The trend is clearly towards the smart home: Intelligently networked devices in your own home are becoming increasingly popular. A very simple and inexpensive way to control lights, fans or the coffee machine via Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant are smart sockets. These are connected via WLAN or Bluetooth and can thus be controlled via special apps or voice assistants. But the market is big. So that you don’t lose track, we present a selection of the best-selling smart sockets with their advantages and disadvantages.
What should I look out for when buying a smart socket?
It makes perfect sense to check in advance which smart devices you already have in your house and which voice assistant you are using. Because not all smart sockets are compatible with all voice assistants. Apple fans in particular can only fall back on a limited selection of manufacturers and models. You should also think about what purpose the smart socket has to serve. Simply switching LED lighting on and off does not necessarily need an integrated electricity meter. So it’s worth comparing the features.
Suitable for the Hue system: Philips Hue Smart Plug
Philips Hue: Many people associate this with the smart LED bulbs that make living rooms shine in all imaginable colors. the Hue Smart Plug-Socket from Philips integrates very well into an existing Hue system. It can then be controlled via the Hue Bridge. With its small dimensions, it can also be installed in hard-to-reach places.
The Hue Smart Plug is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. As a result, Apple users have to look for a different socket: According to Amazon customers, this smart socket cannot be integrated into the Apple HomeKit. If you don’t want to use voice assistants, you can also use the Philips Hue app for control.
- Bluetooth and ZigBee
- very small dimensions
- compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Configuration with the intuitive Philips Hue app
- max. 2,300 watts
Ideal for the Apple HomeKit: Eve Energy
Apple users who value integration into the Apple HomeKit do not have a large selection or have to deal with various connection problems. The smart Eve Energy sockets are 100 percent compatible. Similar to the Hue plugs, the dimensions are small and hardly disturbing. The elegant, well thought-out design is typical of Eve.
The Eve Energy socket is connected via Bluetooth. The Eve Energy then integrates itself into the WiFi network. The disadvantage of this method is that you can only switch the Eve Energy on and off via an Apple TV outside of the Bluetooth range. The integrated consumption meter, on the other hand, is very practical: Here you can call up detailed, yet easy-to-understand statistics that help you save energy.
- very small dimensions
- elegant design
- Recording of electricity consumption
- easy integration
- high price
Price-performance tip: TP-Link Tapo
The price of the Tapo socket from TP-Link is hard to beat. The smart socket is connected via WLAN and can then be configured with the Tapo app. A variety of special functions such as schedules, presence simulator and countdown timer are possible here.
She listens to Alexa and the Google Assistant. The maximum possible power is an average of 2,300 watts. The manual switch, which allows the socket to be switched on and off even if the WLAN fails, should be positively emphasized.
- diverse functions
- well working app
- manual switch
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
- easy setup
Smart sockets: something for everyone
If you want to get a smart socket, you have enough options to do so. The smart gadgets are available with a wide variety of voice assistants – for Android and iOS. Do you want to prepare for Black Friday? Here you can read which Apple deals are likely to await us. We also took a look at how the new iPhone 13 fares in the test.
Source: own research
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