Amazon Smart Plug Review | The comparison

Amazon Smart Plug Review | The comparison

One minute review

Amazon has been one of the biggest names in smart home devices since launching its first Echo smart speaker in 2017. In addition to its range of speakers with Alexa voice assistant built in, the brand also offers a range of home security cameras. home that integrates with your smart speakers and smart plug. The Amazon Smart Plug is a single outlet that plugs into an electrical outlet and uses your home Wi-Fi so Alexa can control any electrical device connected to it, like a lamp, air purifier, or even a pair of straighteners. . It can also be controlled using the Alexa app on your smartphone, but there's a good chance that if you're considering this smart plug, you already own or are considering buying a plug-in Echo smart speaker. Charge Alexa in your home, ready to go. in action.

Using the Alexa app, you can create 'routines' for the smart plug, to turn it on or off automatically, which happens every day at a set time or by saying a certain command. These routines can also include other Alexa-enabled devices in your smart home. So, for example, you can make sure a radio comes on and your smart lights turn on when you say "Hello." For those who are deeply connected to the Alexa ecosystem, or who want to dip their toes in the water of an Alexa-enabled smart home, the Amazon Smart Plug is a smart buy.

Amazon smart plug price and availability

The Amazon Smart Plug is priced at € 24.99 / € 24.99 and is available in the US and UK on Amazon. While this is one of the most expensive smart plugs out there, with Amazon Prime Day 2021 just around the corner, the smart plug is almost certain to make a comeback. As such, we recommend that you wait to buy as it could save you a substantial amount of money. In the past, the price has dropped to just € 14.99 / € 14.99.

Amazon smart plug

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

Integrated

Like most of the best smart plugs, the Amazon Smart Plug is pretty innocuous-looking. It is rectangular in shape, with an all-white finish with a subtle Amazon logo. However, the US and UK versions of the plug are slightly different. In the US, the plug measures 8 x 3,8 x 5,7 cm / 8 x 3,8 x 5,7 cm (W x H x D) to ensure it will fit into vertical outlets without blocking access to the bottom socket. The UK version measures 3,7 x 2,2 x 2,5 inches / 5,6 x 9,62 x 6,3 cm, as vertically aligned plugs are not common, instead being placed horizontally. The front of the smart plug has a single plug and a small blue LED, which lights up when the plug is on and flashes when the plug is in configuration mode. On the left side you will find a manual power button. The smart plug only works on the 2,4 GHz band, so if you install it in a different room than your router, you may experience connection issues. Unfortunately, there's no Wi-Fi indicator to warn you of connectivity issues.

Amazon smart plug

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

Performance

The Amazon Smart Plug is an extremely easy smart home device to set up. Once connected to a power outlet, we opened the Alexa app, which did all the hard work: identifying the power outlet, and once we scanned a QR code on the quick start guide, we connected it to our Wi-Fi network. domestic. The QR code is also on the back of the plug, if you can't find the quick start guide. After that, you can assign the smart plug to a particular room or group of devices, if you like, leaving you free to use your voice or smartphone to control the plug. In testing, we found that the plug turned on and off instantly when controlled by the app or Alexa, and the "click" it made when turning on and off was reassuring. We were disappointed to find that there's no Away mode that turns the power outlet on or off at random times to help pretend you're busy when you're not home. These features can be found in TP-Link plugs like the KP105. There is also no tracking of energy consumption.

Amazon smart plug

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

Application

The Alexa app is easy to use, with a clearly labeled Devices tab that lets you control all your compatible smart home devices from a single platform. We found that all the devices were divided into categories and tapping on them provided quick access to control them or create a routine for them. Thanks to the app, it's also possible to add the smart plug to a group of devices and, unsurprisingly, set up the integration with Alexa. However, as already mentioned, features like Away mode and power monitoring features are missing.

Should I buy the smart plug from Amazon?

Buy it if...

You already have Alexa at home
Unsurprisingly, this Amazon smart plug integrates extremely well with Alexa, so if you have a home full of Alexa-enabled devices and Amazon-branded smart speakers and displays, it makes sense to go for this smart plug over others. You want a simple smart plug
Without features like Away mode and energy monitoring, Amazon's smart plug is kept simple, making it ideal for those who want to control a device in their home using their voice or a smartphone. Looking for a smart home package
Amazon often has bundles of its smart speakers and smart home products, including Amazon Smart Plug, that could save you substantial amounts of money. For those who haven't started building a smart home yet, these sets are a great way to start that journey.

Don't buy it if...

You want to control your energy consumption
The Amazon Smart Plug doesn't come with any functionality to monitor power consumption, so it's best to avoid it if you want to monitor how much power you're using. Want support for HomeKit or Google Assistant
Like most Amazon-branded products, there's no HomeKit or Google Assistant support here; instead, consider smart plugs from Eve and TP-Link, respectively. You want connectivity indicators
Some smart plugs offer connectivity indicators that let you see at a glance if there's a Wi-Fi problem. Unfortunately, that's not one of them. First Review: June 2021 Price - Amazon Smart Plug: ▼

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