We’re back today with Janssen’s follow-up post on what it was really like taking her regular old home and turning it into a “smart home”. Did you see her first post on the topic?
Full disclosure: after reading Janssen’s review, I am more than a little jealous that I gave this post to her instead of keeping the Iris by Lowe’s system for myself. I could really use the ability to turn off my son’s star light with my phone after he falls asleep at night.
And a smart fob I can just put on the kids backpack and always be able to know where they are? Amazing.
Here’s Janssen with all the details…
I’ll admit, I was intimidated by the Iris system.
I mean, could it really be that easy to turn my regular house into a smart house?
You guys, it really was that easy.
I couldn’t believe it. I feel like invariably, with an electronic product or something you install yourself, something ends up not working as you expect it to, or you get half-way through and discover that batteries AREN’T included, and suddenly your hour-long project turns into a never-finished product because it’s so frustrating.
Iris was NOTHING like that.
I opened up the box for the Smart Hub and it says “Download the App” and then “Follow the Setup Instructions,” followed by “You are going to love it.”
That pithy and charming introduction immediately put my mind at ease.
I pulled up the Iris App in the App Store, and 90 seconds later it was on my phone and ready to go.
I added my info, and then it walked me step-by-step through connecting my Smart Hub. There were photos and it was just as simple as it said (and the backup batteries were in the box too, so I didn’t have to go hunting through my closet to find some).
Five minutes later, I was ready to start adding devices.
We went with a Smart Button for turning off the reading light in my daughter’s room and the Smart Fob, which I love sending with my kids when they leave the house so I know where they are (it’s so easy to just hook on their backpacks).
And in Arizona, where the temperature rises and falls dramatically, the Motion Sensor is amazing for saving electricity by only cooling rooms where people are active– how smart is that?
The Keypad means you can issue unique PIN numbers to anyone you want (a family member, a neighbor, or a housekeeper), so they can get into the house and you know if and when they came. Brilliant.
I also am in love with the Smart Plug we put on our family room light. It’s in the far corner of the room, behind the library basket, and it’s invariably the one we forget to turn on so the room looks like a cave once the natural light is gone.
Now I don’t have to think about it, because it’s automatically programmed to come on as the evening approaches, my room looks cozy and welcoming and I don’t have to climb over a basket of books to turn it on and off.
One thing I especially loved is that you can easily add a piece at a time. Once your smart hub is plugged in, you can add one smart device or twenty, but you don’t feel like you have to commit to picking everything right now, or even if you’ve bought all the pieces you want, you can start using one or two immediately before adding more in.
As a busy mom who has lots of pockets of 5-10 minutes but not many hour-long blocks, this made my life so easy (although, I’ll admit that it was so fun to add devices, I ended up doing several in a row – it’s just so easy and satisfying!).
Any questions about Iris? I’d love to try to help!
*This post is sponsored by Iris of Lowe’s, all opinions are 100% our own.
Get Your Free Printable
Subscribe to our newsletter today and get our free printable... No More, "Mom, I'm Bored!"
Janssen
Latest posts by Janssen (see all)
- Top 10 Parenting Books for Raising Boys - July 22
- Honk! Books for Your Truck/Train/Car-Loving Child - March 25
- 10 St. Patrick’s Day Books for Kids - March 10