Smart home devices are no longer part of the future. Over time, smart home devices have climbed the ladder of popularity thanks to their affordable price tags, flexibility, and intuitive approach. And now, whether it’s a smart plug, smart plug, smart light, or smart strip, you have a variety of options to choose from. However, when you’re just starting to build a smart home, choosing between these products can be a bit confusing, especially when it comes to choosing a smart plug or smart switch.
So, should you choose a smart plug instead of a smart plug? And what are the benefits the smart plug brings to the table?
This is where we come in. In this article, we compare smart plugs to smart plugs to see which one is right for you.
Let’s jump right in, shall we? But before that,
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What Can Smart Plug Do?
Smart plugs are just like traditional plugs and you can plug them anywhere, whether it’s in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The good thing is that most smart plugs, like the Kasa Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet, come with a dedicated on/off switch, and you can keep them off.
Like smart lights, these plugs can be controlled from smartphones or voice commands. They come with a built-in Wi-Fi chip that connects to your home network. Their portable nature means they can be easily removed and moved around the house. So if one day you decide that the living room lamp is more important than the coffee machine, you can switch places and program accordingly.
It’s not just lamps that work perfectly with smart plugs. You can also connect other equipment. For example, you can pair bathroom and kitchen geysers with a heavy-duty smart plug and program a Good Morning routine. This takes the hassle out of opening them every morning and you wake up with hot water in the sinks. You can turn off the chips as needed.
What Can Smart Output Do?
Smart plugs work similarly to smart plugs, only that they are more permanent. They fit into existing electrical outlet space and need more than a simple plug and play operation.
You can connect almost any device to it. For example, coffee makers, electric kettles, portable irons, etc. you can connect. As a result, they help you turn any regular product into a smart one. And most popular smart outlets like Lumary Smart Outlets are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (or both), allowing you to create routines with ease.
However, smart plugs are permanent fixtures.
Additional features
One of the most common use cases of smart plugs and smart plugs is the convenience of turning them on or off using voice commands or routines. You no longer have to worry about forgetting to turn off lights or appliances. Ask a voice assistant to work with the smart speaker to turn off the smart speaker.
Apart from that, some smart plugs also come with energy monitoring logs and display the amount of energy consumed. If you have a gadget that consumes energy, you can identify and replace it to save energy costs. At the same time, you can develop energy usage habits efficiently.
For example, the Kasa HS300 (not a power outlet in the strict sense) lets you know your usage habits in kWh.
Cabling and Installation
One of the biggest advantages of smart plugs is that you can plug them into any electrical outlet. And when needed, you can also slide them elsewhere. All you have to do is connect the plug to your home Wi-Fi and your phone and everything is a breeze from now on.
If you move places often, the portable factor comes into the picture.
On the other hand, connecting a smart plug can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you’re not familiar with your home’s circuitry. In a typical scenario, you may need to unplug the existing electrical outlet, clean it and remove any existing wires.
Next comes installing the smart plug and connecting the necessary parts and cables. And of course, don’t forget to cover the sides with plaster to get a clean look. Next comes the part where you connect the smart plug to your home network.
pricing
Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room—Pricing. Smart plugs, a popular product, are not that costly. The cost of a single product usually starts at around $15. Smart plugs, on the other hand, can cost a little more and start at around $20 for a single unit.
The smart thing to do here is to put together a bunch of these sockets/plugs.
Smart Plug and Smart Plug
So which one should you choose? Well, it mostly depends on your requirements. For example, smart plugs are portable and you can turn any of your devices into a smart device by plugging them into any outlet. The affordable price tag means you can replace them even if they stop working after a few years.
On the other hand, smart plugs are permanent fixtures. If they stop working after a few years/months, you risk reinstalling them. Of course, this all requires calling in a certified electrician, and that only adds to the cost.
If you think a certain device will be (forever) connected to a smart outlet (like water geysers, water heaters or a radio), it makes more sense to invest in a smart outlet.
