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The days are longer, the weather's warming up, and we're all spending more time outdoors. I certainly am as my son begs to ride his bike to the playground every day after school now that the sun hasn't immediately set.

As we transition into these longer days, you might find yourself looking to solve a few problems for your outdoor-living lifestyle. Maybe you want to upgrade to a smart lock to make it easier to hang out in the neighborhood without needing to worry about your keys or locking the front door, or maybe you want some fun lighting that you don't need to manually turn on and off. Either way, those problems and many more can be solved by all kinds of outdoor smart home gadgets. Smart locks, smart lights, and more can upgrade your outdoor lounging and hosting experience from now until daylight savings sneaks up on us again.

But not every piece of smart home gear is easy on the eyes. If you're big on curb appeal, these are the gadgets I recommend grabbing to give your home some smarts without costing you in the style department.

A Discreet Smart Lock

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Chevron

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Level

Lock Pro

$349 Amazon

$349 Level

$507 Level (With Keypad and Bridge)

I am obsessed with this smart lock. The Level Lock Pro is a full-lock replacement, but it looks like you kept the original front of your lock and only swapped out the backing (which is also an option! More on invisible swaps below.) The inside even looks normal, unlike the massive, bulky backing most smart locks have. The only one who will know it's smart is you.

Even with such a small form, it's not lacking in features. You'll get lots of unlocking options, including NFC and Apple Home Key, plus Matter compatibility and a long battery life. You'll want to add Level's Connect Wi-Fi Bridge ($79) if you want to control it from afar.

A Sleek Doorbell

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Chevron

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Google

Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd Gen)

$180 $140 (22% off) Amazon

$180 $140 (22% off) Google

$180 $140 (22% off) Walmart

$180 $140 (22% off) Best Buy

When I think of a video doorbell I actually want on my home, the Nest Doorbell is the one I think of. The stylish form factor feels like a big upgrade from the bulky shapes of the Ring camera, and it comes in a handful of finishes to best match your home. It is still obvious what it is, but all video doorbells are; this one is the least amount of eyesore.

I tried the battery version, which does require you recharge it every couple of weeks, but the wired-in version is the top recommendation on our guide to the Best Video Doorbells.

A Better Birdhouse

Photograph: Kat Merck

Video: Kat Merck

Chevron

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Birdfy

Nest Duo

$300 $280 (7% off) Amazon

I had a new-to-me problem this spring: bird invasion. A little bird made a nest in my front-door wreath without us noticing. One evening, my sister opened the door, and the bird flew out of the nest and straight into our house. After a 30-minute battle to get it outside again (and keep my cat from eating it), it wasn't until we saw the bird fly off the door again the next day that we realized it was calling our home its home, too.

If this is a common problem at your house, our resident bird-gear tester Kat Merck has a solution: a smart nesting box. Birdfy makes a few different smart bird feeders we like for bird-watching, and the Nest Duo is a birdhouse that lets you watch the birds while they nest inside of it. It's a slim, attractive box that will add to your front yard's style while also packing two solar-powered cameras (one facing the entrance, one focused inside) so you can bird-watch from multiple angles. It comes with different hole sizes to appeal to different species, metal predator guards to prevent chewing around the hole, and a remote control to reset or recharge the camera without disturbing your feathered neighbors.

Stylish Smart Lights

Courtesy of Govee

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Govee

Outdoor Clear Bulb String Lights

$100 $80 (20% off) Govee

$100 $80 (20% off) Amazon (48 ft.)

I've liked Govee's smart outdoor string lights before, usually for my holiday decor, and have previously recommended something similar with a bistro-light-like look that happened to be smart. These clear bulb string lights are part of Govee's current lineup and have a contemporary twist with a triangle in the center instead of the wire filament. These are a fun option for outdoor lights you can enjoy on warm nights, and they can do every color and shade of white without looking as bulky as permanent outdoor lights. (Added bonus, these lights are a

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