I've talked to an Alexa mirror, played the world's finest golf courses from a garage, and fired up a 120-inch TV and dimmed the lights with the touch of a remote. These are just some of the highlights of the 2019 HGTV smart home, located in Roanoke, Texas, which is part of a $1.2 million prize package.
You can enter to win the HGTV Smart Home Contest right here, but you don't have to be the lucky winner to bring some of the competition's best gear into your abode. Here's a look at all of the coolest gadgets inside the HGTV 2019 Smart Home.
Kohler Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror with Alexa
You don't need to take up space in your bathroom with an Amazon Echo to get news, weather and traffic or to play music while you're getting ready. The Verdera Voice lighted mirror with Alexa has built-in dual microphones for accepting voice commands. (In the HGTV 2019 home, you can summon a TV to pop up from underneath the counter.)
The embedded speakers offer surprisingly good stereo sound, and you can also use your voice to control the LED lights built in to the mirror. If you get up in the middle of the night, you'll avoid stubbing your toe, because the mirror's nightlight is motion-activated.
SkyTrak Golf Simulator
I am horrible at golf, to the point that I'm embarrassed even to hit the driving range or go to Topgolf to compete with friends. But I wouldn't be if I had the SkyTrak golf simulator in my house. Located in the garage of the HGTV 2019 smart home, this dream simulator lets you play championship courses without paying greens fees.
The $6,588 SkyTrak Sim Cage Package includes a simulation cage, SkyTrak launch monitor (to track your swing and the flight of the ball) a golf mat and more. But you can nab just the Skytrak launch monitor for $1,995 and add your own projector, net, and mat. The The Retractable screen in the smart home is the HomeCourse Golf Simulator enclosure.
Samsung The Frame 4K UHD TV
Make a good impression even when there's nothing good on, with Samsung's The Frame TV. This 4K set offers an Art Mode, which displays gorgeous artwork when you're not bingeing your favorite shows. Choose from among landscapes, animals and other categories, or buy individual pieces from Samsung's Art Store. You can choose from multiple frame options, including black, white, beige and walnut. The best part: There's only one slim cable that connects to the TV, so you can focus on the picture.
Phantom Screens
When you want to enjoy the great outdoors without the bugs, Phantom Screens can really come in handy. With the push of a button on a remote, you can bring the screen down from the ceiling on the HGTV smart home's patio. These screens can also shield you from the sun while making your outdoor space a little more private. Use the handheld remote or the smartphone app. Phantom Screens are custom-installed to fit your space.
Bissell IconPet High-Powered Robotic Vacuum (Coming This Fall)
Many robot vacuums are smart but also pretty weak when cleaning. Bissell says that its new IconPet high-powered robotic vacuum rivals the cleaning power of a high-end stick vacuum. Designed to clean up after pets and engineered for performance, the IconPet makes quick work of hair and dander, and it leverages Digital Vision laser mapping to provide complete coverage of your abode. And, yes, you can control it with Alexa.
Epson 4K 4050 Pro Cinema
Ever wish you could have a movie theater experience at home? The Epson Pro Cinema 4050 4K projector gives you just that. In the HGTV smart home, the projector is mounted in the ceiling of the media room, beaming a bright and detailed image on a 120-inch screen. You get an impressive 2,400 lumens of brightness, a superhigh contrast ratio of 200,000:1 and 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, plus a three-axis precision motor to shift the lens vertically or horizontally.
Robomow RS622
Kick back with a lemonade as you let the Robomow RS622 do the work. Designed for lawns up to a half-acre in size, this robotic lawn mower uses a specialized mowing blade to deliver a cutting height of up to 3.5 inches. You don't even have to worry about pine cones or small twigs with the blades on this thing. With the dedicated app, you control this robot from your phone, whether you want to mow your lawn once or a couple times per week.
Swash
When you can't get to the dry cleaners but want to wear your favorite shirt, just pop it into the Swash. This system promises to remove wrinkles and refresh your clothes in just 10 minutes. You don't need to run water to the Swash; you just plug it in, turn it on and insert a Swash Pods cup ($8.99 for 12 cups). The device is compact enough to fit into a closet, and you can take your pick of three colors: black, linen and shadow.
Kohler Numi
You walk up to the toilet and it automatically opens. Then, you fire up the seat and foot warmer with the wall-mounted remote and tweak the ambient lighting to glow your favorite color. And that's just the beginning of the extravagance that you experience with the Kohler Numi. This $7,800 pampering gadget also features built-in speakers to play a relaxing tune, FM radio or your own poop playlist via Bluetooth. And talk about a bidet: You can set the pressure for both the front and the rear. And, yes, the new Numi 2.0 toilet (coming at the end of 2019) will have Alexa built in.
Sonos Sub
The Sonos Sub delivers amazing bass via two custom-designed woofers without crowding your living room with extra gear. In the HGTV smart home, the designers hid the Sub right underneath the TV in a media cabinet. From there, the sub wirelessly connects to other speakers to offer powerful and balanced sound. The best part is that you don't get any cabinet rattle even as you crank up the volume. Take your pick from white or black.
Compact TV Lift (Model L-27 from Nexus 21)
If you'd like to have a little drama added to your furniture, check out this compact TV lift from Nexus 21. In the HGTV 2019 smart home, the lift is integrated into the bathroom counter, so you can reveal a TV with a simple Alexa voice command. With a lift like this, you could also conceal your TV at the foot of the bed or behind electric fireplaces.
Lennox iComfort S30
If you're looking to save on energy costs, the Lennox iComfort S30 smart thermostat is a smart pick, as it uses the GPS in your smartphone to determine when you're leaving and automatically set the thermostat's away mode. Thanks to the Allergen Defender feature, the iComfort S30 is also smart enough to detect air quality and pollen levels in your area based on your ZIP code, and it can turn on the fan to clean your home's air. I especially like that you can manage all the rooms in your house from one control panel. This thermostat supports both Alexa and Apple's HomeKit.
Willa-Hide Hidden Reflections Full-Length Concealment Mirror
Keeping your valuables out of plain sight is a cinch with this concealment mirror from Willa-Hide. With its patented steel-pin locking system and 14-gauge-steel backing, this mirror will keep your jewelry and other items safe from would-be burglars. The mirror is available in multiple finishes and colors, including fruitwood, mahogany, black, white and unfinished.
Logitech Harmony Elite
There are universal remotes, and then there's the Logitech Harmony Elite, which controls smart home and entertainment devices and comes complete with a color touch screen. I love that you can group a bunch of tasks into a single activities. So, for example, pressing Watch Movie could dim the lights and automatically tune your Roku box to the Vudu or Amazon Video app. The Harmony Elite works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can control everything from AV receivers and thermostats to Hue lights and your Sonos.
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro
The HGTV smart home is protected with a SimpliSafe home-security system, which is easy to use and backed 24/7 by six monitoring centers. But the highlight for me was the Video Doorbell Pro, which alerts you when someone is at the door and allows you to have a two-way conversation via the phone or tablet app. While not our favorite video doorbell overall, I appreciate the wide-angle video (162 degrees) and that the motion alerts are smart enough to ignore cars passing by.
Velux No-Leak Solar Powered "Fresh Air" Skylights
Using the iPad in the kitchen of the HGTV smart home, you can activate the Velux Active to let in sunlight and fresh air. A dedicated app makes it easy to control the skylights in the den, library and master bedroom. The system is even smart enough to monitor the weather, indoor temperature, humidity and more to automatically open the skylights. You can also control the blinds through the same app.
Dragonfly Recessed Screen
Whether you want to watch the big game outside while you barbecue or have a movie night with the kids, Dragonfly's screens are ready for action with the push of a button. In the HGTV smart home, this 120-inch screen is located in the backyard and is paired with a projector. You can take your pick of five different materials, including an Ultra Black ALR option that absorbs and rejects ambient light.
Credit: Tom’s Guide
