Over the years I have been slowly switching many items in my home over to smart home items. I own different smart speakers, smart plugs, smart TVs, and other smart home accessories.
This has given me access and time to assess many of these products, and one of my favorite and most beloved brands has been Nest.
I am going to start a series of posts reviewing these items and getting familiar with Google Nest Devices, and I am starting with my Google Nest Hub Max review.
My Nest product acquisitions started when I bought an indoor Nest cam to use as a baby monitor. You can read more about that here if you are inclined.
Since then I have added more cameras, a Nest doorbell, thermostat, and a couple of Google Nest Hubs. Yes couple, as in more than one. Hey, I love technology and so does my husband.
After using the camera as a baby monitor, I realized how easy it would be to add cameras throughout the home to watch my children when I could not be in the same room as them.
As a mom to three young kids home alone with them most of the day, it gave me peace of mind to be able to keep an eye on them if I had to take a shower or run up to laundry. You get the idea.
I added the security system after moving into a new home and feeling the need for one.
I also like knowing if any of the doors in our house get opened because again, I cannot watch my children every second and they are always getting into mischief.
The Google Nest Hub Max
I started off with a Google Nest Hub in my kitchen and I loved it.
One feature I wished it had was a built in camera so I could keep an eye on my kitchen area when not home, or when my kids were alone in the kitchen.
When the Google Nest Hub Max came out including a built in camera I knew I had to have it in my kitchen.
So I moved my Nest Hub up to my bedroom, and bought myself the Google Nest Hub Max.
Features I love about the Nest Hub Max include:
My personal favorite use is using it with the cameras inside and out of my home to view my sleeping toddler, who or what may be at the door, when a package arrives, and to keep an eye on my kids when playing in the basement playroom.
I also love the ability to control my thermostat and smart lights from it.
I sync my calendar and use it for my entire family so everyone can check what is going on each day.
I also can check the weather easily, use it for recipes, add reminders to it to pop up for husband.
It can be used to listen to music and even has a new media view which lets you look at all of your speakers, displays, and groups of speakers. You can also access a play music button and listen on any of the devices listed.
Another feature is to control your TV with voice if you have a Chromecast attached to your TV.
Tech specs of the Nest Hub Max:
Google Assistant built in
Chromecast built in
6.5MP Camera
10" HD Display
Stereo Speakers
What does the Nest Hub Max work with?
Lights, thermostats, doorbells, cameras, security systems, smart plugs, calendars, use for recipes, watch TV or YouTube, listen to music.
These are just some of the things you can do with the Nest Hub, and it works with many other smart products to make it happen. You can find out which ones and more from Google directly.
Additional tasks you can do with the Nest Hub Max:
Here are some suggested ideas about how to use the Nest Hub from Google.
- Just in time for NFL games, get live updates. Just say, “Hey Google, what is the score of the San Francisco 49ers game?”
- Don’t want you family member or roommate forgetting to unload the dishwasher? Create reminders for other members of your household and Face Match will automatically surface any missed reminders when they approach the device.
- If you love spending time in the kitchen getting your hands dirty, Nest Hub Max is your new sous chef. As your cooking companion, the device can read recipes and play cooking videos on YouTube while you remain completely hands-off whipping up a tasty meal.
- No more yelling at the speaker to turn down when it’s too loud and someone else is trying to talk. Simply raise your hand in front of the device and it will pause so you can carry on with your conversation.
Conclusion
As you can see I am a huge fan of my Google Nest Hub Max and use it in many ways. I think having such an amazing way to stay organized, and keep tabs on my family is a huge help for any busy mom and family.
In future posts I will discuss the differences between the Nest Hub Max and the Google Nest Hub. The main differences are the screen size and built in camera, but there are some others. And they do have a price difference too.
If you are interested in a more affordable version and do not care about the screen size the Google Nest Hub is amazing! I love it a lot and still use it upstairs.
The Google Nest Hub Max can be found here at Best Buy and many other places as well.
