This wooden smart home controller is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen in ages

Smart home tech is one thing when it can control every aspect of your home, but when it looks amazing whilst doing so, that’s a whole different level. That’s exactly why the Mui Board has completely caught my eye, which, believe it or not, is a smart home controller that's made entirely out of wood.

First unveiled at CES 2019, the Mui Board features a capacitive surface that comes alive with glowing dot-matrix icons, letting you access the kind of information you’d usually expect from a smart display. This includes controlling music, adjusting smart lights, setting timers and viewing messages.

The second-gen model debuted in 2023 and became available for purchase earlier this year on Mui's online store. At $999 or around £800, it’s definitely a premium gadget, but for someone who loves smart tech that doubles as home décor, it could be perfect.

Created by Japan-based Mui Labs, the board comes in natural maple or dark cherry. It connects to Wi-Fi and automatically displays the time and weather, and it even has two small speakers and a microphone for recording messages. It’s powered by an included AC adapter and supports Matter, integrating with Sonos, Philips Hue, SwitchBot and more.

It’s undeniable that the Mui Board is up there with some of the coolest devices I’ve seen in a long time – and that’s saying something considering all the incredible tech being showcased at CES this week. I haven’t been able to confirm UK and Europe availability yet, but as soon as I hear, you can be sure I’ll be making some enquiries!