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Ben Khalesi
Published 28 minutes ago
Ben Khalesi covers the intersection of artificial intelligence and everyday tech at Android Police. With a background in AI and data science, he enjoys making technical topics approachable for those who don’t live and breathe code. Ben is currently based in Sydney and has four years of professional writing experience across technology and digital industries. Outside work, he enjoys traveling, bouldering, and playing the latest AAA games.
Sign in to your Android Police account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapThe holidays should feel effortless, right? You want the soft lights, the cozy vibes, the music humming in the background without dealing with a mess of cords and timers.
And honestly? Sliding under a Christmas tree or doing a nightly turn-everything-off sprint isn't festive.
Luckily, smart home devices can make that cozy holiday mood come alive the moment you walk in.
I rounded up seven product-specific tips to help your home feel extra festive.
We're covering everything from outdoor lighting to those small climate adjustments that make the house feel right.
Follow along, and your smart gear will take care of the rest in the background, leaving you to enjoy the season.
Smart plugs modernize your classic holiday décor
Own a ceramic Christmas village, a glowing wreath, or an electric wax warmer? Then you've already got the makings of a smart holiday setup.
You just need the right accessory. Smart plugs are the easiest and most affordable way to modernize your traditional décor.
They tie all your existing holiday lights into your automated routines without changing anything you love.
Go for something compact, reliable, and don't waste cash on dodgy plugs that drop off your network.
When your outlets are working overtime during the holidays, a tiny footprint means you still get access to that second socket. The Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini is a solid pick.
Smart plugs are surprisingly handy and versatile. For example, wax warmers smell great, but constant heat wastes oil and isn't the safest. A smart plug lets you run them on a schedule instead.
You can also schedule your Christmas tree or outdoor lights to switch on right at dusk and off when you go to bed.
Source: Kasa
Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini
$20 at Amazon
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RGBIC lights add movement and magic to your décor
Credit: Govee
Forget the classic static red and green bulbs. They belong back in the storage box.
Modern lights bring flow and movement to colors. RGBIC tech lets each tiny LED on a string shine in its own color, so you get effects like twinkles and flowing color waves.
Govee Christmas String Lights are the go-to for decorating your tree. Their best trick is mapping.
You scan your tree with your phone, and the app pinpoints each bulb's spot in 3D.
Then you draw a pattern on your screen, and it magically wraps around your tree, even if your lights aren't perfectly arranged.
LED strips are a great way to add soft color washes around your space. Strips work great tucked behind furniture, along baseboards, or around windows and doors.
To get the best dynamic lighting, stick to one ecosystem. RGBIC and syncing work best when you own multiple lights from the same brand and sync them all together.
If you're still using traditional string lights, you'll want sturdy, weatherproof plugs to automate them.
An IP rating shows how well a device stands up to dust and water. Get smart plugs with high IP ratings (IP65) and dual outlets.
Source: Govee
Govee RGBIC Light Strip
$73 at Amazon
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Grouping your speakers for seamless festive music
Audio is one of the most underrated parts of a cozy smart home. Just remember to group your smart speakers for the best experience.
If you're on Google Home, open the app and set up a whole-house audio group with all your Nest Audio devices.
Alexa users do something similar. Make sure all your Echo devices are on the same Wi-Fi. When that's done, say something like, "Alexa, play Christmas jazz on Whole House Audio."
The music is great, but don't forget about the ambient sound. Background sounds complement your holiday visuals beautifully.
A good pick is a warm fireplace ambience with crackling fire and relaxing piano music.
Remember to set your background volume nice and low. That way, the sound adds to the mood without overpowering conversation.
Making your smart TV and smart displays part of your Christmas aesthetic
A lot of people leave their Google Nest Hub or Echo Show stuck on default images or clocks. That's a missed chance.
Personalize those smart screens with curated festive pictures.
Make a dedicated album. Then use the Nest Hub's Photo Frame to cycle through those pictures. This way, your screen becomes a warm display of memories.
If you have a smart TV, a high-quality virtual fireplace loop is another must-have.
Skip low-res streams. They buffer and break the mood. Instead, cast a 4K loop from YouTube or download the file and play it via USB for more reliability.
Don't forget to direct holiday music or ambient sounds through your speaker setup.
Adjusting the heating when guests fill the house
With the oven roasting the turkey and the living room full of guests, the heat around the main thermostat can get too high.
This makes the heating shut off sooner than it should, leaving other rooms chilly.
Usually, homeowners set the smart thermostat and leave it, but during the holidays, that approach misses the mark because of all the extra heat sources.
Before hosting, temporarily change your system's priority to focus on occupied areas.
Lower the setpoint slightly, for example, from 72°F to 70°F, to account for the extra heat from cooking and people.
Also, add some sensors. You can set it to focus on the temperature from a sensor in another room.
Building a holiday routine that sets the mood automatically
With routines, you can trigger several actions at once using just one voice command. Let's call this routine "Start Christmas."
- Trigger: Voice command (for example, "Hey Google, Start Christmas" or "Alexa, Start Christmas").
- Step 1 (Activation): Turn on all smart plugs (tree, outside lights, wax warmer).
- Step 2 (Interior Lights): Set inside strips or other smart lights to flicker.
- Step 3 (Audio): Play the selected playlist on the Whole House Audio group.
Keeping your home tidy with smart cable management
When your holiday setup turns into a spaghetti mess of cords and outlets, it's hard to keep that cozy mood alive.
With all those lights, plugs, and gadgets going at once, keeping cables tidy is a must to keep things looking neat.
Keep cords organized and hidden by running them along baseboards, behind furniture, or under desks. Using Velcro straps and adhesive clips makes tidying up fast and easy.
Mount power strips under your desk, behind your entertainment center, or inside decorative boxes made to hide cords. This way, plugs stay easy to reach but stay out of sight.
Use small smart plugs that won't block the outlets next to them and keep big adapters off the floor.
A well-kept setup keeps your festive tech looking great and distraction-free, so everyone can enjoy the occasion.
Let your smart home handle the magic while you enjoy the moment
When your smart plugs take care of the big decorations, smart lights twinkle across the mantle and tree, whole-house audio plays gently, and sensors adjust for crowded rooms, you've got real holiday coziness going on.
Just say, "Hey Google, Start Christmas," and your home comes alive. That's tech doing its job so you can kick back and enjoy the good times.
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