In the last ten years we've experienced massive amounts of change and improvement when it comes to technology and the devices we use. Regardless of all the change, the good-old fashioned handheld remote still remains a popular control device in most american homes, including the modern smart home. However, with all of the new technologies on the market to monitor and manage your home, it’s easy to discount the power of your typical handheld remote. Nowadays people with smart homes can operate just about anything on keypads, touch screens, and even the sound of their voices! As a result, some may think that there is no longer any need to have a typical remote control, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are numerous reasons why you should not only hang in to your handheld controller for TV purposes, but also employ it as a mode of control in your smart home for all of its other features as well!
It Feels Right
First off, the remotes we’re referring to are handheld. Majority of people will agree that one of the main pleasures of being home is being able to relax and one of the greatest parts of relaxing in front of your television, is being able to escape from your reality for a little while. So ergonomically speaking, there really is no better way to command your television, lights, thermostats, blinds, and every other smart device in your home, from the comfort of your couch. There is no need to leave your comfy position to stroll to a wall-mounted keypad and no need to shout demands and hope Alexa hears them and gets it right. The tactile feel of remote control buttons is comfortable for us and even somewhat nostalgic. As silly as it sounds, handheld remotes give us a sense of confidence that our commands are getting through to the right equipment.
It Costs Little for How Much it Controls
The remotes available for smart homes now, do so much more than control your television. Today’s remotes are capable of controlling every single device and feature in your smart home as long as it is programmed to do so properly. For example, with one single modern remote can turn your speakers both on and off both inside and outside of your home, it can play music at different volumes in different locations, control your light settings, change the temperature in your home or even in specific rooms, and so much more. Most smart home remotes today have built-in LCD screens which makes it feel like you are holding a mini version of a portable home control touchscreen. The greatest part is that no matter how sophisticated a remote is, it is still one of the most affordable modes of smart home control available.
Appeals to Everyone
Older folks tend to have a harder time using super new and technologically advanced controls, while on the other hand kids can be careless and messy so devices such as fancy touch screens mounted to your wall may not be the best idea. As a result, sticking with remote controls is definitely your safest option regardless of you and your families circumstances. Remotes can stand up to a good amount of wear and tear, and if it does end up breaking somehow, it won’t cost you thousands of dollars to get a replacement. Most people, specifically those in the millennial generation and older feel most comfortable using a remote, it breeds comfort and familiarity. Additionally, your guests will feel a lot more comfortable picking up a remote in your home to toy around with rather than a new and foreign device such as a wall-mounted touch screen.
Clutter Gets Cleared
The last, and probably the most popular reason to get a smart home remote control is that it is able to control pretty much everything, which means you need nothing else laying around. Growing up in the 90s, I clearly remember there being at least four different remotes on the coffee table at all times, one for volume, one for the DVD player, one to change the channel… The point is, you could never remember which remote did what, and one always seemed to be missing or not working. Luckily now, one remote can do it all and it doesn’t even need to be pointed at anything to get the job done. Smart home remotes are equipped with technology that enables signals to travel seamlessly throughout your entire house.
We highly recommend that you consider all of the incredible advantages of today’s modern handheld remotes. They are affordable, versatile, powerful enough to control numerous smart home products and systems, and user-friendly enough for everyone in your household to master.