Even if you are not interested in the trend of smart home automation, what is a smart home? What is a smart home? We recently launched a Smart Home category on MakeUseOf, but what is a smart home? Read More They are one of the easiest smart home products. Jump Start Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects Jump Start Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects Creating a smart home can seem like a huge undertaking, and it can be hard to know where to start. But it is not as difficult as you may think! Read More Save energy and money with these smart home devices Save energy and money with these smart home devices One of the biggest benefits of a smart home is the available energy saving technology. In addition to saving money, you'll also be pushing toward a more sustainable and convenient living situation. Read more . Best of all, they're affordable!
A smart plug is a device that plugs directly into a power outlet. The device itself has its own output, so in a sense it's like an output extension. Instead of plugging the lamp into the wall, I would plug it into the smart plug (which itself is plugged into the wall).
The advantage is that the smart plug can be controlled remotely, either by using a smart home automation hub. Which smart home automation hub is best for you? Which Smart Hub for Home Automation is Best for You? For a while, people thought the idea was nothing more than a gimmick, but recent product launches have shown that smart home automation is starting to deliver on its promises. Read More Some plugs are even programmable to automatically turn on or off depending on certain timers or events.
But there are many to choose from. Which one should you get? Let's break down and discuss the pros and cons of each on the market today.
The Belkin WeMo Switch it was the first smart plug to become popular and is therefore the most well-known smart plug. 3 Ways The Belkin WeMo Can "Smarten" Your Ordinary Home Light Fixtures 3 Ways The Belkin WeMo Can "Smarten" Your Ordinary Home Light Fixture Into The Possibilities To Turn Your Home Light Fixtures Into Smart Light Fixtures. Read more currently on the market. While that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best option for you, many people have purchased it and are very happy with it.
Also, because there are so many WeMo switch owners online, there's a good chance you can find help online if you ever need troubleshooting tips.
WeMo's switch is incredibly simplistic. Once you've installed the WeMo app on your Android or Android smartphone, you can turn it on and off from afar. You can also set schedules through the app.
Easy to use and highly recommended for newbies. You can't go wrong with that.
The Belkin WeMo Insight Switch it's similar to the regular WeMo switch mentioned above, but it comes with an extra feature that's incredibly useful and well worth the hefty price tag:a built-in power monitor.
In other words, the WeMo Insight Switch gives you an idea of how much power is being drawn and used by whatever device is connected to it. It still has the ability to turn on/off remotely and the scheduling feature through the app, so you can think of it as an upgraded model rather than a different product.
You may be surprised at how much energy you're using! Depending on how much waste it catches, the WeMo Insight Switch could pay for itself in a year or so.
the SmartThings SmartPower Outlet It works in the same way as the Belkin WeMo Switch in that it plugs into the wall and allows devices to connect to it. It can also be controlled remotely through an app provided by SmartThings.
A cool feature of this is that it will send an alert if it detects that lights or electronics have been turned on accidentally. Otherwise, it's pretty much an entry-level model with basic functionality.
In order to use the SmartPower Outlet, you will need a compatible smart hub. The SmartThings Hub for $99 is the obvious choice here, but since this smart plug communicates using the ZigBee protocol, any ZigBee-compatible hub should work with it.
The Insteon On / Off Outlet It's certainly the most aesthetically pleasing of all the smart plugs we cover. It has a clean, slim-on-the-wall design that blends in seamlessly instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. You won't know it's there unless you look very closely.
Another added bonus:While every other smart plug on this list is a single outlet, the Insteon On/Off Outlet is a dual outlet. At first glance, it seems like the most expensive option, but it ends up being the most affordable option if you need more than one outlet.
As for the two outlets, the Insteon On/Off Outlet allows for independent control of each with a single Insteon controller device (eg the mini remote for $40, the on/off switch on the wall for $55 , etc.). Another option is to use the Insteon app for Apple watches. Otherwise, you can use your smartphone in conjunction with the Insteon Hub for $115.
Note:The Insteon line is fairly insular, so you should only consider it if you're okay with being locked into Insteon products for the foreseeable future.
The Aeon Labs Smart Power Switch it's a lesser-known product that deserves more attention than it gets. It's not as elegant in appearance as its competitors, but the functionality is just as simple:plug into the wall, then plug a device into it.
Unique design may be preferable. Although it's not as space-conscious as something like the Insteon On/Off Outlet, the Smart Energy Switch's cord allows it to be routed to the side so it doesn't interfere with other nearby devices.
Like the WeMo Insight Switch, the Smart Energy Switch has a built-in power monitor that keeps track of how much power is being drawn and used by any connected device. It can be remotely controlled using any Z-Wave compatible controller from up to 100 feet away.
If you want a more compact design, consider getting the Aeon Labs Smart Switch Device Module for $45. It's a bit more expensive but easier to handle and easier to use. Either way, this Aeon Labs product is one of the cheapest solutions available.
Get the Belkin WeMo Switch if you want a product that is popular and used by many (consider the WeMo Insight Switch if power control is important to you). It is definitely the simplest to use and the easiest to fix.
Otherwise, the SmartThings SmartPower Outlet and the Aeon Labs Smart Power Switch they are best for broad protocol compatibility (ZigBee and Z-Wave, respectively). I would only get the Insteon On/Off Outlet if you really you want something invisible.
But these are not your only options. If you are absolutely sure that you are only obtendrá enchufes inteligentes y no tiene intención de expandirse a otros productos para el hogar inteligente, puede que le interesen estos enchufes inteligentes alternativos. 6 enchufes inteligentes que no son Belkin WeMo 6 enchufes inteligentes que no son Belkin WeMo Más información soluciones off.
¿Qué enchufe inteligente se ve mejor para ti? Si ya tiene algunos enchufes inteligentes en su hogar, ¿cómo están funcionando? ¿Los recomiendas o no? Share with us in the comments below!
