Smart home devices We have no limits these days. You can control everything from your garage door to every light bulb in your house… if you’re enthusiastic enough to replace them all. Entry doors have had smart accessories added to them over the years (smart locks, video doorbells, sensors to tell you if the door is closed), so why not make the door smart?
At least, intelligent in some ways. Home Depot’s newest smart door, made by Feather River and powered by the Home Depot smart home Central space platform, incorporates a smart glass window, and from today you can buy it on the Home Depot website. It will require a USB-C power connection or use the included battery to power that smart window.
It’s not the company’s first foray into smart doors, although it is the most affordable option, ranging in price from $798 to $998 depending on window size. It’s still not cheap, but it’s not a terrible price for a front door with a large window, let alone a window you can control.
For the sake of opacity
Photography: Home Depot
The Smart Glass door has one main trick: you can control the door like you would a light, tapping to turn the opacity on and off instead of a bright bulb. You can control it through Home Depot’s Hubspace app or connect your Hubspace app to a voice assistant to control it with voice commands to an Amazon Alexa or Google Nest speaker. The window can be a clear window that allows light in and a view of the outdoors, or it can be frosted to provide privacy. You no longer have to choose just one window style for your door – now you can have both.
Hubspace is Home Depot’s internal smart home ecosystem. It works similar to any other smart home app, with options to control your Hubspace devices and create schedules and routine options. While Hubspace is a lesser-known name and a bit newer to the space after launching in 2021, everything I’ve tried has worked well. It also works well with the two most popular voice assistants, so it’s pretty easy to add to your home.
With the Smart Glass door’s paintable fiberglass construction, composite window, and decorative panels at the bottom, the Smart Glass door has a nice, contemporary look. It offers four window size options, allowing the smart glass to take up most, half, or just the top quarter of the center of the door. The door with the small Craftsman-style window is the least expensive at $798, while the three-quarter window and full size window both sell for $998.
The Smart Glass door solves a privacy problem homeowners might face: Does one really want to have a huge window in the front door? There is absolutely aesthetic appeal, but without other security measures, a really clear window may not always appear safe. It’s certainly nice to have if you want more light in your front room and maybe want a view of your garden or give your pet a clear view of the postman. It’s equally nice to have privacy from potential home invaders and door-to-door salespeople who don’t need to know you work from home. The Smart Glass door allows you to have both without sacrificing the other.
Brainless battery
Photography: Home Depot
The Smart Glass door can be powered by both battery and USB-C if it has a nearby power outlet on the hinge side of the door; The battery is expected to last around two months depending on use. If your Wi-Fi goes down, you can connect to your door via Bluetooth to still be able to control it. If the door loses power, it will automatically switch the window to blackout mode, giving your home privacy while you wait for the power to return or the battery to charge.