Which Smart Home is Best for You: How a Hive Plan Makes the Choice and Intelligent Tech Simple

This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.

Fumbling for keys on your dark front porch. Trudging bleary-eyed to the kitchen to switch on the coffee pot before dawn. Gasping each month at the electric bill, which includes astronomical A/C costs even when you were out of town. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be… so basic.

Say hello to the Hive family of beautifully designed, user-friendly smart home products that can simplify your day-to-day in a matter of minutes.

Many people already own a smart home device or two, purchased piecemeal and operated through different apps. But Hive offers a streamlined solution for a true smart home that each homeowner can set up based on household schedule and lifestyle.

The difference between a true smart home, operating at the peak of its efficiency under a Hive plan, and a semi smart home cobbled together is the difference between the Model T and Ferrari Portofino.

Hive smart home plans can include a Hive Active Thermostat, which allows homeowners to adjust the temperature remotely and set heating and cooling schedules; Hive Active Lights, with brightness and tone that are adjustable with the touch of a smartphone; Hive Active Plugs, which can be switched on and off remotely or set to a daily routine; and Hive Window/Door and Motion Sensors, which can alert you when there’s movement or when something’s been opened. The Hive Camera takes it one step further by streaming HD video straight to your smartphone so you can see what is going on inside your home while you’re away.  Features like a wide-angle lens, night vision, zoom and two-way audio can almost make it feel like you’re there.

All Hive products belong to the same ecosystem and are designed to communicate through the Hive Hub, which wirelessly connects various devices to the award-winning Hive App, available for smartphone, tablet or desktop. Through Hive Actions — or “cues” that can be set up based on your daily routine — the app allows for endless customization, whether your priority is convenience, staying in touch with someone while you’re out or something in between.

What’s more, Hive offers a subscription model, which means setting up the integrated, intelligent home of your dreams doesn’t come with a debilitating price tag. Homeowners can get a smart home ecosystem that meets their needs with affordable monthly payments and no upfront costs. .

Hive products do not work alone either — they play well with others. Hive products are compatible with Amazon’s Echo and Alexa, Google Home and more. You do not have to abandon your current home tech. Hive makes your current home tech better.

What’s The Plan For You?

The Hive Starter Plan ($9.99 per month/24 months) is perfect for apartment dwellers and smart-home newbies. The package includes a Hive Hub, a Hive Active Plug, two Hive Active Lights and two Hive Window or Door Sensors. This plan is designed to help users control their lights and appliances, so homeowners can set the front porch light to switch on automatically at dusk and turn the living room TV off from the bedroom.

The Hive Welcome Home Standard Plan ($24.99 per month/24 months) includes a Hive Active Thermostat, Hive Hub, two Hive Active Plugs, four Hive Active Lights, two Hive Window or Door Sensors and a Hive Motion Sensor . The most popular plan, it includes everything a homeowner needs to transform a house into a true smart home.

The Hive Welcome Home Premium Plan ($39.99 per month/24 months) includes two Hive Active Thermostats, three Hive Active Plugs, eight Hive Active Lights, four Hive Window or Door Sensors and two Hive Motion Sensors. The two-thermostat solution is crucial for larger homes with multiple heating and cooling zones: Everyone stays happy at the temperature of their choice, while conserving energy.

The Hive Heating & Cooling Plan ($12.99 per month/24 months) includes just a Hive Hub and a Hive Active Thermostat. This package is great for a vacation home. Simply switch the heating and cooling system to “on” when you hit the road and arrive to a completely comfortable home a few hours later. Or remotely set the heat a little higher when the forecast calls for a freeze.

You can control your home from hundreds of miles away.

A newer offering is the Hive Home Check Plan ($19.99 per month), which includes a Hive Hub, a Hive Camera, two Hive Active Lights, a Hive Motion Sensor, two Hive Window or Door Sensors and a 16GB Micro SD card. The Hive Camera streams HD video straight to the palm of your hand, with features like a wide-angle lens, night vision, zoom and two-way audio.

Add-ons make it even easier to customize your Hive home. Add a Hive Active Thermostat to your Starter Plan for $119.99.  Add security to your Welcome Home Standard Plan by purchasing a Hive Camera for $129.99. Extra Hive Active Lights start at $17.99, Hive Motion and Window/Door Sensors are $24.99 and Hive Active Plugs are $44.99.

Your smart home should work with your lifestyle after all. With a Hive smart home, you can pick what works for you — without ever wondering if your devices are going to actually work together. After all, a true smart home should actually be smart.