You can use the best smart home devices to ensure that your Super Bowl 2024 party is a touchdown for your guests. While the 49ers and Chiefs duke it out on screen, you can entertain your company beyond basic ambiance enhancements like red mood lighting and immersive sound. All it takes is some inspiration to serve up a memorable event.
From smart lights to a robot bartender, I'll show you seven smart home gadgets and ways they can take your party to the next level. Read on below to see just how this can save you time and effort while you get to spend more time watching the big game.
Show your team spirit with smart lights
Both the 49ers and Chiefs share the same red-and-white colorway which can be easily recreated using multicolor RGB smart light bulbs like the Kasa KL125 ($17, Amazon) to set the mood. Even beyond my home's interior, I've been using the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro to support my home team every Sunday throughout the season. Sync up your smart lights to an app like Alexa or Google Home to change colors as the game progresses. Applets in the more advanced smart home platform IFTT can grab more complex data like when your team scores to flash your lights and play a sound.
Free up serving time with a robot bartender
Think of Black+Decker's Bev ($299, Amazon) robot cocktail machine as a Keurig for your bar. You simply connect your liquor bottles to the setup and insert mixed drink capsules that range from Old Fashioneds to Whiskey Sours. Guests can simply choose from a variety of pods, select a strength, and press a button to serve themselves. This keeps the drinks flowing and frees up precious time so you can take a load off.
Wrap your room in sound with a smart speaker
From playing a horn sound effect when your team scores to cranking out your favorite tunes a smart speaker is an easy way to create a more immersive atmosphere. We ranked the Amazon Echo Dot ($49, Amazon) the best smart speaker and you can use it to broadcast announcements to a living room or basement Alexa speaker from the kitchen. For example, you can let guests know a dish is served or keep up with play-by-play commentary. And during downtime, you can entertain the party with interactive sports trivia games and quizzes. All of this on top of controlling your smart home's lights, climate, and locks.
Greet your guests with a smart lock
Send your guests temporary digital keys so that they can enter your home just by walking up to your door on game day. Smart locks like the excellent August Wi-Fi ($229, Amazon) let you monitor your entryway's status so you can see who comes and goes and ensure the door is properly closed. Plus they lock the door behind guests automatically. You can spend more time working on your dip or socializing while guests can shuffle in and out freely without a fear of getting locked out.
Keep company cozy with a smart thermostat
Your home can get hot between spicy foods and a jam-packed room full of excitement. You can use one of the best smart thermostats like the Ecobee Premium ($238, Amazon) to schedule temperatures to decline as the night progresses. Guests can also ask your smart assistant to lower the temperature while you host for quick adjustments on the fly.
Control your decor or cooking gadgets with a smart plug
Smart plugs like the Kasa Smart Plug Mini ($21, Amazon) connect your older outlet-powered appliances like a crockpot or lighting to the internet so you can monitor and control them remotely. You can attach your entertainment center setup to one to turn on your TV for a smooth start to the game. Plug in decorative signs or lights to create a bar-like ambiance. You can even connect snack warmers to have your food warm and ready and turn the equipment off when it's no longer needed.
Cleanup with a robot vacuum
The best robot vacuums can be scheduled to clean up your home just before your party for a spotless home. We've recently tested the impressive Shark IQ ($378, Amazon) which cleans thoroughly, supports room mapping, and empties itself into its docking station to hold up to 45 days of debris for under $400. When guests leave you can wrap up your night without reaching for a broom and dustpan. This will clean up chips and solids but for an even deeper clean you should consider adding a robot mop to the rotation. Your home's floors will be spotless while you focus your energy on other cleaning tasks like taking out the trash.
