A dorm is a “home away from home” for college students, where they spend a good part of their college lives. Your room should function as a retreat where you can blow off steam and feel like the master of your domain, no matter how small that domain might be. The furniture is obviously a big part of making your room cosy and cheerful. Fortunately, in the current day and age, you can make use of technology to make your student life much more seamless and bearable. So here is a list of gadgets that can help you convert your boring college dorm into a pimped-out pad.
Google Nest
Google Nest is a line of smart home devices, including thermostats, security cameras, smart speakers, and other connected devices. Google Nest devices are easy to use and function well with one another. You can manage them by voice commands using a Google Assistant-enabled device or a mobile app, allowing you to easily listen to music or stream your favourite Netflix content!
With Google nest, you can manage your connected devices, set alarms, see your calendar and add to-dos and reminders, and ask Google Assistant questions about any field of life. The “Your Evening” page provides a bedtime countdown and soothing noises to aid you in your sleep. Along with that, waking up is a lot easier with the Sunrise Alarm feature.
With Nest Hub at your bedside, “Sleep Sensing” can track when you go to bed, when you wake up, and how long you’ve slept, letting you keep track of your sleep as well! And the best part is, you don’t even have to turn off your lights yourself!
Smart Home Devices | Pimp Your Dorm
Ring Video Doorbell
The Ring Video Doorbell is a smart home device that allows you to monitor any visitors you receive through a live video feed on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
When someone rings the doorbell, you will receive a notification through the Ring app on your smartphone or tablet. Even if you’re not in your room, you can use the camera to see who is at the door and use the two-way audio feature to talk to them. This can be especially helpful when monitoring deliveries or screening visitors before opening the door.
It has a video doorbell with high definition (1080p), motion detection, privacy zones, audio privacy, and night vision. When someone rings your doorbell or sets off the motion sensors installed into your door, you will get a notification on your phone.
Ring Video Doorbell can be connected to existing doorbell wires for continuous power or can be powered by a built-in rechargeable battery. You can easily set it up by using the Ring app to connect your Ring Video Doorbell to WiFi and mounting it with the supplied tools. Be sure to check with your landlord before splashing out, to make sure it’s ok to have one installed!
Moesgo Smart Switch
The Moesgo Smart Switch is a smart replacement for your regular switches! It allows you to remotely control your dorm’s lighting and other electrical devices through a mobile app or voice command, giving you control over your room from anywhere!
You can easily install this smart switch by taking out your old panel and replacing it with this new one, making it a convenient upgrade. Once set up, you can use the Moesgo app to control your connected devices from anywhere using Wifi. It is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home for hands-free voice control, meaning you can pair it with the Google Nest as well!
Ecobee Smart Thermostat
One more innovative smart home gadget is the Ecobee Smart Thermostat, a WiFi-equipped thermostat that you can operate remotely from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If your dorm is equipped with heating and cooling facilities, you can use this device to control your dorm’s temperature and simultaneously save energy at the same time.
Speaking of saving energy, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat is reported to save up to 26% yearly on heating and cooling costs thanks to several cutting-edge features! The included SmartSensor adjusts the temperature in the rooms that matter most to reduce hot or cold spots and keep you comfortable.
It has a built-in air quality monitor that alerts you in the case of poor air quality and provides tips on improving it. This thermostat also features a high-resolution touchscreen display that allows you to adjust the temperature and access other settings easily. It also comes with a smart speaker and your choice of Siri or Alexa already built into it.
The Best Tech To Make a Smart Dorm Room
iRobot
As college students with menacing assignments, projects, and unending exams, we barely have time to clean up the dorm room. And a dirty room significantly impacts our productivity. Thus, keeping a clean, fresh room is essential if you want to feel productive. And for that, we suggest getting an iRobot, a vacuuming robot.
An iRobot, for example, Roomba 694, has WiFi connectivity, works with Amazon Alexa, and is suitable for pet hair, carpets, and hard floors. It is self-charging, so there is no hassle of manually putting it to charge, which we can easily forget if we’re being honest. Moreover, it runs for up to 90 minutes before automatically docking and recharging.
The Roomba 694 lifts dirt, dust, and debris from carpets and hard floors while an Edge-Sweeping brush takes care of corners and edges. It also detects dirtier areas of your home and cleans them more thoroughly.
You can use the iRobot Home App or your voice assistant to tell the Roomba 694 robot to vacuum the dorm room while you are out. This way you always come home to a nice and clean space!
Overall, the iRobot Roomba 694 is a reliable and convenient robot vacuum cleaner that offers an affordable option for college students looking to automate their floor cleaning tasks.
Smart Home Devices | Pimp Your Dorm
Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker
It is almost impossible to power through college life without caffeine. Coffee is crucial to get that headstart in the morning, staying awake and focused during long study sessions, and late-night cramming.
For this, we recommend Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker. It is Alexa compatible; it has easy app control. The best feature is that it has a 2-hour automatic shutoff. So no more wondering whether you turned off the coffee maker, as it turns off automatically after 2 hours, providing added safety and energy savings.
It can be programmed so you can have your wake-up-ready coffee. When you want to start brewing, programme the Hamilton Beach coffee maker, fill it with water and add ground coffee. When you wake up, coffee will be hot and ready to drink.
It is easy to use and easy to programme. It also has a “bold” setting that allows you to customise the strength of your coffee and a pause-and-serve function that allows you to pour a cup of coffee mid-brew.
Other features of the Hamilton Beach coffee maker may include a single-serve option, a built-in grinder for freshly ground coffee, and various brewing options such as drip, espresso, and pour-over. Thus, it has something for all sorts of coffee lovers.
Smart Home Devices | Pimp Your Dorm
Lifx Mini
Life in a small 12 by 19 feet room can get quite depressing, tedious, and bland; you need colour to motivate yourself. We recommend Lifx Mini, a line of smart LED light bulbs, to make your sleep and workplace more stimulating. The Lifx Mini bulbs are designed to be smaller and more affordable than the company’s flagship Lifx bulbs while still offering many of the same features and capabilities.
The Lifx Mini bulbs are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. Users can control them using voice commands, a smartphone app, or a smart home hub. They offer a wide range of colour options, with around 16 million colours to choose from, and they can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
It offers an easy setup. You can download the app, connect to WiFi, and you’re good to go. The Lifx Mini bulbs also provide a variety of lighting effects like candle flicker, strobe, and colour cycle.
They can also be set to turn on and off automatically, based on a schedule, or use geofencing technology to detect when you’re home or away. Schedule your lights to wake you softly in the morning. Keep a well-lit environment throughout the afternoon, and then help you doze off at night.
Overall, the Lifx Mini bulbs are a multipurpose and affordable smart lighting option to spruce up your dull dorm life. With these, you can change your room ambience quickly and easily.
Smart Home Devices | Pimp Your Dorm Conclusion
With these tech options, you can get complete control over your college dorm and maintain a certain standard of living. You can quickly smarten up your dorm room to make it a more comfortable, efficient, and fun living space. From smart lighting to smart speakers and robot vacuums, create a smart dorm room to fit your needs and preferences.
You can control your devices with voice commands, smartphone apps, or remote control, set schedules and routines, and even get help with cleaning and studying. So, consider investing in some of these smart tech options to pimp your dorm and enjoy an enhanced living experience.
