Every time I wander aimlessly through Best Buy perusing all the fun techie gadgets, I always linger a bit longer when passing by the Philips Hue Lighting System display.  The pretty colors, the dimmable mood lighting, the endless possibilities…it was definitely on my “wish list” of cool gadgets.  Although we inevitably did not go the Philips Hue Lighting route, we did try out the Wink Hub 2.  And it’s awesome!

Yes, home automation has been around for quite a while now and yes you may be thinking, “Ok, get with the times already.”  BUT…for someone who has never experienced the amazingness of home automation, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome!  This little Wink hub has the power to control (almost) anything you want in your home!  Light bulbs, fans, home security system, coffee makers, thermostats, smoke detectors, cameras, door locks, garage doors, sprinkler systems, water heaters, window shades, and so much more!  We’ve been have a great time experimenting with all its possibilities.

There are plenty of other home automation systems out there, too, each with their own benefits.  Initially, we looked at the Piper Home Security System which allows you to connect other home automation products to it.  However, it didn’t give us the customization abilities we could have with Wink.  We also looked at Scout (requires a Monitoring Service Fee) and Canary (this one is more centered around home security and not so much home automation).

There are so many choices out there and it’s definitely a personal decision based on the immediate needs you have.  But we have been extremely happy with our Wink Hub 2 and all the fun things we’ve been able to do with it!  Oh, wait, I forgot to turn on the porch light…ok, done, without even leaving my keyboard.