Nobody wants to be cooped up in the house all day—not even Alexa!
All kidding aside, chances are, you may have a Dot or Echo in multiple rooms in your house.
But have you considered putting one outside? You can plug in into an outlet in an indoor/outdoor space, like a screened porch. Or you can use a portable battery base to go wireless and bring her further afield. Here are a few reasons you should.
- Check who’s outside. Video doorbells like Ring are fantastic—they let you know who’s at the door, but also let you see what’s going on outside beyond your front stoop. If you’re not ready to commit to that you, consider placing an Echo Show outside, with the screen facing the walkway or overlooking the backyard. You can then use the Drop In feature any time you want to see what’s going on by saying, “Alexa, drop in on [device name].” It’s great for security, and also for checking in on kids playing out back without disturbing them.
- Adjust outdoor lights with ease. I used to have one of the old-fashioned timers for my front-door light, and would get so frustrated when I needed to change the settings as they days got shorter or daylight savings kicked in. Using a smart bulb and a nearby device makes it so easy to turn on and off lights, or adjust the timing in my lights routine.
- Rock out outdoors. To listen to music or podcasts while doing yardwork, place your Alexa speaker outside. You can enjoy your tunes and you can change the playlist or song with voice commands from wherever you are in the garden, rather than stopping what you’re doing to fumble with buttons.
Pro Tip #1: Place it in an unobstrusive spot where it’s not visible to passersby—think under a chair, next to a planter, or even by an outdoors-facing window.
Pro Tip #2: Alexa’s reach is only as far as your wifi goes. An easy solution is to place a router by a window or door, nearest to where you want access. If that doesn’t work, there are also WiFi extenders designed for the outdoors. Check out Netgear’s Orbi Outdoor, or ask your internet company if they have any they recommendations for your situation