Spring is just around the corner – the perfect time to get your balcony ready for summer. How about a few smart gadgets and ideas for a cozy and inviting balcony?
It may be called a smart home, but the trend of installing intelligently networked devices has long since crossed the threshold into the garden and onto the balcony. Is there also the Smart Balcony? What solutions can be used on the balcony? There are often problems with the energy supply because there are no sockets. We show how the balcony can be upgraded with smart equipment.
Smart upgrades for the balcony: These options are available
Balconies are often manageably large. It is all the more important to make it a real oasis of well-being and create a retreat. Smart gadgets are perfect for doing nothing in the evening, because lights etc. can be easily regulated via smartphone or by voice.
1. The smart thermostat
If you’re already looking forward to a mild evening in the office with a cool drink on the balcony, you can check the current outside temperature directly via the app. Smart weather stations like “Eve Degree” measure the weather conditions precisely on the balcony. Eve Degree can be networked with Apple HomeKit and can be operated via the Apple Home app or Siri.
If you are looking for an alternative to Apple, the Netatmo weather station is a good choice. This updates its data every five minutes and transmits changes in temperature, air pressure, CO₂ content, humidity and noise levels to the smartphone. The weather station is compatible with Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
Click here for the Netatmo weather station on Amazon
2. Smart lighting
Especially when it comes to lighting, the balcony can be wonderfully atmospherically staged and designed to create an atmospheric atmosphere. Smart lights are now commonplace. And they ideally complement the smart home, especially outdoors. There are a few options for smart balcony lighting:
- Hue LED outdoor lightstrip: The atmospheric light strip can be used flexibly, is waterproof and shines in millions of colors that can be selected via smartphone or voice assistant (HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant). However, it can only be used via the Hue system. Alternatively, it can be connected with a separate Hue bridge.
- Innr Smart Outdoor Flex Light Colour: If you want to be a little more independent of Philips Hue, you can use this LED light strip, which is four meters long and also has 16 million colors or spreads a cozy warm white light. It can be operated via voice control and is also compatible with Philips Hue, but is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings. A suitable bridge is also required for control with Alexa.
- Eve Flare: Thanks to the integrated battery, this portable smart LED light even requires no power socket and is equipped with IP65 protection, making it suitable for outdoor use. However, this light is again optimized for use with Apple HomeKit and can be controlled via an iPhone app as well as by voice command via Siri. The built-in battery provides around six hours of luminosity and you can choose from 16 million colors and 64,000 shades of white.
Click here for the Eve Flare on Amazon
3. The smart socket
With a smart outdoor socket, your favorite lamps in the house can be easily upgraded smartly. The splash-proof radio adapter AVM Fritz!DECT 210 transforms non-smart devices into smart ones in no time and ensures that fairy lights, fans, etc. become part of the networked home control system.
Click here for the radio adapter plug at Media Markt
4. Generate smart energy with a balcony power plant
If you have enough space on the balcony (and good mounting options), you can consider installing a small balcony power plant. This supplies electricity directly for the smart balcony equipment and also supplies parts of the household when there is optimal sunlight. The complete package from Kleines Kraftwerk can be controlled via an app and has an output of around 430 kilowatts per year.
Click here to go to the balcony power plant at Kleines Kraftwerk
5. Grill smartly
The grilling season will also be here soon. And here too there are options for smart use. The “The Smart Grill Pro” from Sage takes outdoor grilling to a new level because it comes with a smart temperature probe that shows precisely when the meat is prepared to your desired taste. There are a total of five setting options for the right temperature and cooking time for pork, beef, poultry, lamb and fish.
Click here for the smart grill on Amazon
Alternatively, there are also smart grill controls for gas grills, such as “Grill Control” from Grillfürst, which are compatible with almost every gas grill. Using a temperature sensor and a smart adapter for the grill’s control knob, individual settings for the desired cooking time and temperature can be made via Bluetooth and app. Then all you have to do is put your feet up and wait for the feast to begin.
Click here for the Grill Control Starter Kit on Amazon
Smart solutions on the balcony
Smart home solutions are now extending into the garden and onto the balcony. With the help of smart gadgets, the balcony can be turned into a place of relaxation that creates light to suit the mood and grills the food to perfection. Thanks to the smart thermostat, we know in advance when we’ll have a good evening on the balcony and when it’s better to dry out the cushions and make ourselves comfortable inside.
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