What is a Smart Plug, and why do you need one? That’s the question we had to ask when we first saw these Voltson Smart Plugs from Etekcity, and it’s one worth asking. In a world where just about every other product or appliance imaginable is now a smart device, we guess we’re not really surprised.
A smart plug makes it easy to bring all your devices into the digital age, and control and automate your appliances from afar. It allows you to create your own customized schedules for all the devices in your home, turning them on when you need them and off when you don’t. It connects to your smartphone (isn’t that the definition of a smart device?) through your home WiFi, letting you control it remotely through the app. You can track power usage for devices like your fridge or computer, getting a detailed history of your power consumption, and can turn on things remotely – like your coffee maker or kettle. Got Christmas lights? Set a schedule for when you want them to turn on and turn off, keeping that electric bill down.
Using it is simple; just plug it into your outlet, connect to your home Wifi network, and plug in the devices you’d like to control remotely. The Smart Plug also works with Amazon Alexa, so you can control devices with just your voice. And, since you can hook up more than phone, your entire family can share control. Or just keep control for yourself.
The real question is, of course – do you need it? It’s not necessary for anything, but if you’d like a cheap effortless way to cut down on electricity bills and keep an eye on how much you’re using, the Volston Smart Plug gets the job done.
