Best Plug-In Switches
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."
"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."
Remote Access: Control devices connected to the Smart Plug wherever you have Internet using the free Kasa app on your smartphone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are a bit bulky and have to use the top wall outlet or bottom on a power strip depending on how the outlets are oriented."
"Easy to setup."
"Reason number one is we live in an older home and electrical outlets were not a must."
"You simply download the app, set up the account, set up the device, then add it to either Alexa or Chrome."
"Works great and easy set up after you download the app to your phone."
"Easy install and setup for someone who can download an app to their phone and follow basic instructions."
"This was a gift for my son."
"Obviously, you can only use these for appliances and devices that are active immediately upon being plugged in, but they are very reliable in their role."
Easy to use and install, use Smart Plug and connect to your Wi-Fi network, no hub required, works with 100 - 120 VAC, 15 A. Scheduling - Schedule the Smart Plug to automatically power electronics on and off as needed, like setting lights to come on at dusk or turn off at sunrise.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are a bit bulky and have to use the top wall outlet or bottom on a power strip depending on how the outlets are oriented."
"Easy to setup."
"Reason number one is we live in an older home and electrical outlets were not a must."
"You simply download the app, set up the account, set up the device, then add it to either Alexa or Chrome."
"Works great and easy set up after you download the app to your phone."
"Easy install and setup for someone who can download an app to their phone and follow basic instructions."
"This was a gift for my son."
"Obviously, you can only use these for appliances and devices that are active immediately upon being plugged in, but they are very reliable in their role."
Best Plug-In Dimmers
White, credenza tabletop style dimmer, select light level with slider, slide to off, no installation, just plug in, 300W Capacity, UL listed, CSA certified, Clam shell package. Easy slide operation allows you to adjust lights to desired level.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought it because I strung up fairy lights on my headboard but I found them too bright for trying to sleep (yes, I'm 25 and I still like a nightlight occasionally whatever). Word of warning: check your fairy lights before you plug them in! My fairy lights are not LED and they're under the max wattage, so the dimmer does NOT get hot or buzz or any of those weird things you might read in previous reviews."
"I used this with an LED desklamp and got flickering at different points on the slider."
"For example, I like the red light in our infant's room because usually the light is off so it helps me find the dimmer. In our toddler's room I leave the light on and would rather not have the light because it gets her attention."
"Without that light if someone comes in and turns the light off on the lamp itself, you won’t know that the power cord will not work."
"You plug this dimmer plug into the wall outlet, then plug the lamp cord into the dimmer plug at the wall."
"Electronically it seems pretty straight forward, but I didn't see anything like it at Home Depot, and what rheostats they did have were 2.5 times more expensive."
"Sometimes I need to turn the lamp down to a lower setting so that I can comfortably sit in a room."
"When I put up the Christmas tree that will be the extension cord that my Christmas lights will be plugged in to."
Best Plug-In Timers
With ¾ horsepower, it’s perfect for heavy duty appliances such as pumps or heaters, but it’s also great for landscape, security, or holiday lighting. USER-FRIENDLY DIGITAL OUTLET TIMER: with 3 timing features (digital timer, random setting and countdown timer) on this 7-day programmable plug-in digital timer switch with 3-prong outlets, you can personalize your settings the way you like it for outdoor appliances; each day can also be programmed differently than the next, or weekends differently than weekdays, giving you more flexibility.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Started researching other outdoor digital timers that are reasonably priced. While reading about a different timer, their info said "any problems, hit the reset button". Even though there is a reset button on this unit, it is only mentioned in the instructions for initial setting. August 2016, almost 3 years later: Unit started acting funny.. it got wet while the house was being prepped for painting with power-washing (wish I or the painters had thought to move it) and it started shorting out the socket it was plugged in. I stopped using it, fired up the new one I was holding in reserve, and so far so good. Between the wonky socket and the pressure washing, I am not too upset the first unit finally failed."
"AUTO OFF means no power is supplied to either outlet UNTIL one of the timer programs says to turn the power on. Conversely, AUTO ON means power is supplied to both outlets UNTIL one of the timer programs says to turn the power off."
"It is a counter intuitive design that works the opposite of every other timer I've ever used. It's the only timer in the past 30 years where I had to read the instructions to get it to work."
"Also connecting wire is pretty short so mounting the device at your outdoor outlet can be challenging."
"I am sure there are more robust and better sealing units out there when you male a jump in price, but this has functioned well in a partially sheltered location under my front deck."
Best Dimmer Switches
Wemo Light Switch seamlessly replaces your old wall light switch. Control you lights from Wemo Light Switch on the wall, the Wemo app, and even your voice with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Pair Wemo Light Switch with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in devices like Google Home to turn your lights on or off with just the power of your voice.
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."
"In my experience, most switches don't require the extra "white" constant power line. It's rare enough, it has never caused any trouble for me, but assuming it is the fault of the switch, it could be a problem for some."
"Connecting to the WiFi was also not difficult for me. The initial firmware update took quite a long time and the initial iPhone app version that I downloaded was *very* slow to detect the switches each time I loaded the app, but they seem to have fixed the latter issue. In between each question, she would tell me to "hold on a second" and mute her line, before often (at least 10 times, no exaggeration) returning and asking me a question I had already answered. For now, I have two switches that cannot connect to WiFi and one that cannot even turn the lights on. To make it worse: they only provide (poor) customer service for free for 90 days! I really wanted to like the product, and I would have if there was some quality control or better customer support, but unfortunately for me it didn't work out."
Best Foot Switches
This all-purpose Linemaster foot switch has a reinforced polymeric pedal, a 6' power cord, and a single two-prong outlet for connecting with lights and other electric devices. Under the foot switch's cover, an integrated adjustable strain relief clamp helps to hold the 6' stranded parallel thermoplastic (SPT) type 2 cord in place. Foot switches are commonly used with power tools, sewing machines, musical instruments, dental equipment, and lighting, and in the construction, laboratory, production, and medical fields, among others.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We remodeled our family room earlier this year and, as a result, moved our Christmas tree to a new location. Since we get a live tree every year, not only is it inconvenient to plug/unplug it, it rains needles on your head when crawling on the floor underneath it."
"We have a floor lamp that came with a switch in the cord."
"I've used this switch daily for over a year and it is still rock solid."
"I use this in a baby's room to turn on a small lamp (convenient when I'm bringing a newborn to a changing table and have my arms full)."
"Perfect for our Christmas tree."
"You just plug this foot switch in to the wall and then your lights into the appropriate spot on the switch and put the switch somewhere you can easily press the foot."
"This switch is excellent for plugging wifi routers into if they don't have their own power switch on them."
"I use this to help with aquarium maintenance; instead of trying to connect and disconnect pumps when I have my hands full (or when they're just wet) I can click the pedal on/off instead."
Best Electrical Wall Switches
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."