10 high-tech trends you’ll want for your home in 2023

Whether your house or condo is newly built or much older, you probably live among a few smart things already. We're talking gadgetry and technology here, like:

• a Google Assistant to play music, shop, or schedule events and alarms. 
• a programmable thermostat that lets you schedule your home heating and cooling system from anywhere. 
• a connected doorbell camera to alert you when someone approaches your home to help protect packages left at the front door.

If you have any of these smart devices in your home, you might be interested in what's around the corner to make your home even more intelligent.

Here are 10 smart home innovations we never knew existed but really, really want.

1 – For our caffeine connection

For us, no morning is complete without a cup of coffee, and it's even better when we don't have to lift a finger to make it. No, we're not talking about going to Starbucks. We're head over heels in love with the Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker. To make a cuppa coffee, you can tap out a command on the app, turn it on and off and set the brew strength via voice commands or just ask Alexa to brew it at a specific time each day. 

2 – For lush lawns and gardens

Have you ever been away from home for an extended period and seen a weather report that a heatwave is about to hit where you live? There goes your beautiful garden and green lawn – burnt to a crisp. No more! With the Eve Aqua smart sprinkler system, you can schedule regular garden watering for a specific time and for as long as is required. And if there's rain in the forecast, you can pause the schedule directly from your smartphone. 

3 – For a better shower experience

In January, we blogged about ways your family can save water, so we're really excited to come across the HAI smart showerhead. The easy-to-install Bluetooth and LED-connected showerhead works with a companion app to let you know precisely when the water is at your desired temperature. You'll see how much water and energy you save with each shower, be alerted when you reach your target water usage limit and track total water usage over time. And it comes in 6 sweet colors. 

4 – For ice, ice baby

Forget the nightclubs and bars — serving yummy cocktails over ice in your own home is very 2023. But clunky, hard-to-use ice trays aren't; they take forever to produce just a dozen cubes of boring-old ice. So when you serve cold drinks, surprise your guests with chewable restaurant-style ice nuggets. We love the GE Profile Opal Ice Maker because it keeps a constant supply of pellet ice on hand and is Wi-Fi-connected, so you can order fresh ice from your smartphone and have it ready when you get home. And since no water hookup is required, it can go anywhere there's a power outlet. On the deck, in the garage or down in the basement — anywhere! 

5 – For fear of 'misting' out

Live somewhere with loads of sun but little humidity? Does winter heating dry out your potted plants, pets and family? A smart humidifier can keep your indoor garden — and your family — healthy and happy. We're intrigued by the Levoit Smart Top-Fill Humidifier. It runs a full 25 hours when filled to capacity. And the smartphone app lets you set timers and schedules, set a target humidity and monitor humidity levels at any time. When connected to third-party voice assistants, you can turn it on and off when your hands are full. 

6 – For feeding the beast

Does your cat always wake you up before dawn demanding to eat? Are you skipping a dinner date because you have to get home to feed the dog? Instead of trying to train your pet to be patient, get an Aqara Smart Pet Feeder. Fido's meals can now be served by voice command with Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri or Google Assistant. Or schedule mealtime remotely using the smartphone app. You can even set it up so it releases kibble based on detected motion — although that might lead to overeating! No worries, though – the app also lets you track how much your pet has eaten. 

7 – For better breathing

According to the American Lung Association, radon is the top cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. So, now, thanks to smart radon monitors, you can keep your family safe by continuously tracking indoor air quality. The Airthings View Radon displays indoor radon levels — as well as humidity and temperature — to improve sleep quality, lower radon exposure and prevent mold growth. It samples air quality every 5 minutes and radon every 60 minutes. And the app gives you an overview of all rooms, floors and locations with automated alerts should conditions change and air quality deteriorate. It also provides live and local pollen levels to help you plan your day appropriately. 

8 – For the cutest little feet ever

We never considered that socks could be smart — but this is 2023, after all. It's true; connected wearables for babies are smarter than ever and really cool. Smart Socks by Eufy monitors heart rate, sleep time, sleep status, movements, room temperature and more — all in real-time through a touchscreen monitor or through the connected app right from your smartphone. It uses non-invasive infrared night vision so that you can keep an eye on your little one even at night. And you can access daily reports and monitoring history at any time. 

9 – For our time on the throne

A survey recently found that 3 in 4 Americans admit to using their phone in the bathroom. So it was not surprising that toilets can now be connected to our mobile devices. The American market may not be ready for toilets that analyze waste and alert users to health issues (although that's not far away), but it may be ready for programmable toilets — and they're not cheap. The SensoWash Starck — designed by Philippe Starck and manufactured by Duravit — is a toilet-bidet combination that can be controlled via a handheld remote or an app on your phone. With either, you can program profile settings for each family member's preferred washing settings, stream intensity, heated seat temperature, air dryer option and more. 

10 – For the pampered cats and kittens

It's sort of like a spaceship for cat poo. Yes, we were as uncomfortable writing that as you were reading it, but not nearly as uncomfortable as cat owners who have to clean their cat's litter box every day. That's where the Litter-Robot by Whisker comes in — a self-cleaning, Wi-Fi-enabled pod for your cat to do its business. No need to go into details about how it works, but what's cool is that the Wi-Fi version notifies you when it's due for a cleaning. The connected app lets you set up individual profiles (for multi-cat homes) and delivers real-time updates on litter and waste drawer levels. You also get detailed data on cat weight and how frequently they go, which, if you have an older cat or a cat with health issues, can be good info to pass on to your vet. 

Get a smart start!

The types of smart home devices are forever expanding and nearly everything you do in your home these days comes with an app. We haven't even touched on things like smart light bulbs, darkening shades, clothing steamers and garage doors. Unfortunately, not all smart home devices are as dependable as they claim to be. So, do your research and remember to keep your receipts!