Best Electrical Equipment
Lifetime purchase protection: If your doorbell gets stolen, we’ll replace it, for free!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One day while I was out running an errand my ring app on my phone notified me that someone was ringing the doorbell. Few minutes later I could not shake that something was off, so I reviewed the entire video footage - Ring captures motion so I was able to see what he did prior to ringing the doorbell. This guy was wearing a hoodie so he covered his hands, looked through my front door window for a good 5+ seconds, then started to check the door to see if perhaps it was open, before deciding to ring the doorbell... all with his hands covered. I shared my Ring video with them and they said it was the cleanest video they had seen in some time. I've had the ring doorbell since September 2016 and this was the first and only time something odd/suspicious was captured and, to say the least, it works!!! Ring initially was recording very poorly and sometimes would not capture video properly if at all. My Ring doorbell went offline and it took me who knows how long to realize it."
"The Doorbell Pro has better video quality than the Original Doorbell. Another difference is that the Doorbell Pro MUST be wired and doesn't have a battery built in like the Original Doorbell. Ring Doorbell Pro (Advantages): Super Video Quality. Sleek and considerably smaller than the Original. Superior Motion Detection System (less false alarms). Enhanced Night Vision. 802.11AC Wireless Compatibility. Original Ring Doorbell (Advantages): Built-In rechargeable battery (flexible installation). Super wide field of view. No delay on wired doorbell chime when button is pressed."
"Quality Assurance testers, firmware and mobile app Release Managers...please get your heads out of your rear ends and stop breaking my $270 doorbell with your firmware and mobile app updates! However...every single time either the firmware is upgraded, or the mobile app is updated, IT BREAKS! In the 26 days that we have had the doorbell installed and connected, either the firmware is updgraded over the air, or the mobile app is updated, and the doorbell ceases to work. Not just the fancy camera and recording part...literally the device fails to ring our mechanical doorbell chimes inside the house. How the heck am I supposed to feel somewhat "secure" when the device stops functioning through no fault of my own?"
Plug in a Wemo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in devices like Google Home and control your lights and appliances with your voice. Nest can sync with Wemo for automatic home/away control.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After receiving two defective units from Amazon, and before returning the second, I decided to play around with it more and do some more research online. I spent over an hour with WeMo tech support, who offered no solutions, and made me jump through a bunch of hoops in the process. The issue with these early units lies in the fact that they seem to get "confused" if you have other WeMo devices in your home. So long story short, if you have other WeMo devices in your household, and have trouble getting this WeMo mini to connect, try unplugging as many of the other devices as you can (they will automatically reconnect online after you plug them back in), factory reset the mini, and go through the setup process again."
"The Bridge wasn't a need but it is nice to be able to control all the outlets with Siri or just in the Apple Homekit app, especially at night when I want to turn a lamp off remotely and quietly (i.e. not using my voice to wake up my wife)."
"Relevant background to my skill levels: I bought a couple of the plugs so that I could experiment with how to automate my home. I have an advanced router with repeater, fully LAN & WAN connected house, with network switches, POE devices etc. The WEMO devices were not recognized by the app on my phone, until I switched it to the same wifi network as they were running on. I cannot set up a smart house with devices that require a full factory reboot and me to delete the app, reset all rules from scratch, every time the power fails or blips. Sorry Belkin, but you also have a lot of people on your own Community pages with many similar problems & your own support is not the one finding solutions, it is other users who have more time to do this than most of the rest of us have. So, folks, if you read this far, don't waste your time & money, these devices are great in concept, but are far from Implementation Ready for mainstream use. Updated 3/17 to add rules screenshot showing the app issue with no days selectable. I still struggle with the concept that I am the only person with this issue & that it is identical on 2 unrelated Apple devices that are on different accounts. Just a side note - when Customers are on the phone with your reps, when discussing the product, it really makes a better impression of your company when they are aware of who your major competitor(s) are. So I was really very angry about how much time & energy I had spent on this whole exercise & I was absentmindedly tapping my phone screen repeatedly, when I suddenly noticed that it was highlighting days of the week. I have still lost significant confidence in the product & am very unsure if I want to invest in any more of them to automate other parts of my home at this time."
"I have 2 out of 5 switches that constantly crash - one won't work at all anymore. I have 3 switches that seem to be okay however they show up greyed out on Cellular - however they work through the Alexa App."
12-plug power strip with 8-foot cord, ideal for home or office use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have one for my TV, one for an external hard drive, a wireless router, cable modem, HUE lighting system, VOIP phone modem, Bluray player, and who knows what else. One evening, I decided to plug the vacuum cleaner in, as the usual place was being used by something else, and realized there really was no room. It had twelve spots plus plenty of room for the larger (often called "wall warts") plugs a lot of electronics have."
"I'm not a huge review writer, but this product and the support provided by Belkin warrants some comments. The product failed within the first 30 days while being hooked up to my computer and a TV. No fuses tripped within my home... something apparently just shorted out inside the unit. They have a process similar to Amazon which allows them to ship you the new product, then you return the defective one to them once the new one is received. This is obviously a huge part of the equation for a $25.00 product and I assume it will be covered eventually once they provide some actual dollar figures about what I will be charged if I don't return the bad one. So I contact CitiBank (my credit card) to notify them of a probable dispute at this point... and they tell me the actual charge was $80.30. Anyway, short version: product failed twice (which to me warrants the one star review alone), Belkin customer service then provides the trifecta of failure. Five days later I received a response that appeared to be written by an actual person (versus an automated reply) that stated. "Thank you for contacting Belkin Technical Support. Please call our customer support department during business hours". So that was great. I never received anything and tracking shows it was returned to their docks almost a month ago, yet they charge me."
"Disappointed that this offers little to no protection...only plus is 8 outlets on a switch."
"It caught on fire and burned my carpet, but it didn't burn the whole house down since I was sitting right next to it."
"The real news: none of Belkin's products, or other similar surge protectors, can protect electronic equipment during a catastrophic surge, such as that caused by a close lightning strike. Such a protector, properly connected by an electrician, will dissipate 85-90% of the initial surge from a lightning strike, and allow a Belkin-type protector, if good enough, to do its intended job. And now, the kicker: they reserve the right to have you mail them all of the equipment you are claiming is damaged--at YOUR expense and with ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that either you'll get it back or that they'll give you one red cent even after they receive your damaged equipment. And if they do deny your claim after all of this, your only resort is to sue them, and the amount of damages claimed may exceed the limits for small claims court in your state (meaning you'll have to hire a lawyer--have you priced one lately?). First, get yourself a whole-house surge protector, and then, protect all of your electronic equipment (including appliances) with appropriately scaled surge protectors from Monoprice."
Best Electrical Ballasts
Fluorescent eBallast, Instant Start, Parallel Operation, Normal Ballast Factor, Meets ANSI Standard C62.41-1991, Meets FCC Part 18 Consumer Limits, No PCB's, UL Listed (Class P, Type 1 Outdoor), Remote Mounting: 18 ft.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These ballasts are a great value."
"Great replacement ballast at an excellent price."
"For stock - looking forward to using them."
"Great price."
"Great Price, quick delivery."
"I recommend these to any business that needs a fluorescent light tune-up."
"Installation was simple and straightforward, it's only been a little time but all ballasts are still functioning."
"Just what we needed for doing a upgrade of the 163 old T12 light fixtures at our church."
Best Breakers, Load Centers & Fuses
The large LCD display will count consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, same as your local utility, letting you calculate your cumulative electrical expenses and forecast by the day, week, month, even an entire year. Program in your local utility rate and display projected costs by hour, day, week, month, or year. Calculates cost and forecasts by week, month, and year.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"3/7/2016 UPDATE - While using the Kill A Watt with a Vornado space heater, the Kill A Watt overloaded and it's socket burned and melted."
"A great item for checking your power cost for specific appliances."
"I had to pull the fridge out from the wall every time I wanted to check in on it, and having an externally readable display would make this more usable."
"Currently being used to find out how much power custom built PCs are using and how much they are costing to run."
"I like this item."
"It easily pays for itself in finding phantom electricity usage."
"Compact - Easily fits in small areas, used first to check the power consumption of our 2nd refrigerator (the power company discourages using older refrigerators because of their expected $50 - $100/year operating cost)."
"The unit worked fine when performing testing the power consumption of a device for a limited amount of time."
Best Electrical Cables & Chains
High visibility orange for easy visibility; 3-prong grounded plug for added safety.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Otherwise, this extension cord feels pretty sturdy and works well!"
"So far so good."
"It's a very good cable."
"Use it for my outdoor mower, it works fine."
"A LONG and cheap cord that has worked great since we got it - no problems at all!"
"Extension cords grow legs and wander off my property."
"The very first time I used the extension cord the plug broke."
"After about a month outside, the color on the cord started to bleed off."
Best Electrical Cord Management
Strong and resusable, the ties are presized to make appliance and electronics wire and cable management quick and easy. 100 Pack of adjustable, reusable, low profile Black VELCRO Brand Thin Ties.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hopefully, it helps you after you see how it can turn a mess into a very clean, nice-looking wrapped cable."
"Vastly different from the other options listed above, it is easy to apply, easy to remove, does not cause damage to cords/cables, does not rapidly degrade with age, can easily be cut (or combined) to change the size for the User's needs, and works well even when being used frequently. You have likely seen similar products at hardware stores, but generally the quantity per-package is low, and the price high. While these are lighter duty than most of the retail packages of Velcro Cord Ties are, these work perfectly for my general home-use needs and they cost about 1/10th the price."
"I'll end up keeping these thin straps due to the low price, but I'll still stock the hardware store's heavy-duty version for well... heavy duty jobs. (4 rolls w/ 25 8" ties on each roll). • Velcro brand w/ simple system to attach to cords. • Easy to tear off pre-cut rolls. • Ability to double the length of tie by leaving multiple ties "untorn". • Waterproof for outdoor work. Cons: • Thinner and Lighter than the Velcro you normally see. • Easier to tear/break."
"You receive two individual rolls with 25 ties; one gray and one black."
"Pros: Very inexpensive, easy to use, strong velcro stays in place. Cons: None. I don't know why it took me so long to buy these, but these are an absolute must for anyone who wants to organize the cables underneath their desk, TV console, or modem/router table. These velcro ties are the perfect alternative and I have no reason to go back to zipties for cable management ever again."
Best Electrical Cords, Adapters & Multi-Outlets
This indoor/outdoor extension cord has reinforced blades that help prevent the prongs from accidentally bending or breaking. Coleman Cable 02309 100-Feet 16/3-Wire Gauge, vinyl outdoor extension cord orange These all-purpose cords resist moisture, abrasion and prolonged exposure to sunlight for durability. HARDY, LARGE OUTDOOR EXTENSION CORD: the extension cord for outdoor use has durable, water-resistant molded plug, socket and reinforced blades to prevent accidental bending or breaking to ensure safety at all times.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Seems very heavy duty and well made."
"If you need 13 amps at 100 ft, get a heavier gauge cable (14/3)."
"It is as advertised a long grounded power cord."
"I love this cord i-s very sturdy and it hold real well during the winter months when using the cord with the snow blower."
"Bought this as an accessory for an electric snowblower."
"It is a cord, so yea works great so far."
"If supplying power without interruption were all I wanted with this cord, I'd give it 5 stars."
"We have been hiring a snow removal service towards the end of the winter (got too fed up with the northeast winter), and our lawn is tiny and we have not been mowing it very diligently, so this cord has not been used much, maybe 10 times or less."
Best Doorbells
Lifetime purchase protection: If your doorbell gets stolen, we’ll replace it, for free!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One day while I was out running an errand my ring app on my phone notified me that someone was ringing the doorbell. Few minutes later I could not shake that something was off, so I reviewed the entire video footage - Ring captures motion so I was able to see what he did prior to ringing the doorbell. This guy was wearing a hoodie so he covered his hands, looked through my front door window for a good 5+ seconds, then started to check the door to see if perhaps it was open, before deciding to ring the doorbell... all with his hands covered. I shared my Ring video with them and they said it was the cleanest video they had seen in some time. I've had the ring doorbell since September 2016 and this was the first and only time something odd/suspicious was captured and, to say the least, it works!!! Ring initially was recording very poorly and sometimes would not capture video properly if at all. My Ring doorbell went offline and it took me who knows how long to realize it."
"The Doorbell Pro has better video quality than the Original Doorbell. Another difference is that the Doorbell Pro MUST be wired and doesn't have a battery built in like the Original Doorbell. Ring Doorbell Pro (Advantages): Super Video Quality. Sleek and considerably smaller than the Original. Superior Motion Detection System (less false alarms). Enhanced Night Vision. 802.11AC Wireless Compatibility. Original Ring Doorbell (Advantages): Built-In rechargeable battery (flexible installation). Super wide field of view. No delay on wired doorbell chime when button is pressed."
"Quality Assurance testers, firmware and mobile app Release Managers...please get your heads out of your rear ends and stop breaking my $270 doorbell with your firmware and mobile app updates! However...every single time either the firmware is upgraded, or the mobile app is updated, IT BREAKS! In the 26 days that we have had the doorbell installed and connected, either the firmware is updgraded over the air, or the mobile app is updated, and the doorbell ceases to work. Not just the fancy camera and recording part...literally the device fails to ring our mechanical doorbell chimes inside the house. How the heck am I supposed to feel somewhat "secure" when the device stops functioning through no fault of my own?"
Best Electric Motors
The wall switch timer is ideal to control ventilation fan, ceiling fan and light in bathroom and laundry room where light and fan could be left on for a long time. This fan timer switch works with any household ventilation Fans including Panasonic whisper ceiling bathroom fans, ceiling mounted fans and bathroom vent fan with light. Bathroom exhaust fan and light control: HET06A+TDOS5 Sensor Switch For bathroom, multi-gang HET06A timer fan control with a motion sensor as light controller fits in any standard wall box and can be multi-ganged with other devices. Automate the shut off operations of all types of lights including LEDs, CFLs, fans and heaters at the time pre-set.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I like the version that illuminates the last selected time's LED, and the LED under the power on/off button, when the light (load) turns off. Some of the reviews here talk about the night light feature, so I assumed that would be the version I would receive when ordering from this seller, but that was not the case."
"For whatever reason (possibly the clothes in the closet were too close to the switch) it would just keep the switch on longer than programed."
"You can click the individual presets to turn on the fan or you can click the big button at the bottom and it selects whatever preset was used last."
"This is so perfect for just leaving the fan on for a while."
"Used to control the bathroom fan to ensure the moist air continues to be removed for 30 minutes after the shower."
"The main difference between this model and others I have, is this one leaves the little blue LED indicator lights on all the time. The light is actually just bright enough that we don't even turn on the light in our small powder room in the middle of the night."
"I've replaced 2 bathroom exhaust fans recently due to the fact that the conventional switches are left in the on position frequently."
"These work great."
Best Electrical Boxes, Conduit & Fittings
Command complete control over your outlets. The Etekcity Remote Control Outlet Switch lets you remotely control hard to reach appliances and devices. A strong RF signal works as far as 100 feet and through doors and walls without interfering with other electronics, allowing convenient control over small household appliances from across rooms or on second floors. With this level of control in your hands, you'll increase the efficiency of your household easily and conveniently. Sync remote outlets together, regardless of frequency differences; Seamlessly expand your system with any Etekcity learning remotes or outlets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I solved this by marking each unit with a black marker in large numerals. With a little less attention to styling, and more to functionality, the manufacturer could have easily solved this problem."
"These remote control outlets are fantastic! Even though these things work even better than expected, I'm knocking off one point for the two cons below (neither of which is a huge deal, just a little inconvenient): Cons: - These remote control outlets are just a little too big, so if the other plug you are trying to fit in a shared wall outlet is anything other than just a simple plug, it won't fit."
"Although it is possible that I received a different or updated model, I thought I should correct, or rebut, some of the misinformation that I read in other reviews. In another case, I had a three pronged plug that I was using in the spare outlet, which had to be relocated, as it would not fit after installing the remote switch. But, very easy to just add the remote switch into a short extension chord, and the problem is solved. After the Holidays, most of these units will be relocated to my basement workshop where they will be subject to much higher loads and more demanding use. I will use one on a dust collector (about 12 amps draw), one on a vacuum, and even one on a strobe light so my wife can summon me if she needs to, without me cutting my hand off if she yells at me to come to dinner. So now my wife just hits a button upstairs and my strobe light in the basement lets me know she needs me to come up!"
"Additionally beyond that, the remain 4 that were functional out of the first set have been cycling daily (via RPi) for about 4 months now."
"When you plug your appliance into the Etekcity outlet, in this case a lamp, into the front of the Etekcity outlet, the Etekcity body will either cover the top wall outlet when plugged into the bottom of the wall outlet. Or, if you plug the Etekcity Outlet into the top wall outlet you may find it difficult to use the bottom wall outlet if you were to want to use the bottom outlet for something like a Vacuum Cleaner or any other appliance that has a large plug."
Best Electrical Connectors
With this smart plug, you can turn on the light. before getting back to home. Use “Jinvoo smart” app to connect to Amazon alexa and use “Smart Life” app to connect to Google assistant.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You know I'm always looking for new and interesting things to try out, and I have to have all the new gadgets, so when I came across this plug, I had no idea what it really was, even though I read about it, didn’t make much sense to me, so I went ahead and ordered, it arrived and I followed the instructions, pretty easy to set up, I practiced with several items in the house to see where I would use them the most and where I had Issues of turning things on and off, I like things to be very convenient, One place in our house is the “under counter lights”, we have 2 of them and we are always forgetting to shut them off when we head to the Living room for the night and we get all comfy in our recliners and well the lights are still on and the hubby and I flip a coin of who is going to get up and shut it off, well...I had a little fun...flipped our coin and I was the one that was supposed to get up and shut it off, I just said the magic words (turn off light)."
"In addition to the easy set up of both the Selector and the Wemo, I like the fact that both receptacles work with Alexa and do not require a separate hub."
"In fact, I'm currently about 25 miles from home and just confirmed that I switched on the lamps that are plugged into our outlets at home and it took about 3 seconds for the signal to go through."
"I tried finding the devices on an OPEN Wi-Fi network that needs no password, and even though the light plugged into this flashed and the indicator went solid, the app still said it could not find the device. Then I added the skill to Alexa (just for giggles) and tried having Her find the plugs. **Edit: After about an hour, and multiple tries, I was able to get them to connect to the included app."
"The instructions do not work as written, through trial and many errors I was finally able to get connected to my wifi. The skill listed for Alexa is misspelled in the manual, the led light colors in the instructions are incorrect."
"The app is buggy at times, and my outlet often goes into "offline" mode where I need to unplug the outlet and reconnect it to my wifi (5 bar strength wifi) because the app somehow disconnects from the connection."
"I'm not sure if that was the communication problem or if she simply did not understand me, but her command of the English language was clearly limited."
"If you have something plugged into the smart plug and then into the outlet it will come on but dim/flickering."
Best Electrical Wire
Southwire's Low-Voltage Underground Landscape Lighting Cable is manufactured with two bare annealed flexible stranded copper conductors and premium-grade PVC insulation/jacket material. Southwire's Low-Voltage Low Energy Underground Landscape Lighting Cable is suitable for outdoor accent lighting, landscape lighting and security lighting applications not exceeding 150-Volt. Low-Voltage Underground Landscape Lighting Cable is suitable for use at temperatures not exceeding minimum -20-Degree C or maximum 60-Degree C. Southwire Low-Voltage Low Energy Underground Landscape Lighting Cable adheres to the following specifications: UL 1493, CSA, Requirements of the NEC, RoHS Compliant. UL listed, CSA certified, RoHS compliant, Greenspec approved.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is wire and it works."
"Wire was easy to run and easy to hook up."
"This wire worked great for my low voltage lights at a lower price than the big box stores."
"Good deal."
"Best value we found for low voltage outdoor wire."
"Perfect and much less expensive than the big-box stores."
Best Home Automation Devices
When WeMo works with Nest Thermostat, you can set your lights to turn off automatically when you leave the house. Plug in a Wemo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in devices like Google Home and control your lights and appliances with your voice. Nest can sync with Wemo for automatic home/away control.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This light switch and the other outlet style plug has worked reliably for over 3 years. However, you are at the mercy of your internet connection and if you happen to be away while the network crashes, you won't be able to communicate with the switches. They do support security password keys, but if you want an extra layer of protection, turn on your router/basestation's MAC address control to enable only recognized and authorized devices access to your wireless network. IFTTT will integrate all the functionality of your smart devices with WEMO and ALEXA (NEST and others too). The GPS in a smart phone can be used to create an invisible fence that can turn WEMO switches on/off as you pass in/out of its perimeter."
"After receiving two defective units from Amazon, and before returning the second, I decided to play around with it more and do some more research online. I spent over an hour with WeMo tech support, who offered no solutions, and made me jump through a bunch of hoops in the process. The issue with these early units lies in the fact that they seem to get "confused" if you have other WeMo devices in your home. So long story short, if you have other WeMo devices in your household, and have trouble getting this WeMo mini to connect, try unplugging as many of the other devices as you can (they will automatically reconnect online after you plug them back in), factory reset the mini, and go through the setup process again."
Best Light Sockets
Always be prepared with the JACKY-LED Adapter for when your Light Bulb needs a replacement and you do not have a proper Bulb. JACKYLED GU24 to E26 / E27 Adapter provides the simplest solution to your home light adapter problems. GU24 to E26 / E27 standard base screw in light bulb socket adapter, allows you to use a screw in light bulb in a GU24 Socket. APPLICATION: This JACKYLED gu24 adapter can be used to transforms your GU24 fixture to fit standard the (E26 / E27) medium size bulb in any. SAFETY & SATISFACTION GUARANTEED: JACKYLED GU24 adapter is made from PBT fireproof material, 100% safe from electric flaming, Heat Resistant.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Well, now one of the CF bulbs went out and we want to use LED bulbs instead; however, they are all the A19(?). Got these for use in both fixtures."
"I have only exchanged one GU24 bulb with a screw-in replacement, using the JACKYLED adapter, to date but it did the job I expected so I am pleased with this product."
"Wanted to replace the bulbs with LED and to my chagrin, found it wasn't a regular screw-in bulb."
"I live in an apt where (for some reason) a few of the outlets require these different bulbs which aren't available at any store in town."
"I aquired a light fixture not knowing it came with a CFL bulb with a 2 prong connections, and wanted to change to LEDs."
"This isn't the fault of this product though so the product itself, and the follow-up service from the seller, gets a 5 star rating from me."
"The adapters installed easily and the new bulbs simply screw into the adapters."
"Also, this device doesn't make the adapted bulbs stick out all that far."
Best Electric Outlets & Accessories
Use away mode to make it look like you are home when you travel and have light turn on and off at set times to conserve energy and save on your next bill. Just plug a device into the Smart Plug and connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I set this up on my Alexa and the Kasa app in less than 30 minutes start to finish."
"Go to the TP-LINK support site for full instructions and to the Alexa app if you're using an Echo to control the switches. That menu is accessed in Kasa with this process after the controller is initially set up: From Kasa's home page tap the device name; a screen for that device appears, with selections for Schedule, Away, Timer, an off/on button and at the top right corner an icon that looks like three little sliders."
"TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug HS100 Review. A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a Smart Plug (HS100) to confirm that the product works with Alexa (Amazon Echo) and provides easy, reliable, secure remote control of plugged-in devices. A Smart Plug contains a microprocessor which can be programmed and controls a power switch which may be monitored using an app. * * *. [...]. How to connect my TP-LINK Smart Plug to my home network via Kasa? If you want to use the Smart Plug with Alexa (Remote Control), setup a TP-LINK (Cloud / P2P registry server) account; and, after receiving an email activation message, login; otherwise, you may Skip setting up an account for just local control. With your iPhone on a local 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, open Kasa and then: (a) plug Smart Plug into an AC outlet; (b) Add Device > SMART PLUG and follow the instructions; (c) which say to go to your iPhone's Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Smart Plug's Wi-Fi network and then return to Kasa; (d) customize your Plug -- with a unique name, etc. ; and (e) connect the Plug to your local Wi-Fi (with or without Remote Control, but Alexa requires Remote Control enabled). To use a Smart Plug with Alexa: A. B. Scroll down Smart Home and near the bottom tap Discover devices (search your Wi-Fi LAN) to add your named Smart Plug, which will then be listed. • Covers both outlets if plugged into bottom outlet; covers upper edge of bottom outlet if plugged into top outlet, making bottom outlet unusable. I searched UL's Online Certifications Directory (database) and found a listing: XACN.E481494 Miscellaneous Controls Operating Control, Smart Plug, Model(s) HS100, HS110 Last Updated on 2016-03-29. The manufacturer stated: "In order to control your Smart Plug remotely, a TP-LINK Cloud Account is required. Your Cloud Account is safe and secured, and remote access to your Smart Plug is controlled solely by you through the Kasa App. Cloud accounts and Cloud servers are an industry standard for Smart Plugs and Smart Home devices." "The Smart Plug does not hand over or transmit any password information to us; It receives Wi-Fi profile information from your phone during setup, in order to connect the Smart Plug to your router." New packaging has UL certification mark, as well as new graphics and description: old "Wi-Fi SMART PLUG" vs. new "Smart Wi-Fi Plug;" old FC and RoHS marks vs. new UL and RoHS marks; model and part number unchanged. The Smart Plugs work with Alexa."
"In comparison, the Leviton switch was 20 degrees warmer which is warm enough to notice. It works great, but isn't as intuitive as the Leviton switch which allows you to use the upper/lower section to turn it on/off. I found the power to be about 0.5 W when the switch is off or 1.62 W when the switch is on. This was 3 times less power when the switch was off when compared to the Leviton switch (1.86W whether on or off)."
Best Electric Plugs
Command complete control over your outlets. The Etekcity Remote Control Outlet Switch lets you remotely control hard to reach appliances and devices. A strong RF signal works as far as 100 feet and through doors and walls without interfering with other electronics, allowing convenient control over small household appliances from across rooms or on second floors. With this level of control in your hands, you'll increase the efficiency of your household easily and conveniently. Sync remote outlets together, regardless of frequency differences; Seamlessly expand your system with any Etekcity learning remotes or outlets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I solved this by marking each unit with a black marker in large numerals. With a little less attention to styling, and more to functionality, the manufacturer could have easily solved this problem."
"These remote control outlets are fantastic! Even though these things work even better than expected, I'm knocking off one point for the two cons below (neither of which is a huge deal, just a little inconvenient): Cons: - These remote control outlets are just a little too big, so if the other plug you are trying to fit in a shared wall outlet is anything other than just a simple plug, it won't fit."
"Although it is possible that I received a different or updated model, I thought I should correct, or rebut, some of the misinformation that I read in other reviews. In another case, I had a three pronged plug that I was using in the spare outlet, which had to be relocated, as it would not fit after installing the remote switch. But, very easy to just add the remote switch into a short extension chord, and the problem is solved. After the Holidays, most of these units will be relocated to my basement workshop where they will be subject to much higher loads and more demanding use. I will use one on a dust collector (about 12 amps draw), one on a vacuum, and even one on a strobe light so my wife can summon me if she needs to, without me cutting my hand off if she yells at me to come to dinner. So now my wife just hits a button upstairs and my strobe light in the basement lets me know she needs me to come up!"
"Additionally beyond that, the remain 4 that were functional out of the first set have been cycling daily (via RPi) for about 4 months now."
"When you plug your appliance into the Etekcity outlet, in this case a lamp, into the front of the Etekcity outlet, the Etekcity body will either cover the top wall outlet when plugged into the bottom of the wall outlet. Or, if you plug the Etekcity Outlet into the top wall outlet you may find it difficult to use the bottom wall outlet if you were to want to use the bottom outlet for something like a Vacuum Cleaner or any other appliance that has a large plug."
Best Power Strips
12-plug power strip with 8-foot cord, ideal for home or office use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have no idea how well the RJ45 phone plugs or the cable protectors work as I don't use them, but the outlets work and Belkin products have not let me down for surge protection in the past."
"What a wonderful power strip!"
"I'm not a huge review writer, but this product and the support provided by Belkin warrants some comments. The product failed within the first 30 days while being hooked up to my computer and a TV. No fuses tripped within my home... something apparently just shorted out inside the unit. They have a process similar to Amazon which allows them to ship you the new product, then you return the defective one to them once the new one is received. This is obviously a huge part of the equation for a $25.00 product and I assume it will be covered eventually once they provide some actual dollar figures about what I will be charged if I don't return the bad one. So I contact CitiBank (my credit card) to notify them of a probable dispute at this point... and they tell me the actual charge was $80.30. Anyway, short version: product failed twice (which to me warrants the one star review alone), Belkin customer service then provides the trifecta of failure. Five days later I received a response that appeared to be written by an actual person (versus an automated reply) that stated. "Thank you for contacting Belkin Technical Support. Please call our customer support department during business hours". So that was great. I never received anything and tracking shows it was returned to their docks almost a month ago, yet they charge me."
"Disappointed that this offers little to no protection...only plus is 8 outlets on a switch."
"It caught on fire and burned my carpet, but it didn't burn the whole house down since I was sitting right next to it."
"The real news: none of Belkin's products, or other similar surge protectors, can protect electronic equipment during a catastrophic surge, such as that caused by a close lightning strike. Such a protector, properly connected by an electrician, will dissipate 85-90% of the initial surge from a lightning strike, and allow a Belkin-type protector, if good enough, to do its intended job. And now, the kicker: they reserve the right to have you mail them all of the equipment you are claiming is damaged--at YOUR expense and with ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that either you'll get it back or that they'll give you one red cent even after they receive your damaged equipment. And if they do deny your claim after all of this, your only resort is to sue them, and the amount of damages claimed may exceed the limits for small claims court in your state (meaning you'll have to hire a lawyer--have you priced one lately?). First, get yourself a whole-house surge protector, and then, protect all of your electronic equipment (including appliances) with appropriately scaled surge protectors from Monoprice."
Best Recessed Light Fixtures
Features: High brightness 4800 lumens output and 5000K natural white light, provides excellent lighting experience. Commercial grade LED, guaranteed durability and long lifespan, minimum operating temperature -20℃ (-4℉),instant-on without flicker. Choose either hanging mounting or flush mounting as you wish. Product specifications: Brightness: 4800lm. Wattage: 40W. Input Voltage Range: 100~277 VAC, 50/60Hz. Luminous Efficacy: 120lm/W. Color Temperature: 5000K for Daylight. Color Rendering Index (CRI): >85. Beam Angle: >120deg. Lifespan: 22.8 years*. Finish: White. Lens: Frosted. Certificate: ETL. Dimensions: 48’’ L x 5’’ W x 2.5’’ H. Warranty: 5 Year Limited Warranty. * Life is based on 3 hrs/day. 5000K natural white light offers the best lighting experience for task and general area lighting. Ideal for garages, basements, workshops, utility and recreation rooms, storage rooms, barn, equipment rooms, large area lighting requirements, industrial workstations, workspace, carports, auto shops, task and general purpose lighting.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The only two critiques I'd offer would be (1) have somebody whose first language is English redo the paperwork that comes with the lights and (2) replace the chains and hooks with something more substantial."
"I basically had to create new holes 24" apart in the aluminum housing and screw them directly through the drywall into the ceiling joists."
"This is the only light I have currently in my 12x18 workshop and it does a surprisingly good job lighting the space by itself."
"Using in my shop - provides very bright light and let's me view saws and wood products without any problems - However I wish it would have come with a parts list so I could purchase another and interconnect."
"Very easy to hang and replace existing lamps, too."
"Just making due with a few small extension cords to reach the spots I am placing them."
"I hung this above my art table in my studio."
"Very bright, excellent color rendition for artists who are concerned about color shifting by other types of lighting."
Best Electrical Switches
When WeMo works with Nest Thermostat, you can set your lights to turn off automatically when you leave the house. Plug in a Wemo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in devices like Google Home and control your lights and appliances with your voice. Nest can sync with Wemo for automatic home/away control.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This light switch and the other outlet style plug has worked reliably for over 3 years. However, you are at the mercy of your internet connection and if you happen to be away while the network crashes, you won't be able to communicate with the switches. They do support security password keys, but if you want an extra layer of protection, turn on your router/basestation's MAC address control to enable only recognized and authorized devices access to your wireless network. IFTTT will integrate all the functionality of your smart devices with WEMO and ALEXA (NEST and others too). The GPS in a smart phone can be used to create an invisible fence that can turn WEMO switches on/off as you pass in/out of its perimeter."
"After receiving two defective units from Amazon, and before returning the second, I decided to play around with it more and do some more research online. I spent over an hour with WeMo tech support, who offered no solutions, and made me jump through a bunch of hoops in the process. The issue with these early units lies in the fact that they seem to get "confused" if you have other WeMo devices in your home. So long story short, if you have other WeMo devices in your household, and have trouble getting this WeMo mini to connect, try unplugging as many of the other devices as you can (they will automatically reconnect online after you plug them back in), factory reset the mini, and go through the setup process again."
Best Interconnect Terminals
Connector type Red 22-16 Blue 16-14 Yellow 12-10 Total QTY. Male Quick Disc. DURABILITY - Translucent heat shrink tubing provides high tensile strength as well as resistance to stretch and mechanical damage. EXCELLENT WIRE CONTACT - copper barrel provides increased current flow, and ensures less voltage drop, preventing wiring failures and reducing equipment downtime.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When crimped, the heat shrink does get folded but when you apply the head, you can't even tell. I have had my bike put in the snow and have ridden it in the rain with no problems at all."
"Very good, top quality connectors that'll make your wiring project reliable and watertight."
"I have used these several times in the past few days for upgrades to connections on my mower and tow sprayer."
"I like this assortment to keep around my construction business."
"I used these to fix the 7 pin wiring on a trailer. they crimped easy enough. the heat shrink worked well. looks as if it will last a long time."
"A comprehensive set of connectors for someone who connects his own wires for whatever purpose."
"I wanted heat shrink terminals for a boat project and these fit the bill."
"I wanted these to be so much better, but due to the cheapness of the metal I go through a couple of them before I get a good crimp."
Best Electrical Testers
The BAT-200 Battery Tester indicates the amount of charge remaining in standard and rechargeable batteries. Test standard and rechargeable batteries: 9V, AA, AAA, C, D, 1.5V Button Type.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Not a perfect analogy, but the point is that you'll find reviewers of battery testers who say that the tester is defective because it said a battery was no good even when it would still run their clock just fine for months. Or they'll say that a tester is defective because it said a battery was fine, yet it wouldn't run their flashlight. The point here is that with any tester, there will be a questionable zone where your battery may do fine in some uses yet completely fail in others. A tester like the Amprobe that places a simulated load on the battery is more likely to say that a battery is no good when it'll run your clock just fine. A tester with no load like the D-Fantix is more likely to say that a battery is good, even when it won't run your flashlight."
"After a recent hurricane struck Puerto Rico and left the island without electricity, living on battery power became the norm."
"hello to all I am making this review for the battery checker before I always always have problem with the batteries I did not know if they were fully charged or empty when I got this product I have been checking all my batteries and not only I am checking the batteries I am saving money and I am not throwing away Good batteries this was a very good investment I give it 5 stars."
"I use a lot of batteries and it is nice to have this so you can tell if the battery itself is dead or the tool or toy has malfunctioned."
"I got this dry cell battery tester as an add on to my order and am very happy with it's accuracy and ease of use."
"Definitely handy for the ones who use battery operated devices on a regular basis!"
"I needed the 9V tester to test smoke alarm batteries."
"Good product and is easy to use."
Best Electrical Timers
Automates fans, lamps or seasonal, decorative, holiday & Christmas lighting to help reduce energy and save money.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the highest consumer rated timer among 179 Amazon.com users with a score of 4.8 of 5.0 stars. The timer is able handle equipment that requires a maximum of 15 Amps, 0.5 HP, or 1,725 watts. It is not the familiar light cheap plastic types that are commonly sold in hardware stores. At $10, the consumer is getting great value for an over engineered and durable product that will last for years. Second, use a tooth pick to press down the tabs on the clock dial to set the time(s) for the device to go ON. Third, rotate the round clock dial and position the black triangle to the present time. Through the years, I have used Intermec and GE brands. They were cheaply made; they tend to overheat; and the life expectancy was short. The biggest problem was the limited number of settings. In other words, the user can only activate the device once or twice in a 24-hour day. These plastic pegs tend to fall off and get lost - rendering the timer useless. The manufacturer, Century Products, is not well known as Intermec or GE, competing companies that also make timers. Three hours after requesting that the defective timer be returned for a refund, the vendor contacted me by email. He politely asked for a description of the problem, which I replied. Within an hour, a second email expressed his personal apologies and indicated that a free replacement will be shipped on Monday. The product turned my bedroom lamp ON and OFF every 15 minutes for 16 hours everyday. The reality is that defects in manufacturing happen all the time. It is unbelievable that a company immediately responded to a customer complaint within three hours on a weekend, confirm the issue within an hour, and ship a free replace on the next business day. Customer service like this puts all other businesses to shame. UPDATE 3: I was so impressed with the product's quality, versatility, durability, reliability, and usefulness that I purchased four units."
"It's ok, works as advertised."
"So if I want it to come on for another hour after an hour, I would skip over the next four pins, and press the following 4 pins Those are all the pins above the arrow. The timer dial is moving in a clockwise motion, so if the pin you push is 15 minutes below the arrow, it won't come on till tomorrow + 15 minutes. If you want it to come on in 15 minutes from now, press the pin just above the arrow."
"Mind you, if you're using this timer to operate a device at its rated capacity of 15A (1725W, 125VAC), you probably shouldn't be sharing the outlet with anything else anyway."
"Update 2: I found out the timers come with a 15 mo warranty, so I contacted Century Products and they quickly sent me a replacement. So if you have a problem with your timer, I strongly suggest contacting them at: support@centurytimer.com. Update: Changed from 5 to 1 star."
Best Electrical Tools & Hardware
Our professional crimp tool TC-CT68 crimps, strips, and cuts cable for 8 and 6 position modular plugs. 1 YEAR WARRANTY & TOLL-FREE TECH SUPPORT- TRENDnet backs this product with a 1 year manufacturer warranty as well as toll-free tech support.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I then tried just pressing the handles of the tool together one time, and had no further problems or issues with use of this tool and all terminated connections worked perfectly."
"The hardest part for me was getting the 8 individual wires into the cap in the right order, which has nothing to do with the tool itself. In terms of actually using the tool, the printed instructions are useless, but I found this video to be extremely helpful."
"Where as with my old crimp tool, the handles were open so I could wrap the handles around the middle of a long cable and cut it (not necessarily as part of a crimping job). Make sure the part of the cable you want to cut is lined up here with the excess to be cut off fed through the telecom strip blades."
"My IT practice might see me terminating Ethernet cables a few times a year."
"This punch down tool has every bit of quality and performance that rivals the top infamous industry brands at a good price."
"This product works!"
"The tool seems to be well-made - it worked fine for me - and that should (I hope) mean a little something coming from me since I'm telling all who read this right now that I despise a poorly made tool (or anything lacking quality, for that matter) and will expose substandard quality control to all within the range of my wailing voice!"
"Not anywhere near as well as I expected for a name brand product. I've found a cheaper model that looks identical and works perfectly so this is no longer in my bag."
Best Electrical Wall Plates & Accessories
Designed to work with the wires you already have, Sensi thermostat does not require a common wire (c-wire) in many cases, so it is compatible with most heating and cooling systems* (U.S. and Canada only). Set your Sensi thermostat to automatically adjust your homes temperature for location-based temperature control with geofencing, or quickly create a 7-day schedule to reduce wasteful heating and cooling when no one is home. Integrates with Amazon Alexa for voice control and Wink smart home platforms, and works with Google Assistant and Google Home using the free Wink app.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In my research I learned that my primary complaint the Nest - that the temperature swing was too wide - was addressed by Sensi's "cycle rate" setting. Nest's no-button design is cool, but using a thermostat is not a lecture in UX minimalism, and black-and-chrome doesn't really disappear into the background of my home (white trim and all). Granted, we didn't also install a second Nest to have more temperature sensors, and we didn't buy their $200 talking smoke detectors which also report environmental statistics back to the thermostat. Most people won't care about this but being a network security engineer, I'm impressed that the thermostat has exactly 0 open TCP ports, outbound communication is with one IP, and total traffic is very modest."
"--. I had been wanting to get a WiFi Thermostat for a long time now, but I held off because I was worried that I would buy one that wouldn't be compatible with my home or that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to install it. You select the wires that your current thermostat has, and then the app tells you what to label them and where they will go in the new thermostat. I had never replaced a thermostat before, and it took me under 30 minutes (which includes unboxing, looking for screwdriver, looking for AC unit shut off switch, watching how-to videos included with the app, etc). The app is handy because it also tells you your local Hi and Low temps from the forecast as well as the humidity in your home, upcoming schedule, set temp, actual temp, and the background is either blue, red, or grey depending on if your system is on Cool, Heat, or off at the moment. The only thing this is missing is a few more advanced options for the app, such as specific alerts (like if the temperature is changed manually, I would like to be able to get an instant alert on my phone) and an air filter change reminder that can be set for a certain amount of time (like 1, 2, or 3 months)."
Best Commercial Degreasers
This professional-grade, multipurpose cleaner/degreaser breaks down tough grease, grime and stains on metal, plastic, painted surfaces, sealed wood, concrete, carpet and more. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I actually went over an area of carpet that I thought was cleaned well by my carpet cleaning shampoo and I was shocked at the amount of dirt and filthy water that was sucked up after using this cleaner."
"I've used it in various dilutions for everything from windshield washer fluid, dish soap, laundry detergent, engine wash, hand cleaner, parts cleaner, pressure washer detergent, deck wash, siding wash, concrete cleaner and general degreaser. It's definitely a winner, but now the question needs answered, "If the Pro HD is so good, is there any need for the old green Simple Green?""
"Excellent Heavy Duty Cleaner I would buy it again, and recommend it to anyone who's looking for. something like this especially for this low price. Works exactly like it should be not much to say about it!"
"Greta pet safe and kid safe cleaner works best on carpet , floors just about everything with no odor."
"Cleaned the siding very well."
"Does not go as good as I has hoped on house siding."
"This goes perfectly with my pressure washer."
"I use this in my Bissell crosswave wet n dry mop and my Hoover steam cleaner."
Best Commercial Access Door Control
Box Set for JO series Hands-Free Video Intercom including (1 JO-DV video door station, 1 JO-1MD video master station, 1 PS-1820UL power supply).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"easy installation....used my existing wires to upgrade my 2-family house intercom system, picture is extremely clear and view angle is super wide so if you can't see the person ringing the bell is because they really don't want to be seen."
"If you get a lot of random people at your door, get the model with record memory."
"The A iPhone has great ease of operation, is thorough in its addressment of all required functions, has excellent camera resolution at night and in the daytime, and is beautifully designed with highgrade materials."
"Really nice display."
"Unit works well, really like the 7 inch screen, met expectations, give it a 5 star rating with a 1-5 range,5 being the tops."
"easy retrofit of an older aiphone model."
"This replaced a 20 year old video phone."
Best Outdoor Generator Inlet Boxes
This inlet box is then safely hardwired through an outside wall directly to the transfer switch or panel, eliminating the need for cords running through windows or doors. It is designed to be wired directly to the transfer switch or panel by using one of the four combination 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch knockouts (one on each side, bottom and back). The Reliance Controls 20 Amp power inlet box is designed for outdoor use and can be hardwired directly to Reliance Controls transfer switches or panels, eliminating need for cords running through windows or doors. Maximum generator running watts: 5,000.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Worked great for my suicide generator hook up."
"Works great for a generator hookup."
"Had this completely installed in about 20 minutes and now ready to just plug in generator next time power goes out."
"I use this electrical box to connect an outdoor generator to my indoor transfer switch."
"I bought this to install on the outside of the house as part of a system to let me switch over to generator power."
"Great way to get power from my portable generator into the garage for winter time emergency power for the furnace."