Smart outlet adaptors, like the Wemo Smart Plug with Thread, are a great smart home device for newcomers looking to bing some basic home automation to into their lives. Wemo is Belkin’s smart home brand, and they’re actually the very first smart home product I bought nearly ten years ago. Version 4 builds upon previous versions, but brings a HomeKit only focus to the device. Smart outlet adaptors are great devices to have in every room in your home, and here’s three reasons why:
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- Convenience: Smart outlet adaptors allow you to control your home appliances and electronics remotely using your smartphone or voice commands. This means you can turn things on and off, set schedules, and even create away modes to make it appear as though you’re home when you’re not, all without having to physically be at the outlet.
- Energy efficiency: Smart outlet adaptors allow you to monitor your energy usage and make adjustments to your habits to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, you can set your coffee maker to turn off automatically after a certain amount of time or turn off your electronics when they’re not in use.
- Easy installation: Smart outlet adaptors are easy to install and use. Simply plug them into an outlet and connect them to your home’s Wi-Fi network. Then, use the accompanying app to control and monitor your devices.
Overall, smart outlet adaptors are a convenient and energy-efficient way to make your home smarter and more connected.
What makes the Wemo Smart Plug With Thread the ideal smart outlet adapter?
One of the things you’ll quickly notice about the Wemo Smart Plug with Thread is that it’s HomeKit only. The current trend is for devices to support the Matter protocol so it can be used on a variety of smart home platforms. While I agree with the way the industry is moving, it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be a long process. Adding complexity to code to support Matter can create bugs in the process. For version 4 of its outlet adapter, Wemo has gone HomeKit only.
As a result of going HomeKit only, you end up with a fantastic device. Onboarding it only requires the Home app as the QR code is on the side of the device. Here’s the best part as well: It’s one of the few devices I’ve run across where firmware updates are handled within the Home app. As soon as I added it to HomeKit, I was alerted about a firmware update. I love only needing the Home app to control and upgrade a device vs. having a variety of manufacturer devices for firmware updates.
One of the standout features of version 4 of the Wemo Smart Plug is its compatibility with the Thread protocol. Thread technology is designed to improve connectivity in smart home systems by allowing devices to communicate using a mesh network instead of relying on a central hub. With Thread, HomeKit accessories like lights, thermostats, outlets, and sensors can talk to each other directly, making the network more reliable and robust. This is because if one device fails, the data packets can be automatically relayed to the next device in the mesh, ensuring that the network remains stable. Overall, Thread technology is a valuable addition to HomeKit as it improves connectivity and reliability.
Low profile improves accessibility in more places
One of the key benefits of the Wemo Smart Plug with Thread is its low profile, which allows it to be used in more places than other smart home devices. The compact size of the Wemo Smart Plug means that it can be plugged into outlets that may be obstructed by larger devices, such as surge protectors or power strips. This makes it an ideal choice for those who want to add smart functionality to their appliances and electronics without sacrificing outlet space.
Wrap-up
Overall, it’s a fantastic device. I had a need for a new outlet adapter in our new house, and it was one of the first ones that came up in an Amazon search. I love the HomeKit only focus as well as Home app driven updates. You can purchase it from Amazon, Apple, or Best Buy.
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