comments:
Use an Amazon Alexa smart remote. I have four of them that work flawlessly. Amazon Smart Remote
For me it's fine. I think it answers questions better than my old Google home device, in the sense of just wanting to google something quick while my hands are busy in the kitchen. Alexa won't talk to my nest thermostat though, so I have this weird workaround where the activator for a Google routine to change the temperature is my bedroom light turning on and fan turning off between certain hours (which alexa does). You could probably accomplish this with the google home app without actually buying a google home device. I feel like a lot of the reason alexa doesn't annoy me that often is that I use buttons rather than activating my routines by voice. I love this device and have them all over my house: https://a.co/d/0axhcQXK The only major thing I wish I had done differently is not to plan on dimming my smart bulbs. It's better to have separate lamps/sconces or to use LED strips instead, because those actually electrically dim. LED smart bulbs dim by flickering, which can cause headaches etc even if you're not consciously aware of the light hurting your eyes. Enjoy your smart home planning! Something I've been really into lately is vibration sensors. I have one in a closet drawer that that turns on my closet light and another that gives me a 1 hour timer for a split med dose. They work surprisingly well.