Transform Your Patio: 5 Smart Patio Ideas for Year-Round Fun
Summer is in full swing and that means that many people are spending more time outside enjoying the warmer weather. Okay, warm might not be the best description for the scorching and humid heat that is plaguing the country, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it’s throwing a barbecue on the roast with some friends and family or hanging out for an evening fireplaceHot or not, there are always good times to be had.
We’ve rounded up a few ways you can transform your patio into a relaxing or entertaining space, or both, for any season. In recent years, there has been an increase in smart home devices that can help you enhance your outdoor spaces, along with some options to add some nature to your patio by growing your own herbs and vegetables for your weekend barbecues.
When you go outside, remember that a well-maintained lawn can be a great place to spend time. There are many great lawn mowers on the market that can help you, but if you really want to cut down on the time it takes to mow and have a beautiful lawn, you may want to consider a robotic lawn mower.
1. Install a home security camera
Sure, a security camera doesn’t sound all that exciting, but neither does the idea of your outdoor oasis being tampered with. Installing one of our best outdoor smart cameras is a great way to keep an eye on what’s happening on your patio. Whether your budget allows you to splash out on a rock-solid option like the Arlo Pro 4 or you’re looking to save some money on a more capable Blink Outdoor 4, you can rest easy knowing that if anything does happen to your beloved outdoor space, you’ll have a way to track it down.
If you’re on a budget, we’ve put together a list of the best cheap home security cameras to ensure you get a reliable option and save money.
Another option for keeping an eye on your patio is if you happen to have a door that overlooks your outdoor space, you may also want to consider installing a doorbell camera like the Nest doorbell or the Arlo Video DoorbellNo matter which camera style or feature you choose, adding a set of smart eyes to your outdoor space makes it easy to keep an eye on it.
The Ring Floodlight Cam features live video, automatic lights, and a siren to deter intruders.
2. Create the atmosphere with smart outdoor lighting
Lighting plays a big role in enjoying your indoor or outdoor space. It’s important to be able to light your space properly. When you’re cooking and it’s time to eat, you might want brighter lights with a cooler tone. But when it’s getting late and it’s time to relax and chat with friends and family, something warmer. When it’s time to turn up the music on your outdoor speakers and have a little party, you’ll want your lights to be a little more vibrant.
There are a lot of great smart bulbs to choose from, depending on the light fixtures you have available and the look you want. Of course, you can always opt for smart lamps into your existing fixtures. But you can go beyond the boring smart bulb with some impressive outdoor string lights like the new Nanoleaf Smart Outdoor Lighting Cord I just posted another option. These are really great Govee Outdoor Ground Lighting to light a path.
If your patio has a ceiling and is relatively protected from the elements, consider a smart fan. You get the climate-enhancing benefits of a fan with built-in smart lighting. Fan manufacturers such as Hunter And Haiku make models that work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Outdoor lighting, like this one from Nanoleaf, is a great way to have flexible lighting options for your outdoor spaces.
3. Schedule your devices with smart plugs
One of my favorite ways to make a dumb device or space a little smarter is with a smart plugHowever, keep in mind that if the outlet you want to add the smart plug to is not in a dry location, you will want to opt for one of these options excellent smart plugs for outdoors to be safe. Before installing the Nanoleaf Smart Outdoor String Lights, I had a bunch of simple dumb string lights. While these lights looked nice, they had limitations.
One of the biggest drawbacks was that you can’t program the lights to go on or off and when we went inside we forgot to turn them off. We had to walk back out to the patio to control the lights. With a smart plug you can control the lights from your phone.
Our favorite models from TP-Link And WeMo work with multiple voice assistants, have a scheduling function and are water and dust resistant.
Smart plugs can make ‘dumb’ devices smart.
4. Turn up the volume with outdoor-ready smart speakers
No outdoor space is complete without great music — at least not for me. An easy way to bring all of your new smart devices together on your patio is with a smart speakerNot only does this mean you have access to music on-demand from the best streaming services, but you also have voice control for things like your lights, timers, and more.
If you want to take the Amazon Echo or Google Home speaker you already own outside, try a battery housingThese handy devices are great for making your normally wall-mounted smart speaker portable and give you access to all the features you love.
If you want to go the route of a powerful Bluetooth speaker, check out the Tribit Max Sound Plus subscriptionwhich is our favorite waterproof portable speaker under $75. If you do want to add Alexa to the mix, the Ultimate Ears Megablast is a portable, fully waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker with built-in Amazon voice assistant.
5. Extend your WiFi outside
Of course, to access the fantastic smart devices you have installed on your patio, you need one thing: good wifiIf your home’s signal isn’t reaching every corner of your outdoor space, there are a few things you can try Extend your WiFi outdoors.
With the Netgear Orbi Outdoor Extender you can achieve a greater range with your Wi-Fi signal.
Mesh wifi systems are one way to go. If you’re already using Netgear’s Orbi mesh network, Orbi Outside can transmit your signal outdoors and is weatherproof, so you can rely on your outdoor WiFi signal all year round.
Taking Wi-Fi beyond the walls of your home has never been easier. By extending your Wi-Fi to your patio and other outdoor spaces, you can enjoy some of the comforts of your home while you’re outside. Flexible lighting, security, audio, and more are all ways to enhance your outdoor environment so you can take full advantage of all your home has to offer, both inside and out.
To make the most of your time outdoors, you need to know how to repel mosquitoes and how to grill like a pro.
