Basic Starter Kit
My New Kentucky Smart Home is a grant funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and administered through the KATS Network, Kentucky's Tech Act agency. The program is designed to make loans of smart home equipment to Kentuckians with paralyzing conditions to allow them to evaluate the usefulness of the devices and their ability to use them before they commit to a purchase. The only required items for clients are a home WiFi connection and a smartphone, tablet, or another smart device that is capable of accessing the internet. Each client will receive a starter kit that has the following items:
- One Smart Speaker (Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini depending on client preference) - The smart speaker acts as the control center and the voice interface for the smart home system. Each of the other items can be controlled using these devices. They can also be used for listening to music, finding information on the web, and making phone calls or sending messages to loved ones.
- One Sesame Smart Lock with WiFi Access Point - The Sesame Smart Lock is a deadbolt controller. It fits over your existing door hardware which makes it a great choice for non-permanent installations in apartments or rental properties. The lock can be controlled using a smartphone or other smart devices via Bluetooth. The WiFi Access Point allows the Sesame Smart Lock to interact with the internet. You can lock and unlock your door from anywhere in the world on your phone or without having to get up thanks to voice control.
- One Ring Video Doorbell 2 - The Ring Video Doorbell is a video camera that lets you keep an eye on your porch and front door. You can access the live camera feed from your smart device from anywhere in the world. You can also use the Ring Video Doorbell for two-way communication like an intercom to talk to the person at your door. It can be set up to record when it detects motion so you can see, for example, if someone is stealing packages from your porch. Note: Due to compatibility issues, Google Nest kits will not ship with the Ring Doorbell.
- Two TP-Link Kasa Smart Mini Smart Plugs - These smart plugs connect to your home's WiFi and allow you to turn your small appliances on and off whether from another room in your house or halfway across the world. They are useful for appliances such as lamps or coffee pots that might be hard to reach or have controls that are hard to manage independently. The TP-Link Kasa Smart Mini Smart Plugs can be programmed to operate automatically on a timer or a schedule.
- Four Singled LED WiFi Smart Light Bulbs - Singled LED WiFi Smart Light Bulbs give you complete control of the lighting in your home. They can be installed in a variety of light fixtures although they should not be used with 3-Way/Dimmer fixtures or enclosed fixtures. Using an app or your smart speaker, you can turn these bulbs on and off from anywhere in the world. The brightness can be adjusted as well to meet your lighting needs. You can set up scenes, say to dim all of the lights when you start watching a movie, as well as timers and schedules.
Please note that there are many options out there for all of these products. Including a brand in the kit doesn't mean that it is in any way better than another brand. These recommendations should not be considered to be an endorsement of any particular product. We chose the products on this list based on their ease of setup and compatibility with different types of smart speakers.