Bring your living room into 2025 with these 12 smart tech items

Published January 3, 2025

composite photo of smart tech items for living room

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composite photo of smart tech items for living room
Graphic by Kayleigh Drake, product photos courtesy of Amazon

When you think of living room makeovers, you probably think of TV shows where thousands of dollars are spent, walls are broken down, and maybe some questionable furniture decisions are made. But for those of us who don’t have a mega-budget for improving our living room, why not aim for a different type of makeover and provide your living space with a tech upgrade at more manageable prices?

The products on this list will add functionality and style to any living room without costing you an arm and a leg. From smart floor lamps and ceiling fans to sleek TV speakers, these products are all useful — and they don’t involve an overdose of shiplap!

1. This aerotower provides whisper-quiet and thorough air purification with an unobtrusive design, and it can be powered via phone or a virtual assistant like Alexa.

>> Buy the LG PuriCare AeroTower Air Purifier Fan for $299.99 on Amazon

2. With 12 speeds, three fan modes and an LED light that can produce thousands of different color combinations, this is a fan-light combo that’s both convenient and stylish.

>> Buy the Dreo Ceiling Fans with Lights for $149.99 on Amazon

3. This streaming amplifier provides amazing sound and is designed to control all the speakers in your home, from your TV soundbar to your stereo system.

>> Buy the WiiM Amp Pro: Multiroom Streaming Amplifier for $379.99 on Amazon

4. Display all your pictures and videos through this digital picture frame, which also gives you the power to create custom slideshows (and even reposition photos in the frame).

>> Buy the Nixplay Digital Picture Frame [AI-Enhanced] for $139.99 on Amazon

5. This Bose soundbar has a small footprint at under 24 inches long, but it provides big sound that makes a great accompaniment to your TV or as an external speaker via Bluetooth.

>> Buy the Bose TV Speaker for $279 on Amazon

6. Get into the hands-free vacuum revolution with the iRobot Roomba vacuum, which learns how to clean your living room and even recharges itself when needed.

>> Buy the iRobot Roomba Vac Robot Vacuum for $249.99 on Amazon

7. This lamp is so slim that you won’t notice it during the day. But at night, or in a darkened room, it blooms with a plethora of lighting presets for different occasions and offers customizable DIY modes.

>> Buy the Govee Floor Lamp 2 for $149.99 on Amazon

8. This three-pack of smart light switches can be controlled from anywhere in the house and turned on or off using voice command.

>> Buy the Kasa Smart Light Switch HS200P3 for $44.99 on Amazon

9. What would a smart living room be without a smart TV? This 4k TV comes with a built-in media center to access your favorite streaming services — and can even serve as an artwork display!

>> Buy the Roku Smart TV 50-Inch Select Series for $299.99 on Amazon

10. Give yourself some privacy and sun protection with these motorized blackout blinds, which can be controlled with the included remote or by voice command through Alexa devices.

>> Buy the Yoolax Motorized Blinds with Remote for $139 on Amazon

11. This compact outlet extender provides plenty of electrical outlets and ports for charging your devices without need for a bulky power strip.

>> Buy the Outlet Extender with Night Light for $16.97 on Amazon

12. Furnish your living room with a home theater without wasting space on a huge TV. This smart projector supports all the latest HD resolutions and Dolby Audio.

>> Buy the Aurzen EAZZE D1 Smart Projector with WiFi and Bluetooth for $149.99 on Amazon

Ho Lin is a content writer at McClatchy. He has over two decades of experience in content strategy, creation, and development, ranging from subjects such as anime and manga to military benefits, job search advice and AI evaluation. Ho is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and holds a M.A. in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Ho also writes both fiction and non-fiction; his books include China Girl and Bond Movies: A Retrospective.