Amazon Smart Plug, works with Alexa, Certified for Humans device

Product Information

Suppose the socket you’d like to make smarter needs to be outside, for garden lights, a sprinkler or seasonal decorations, for instance? However, if you want the ultimate in hands-free control of your Christmas lights, there are smart plugs made for use outdoors. Ask Alexa to turn it off from another room or open the app and turn it off while you’re on the road. To control the plug when you’re not at home you need an Apple Home Hub, in the form of either a HomePod or Apple TV, and you need an iPhone to use it.

These smart plugs can be set on a time- or weather-based schedule, which means they’ll turn on or off depending on the time of day or the humidity and temperature. The plug is compact enough to avoid spilling over to an adjacent socket but big enough to be easy to use, for instance to easily access the power button on the left side. If your smart plug's brand name wasn't listed in the Alexa app, scroll to the very bottom and tap "Other.

If you're far away from your Alexa devices, you can open the Alexa app and turn the smart plug on or off from there. Smart plugs for Alexa can give you voice control over any number of home devices, such as the speakers, lights, and printer in your home office, which you can run from your office chair. Each smart plug is rated for a limited amount of power, usually stated in either amps or watts, which also limits the kinds of devices you can plug into it. You’ll want to make sure the plug has the features you want, such as electrical usage and an Away mode. It even lets you work out how much the product you have plugged in is costing, if you enter your supplier’s rate in.

This will usually involve you pushing a physical button on your smart plug until it begins flashing. It turns the plug on and off at random to make it look like your home is occupied while you’re gone. If you want a smart plug that can turn on your coffee maker or air conditioner, you’ll need a higher power capacity than you would for one that just turns on a lamp.

The setup process varies depending on the brand, but it should be similar to adding a new device in the Alexa app. However, there are still some smart plugs that block or limit what can be plugged into the adjoining outlet. Plug it into a smart plug with a scheduling feature, set the cooker’s temperature controls, and set the plug’s start time or activate it remotely. as real users, posing a threat to a site’s security, so the site sometimes runs random security checks. A. Smart plugs can work for almost any electrical device as long as they have the right power capacity.

You can test whether the pairing worked by saying, "Alexa, turn on [plug name]" or "Alexa, turn off [plug name]. TVs and gaming systems are hard to fully shut off because their power sources are difficult to reach.Ease of setup depends on a number of factors, including the brand, make, and app used with the smart plug. Some even include a way to calculate a cost analysis to get an idea of how your power usage affects your electricity bill. You will likely need to create an account, set your smart plug to pairing mode, and connect it to your Wi-Fi.

Using a graph, you’ll be able to see not only how much electricity you’re using but also when you’re using it.

TP-Link’s Tapo app is a simple way to set up this smart plug and it has plenty of features, such as an away mode which can turn devices off and on so that it seems somebody is at home or to create a countdown until gadgets turn themselves off. Note that a smart plug is adding an extra layer over the regular socket, and the bulk of some means they overlap two sockets on a multi-gang socket, for instance, or may not be suitable where space is cramped. For instance, use it for the bedside lamp so instead of struggling across a dark room with your hands full, say, “Alexa, turn on the bedside light”. Some kettles still need you to press a button before they start working – so getting your morning brew going from the comfort of your bed may not apply. Of course, you may not have three gadgets which you need to make smart which will naturally sit next to each other, but if you do, this is a great solution.