(Image credit: Blink/Ecobee/Ting/Eufy/Moen)
If you're planning to take a vacation this summer, you want to make sure your house is protected against any eventuality, but some of the best smart home devices can get a little pricey, especially if you buy them all together.Fortunately, Prime Day is a good opportunity to stock up on these devices, as many are on sale, often for a good discount. I've tested dozens of smart home gadgets, and have edited reviews of dozens more, so I've scoured Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers for the best deals on products that actually work. So, before you pack your bags, make sure that you have these smart home devices looking after things while you're gone.Security camerasYou'll find plenty of deals on Amazon for all sorts of security cameras and video doorbells, but I'd recommend a camera that doesn't require a subscription, so you don't have to pay a monthly or annual fee just to see the video it recorded.Smart locksIf you're leaving pets at home or need someone to water your plants, then one of the best smart locks will let you monitor and manage who gets into your house. Smart locks can be programmed with specific codes for specific people, so you'll know when someone types in a code into the keypad.Water leak detectorsThere's nothing worse than coming home to a flooded basement. There's the massive cleanup expense, you'll have to throw out thousands of dollars of waterlogged items you stored in the basement, and there's a potentially huge water bill, too.At the very least, the best water leak detectors can alert you when something's amiss; these sensors are relatively cheap, so you can place them all around the home, under every sink or anywhere else. Other, more expensive models can automatically shut off your water, saving you even more hassle. Better yet: they may even decrease your insurance bill.Electricity monitorPower surges and outages are also something you'll want to keep tabs on. If there's a blackout, you'll want to know if all the food in your fridge will need to be tossed. Or, if there's a power surge, you'll also want to get an alert.The Ting is a small plug-in device that monitors all the circuits in your home, and measures the voltage and current running through your house. If anything is out of the norm, it will send you a message to your phone. It can also let you know if anything you've plugged into an outlet has faulty wiring.Smart light, plug or switchHow to you make it look like someone's home when you're not? With a smart light, smart light switch, or a smart plug. They all work pretty much the same these days, but look for ones with specific "vacation modes." This setting will have your lights turn on and off randomly during specific times, to give the appearance that your house is occupied.If you have floor lamps, a smart plug or smart light will do the trick; if you have a lot of ceiling lights, a smart light switch might be the better choice.Smart thermostatDid you know the best temperature to set your AC during the summer is 78º F? Yeah, that may seem a bit high, but whatever your preference, one of the best smart thermostats can manage your home's climate more efficiently, so you're using less energy while still keeping your house cool.The best smart thermostats can take into account not just the temperature inside your house, but also look at weather reports and other data to recommend proactively cooling your home, so you're using less energy during peak hours.And, as they're linked to your phone, you can program them so that you're not cooling your house excessively while you're away, but you can still return home to a comfortable environment.Even better: Many utility companies offer some excellent rebates on smart thermostats, so you can often find them for very little money.
