Best Tech Gadgets for Minimalist Living

Last Updated on May 27, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Why am I sharing the best tech gadgets for minimalist living? There was a discussion in one of my minimalism groups last week about how technology and minimalism fit together. Some people felt that technology had no part in minimalism. Others felt that using technology made living a minimalist life easier for them. It made me think about the role that technology plays in my life. 

Best Tech Gadgets for Minimalist Living

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ve probably already guessed that I think technology is kind of cool. I love anything that helps me get things done easier because it gives me more time to focus on what’s important to me. I’m also passionate bout things that have more than one use because why would I want five things when I can have one thing that has five functions? Here are a few of my favorite tech gadgets for minimalist living.

Nest Learning Thermometer

Unlike many thermometers, the Nest Learning Thermostat learns from your preferences, so it can adjust the temperature for you at certain times of the day without you having to touch it. At night before bed, I like to turn the temperature down from 68F to 65F. Do I remember to do that?

About half the time, I forget which means I use more energy overnight than I have to. The Nest Learning Thermometer does it for me without me remembering. Another great feature is the fact that it can connect to your smartphone and turn the heat down when you go to work in the morning and back up when it sense you are home again. As an added benefit, it works with my Amazon Alexa.

Amazon Echo and Dot

Think of the Amazon Echo as your personal assistant. It’s a virtual assistant that is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, and other real-time information.

What does that mean? I can ask Alexa to set a timer for dinner, order something from Amazon, add an appointment to my calendar, turn the heat up or down, read me the news headlines, tell me a joke, read my favorite podcasts or answer math questions. The Amazon Dot is a hands-free way for you to communication with the Echo. We have them upstairs and in the kitchen where the Echo may not hear us. I can pretty much talk to Alexa anywhere in my home.

Sandman Clock

The Sandman is a modern hybrid of the charging station and alarm clock. The integrated USB ports and cable management allow the user to charge up to four devices at once while hiding the clutter. The Sandman features larger than usual 1.8” red digits that will auto dim at night.

The Sandman works in both 12 hour and 24 hour time modes and has an integrated alarm clock with a snooze button and battery backup. I love my technology but having miscellaneous gadgets charging all over the house looks cluttered to me.

With the Sandman Clock, I can charge all of my tech including my phone and my FitBit in one place before bed. When I wake up, I’m reminded to collect my various devices because they are right there in front of the alarm clock. At night, I’m reminded to charge them all when I set the alarm. There is only one plug in the outlet rather than a messy power cord filled with plugs.

Netatmo Weather Station

The Netatmo Weather Station is a smart device that monitors things like temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and even noise levels both inside and outside of the home. It also works with the Amazon Echo so I can ask for information about the weather or monitor it on my smartphone.

You can also receive notifications when the temperature drops below a certain level or when the carbon dioxide levels rise inside. There are a variety of other modules you can add to it including a rain gauge and a wind monitor. There are also related devices that can be used for facial recognition and to monitor other rooms in your room. I love that this is multifunctional and can do so many different things. Plus, it has a sleek design that takes up very little space.

Parrot Flower Power

I love house plants, but for some reason, they don’t do very well in my home. Honestly, I know exactly the reason. I forget about them, and they die. The Parrot Flower Power is a smart device that monitors temperature, light, water and fertilizer levels in your houseplants.

It sends you notifications to your phone when something is wrong like it needs water or it needs to be moved somewhere brighter. You simply tell the Parrot Flower Power what type of plant it is, and then forget about it. Until you get a notification. Even I cannot mess that up. The version I have is now not available since it’s a few years old, but there is a Parrot Smart Pot that works pretty much the same way.

Check out these must have kitchen essentials for a minimalist kitchen.

Which tech gadgets for minimalist living do you find most necessary?