If you haven’t thought much about home safety, you might change your mind once you know that in the U.S., 75% of homes are expected to have a break-in over the next twenty years.
Luckily, thanks to improvements in security technology, you now have lots of options when it comes to protecting your home and family.
Here are some of the top security gadgets that will make your home safer and help you rest easy.
Smart Locks
Smart locks are one of the first options to consider for home protection technology.
Unlike regular locks that require a physical key, these electronic locks use apps and WiFi to give you more control from a distance. Most allow you to still use your traditional key but provide the luxury of unlocking the door with a keypad, a key fob, or your phone, depending on the type of lock.
What makes these more secure is that you no longer need to make copies of your key if you’re going away for a few days and need someone to house- or pet-sit.
Instead, you can give your friends or neighbors temporary access through an eKey or a key code. The eKey can be set to expire after a certain amount of time. If you’re using a passcode, you can simply change it when you get home.
If some people, like family members, should have regular access, you can give them permanent digital keys, or update them when you change the code.
Smart Doorbell
Along with smart locks, you’ll want a smart doorbell – another of the cool security gadgets available.
A smart doorbell gives you a much better view of your visitor than looking through a traditional peephole. You’ll have live video feed of your guest, and you can even talk with them, without risking security by opening the door.
Depending on which kind you buy, you’ll get a notification on your phone when someone presses the doorbell, or if the camera detects any movement. This gives you more security and visibility even if you’re not home.
Smart Lights
Since most burglaries happen when the house is empty, one good way to prevent break-ins is to make it look like someone is home.
With smart lights, you can set them to go on and off using a timer or turn them on and off with your phone. This way, even if you’re on vacation hundreds of miles away, it will look like your home is still occupied.
Motorized Blinds
Another way to give the impression that you’re home is to use motorized blinds. Like smart lights, these can be programmed to a specific schedule or activated from your phone.
The other advantage with the blinds is that you can keep people from seeing into your house at night while you’re away, which will also make it a less tempting target.
Automatic Burglar Alarm
Another of the important safety gadgets to consider is an automatic burglar alarm that alerts you when it goes off.
These alarms can take different forms. You might have a sensor across doors and windows that will go off when someone tries to force entry. You could also put a doorstep wedge under your door that sets off an alarm when it’s moved.
Another option is a padlock with an alarm or even an alarm that sounds like a barking dog.
Whichever one you use, the sound often scares off the intruder, and the alarm will notify authorities so they can follow-up.
Security Cameras
Security cameras are also essential home security gadgets. You have lots of options for these, depending on what you’re looking for.
Outside security cameras are most helpful for keeping thieves away. Since burglars don’t want to be caught on video – if they see a camera, they might decide to skip your house. Even if they don’t, having a recording will help identify them.
With outdoor cameras, you can decide if you want constant surveillance or only motion-activated cameras. You should also make sure the cameras will stand up to the weather, and that they have infrared to capture images at night.
Indoor cameras are useful for monitoring the situation at home, whether it’s watching kids and pets, or getting footage of thieves who break into the house.
You have lots of options, even within the same brand, such as the variety of Samsung security cameras. Before getting one, think about what kind of monitoring you want, and how many cameras. This will help you make the best choice.
Home Safe
While you don’t like to think about anyone getting into your house, it’s important to prepare for those options, too. That means having a digital home safe to protect your valuables.
With this type of safe, you don’t have to worry about having a safe deposit box or trying to hide your precious items in a secure location. Instead, you can rely on your home safe for protection from water, fire, or theft.
These safes might have a keypad to open them, or a biometric scanner to read your fingerprint. You can find ones of different sizes, and you can decide if you want something portable or one that will bolt into place.
Security System
If you want a more complete approach to home safety, you can also consider a full home security system.
These come with a variety of cameras, sensors, alarms, and apps in an integrated solution. This gives you an all-in-one system that you know will work well together.
Security Gadgets Can Keep Your Home Safe
Keeping your home safe is a top priority, and security gadgets give you an effective way to do that. Once you have your system in place, you can relax and enjoy your time away from home, knowing it’s still protected even when you’re not there.
Looking for more news about gadgets? You can find out more about them in our blog posts under the Technology section.
