Smart Home Tech We're Leaving Behind

Smart home tech always looks super cool in TV shows and movies. Someone in a power suit starts playing classical music while turning on the shower, drawing the shades, dimming the lights, and looking at the latest stock market information on a big screen TV, all while their refrigerator orders them groceries. But the truth is, not all smart home tech is practical, and some of it is just plain silly. Here's what we're leaving behind in 2021.

Big Smart Appliances

Some smart tech is just plain overkill. Smart fridges are not only extremely expensive, but they're also not really made to last you 10 to 20 years like more traditional refrigerators. Smart technology is always being updated.

The phone you got last year is now yesterday's news. Smart fridges are kind of the same way, and odds are, you can't afford to replace your entire refrigerator every three years.

You can actually fake your own smart fridge by just getting a tablet and mounting it right to the door. Once the tablet tech improves and the new model comes out, do a simple swap, and now you've got the most up-to-date fridge tech (you know, kind of).

With a smart washer and dryer, you can get alerts on your phone when the clothes are done. You can even ask the dryer how much time is left on the cycle. But since you can just as easily look at your washer and dryer to find out if the clothes are done or see how much time is left, is it really worth hundreds and hundreds of extra dollars for an appliance that's sure to get one-upped by some new tech in just a few years? We say no.

Smart Toilets

To be honest, no one really needs a smart toilet. Yes, it's got speakers and a heated seat. Sure there are different colored lights and even settings where you can control water usage and all sorts of other factors.

But do you need any of that stuff? Any low-flow toilet uses less water. You don't need to pay a whole lot more money for a lot of bells and whistles that really add up to nothing.

Smart Outlets

If you didn't even know smart outlets are actually a thing, that's because they are a super unnecessary thing. You plug a smart outlet in over your regular out and then connect small appliances and lights to the smart outlet.

What does the smart outlet do? It can sync up with voice command technology like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. It also monitors energy usage.

Smart outlets are a pretty unnecessary upgrade, especially when there are much better home gadgets available.

Smart Water Bottles

How much tech does it take to drink water? Not much, which is why smart water bottles are so nonsensical. Science has proven that you don't actually need to drink eight glasses of water a day, but even if you're determined to do it, you can keep track of that on an app just as easily.

You get some water content from most of the stuff you eat and drink anyway, including coffee, fruits, soup, and soda. If you drink when you're thirsty and drink more when you're working out, you're going to be just fine.

Making Smarter Buys

There's a lot of super cool smart tech out there, but there's a lot of stuff you don't actually need. Think about what you're getting compared to what you're paying, and whether or not you really want to upgrade your smart item in just a few years. So skip the stuff on this list and save your pennies for better gadgets, because smart home tech is only going to grow.