With the warmer weather and the kids home from school, the summer resort will look really nice by now With the best smart home devices, you can monitor every inch of your property so you can travel with peace of mind Whether you're camping nearby or flying out of the country, these Internet-connected gadgets will allow you to see and control your home from anywhere

From the best security cameras to smart locks, there are many ways to control your home while you are away These can help keep your home safe and minimize losses due to unexpected catastrophes Below are five ways you can use a variety of smart home devices to eliminate worries and monitor your home from anywhere

The best home security cameras and outdoor cameras notify you when motion is detected, provide live video 24/7, and help you communicate with visitors This deters burglars and adds intercom capabilities to different parts of your home Without taking your eyes off the yard, you can quickly pop into your home to make sure everything is in order, and we like the $25 Tapo C120 because it can be used indoors or out Meanwhile, premium features are available without a subscription You get AI alerts to determine what caused the event, whether it was a person or animal, plus no artificial cooldown notifications

If you are willing to pay the $399 subscription fee for the month you travel, Wyze Cam v4 is perfect for vacations This service elevates a cheap $35 camera into a full-fledged home security system with an alarm The camera can be turned on when you are away from home If motion is detected while you are out, a clip is sent to a professional monitoring service This person immediately calls or texts your cell phone and decides to dispatch emergency services, even if you don't see the notification in time

Smart sensors can detect the movement of people and the opening of doors and windows Besides break-ins, many people worry about events such as floods and fires, and smart smoke alarms and water leak sensors like the Govee Wi-Fi Water Sensor ($25, Amazon) can alert you to anomalies while you are away These can detect smoke and water in the air and send notifications to your phone; we liked the Google Nest Protect ($149, Amazon) best because it tells you where the fire is

You can maintain your existing setup without spending a lot of money by adding a smart smoke detector listener like X-Sense or by using an Apple HomePod 2 or other smart speaker to receive alerts when an alarm is activated While it cannot show you which room caused the problem, you can at least receive notifications

In the spring and fall, the HVAC system can be turned off, but I like to keep the air conditioning at 74 degrees in the summer to prevent the house from getting too humid Conversely, in the winter, I keep the house at 58 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing

A smart thermostat allows me to adjust the system as needed and keep track of the current temperature in the house You can use one of the best smart thermostats to efficiently adjust your air conditioner Our best recommendation is the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium ($249, Amazon), but there are less expensive models available

The best smart locks can send codes to friends and family members performing household chores like watering plants or feeding the cat If they need to notify a service provider, they can simply unlock the door from across the country In addition, the system can capture a log of behavior when doors are opened or left open This eliminates the need to worry that they may have forgotten to lock the door

Smart plugs can be used to connect and remotely control older “dumb” appliances such as fans and home appliances A built-in energy monitor function allows you to check which gadgets are active and how much power is being used In addition, the lamp can be scheduled to turn on and off in “away” mode to make it appear as if the user is at home