Homeowners Turn to Smart-Home Tech in Pandemic - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Homeowners Turn to Smart-Home Tech in Pandemic

One in four Americans purchased a smart-home device in 2020, according to a new survey from SafeWise, a firm that offers safety solutions and resources for the home. The majority of those surveyed say they are spending more time using home tech and are increasing their home tech spending and report using smart-home technology at least once a day.

SafeWise surveyed 1,000 Americans to ask them about their home technology spending habits and how they’ve changed since the pandemic.

Eighty-five percent of Americans bought a smart-home device in 2020, according to the survey. The most popular smart-home products over the past year have included TVs, speakers and displays, and lighting. Also, more than 40% of Americans surveyed say they purchased a security camera or alarm system in 2020.

The pandemic likely fueled interest in smart-home tech as more people spent more time at home, including working from home. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that more than 88 million people have been teleworking since the pandemic. That likely has prompted more households to increase their tech usage. Seventy-six percent of respondents said they had never purchased smart-home tech in previous years.

But smart-tech spending is also being driven by the desire to increase entertainment, comfort, and convenience, the survey said. That uptick overshadowed spending on safety-related devices, which usually have been the most popular smart-home devices.

A chart showing results of the survey about which smart home tech products people bought in 2020
A chart showing how much Americans spent on home tech in 2020

 Source: SafeWise

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