open when you arrive and close after you leave. And it’s really fast, almost scary.
It’s a pretty sophisticated installation, so it would be better to have it professionally installed unless you really know what you’re doing.
Entertainment
Noveto N1 Speaker
More Info: Noveto.com
It’s not everyday we see something at CES that we can’t stop thinking about. This year, Noveto knocked us out with their N1 smart audio device.
We weren’t sure what to make of it at first – is it a speaker? A speakerphone? It works with Alexa, so is it a smart speaker? The N1 is all of those things and none of those things. It’s a personal immersive speaker that works without headphones.
When you are in range of the blue circle on the device, the Noveto N1 recognizes you through face-tracking and transmits the audio waves to you directly, creating a 3D audio experience for whatever you’re listening to. If you’re out of range, you hear nothing.
The Noveto N1 would be great for many different applications like immersive gaming, watching TV when everyone else is asleep, or for long days of working from home. And unlike headphones, you are not blocked out from the rest of the world. Your daughter can still hear you call her to dinner while she’s playing her video game.
The Noveto N1 will begin shipping to customers before the end of Q1 this year.
Toniebox
Shop: Amazon.com
Instead of giving your young child a tablet or a smart speaker, why not give them a fun little storytime friend? The Toniebox is a beautifully-designed portable kids speaker that works in conjunction with a wide array of hand-painted characters called Tonies. When your child puts the Tonie on top of the box, it comes to life with lots of different stories, songs and more, all without a screen.
Parents and grandparents can get a custom Tonie and create up to 90 minutes of personalized content. Tonies also come in a paintable version so your child can design their own.
The Toniebox has no screens, advertising or Internet connection, making it safe and fun for kids three and up. You can get the Toniebox and Tonies from their website or from major retailers. Look for our review coming soon.
Health and Wellness Tech
Alen BreatheSmart Air Purifiers
Shop: Amazon.com
It’s no surprise there were plenty of air purifiers at CES this year. Our favorite was the Alen BreatheSmart line. These HEPA air purifiers are some of the quietest on the market and come in several sizes that work for your home or business.
At CES, they demonstrated their new Alen Monitors that work together with the purifiers and the Alen app to monitor the air quality in every room. You can customize the BreatheSmart to match your decor with four different designer panels.
SelfCare1 Personalized Care System
More Info: Selfcareone.com
Have you ever bought a new skincare serum or essential oil only to find out that it smells funny or doesn’t work for you? Think of all the packaging wasted, let alone the time and effort you spent researching and buying it.
The SelfCare1 is the world’s first automated and personalized care system that you can use for your entire family. Use the mobile app to create a user profile and formulation for your preferred solution and the SelfCare1 dispenses it in just the right amount.
Maybe you want to sleep better, improve your digestion, or boost your immune system. The SelfCare1 gives you about a year’s supply of eight pure herbal oils that can cover up to 50 different themes. I used a few drops inside my mask at CES and it gave me a nice little boost for the afternoon.
The SelfCare1 is available today from their website and they hope to be in major retailers soon.
Kaltech Fresh Food Keeper
More Info: Kaltech.com
Kaltech uses photocatalyst technology to create products to purify air, water and food. The Kaltech LEDs can be used to irradiate bacteria, viruses and odors.
We especially liked the Kaltech Fresh Food Keeper, a high tech bread box designed to keep foods fresh longer. I know I’m always looking for a way to keep my avocados and bananas from spoiling.
Today the Kaltech photocatalyst technology is available to buy in a wall mounted air purifier, deodorizing LED light bulbs, and a wearable portable air purifier, that we look forward to trying out soon. Stay tuned for our review!
Bello
More Info: Shop.Olivehc.com
Have you ever had your body fat measured by a doctor or a nutritionist? The Bello lets you regularly measure your own belly fat anytime and anywhere, with an easy to use device that’s highly accurate and non-invasive.
After you measure, you can use the Bello app to tailor a highly-specific and goal oriented solution to help you lose the fat and keep it off.
Bello is available now for pre-order. Look for our full review coming soon.
Vivoo
More Info: Vivoo.io
Buy: Amazon.com
If you’ve ever been to a doctor, chances are you’ve had a urine test. Your pee can tell you all kinds of different things about your health and well-being, and Vivoo lets you test it right from the comfort of your own home.
One of the new Vivoo 2.0 strips tracks 11 key wellness parameters, including specific vitamin levels, pH, hydration, ketones, and kidney and liver function. Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your performance, following a specific diet, or just interested in finding out if you’re drinking enough water, the Vivoo app can track your data and give you personalized, actionable advice. You can use Vivoo with a monthly subscription or as a one-time purchase with four urine sticks and use the Vivoo app.
We brought some Vivoo sticks home to review and look forward to trying them soon.
Sustainable Tech
RainStick Shower
More Info: RainStickShower.com
We all want to save water, but who wants to give up their long, luxurious shower? That’s where I get some of my best ideas! Unfortunately the typical 10 minute shower uses about 100 liters of water, equivalent to about 200 water bottles.
The RainStick Shower is a Wi-FI enabled circular shower system that saves up to 80 percent energy and 80 percent water while giving you 2x the flow of a typical water saving shower.
It works like a car wash, capturing, cleaning and re-circulating the water you use for next time. And yes they claim the UV filter will get rid of most nasty germs. Let’s hope so.
The Rain Stick needs to be professionally installed so it’s not a DIY solution, but it would be ideal for new homes or bathroom remodels. You can pre-order it now from their website.
Reencle Home Composter
More Info: Reencleus.com
If you’ve ever composted, you know it can be complicated. Your food scraps can get stinky under your sink and you have to work hard to get it to start turning over and generating great stuff for your garden.
When I did it years ago, nothing happened in my composter until I added mail-order earthworms.
The Reencle is a home composter that works right in your kitchen to turn your food scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer. It has its own self-perpetuating Reencle microbe that combines with the food and can create compost in as little as two hours.
The Reencle also has a three layer filter system to block out the smell and a foot sensor so you don’t have to touch the lid, making home composting a lot less icky.
The team plans to launch it for pre-order soon, and you can sign up for more information from their website.
Wallbox Quasar 2
More Info: Wallbox.com
Wallbox has been selling home Electric Vehicle chargers for years and this year, they’ve introduced their first bidirectional home charger for the US market, the Quasar 2.
As well as charging your EV at home, the Quasar 2 lets you use your EV as a battery, so you can store excess energy from your solar panel and save money on your home energy costs.
With it’s new Blackout Mode feature, you can even use your EV to power your home in the case of a power outage. On average, an EV could power a critical load for at least three days. We don’t have an EV yet, but we’ve had plenty of power outages in California so this sounds like a great solution.
The Wallbox Quasar 2 launched at CES and should be available for purchase soon.
Technology … to save you from Technology
Tech-Break
More Info: Tech-break.com
We all know someone who’s addicted to their phone or tablet, and we’re not just talking about kids. The Tech-Break is a fun way to give everyone a regular tech time out in your home, so you can enjoy meals, family time, and restful sleep without having to take away or hide the devices.
Just put the tablet or phone in the Tech-Break and push one of it’s pre-set buttons and the device will be unavailable until the time is up. More than just an ipad locker, the team has really thought through different ways to use it to create healthy routines for kids and parents alike.
And don’t worry, if it’s an emergency the parents can override the timer with their personal code. Let’s hope the kids don’t find out.
Tech-Break is available for purchase now in the UK and the team is planning to bring it to the US soon.
Pozio
More Info: Pozio.com
After several years of Alexa and Siri listening to us all over our house we’ve become accustomed to it. But there are a lot of people who worry about their privacy so much that they refuse to have smart speakers in the house.
Enter Pozio. Pozio makes two devices, a phone blocker that blocks the microphone while it’s charging your phone, and a smart speaker shield that “covers” your Alexa so it can’t hear you.
When you want to actually use your voice assistant, Pozio allows you to turn the microphone on quickly and easily with a voice command. Well, I guess at least Pozio can hear you. We’re not sure how practical the Pozio is in real life, but it’s certainly an interesting technology that we think lots of people will appreciate.
Summary
CES 2022 may have been smaller than usual, but we really loved the energy and the ability to talk to people about their ideas again. We hope you enjoyed our favorites. Did we miss something? Please let us know on Facebook or Twitter.