Love having sleepover Shabbos guests and want to make them feel comfortable and provide them with an exceptional experience? While smart homes have become popular, many smart room perks are not permissible on Shabbos.
Here are some tech gadgets that can help guests have a pleasant weekend stay – and can be useful on Shabbos.
Shabbos Lamp: A Shabbos lamp enables your guests to read or chill in their room Friday night. There are various types of Shabbos lamps, such as Shabulb or the traditional Shabbos lamp, which blocks the light with a cover.
Keyless Entry: A keyless entry makes it easier for you and your guests. You don’t have to worry about remembering to get the key back before they leave, and the guests don’t have to worry about forgetting the key and being locked out of the house without a phone or a way to reach you.
Wi-Fi Boosters: There is nothing like getting the Wi-Fi code and discovering it doesn’t work well in the basement guest room. Wi-Fi boosters increase the Wi-Fi range to every room of the house, enabling the guest to get ready for Shabbos and use their phone.
Wireless Device Chargers: Most guests will bring their own charging device. Yet how many outlets are in the room? It is never fun for guests who are rushing to get ready for Shabbos to have to choose between charging their phone or blow-drying their hair.
An alternative to the wireless device charger is the PowerCube Electric Outlet Wall Adapter, which increases the number of USB ports or electrical outlets in the room. When the guest leaves, you can take the PowerCube Electric Outlet Wall Adapter to another room where they can be more useful.
Odor-free Bug-Free Rooms: No one likes to sleep in a musty room in a basement – and no one likes to see a family of ants, or worse, roaches crawling across the floor.
For guestrooms with that “old” smell, GermGuardian fights odors. It also works to kill airborne germs and reduces or eliminates the development of fungi, bacteria and viruses.
An alternative product with a slightly different goal is uHome, which emits powerful penetrating ultrasonic waves to drive insects and rodents away. While the sounds are not audible to the human ear, pet owners should be cognizant that while dogs don’t mind it, many other pets, such as cats, might be sensitive to the sound.
Portable Heaters: In the cold of winter, if the heat doesn’t reach the guestroom at full capacity, you might want to consider providing your guests with portable heaters to warm them up. There are numerous portable heaters on the market. Unfortunately, due to fire hazards, many aren’t suitable to be left on all Shabbos.
The Alpha Heater is a small device that plugs into an electrical outlet. It purports to heat up a 500 square-foot room in just 60 seconds. You can set the temperature, and a timer automatically turns the heater off when it reaches said temperature. Alpha Heater also has a built-in mechanism ensuring that, should it fall over, the device shuts down, as well as an antimicrobial filter to prevent dust and mold from growing in the room. (And, of course, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to take all precautionary measures and to ensure the device is not a fire hazard.)
White Noise Machines (With Timers)/Noise Reducing Curtains: If you have children who wake up early, an investment in a white noise machine will allow guests to wake up Shabbos day in peace, when they are ready. Alternatively, if you have noisy neighbors, a pair of noise reducing curtains to help muffle outside noises will have your guests thanking you.
A Glow-In-The-Dark Clock: This may seem like an obvious one. Because many people use their phones as clocks, it can be easy to forget to put one in a guestroom. It is incredibly annoying for guests to wake up on Shabbos day without knowing the time.
