If you ask someone setting up a smart home what the most versatile device in their home is, there's a good chance they'll tell you it's a smart plug. That's because these handy plugs offer a wide range of versatility. Smart He Plug allows you to turn non-functional devices such as fans, lamps, and coffee makers into smart ones.
The most common use for smart plugs is to turn devices on and off remotely, but there's so much more you can do with these products. You can monitor the energy usage of connected things, schedule times to turn them on or off, and much more.
If you're looking for a fun and practical purpose for your plug, consider these 10 creative uses for smart plugs. You can also find out which appliances to unplug to reduce your electricity bill and the best temperature to set your thermostat to save money.
Awakening to upgrade
Getting out of bed in the morning isn't always easy, but smart plugs can make it a little easier. Smart He uses the plug to sync his bedside lamp and radio and it greets him with an alarm so he wakes up and is more motivated to start his day.
Is coffee an essential way to start your day? Same here. That's why I use a smart plug to automatically brew a pot in the morning. Don't forget to add coffee grounds and water to your coffee maker the night before.
You can also schedule your electronic toothbrush to start charging when you wake up and stop after a few minutes (so you don't have to charge it all day to save energy). Or program your curling iron to heat up 20 minutes after you wake up.
Tell Alexa to turn off the lights
The 5th generation Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is perfect for controlling your smart plug using voice commands.
Ry Christ/CNET
Alexa, or whatever smart home hub you use and its name. Most smart plugs are compatible with the smart home ecosystem, adding extra convenience to devices already created to simplify your life.
Instead of launching an app on your phone and (somewhat) manually turning off the lights at night or creating a schedule to turn off the lights before you're ready, tell your smart home hub to do it. only. Be sure to name your smart plugs so the hub knows which device to turn off.
Or let IFTTT do the work for you
Now let's actually talk about “smart”. Many smart plugs are built using his IFTTT functionality and can be paired with other smart devices to automate interactions.
For example, with a compatible smart plug and thermostat, you can automate a fan to automatically turn on when the temperature gets a little warmer and turn it back off when the temperature gets colder. When temperatures drop, a space heater can do the same thing.
Returning to home security ideas, you can set a smart plug to turn on a lamp when an outdoor camera detects activity in your backyard, or automatically set a lamp to turn on at sunset and turn off at sunrise. Please try it.
kick to kids
Here are my personal favorites. We (mostly) know how smart devices like plugs and lights work, but for kids it's nothing short of magic.
Prepare an app for your smart plug and declare its incredible ability to turn lights on or off on command. Use a countdown or your trusty “abracadabra” to actually sell and press the button.
Your audience will surely be enchanted, but what's even more fun is to let them become magicians. Use words and gestures to control the lights, and each time tell them to use their phone to control them.
Fair warning: This will get old for you before it gets old for them. Be prepared for the battery to run out or the light to run out.
let's start dinner
I'm not as sold on this idea as last time, but it's worth a try. Use smart plugs to start your money-saving crockpot or sous vide steak before you get home. Doing so can significantly reduce your cooking free time and potentially open up recipes and cooking methods you might not otherwise enjoy.
My concern here is food safety. How long should you leave the food out before it starts cooking? Be careful of food poisoning when using smart plugs to slow down the cooking process.
order a christmas display
Outdoor smart plugs allow your lights to turn on and off automatically, saving you money on your electricity bill.
Daniel Van Boom/CNET
Wonderful Christmas illuminations brighten up the season. But what about unplugging and replugging? There aren't that many. And what about next month's electricity bill? Even less so.
Smart plugs reduce both holiday hassles. With an outdoor smart plug, your Christmas lights, or if you're into that, your inflatable arsenal, will automatically turn on in the evening and turn off at sunrise. Do the same with indoor plugs for Christmas tree lights. Experience convenience and energy savings.
fix garage door
I found this tip on Smart Geek Home. It would be a shame not to share it. Connect your garage door opener to the smart plug. A button, remote control, or control panel (such as a smart garage door opener) won't replace your garage door, but it can prevent others from opening it.
Car break-ins are common. To make matters worse, many of us forget our garage door remote control somewhere in our car. If a thief steals it, they can also break into your home.
Connecting your garage door opener to a smart plug allows you to turn off your garage door opener when you leave the house or at night. That way, even if someone has the garage door opener remote, they won't be able to raise the door.
Get to hard-to-reach locations
Outlets are generally located in easy-to-reach locations unless large pieces of furniture are placed in front of them. But sometimes, like electrical outlets in your garage or attic, they're just not easy to access.
Smart plugs don't make it easier to plug something into an outlet, but once you do, they can control devices like an attic fan or fluorescent lights in your home. garage.
Reboot your router remotely
Even the best Wi-Fi router can run into problems when you need to access it. The top of a bookshelf is a good place to place your router unless you need to reach it. Depending on where your internet connection comes from in your home, your router may be tucked away in your closet. Or, even if you have easy access to your router, it may be on a different floor if you need to restart it.
Use your smart plug to power down your router for about 30 seconds, then power it back on to effectively reboot it. Note that this will not work if your router has battery backup. However, in that case, you won't be able to unplug the router. You still need to remove the battery.
While smart plugs are useful for restarting your router, we don't recommend using them to turn your internet connection on or off. If you want to restrict internet access, most if not all routers have an app that lets you control internet access on a device-by-device basis. Try this before cutting off your internet connection completely. It may interfere with other connected devices.
end the day the right way
Wouldn't it be nice if your bed was cozy and warm before you even got into bed? Preheat your bed by connecting a comfy, cozy electric blanket to your smart plug and warming it up a few minutes before bedtime. You don't have to worry about drifting off to dreamland before the blanket disappears. Just set the smart plug and it will turn off automatically.
I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep with the bedside lamp on while reading a book. Not only is it a waste of energy, but it's also a nuisance to others who are trying to get some sleep. Smart plugs can automatically turn off the lights at certain times or provide a way for the person on the other side of the bed to turn off the lights without getting up.
The same goes for TV if you want to watch a show and relax. Most TVs have sleep timers, but the settings can be difficult to find. You may also be using your streaming device's remote control, but that device doesn't have a button to access the sleep timer settings. Either way, using a smart plug is a great way to ensure your TV doesn't stay on all night.
Here's a list of creative uses for smart plugs, but there are countless others. Like any smart home device, the full potential of a smart plug is limited only by your imagination and the other devices in your home.
For more tips and tricks, including where to place your thermostat, how to get stains off your clothes, and how to protect your home Wi-Fi network, visit the CNET Home Tips page.