Is a smart faucet worth it?

Table of Contents Table of Contents What is a smart faucet? What about the costs? Is a smart faucet worth it?

Even though we are still a long way from flying cars, our homes are getting smarter every year. From lights we can control with our voice to speakers that play music with voice commands, there are many ways we can add intelligence to our homes. While some smart home innovations make sense, there are others that may seem more unnecessary, and a smart faucet seems to be one of them.

What is a smart faucet?

Simply put, a smart faucet connects to WiFi to provide voice control or remote control of the water flow in your kitchen. Paired with a companion app for easy setup and usually linked to Google or Alexa for voice control, these faucets are beyond clever. We recently tested the U by Moen smart faucet. You can find more information about how this faucet works and what it can do in the detailed review.

However, if you're wondering why you need to talk to your water, you're not alone.

It seems a bit ridiculous to open or close a faucet while standing right next to it, in most cases within arm's reach. Surprisingly, however, a smart faucet offers many useful uses that you might not expect.

Bring water to temperature

One of the convenient functions of a smart faucet is to run water at a specific temperature. If you need cold water for a drink or as hot water as possible for a cleaning task, you can ask a smart faucet for specifics. If you simply say, “Hey Alexa, ask Moen to run hot water,” your faucet will bring the water to the highest temperature available.

Time to wash your hands

In our newly germ-conscious era, the importance of handwashing cannot be understated, but most of us underestimate how long it takes to truly clean our fingers. When you ask the smart faucet to start its hand washing function, the faucet turns on so you can wet your hands, then turns off while you lather, and turns back on just as you start lathering should be finished to get a thorough rinse.

Measure water for recipes

One of the best uses for a smart faucet is to ditch your measuring cups. With a quick “Ok Google, ask Moen to pour a cup of water,” you can add precise amounts of water to recipes, drinks, and more.

Need to fill a large pot with three gallons of water? Put the pot in the sink and ask. When you reach the exact amount, the water shuts off by itself; No overflow or underfilling.

Create simple presets to avoid wasting water

You can take your measurements a step further with a smart faucet. Some smart faucets, like Moen's U, allow you to save measurements for frequently filled items. This is very practical because you can, for example, put the dog bowl in the sink, say: “Alexa, fill the dog bowl” and then walk away without excess water spilling out. Presets for baby bottles, watering cans and ice cube trays will be just as easy and waste-free – especially in dry or drought-prone parts of the country.

What about the costs?

Anyone who has purchased a new faucet in the last few years knows that it probably costs more than you expected. Kitchen faucets aren't cheap, and depending on the style you go for, the finish you choose, and whether you want special features like a commercial-grade sprayer, you can pay anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars.

With that in mind, a smart faucet falls somewhere in the middle of this price range. Of course, you pay more for the smart technology and can upgrade (or downgrade) your finish from Honda Civic to Cadillac if you want.

Another consideration when choosing a smart faucet is that you will need a smart speaker. Whether you choose a Google Nest Audio, a hub, or Amazon's Echo Show 10 or Show 15, it should be in close proximity to the faucet so you don't have to shout commands across the room.

Is a smart faucet worth it?

I had that U by Moen I've had a smart faucet in my home for almost a year now. I can definitely tell you that there is a honeymoon phase where you demonstrate your Intellitap's precision by pouring shots of water and filling the watering can on command for your dinner party guests.

I rely on it a lot less in everyday life now than I did in the beginning, but it's still incredibly convenient, especially when my measuring cups are all in the dishwasher.

I also use it a lot for multitasking: I put the dog's water bowl in the sink and ask for a refill while I unload the dishwasher, and because I'm constantly distracted, the water automatically shuts off so I don't keep running.

In short, a smart faucet won't change your life and you won't recycle those measuring cups. But for a small additional cost over a traditional faucet, a smart faucet can be a handy helper in the kitchen.