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The best accessory for your Christmas tree is this $7 smart plug
With my ever-growing collection of air purifiers, humidifiers and tower fans spread throughout the house, it used to take a fair amount of effort to manage them all. Luckily, though, I no longer have to run from room to room flicking switches — the tech exists to control everything with a single click. Indeed, Kasa Smart Plugs have granted me the ability to control many of my gadgets remotely from my smart phone. It is especially useful during the holiday season, as I can easily turn on and off my Christmas tree lights with just my voice — "Alexa turn off the Christmas lights!"
Smarten up most any appliance in your home with a pair of these handy gadgets and control your fans, lamps, purifiers and more from your phone!
Before I tried these, I knew how useful smart plugs could be for turning virtually any dumb appliance into a smart one. You can plug a lamp into a smart plug, for instance, to control it with your phone or with your voice. But now that I've tried these, I find them especially useful for awkward outlet placements or controlling an appliance while away.
When record high heat hit Northern California, where I live, I dragged our Vornado fan out of storage and then pulled the dresser out so I could plug the fan into the outlet hidden behind it. Sweet relief. But turning it on and off was a chore. The toggle for the fan is awkwardly placed behind it, which can be difficult to feel around at night. I can’t unplug it easily either, since the outlet is blocked.
So I decided to pair the fan with a Kasa Smart Plug. Setup was super simple: I downloaded the TP-Link app, plugged the smart plug into an outlet and the app walked me through the installation process. (There's also a video tutorial available.) Next I named the plug Vornado Fan to identify it. Now, all I needed to do to turn it on and off was to use the app. Voila, I just added a remote control to my fan!
And that’s not all. The Kasa app also lets me schedule the fan to come on at certain times in the day and I can set a timer limiting it to a few hours at a time. Plus, since I have a Google Nest speaker, I could also just control the fan by just saying “OK, Google: Turn on the fan.” This is especially useful when I’m half-asleep and can’t be bothered to reach for my phone.
The verdict
Once I figured out I could use the Kasa Smart Plug with a fan, I immediately bought up a few more for use with the air purifiers we have in the house. (Wildfire smoke is unfortunately not uncommon for us here in California, so we have one for each room.) All I need to do to power them on and off is the app. It makes everything so much easier!
There are things that the smart plug can’t do. It can’t adjust the power levels or change a fan’s oscillation. It lets you power the appliance on and off — that’s it. That also means that it won't work with appliances like a toaster or a coffee maker that require an additional button push to work. Still, I found this sufficient enough for my particular needs.
You'll find so many uses for this thing. Plug your wireless router into one to make resetting it much easier. Program your lamps to come on when you’re on vacation to make it look like someone’s home, deterring any would-be burglars. Smart plugs are particularly useful during the holidays — I usually plug my Christmas lights into one, allowing me to turn them on and off with ease. All I need to do is say "OK Google, turn on the Christmas lights" for them to go on. It's like magic!
What shoppers are saying
With more than 53,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, Kasa Smart Plugs have garnered much praise.
“Having the Kasa Smart Plugs in my home has added a layer of convenience that I didn't realize I was missing,” said a happy customer. “The ability to control devices remotely and effortlessly via voice commands has streamlined various aspects of my daily routine, especially when my body decides it doesn't want to work properly. Whether it's turning lights on and off or managing other appliances, the Kasa Smart Plugs have simplified these tasks in a remarkable way.”
Another fan shared: “Use these to control my in-wall AC unit and table lamp. Work flawlessly with Alexa and the app is very easy to use. If you’re looking to make your home a smart home on a budget, look no further.”
It’s also handy for grow lights or aquarium lights, shared a third: “Saves so much time running around turning stuff off or on. Great for aquarium lights or plants or just to look like you are home when out on vacation. You can schedule the time on/off multiple times a day.”
So if you want to smarten up the appliances in your home — or just control them like some cool TV-show sorcerer — try a pair of TP-Link Kasa Smart Plugs out for yourself.
Use your voice or your phone to instantly turn appliances on and off from afar. You can even set schedules and timers for your gadgets.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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