I Removed Half My Smart Devices — These Were the Ones Worth Keeping

The purge was painful. The clarity was priceless. Here’s what survived my great smart home simplification.

By Jordan Vale | Technology Enthusiast & Home Systems Optimizer

I hit a breaking point last spring. My smart home had become a part-time job. I was managing 47 devices across 8 apps, troubleshooting weekly, and constantly teaching my family “the right way” to do things. The promise of convenience had become a prison of complexity.

So I did something radical: I unplugged everything. Every smart bulb, every sensor, every gadget. Then, over a month, I only reconnected devices as I genuinely missed them. Not as I thought I should have them. As I actually needed them.

The result? I went from 47 devices to 23. My smart home bill dropped by 60%. My frustration dropped by 90%. And something unexpected happened: my home felt truly smart for the first time. Here’s what made the cut—and why.

The moment of truth came when my voice assistant misheard “turn on the kitchen light” as “call Karen at night.” Karen was not pleased. That’s when I realized: complexity isn’t a feature. It’s a bug.

The Survivors: Category by Category

1. The Essentials (Non-Negotiables)

These are the devices whose absence created immediate, tangible problems.

A. Water Leak Detectors (Flo by Moen)

• Why They Stayed: I didn’t realize I was carrying low-grade “water damage anxiety” until it vanished. These are silent insurance policies. After my purge, a small leak developed under my kitchen sink. The detector alerted me at the first drip. Damage: $0. Peace of mind: priceless.
• The Lesson: Devices that prevent catastrophe earn permanent spots. This aligns perfectly with choosing <u>sustainability that pays you back over time</u>—sometimes the payback is avoiding disaster.

B. Smart Thermostat (Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium)

• Why It Stayed: It’s the only device that pays me cash every month. My energy bills dropped 12% year-round. More importantly, I never think about my HVAC. It just works. The air quality sensor is a bonus that ties into creating a <u>supportive home</u>.

2. The Quality-of-Life Upgrades

These didn’t solve emergencies, but their absence made daily life noticeably worse.

A. Smart Locks (Schlage Encode)

• Why They Stayed: The mental load of keys is heavier than you think. Not just losing them—the constant “did I lock it?” check. With smart locks, that subroutine is permanently deleted from my brain. For guests, temporary codes are revolutionary.
• Connection: This is a prime example of <u>home tech that reduces cognitive load</u> in its purest form.

B. Circadian Lighting (Philips Hue White Ambiance)

• Why It Stayed: I re-added these one by one. The bedroom ones went back first (gentle wake-up). Then the living room (evening wind-down). The bathrooms? Still dumb bulbs. The key: strategic placement. Only where light quality directly impacts mood and routine.

C. Robot Vacuum (Roborock Q5+)

• Why It Stayed: It runs at 2 PM every Tuesday and Friday. I don’t think about vacuuming. Ever. This isn’t a “smart” device; it’s a service I own. The value isn’t in the app; it’s in the 52 hours of time it gives me back each year.

3. The Single-Purpose Sensors

These do one thing perfectly and never ask for attention.

A. Motion Sensors for Pathway Lighting (Philips Hue)

• Why They Stayed: One in the hallway for nighttime bathroom trips. One in the laundry room (hands-full lighting). That’s it. No complex automations. Just: motion = dim light for 2 minutes.
• The Philosophy: This is <u>smart home tools that make your space feel calmer, not smarter</u> in practice. Invisible utility.

B. Contact Sensors for “Left Open” Alerts (Aqara)

• Why They Stayed: One on the garage door. One on the backyard gate. If either is open past 10 PM, I get a notification. That’s it. No automations, no scenes. Pure, simple peace of mind.

What Got Cut (And Why)

The Departure Lounge:

• Color-Changing Bulbs: Used twice for parties, otherwise white.
• Smart Plugs Everywhere: Kept 3 (Christmas lights, router, aquarium). Cut 8.
• Voice-Controlled Everything: Kept voice for music/podcasts only.
• Over-Engineered Security: Replaced with simple, reliable cameras (Eufy).
• “Smart” Kitchen Gadgets: The talking microwave was funny for a week.

The Pattern: Anything that required more digital management than physical effort saved got cut. The 80/20 rule is brutal but true: 20% of devices deliver 80% of the value.

The “Would I Buy It Again?” Test

My new rule for any potential purchase:

1. What specific, daily friction does this solve? (Be brutally honest)
2. Can it work without an internet connection? (Local control = reliability)
3. What’s the simplest possible way to use it? (Complexity is a cost)

Fail any test, and it doesn’t enter my home. This is how you <u>upgrade your home without turning it into a project</u>—with ruthless prioritization.

Your Simplification Weekend

Step 1: The Inventory (Saturday AM)
List every smart device. Use a spreadsheet: Device | Location | Last Used | Frustration Level (1-10)

Step 2: The Unplugging (Saturday PM)
Unplug everything that scores above 5 on frustration or hasn’t been used in a month. Put them in a box.

Step 3: The Living Test (One Week)
Live with the “dumb” version of your home. Notice what you genuinely miss. Not what you think you should miss.

Step 4: The Selective Reconnection (Next Weekend)
Re-add only the devices you actively missed. One at a time. Set them up in their simplest, most reliable configuration.

The space that opens up—both physical and mental—is the real upgrade. For more on building a home that supports rather than complicates, see my thoughts on <u>the difference between a beautiful home and a supportive one</u>.

Quick-Fire Q&A

Q: Wasn’t this expensive? Throwing away half your tech?
A: I sold most of it on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Recouped about 40% of my investment. More importantly, I stopped the bleed of future spending on gadgets I didn’t need. The financial and mental ROI was positive within months.

Q: What about compatibility? Don’t you need everything on one platform?
A: The compatibility obsession is a trap. My surviving devices live on 3 platforms: HomeKit, SmartThings, and their own apps. They don’t talk to each other much, and that’s fine. Reliability trumps integration.

Q: How do I convince my family/partner to do this?
A: Don’t frame it as “throwing away money.” Frame it as “reducing frustration.” Pick the device everyone hates (the one that never works right) and remove it first. The relief is usually unanimous.

Q: What’s the one device you regret cutting?
A: My smart blinds. I miss the “good morning” scene where they opened with my alarm. But they cost $4,000 for my windows and failed twice. The cost/frustration ratio didn’t justify it. Sometimes the dream doesn’t match the reality.

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About Jordan Vale: I’ve learned that the most intelligent home isn’t the one with the most technology, but the one with the most thoughtful editing.