The best smart plugs and switches make a big difference in your smart home, allowing you to control your appliance, schedule it, and in some cases monitor your energy usage even when you’re not at home.
Indeed, they may not be the most exciting smart home devices you can buy. Picking up one of the top smart speakers, setting up a colorful lighting system with the best smart lights, or setting up one of the best robot vacuums may look more convenient and attractive. Maybe. But if your home is equipped with at least one or two smart plugs or smart switches, all of this works even better.
So where do you start using smart plugs? With most smart home products these days, there are many models available and it can be difficult to choose the right model.
With that in mind, we have ranked the best smart plugs and switches we have tested to help you determine the best smart plugs and switches for your home.
The best ranked smart plugs and switches
The Eve Energy smart plug is the best in our eyes, but it has one small flaw. It’s compatible with HomeKit, but it doesn’t work with Alexa or the Google Assistant. Easy to use, it tracks the energy consumption of connected devices. If you provide specific details from your energy provider, your total cost will also be tracked.
Smart plugs connect via Bluetooth or threaded smart home technology (if you have a HomePod Mini or Apple TV at home). So you can control it even when you’re not at home. Threads are more stable than Wi-Fi and put an end to smart home devices not responding.
Like most of the best smart plugs, its white design is simple, but don’t be fooled by it. There are many useful features such as the ability to create schedules.
Read the full review: Eve Energy Smart Plug
If your home is all Alexa, it makes perfect sense to choose an Amazon-branded smart plug. It may not be the cheapest smart plug on the market, but it integrates well with Alexa routines, making it easy to set up home automation.
The relatively bulky smart plug connects to the internet via Wi-Fi, so you can control it even when you’re not at home, and the QR code made it very easy to set up.
Tests have shown that it responds when controlled by both the app or Alexa. It doesn’t have energy monitoring capabilities, and it doesn’t have an away mode that helps stop intruders by randomly turning the device on or off, but it’s still a solid smart plug.
Read the full review: Amazon smart plug
Belkin WeMo Insight is a neat little device. It’s bigger than the photo, so it’s not exactly “small”, so if you put it in the bottom outlet, be prepared for the bulky plug that covers the top outlet (not the same if you reverse the order)).
However, we consider the Belkin WeMoInsight smart plug to be the best light switch on the market. We like that it gives you insight into your energy usage and also gives you an estimate of how much you are spending on energy. This is great if you want to reduce your monthly electricity bill and at the same time be a little more environmentally friendly.
One of the big drawbacks is that you do most of the work with In-App WeMo Insight, which leaves a lot of demand for your app. Yes, you can turn the device on and off from the app’s home screen, but if you start digging deeper, you’ll run into problems. Removing the device from the app is difficult and annoying.
One of the quality of use of the app is that the plug can be used to integrate with other services such as IFTTT, Alexa, Google Assistant, Works with Nest, and (unofficially) Samsung SmartThings.
Only Apple’s HomeKit is missing from this smart plug house party, but you can connect using the HomeKit Bridge sold by Belkin. For more flexibility, check out the Belkin WeMo Dimmer Light switch.
Read the full review: Belkin WeMoInsight smart plug
For Alexa and Google Assistant-based smart homes, this compact smart plug is a valuable option. It doesn’t support energy monitoring and HomeKit, but it’s slim, easy to use, and has a convenient away mode that randomly turns plugs on and off. Great for connecting to a radio or lamp and helping prevent unwanted stuff. invader.
Like all the smart plugs in this lineup, the plain white design won’t win the style award, but it does provide almost every feature we expect, such as scheduling and creating automation. A place where other TP-Link brand products work in conjunction with smart plugs.
Read the full review: TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim KP105
Hive started out as a manufacturer of smart thermostats, but has grown to be one of the largest names in all kinds of smart home devices, including lights, cameras, locks and plugs. It’s one of the most affordable ecosystems and cheaper than Philips Hue if you’re interested in trying out smart lighting.
Hive Active plugs require either a Hive Active Heating thermostat or a Hive Hub, but once you use it, it’s easy to set up and use. You can create schedules (up to 6 time slots per day), use the Hive app on your phone to trigger plugs, and link to Hive switches and sensors.
Not only is the Hive Active Plug one of the cheapest smart plugs, but its relatively small size makes it one of the least noticeable (if not stylish) options available.
Sure, you decorated your home with smart LED bulbs like the Philips Hue, but if these aren’t connected to a smart switch, you’ll lose the connection if the lights aren’t controlled by your smartphone.
That’s where smart switches like the TP-Link HS200 come in. This well-designed switch can be plugged in, but just like the old-fashioned models, it also gives you a satisfying click.
But the similarities with old-fashioned switches end there. This switch makes use of a similarly well-designed app called Kasa. From the app, you can create different scenes that turn on or off specific lights, or set the lights to turn on when the motion sensor in your house detects motion.
This switch works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can ask both to turn your home TP-Link switch on or off.
Although not as good as the Belkin WeMo smart plug (above), TP-Link makes your home a more connected creature. This is perfect if you want to take your home home in the 21st century.
Unfortunately, this switch is currently only available in the United States.
Read the full review: TP-Link HS200 Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch
If you’re looking for a cheap and simple smart plug, visit your local Ikea to check out the branded TRÅDFRI series of smart home products that offer this minimal and reliable smart plug.
You can control it through the app, operate it manually, or program it to work on schedule. It supports HomeKit, so it’s a surefire option if you already have some smart devices connected to the Apple ecosystem.
How do smart plugs work?
The smart plug can be plugged into a current power outlet to connect to your home Wi-Fi network and can be controlled using the app for your smartphone.
Not only can you turn the plug on or off from the app, but in many cases you can schedule it to turn it on or off automatically at a set time. Others track the amount of energy used by the appliance connected to the plug. ..
Do smart plugs save energy?
Smart plugs can save you money, but only if you’re the kind of person who forgets to turn off electrical appliances. For example, if you keep your laptop charged all the time, it will continue to use energy when the battery is full. Or maybe you forget to turn off the side lights and radio regularly when you leave the room. If so, using a smart plug may be the answer.
Does the smart plug work with Alexa (and other voice assistants)?
Many smart plugs work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, so you can ask questions on your smart speaker or smart display, or use your smartphone or tablet’s voice assistant to control your smart plug using voice. You can also create automations that control multiple smart home devices at once with a single command or when certain situations occur. For example, if a home security camera detects movement, the DAB radio connected to the smart plug can be turned on, giving the impression that someone is at home.
Please note that not all smart plugs work with all voice assistants. If your smart home is well established, choose a model that integrates with your current settings.
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June 11, 2021 at 04:12PM
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