Smart home gadgets There are no limits these days. You can control everything from your garage door to every light bulb in your house… if you’re interested enough to replace it all. The front door has had clever additions over the years—smart door locks, video doorbellsensors tell you whether the door is closed or not—so why not make the door smart?
At least it’s smart in some sense. Home Depot’s newest smart door, manufactured by Feather River and powered by Home Depot’s smart home Hubspace platform, integrates smart glass windows and starting today you can Buy it on Home Depot’s website. It will require a USB-C power connection or use the included battery to power that smart window.
This isn’t the company’s first foray into smart doors, though it is the most affordable option, with prices ranging from $798 to $998 depending on window size. That’s still not cheap, but it’s not a terrible price for a front door with large windows, let alone windows that you can control.
For Opacity’s sake
Photo: Home Depot
Smart Glass Doors have one key trick: You can control the door like you control a light, tapping to turn dimming 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 a Amazon Alexa or Google Nest loudspeaker. Windows can be clear allowing for light and great views of the outdoors or covered with glass for privacy. No more having 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 similarly to any other smart home app, with options for controlling your Hubspace devices as well as creating schedules and routine options. Even though Hubspace is a lesser known name and a bit newer in the field after launching in 2021, everything I tested from it worked well. It also works well with the two most popular voice assistants, so adding it to your home should be pretty easy.
With paintable fiberglass construction, composite windows and decorative panels on the bottom of Smart Glass doors, Smart Glass doors have a sleek, modern look. It offers four window size options, allowing the smart glass to fill most, half or just the top quarter of the center of the door. The Craftsman style small window door is cheapest at $798, while three-quarter windows and full-size windows both retail for $998.
Smart Glass Doors solve a privacy problem homeowners may face: Do people really want a large window in their front door? Purely aesthetic, but without other security measures, a truly transparent window doesn’t always feel safe. It’s certainly nice if you want more light in your front room, and you might want to look out into your yard or give your pets a clear view of the mail carrier. It’s great to have privacy from potential home invaders and door-to-door salesmen who don’t need to know you work from home. Smart Glass Doors allow you to have both without sacrificing the other.
Batteries have no brain
Photo: Home Depot
Smart Glass Doors can operate on both battery and USB-C if you have an outlet nearby on the hinge side of the door; The battery is expected to last about two months depending on usage. If your Wi-Fi is down, you can connect to the door via Bluetooth to continue being able to control it. If the door loses power, it will automatically switch the window to opaque mode, providing privacy for your home while waiting for the power to return or the battery to charge.
