As I’ve been building a new home, one of the things I’ve had in the back of my mind is avoiding the permanent installation of as many things as possible that’ll be outdated as Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth networks evolve. Just in the past few years, we’re seeing Matter and Thread become a key part of the smart home of the future as well. When I was meeting with my builder and electrician, we talked about what kind of outlets we wanted. They asked if I wanted to use some that had various smart home technologies built in like HomeKit or Alexa, and I said, no, give me “dumb outlets.” I really like using add-on adapters so I can easily upgrade them in the future. In preparation for our new outdoor patio, I picked up the Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug to handle automating the outdoor outlets.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
Why do you need outdoor outlet control?
You can use Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug to control single-outlet lamps (e.g., a porch light) or a set of Christmas lights from your smart device. With Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug, you’ll never have to get off the couch again to control your outdoor lights! Even if you only use it during the holiday season, you’ll save a ton of time and effort that will be well worth the cost of purchasing the item. We always have a few outdoor trees, and with a HomeKit-enabled smart outlet adaptor, I set it up once to turn on every day at dusk, and turn it back off around 11:00 p.m. when we go to bed. It’s a “set it and forget it.”
Setting up the Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug
The Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug is a smart home device that allows you to control your outdoor outlets via Siri and the Home app. It’s compatible with HomeKit, so you can use Siri commands like “turn on the outdoor lights” to illuminate them at nightfall. The plug also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can control it using voice commands as well if you prefer using those services over Apple products. While I prefer HomeKit, it’s nice to have the flexibility in the future if you ever wanted to migrate to a new service or just have the option to use multiples.
The plug comes with an IP65 weather-resistant housing, making it suitable for use outdoors year-round without worry of damage from rain or snow. The small physical size makes it easy to find space for this device at home or away from home; plus no power cable means no tripping hazards! If you’ve tried other outdoor plugs, you’ll be shocked by how much smaller this one is compared to others. While it only has one plug on it, I find that to be plenty in day-to-day usage.
It’s a native HomeKit device, so the HomeKit code is printed on it with a sticker, so your only “installation” step is to scan it with the Home app. Since it’s an outdoor item, I highly recommend an app like Homepass for storing your HomeKit codes. If you lose the code, you’ll no longer be able to set it up as new in the future.
Why HomeKit control over outdoor outlets unlocks new automations
HomeKit control over outdoor outlets unlocks new automations that you can use with your existing HomeKit-compatible devices. For example, you can create a scene that turns on the lights on at sunset and off again when it gets dark outside. You can also set up an automation to automatically turn off the outdoor lights when they’re not needed, like at night or during a rainy day. If you’re using a Philips Hue setup with the Hue outdoor motion sensor, you could easily create a HomeKit automation that, when the motion sensor detects motion at night, flip on a light attached to the outlet.
With a Home Hub (Apple TV or HomePod mini), you can control your outdoor plugs remotely from anywhere in the world via the Apple TV app or Siri voice commands. Using these features will give your home an appearance of being occupied even when it’s empty – which is great for deterring burglars! If you’re interested in learning more about the Philips Hue outdoor lighting system, check out our full guide.
Conclusion on Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug
HomeKit control of outdoor outlets unlocks new automations, from scheduling security lights to turning on outdoor Christmas trees when you arrive home. It could also be useful for an electric grill, washing machine, or anything else that needs to function in a more harsh environment. With Minoston Outdoor Smart Plugs, you can control outdoor outlets with Siri and the Home app with ease. The only downside is it lacks a dual outlet, but for single outlet needs, check it out. You can purchase the Minoston Outdoor Smart Plug from Amazon or directly from Minoston.
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