From smart snoring solutions to smart flip flops, it’s safe to say there are some pretty weird IoT devices out there.
In this blog post, we take a look at some of the most bonkers ones we could find: be warned, they get more ridiculous as the list goes on.
Not quite sure what the Internet of Things (IoT) is? Check out our Ultimate Guide to IoT for all the need-to-know details.
1. Smart cat litter tray
LavvieBot is a ‘mindfully designed, perfectly automated’ cat litter tray. The LavvieBot also sends you a notification via the ‘PurrSong’ app when your cat ‘does their business’. Charming!
We’re not going to scoff at anything that benefits the health and wellbeing of animals, though. LavvieBot has great intentions.
2. Smart snoring solution
You know what – this one is actually quite useful.
The Nora snoring solution consists of a pad under your pillow linked to a little gadget by your bed. When you start to snore, it gently moves your head to open your airways: no more snoring, and they claim you won’t feel a thing, either.
Nora will set you back $359, but for anyone who shares a bed with a snorer, it’s priceless.
3. Smart home fragrance dispenser
Somebody tell Air Wick: Pura is coming for their crown. Because why simply puff something nice smelling out every hour when you could control it from your phone?
Granted, this isn’t that strange, and there are a lot of them out there – but it certainly feels like an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ situation.
4. Smart deodorant
The Click Stick had truly noble goals. Through a clever dispensing system, the ‘world’s first’ smart deodorant aimed to dispense the perfect amount of product to ensure both user comfort and sustainable use. You can also set your preferences in a mobile app to allow for auto-orders.
Sadly, despite 1,420 backers pledging $65,172 to this project, Click Stick doesn’t seem to have gotten off the ground.
On a serious note, products like Wild and AKT offer vegan, sustainable and cruelty- and plastic-free deodorants, so in a way, they’ve taken the baton from Click Stick. You just don’t need a mobile app to use them.
5. Smart toilet
Stuck on a gift to buy for the person who has everything? Look no further!
Kohler has developed this IoT must-have - the Numi 2.0 smart toilet! With an auto-open heated seat and built-in speakers, it’s got everything you could ever imagine. You can even personalise your experience, and voice active the different presets. It’s also Alexa-enabled!
Best of all, the Numi 2.0 will only set you back $7,000 to $8,000 dollars.
6. Smart belt
Step counting is all the rage, but why use a watch or your phone when you could use a smart belt? While you’re there, the WELT will let you know your waist size!
Unfortunately this is one of the ghosts in this list: the WELT is no longer for sale. We’re sure the branding had nothing to do with it.
7. Smart salt shaker
Looking to ‘enhance your dining experience’? Well meet Smalt: ‘the world’s first interactive centerpiece and salt dispenser’ that can play music and produce mood lighting as well as measuring out your salt.
Candlelight dinners? Get outta town!
8. Smart...stick?
Have you ever wished your bike light would also be able to display ‘lovely messages’ and also be a cooking timer? What about being able to hold a light up at a festival whilst also being able to have the weather visualised? Perhaps you’ve wished you could time your fitness routine whilst also taking a concept selfie? All whilst being controlled and customised from your phone?
Well sadly, you can’t. Despite being encouraged to ‘pre-order now, fancy’ it doesn’t seem like MStick is available anymore. We’ll have to resort back to looking out the window to find out the current weather.
9. Smart toaster
I have always wanted to send my friends pictures on toast! My dreams are coming true!
No really – 1,967 backers pledged $187,849 on Kickstarter to Toasteroid, a smart toaster that ‘makes burning your bread far more fun’. You can use your smart phone to set the darkness of your toast, and yes, if a friend has the same toaster you can send them a picture on toast.
I’m just going to leave this one here.
10. Smart flip flops
If you thought that smart flip flops might be linked to your smartphone to track your steps, you would be sorely mistaken.
These ‘smart’ flip flops from Hari Mari might just be the dumbest smart device we’ve ever come across. I know that sounds rude, but bear with me – their sole ‘smart’ function is to help Hari Mari send more targeted promotions.
It’s also really quite ominous. Hari Mari co-founder Jeremy Stewart has said: "We're interested to know basic customer and purchase information, so we can garner a better idea of who our customers are, which of our products they prefer, and what they like to do in our footwear from an activities standpoint, so we can better tailor future products, content and marketing to their preferences." What better way to do that then to put a chip in your flip flop and send god-knows-what data to a shoe brand.
AND THEY’RE $110. According to Stewart, because the customer would be getting more customised marketing and therefore a more ‘robust’ Hari Mari experience, “the value-add to the customer experience would make any additional costs well worth it."
Designed with Nokona, the world’s leading maker of premium baseball gloves, it seems that Hari Mari might have gotten the picture: there’s no mention of smart technology in the flip flop’s copy anymore.
The bottom line
Take heed: these IoT devices may be amusing, and it’s very tempting to buy fun gadgets like these on a whim but it’s really important to think about why you need them. Any device that is connected to the internet has vulnerabilities and is susceptible to hackers. We’ve written all about it in our Ultimate Guide to IoT – take a look.
