Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit Review

The Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit promises to not only sync up flawlessly with your existing smart devices but to better manage them beyond what’s possible with your smartphone alone. After all, why have ten apps to control your devices when you can have one?

That sounds great. But does it live up to the hype in practice? We loved that the set-up process is straightforward, the kit is super convenient, and is compatible with a wide range of smart appliances.

Even still, no product is perfect – and not everyone is after the same thing when it comes to smart products. Those who are less tech-savvy might be wary of the app or features included with the monitoring kit, while you’ll also want to make sure your appliances are compatible.

Is this monitoring kit a fit for your home? Let’s take a closer look at the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit and find out.

Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 6 inches.
• Product Weight: 2.5 lbs.
• Product Type: Home monitoring system.
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa? Yes.

How Does It Work

While the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit may look advanced (and therefore confusing), in practice, it’s easy to figure out and operate.

Once everything is unboxed, start by plugging the Smartthings hub into your wireless router, using an Ethernet cable. After that, plug the hub into an outlet, so it has power.

From there, it’s only a matter of visiting the Smartthings website and following the prompts given to you. Once the hub is fully set-up through the website, you’ll need to download the corresponding app, set up an account, and, if you have them already, start connecting your smart devices.

Inside of the app, just tap the ‘connect new device’ icon and allow the hub to walk you through the process. No thumbing through an instruction manual or guesswork required!

After your appliances are connected to the hub, you can then control them from your smartphone. Want to turn down the temperature on your smart thermostat? Just open the app and change it from there.

The same goes for smart light bulbs, speakers, and anything else you may own.

Samsung: The Brand

Founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul in Daegu, Korea, the company started out dealing in dried fish, noodles, and local groceries.

Today, Samsung develops a wide range of products – and most of them are not edible. In the 1960s, the company expanded into the electronics industry and now makes phones, TVs, computers, smart hubs, and more.

Samsung states that its mission is to “devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society.”

Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit Review

The Positives

Super Easy to Set Up

You may be considering this Smartthings Kit to save time – and who wants greater hassle setting up the very kit meant to improve your experience with smart home devices?

Luckily, you’ll be happy to know that’s no issue here! Not only will it control your devices in one, centralized location on your phone, but setting up the kit itself is straightforward; you don’t even need to browse an instruction manual.

The website and the kit’s app both provide you with step-by-step guidance along the way, so even the less tech-savvy among us will have it operational in no time. You won’t have to worry about fumbling around with complicated steps or confusing diagrams, Samsung makes it all easy.

Once the kit is up and running, operating it is designed to be just as simple, making this product just as smooth to use as it is to set up.

Extremely Convenient

Managing all your smart home devices is a hassle – especially as their number increases. Each unique app takes up space on your phone, and some are less intuitive to run than others. That’s where this Monitoring Kit comes in.

Does it get more convenient than being able to control your appliances, lights, speakers, locks, thermostats, and security cameras all from one app? We don’t think so.

We loved having a centralized hub for all the many smart appliances, saving time, effort, and space. As a plus, with a strong enough wireless connection, you can access your devices from a distance of up 100 feet.

Whether you’re in the yard, down the street, or pulling into the driveway, you can have full control over your smart home with just a few taps.

You can skip all the worries and fears of leaving your appliances plugged in or lights on since you can control it all from your smartphone. This is great news for busybodies and those who tend to be forgetful.

Very Versatile

This Smartthings hub can connect to nearly any appliance. So long as it’s labeled a smart product and is compatible with the Samsung hub, you can connect it via the app.

Just check their website to confirm which devices are supported and let it get to work!

Its compatibility range includes cameras, bread makers, light bulbs, ceiling fans, speakers, the locks on your front door, and even the thermostat controlling the temperature in your house.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another control hub with this much versatility. This adds to the overall convenience this smart hub has.

Incredibly Affordable Price

You’ll also appreciate the cost-effective price range of this Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit. While it’s not the cheapest system on the market, it’s certainly not the most expensive either.

At under $150 on Amazon, this kit is middle-ranged, with one bonus: it includes multiple outlet plugs to better connect with your current smart devices.

Some monitoring systems charge quite a price (around $100) just for the hub, making this a unique deal. It’s a worthwhile investment that doesn’t require additional purchases.

If you’re looking for a quality smart kit without emptying your savings, the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit may be the right fit.

Efficiently Effective

While some smart devices are more like gimmicks, the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit is far from that. We loved how practical and efficient this setup is.

Not only will you receive notifications and alerts super quickly, allowing you to react without delay, but this smart home kit goes further by protecting your home and your bank account.

While you won’t have to worry about leaving appliances on, saving you money on your overall electricity bill, it also helps to protect your home with its sensors. Some sensors will turn lights on if it detects motion, and water sensors will stop flooding issues from getting too disastrous.

Having this set up in your home won’t just make your life more convenient, but will give you much more security as well.

The Negatives

Issues Depending on the Smartphone

While this smart kit is easy to use and set up, depending on the phone you’re using, some users might find issues with the app including the interface and usability.

While the app has a bit of a learning curve (a small one at least); for some, it might not be the most user-friendly and it might be difficult to navigate.

When using it there’s a risk you won’t find what you’re looking for easily, and if your phone isn’t compatible, you’ll find it to be buggy or laggy. It can freeze or crash often which can be an overall annoyance for some users.

Since this all depends on your phone, this is more of a caution than a deterrent. It won’t affect everyone but do be sure your phone is compatible before signing on to this smart kit. If you have an older phone, you’ll want to keep an eye out for any glitches.

False Alarms

There’s a chance that some users will also have issues with false alarms from the app.

Most of the appliances that connect to the app deliver a notification when something is amiss – such as your light bulbs struggling to turn on or your bread maker getting too warm.

This smart kit has been known to alert users to come to their phones when there was nothing wrong. For example, they would get an alert from their security camera and it would turn out nothing had actually happened.

Depending on the devices you have connected to the Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit, you may have to spend some time figuring out what is setting off these false alarms to stop it. While this isn’t a major issue, it’s worth a warning.

Sensitivity 

Speaking of which, the sensors on the devices connected to the hub were occasionally too sensitive causing it to malfunction. As a result, some users will get results like their lights going on in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.

While that’s a bit concerning, this could mean a sensitivity issue. This could also indicate the problem is a defective model having escaped the manufacturing process – for this reason, there’s a warranty.

Here’s a video showing what the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit looks like out of the box.

Overall Verdict

After going over all the positives and negatives, we do recommend the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit.

While there are a few issues with the app and rare false-positives, the excellent feedback far outweighs the negative feedback with this kit. It’s easy to use, convenient and is compatible with most smart products on the market.

Now, for a rather affordable price, you can enjoy a more centralized way to manage your home – and all its features.

If you’re after a hub to control all those smart appliances filling your life, the Samsung Smartthings kit is one of the best systems available today.

Where to Buy the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit

Thanks to Samsung’s decades in the market producing a variety of appliances and devices, you’ll be able to find Samsung items all around the world.

Samsung is a known brand worldwide, as such, it won’t be hard to find the Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit both in-store and online.

While it’s usually best to check tech, home improvement, and home department stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• Wal Mart (from $156)
• Target (from $135)
• Crutchfield (from $199)

And of course, you can also find this smart home automation kit on Amazon.

That’s the end of our Samsung Smartthings Home Monitoring Kit review. Curious to give it a try?