Amazon Smart Plug, works with Alexa – A Certified for Humans Device

10 reviews for Amazon Smart Plug, works with Alexa – A Certified for Humans Device

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   visacrum – January 23, 2020

   I had a smart plug that required another app to set it up. Honestly, it was fine, I had zero issues with it. A year or two later, for reasons I don’t know, it stopped working wirelessly (the button still worked) and I couldn’t re-pair it. I tried everything up to and including giving the standalone app carte blanche on permissions. Time to replace the plug.I found this one and OMG. No other apps needed, the Alexa app totally knows what to do. Gives you a QR code scanner mid-setup to scan what I assume is the item-specific QR code.Now, as I write this, I realize this other thing may already exist. But if it doesn’t, I hope it will (I’ll probably search shortly after I write this review): LED bulbs with the zillion different colors. I have no problem with companies that need their own apps in order to integrate with Alexa, but I mean come on, an option to just handle everything through one app? Here, TAKE MY MONEY!

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Never Bird – February 22, 2020

   Edit: I’ve bought the device a second time and it connected much better with the most recent Echo Dot. I plugged the device into a power strip and use it for my computer charger so it doesn’t overcharge my laptop. I don’t know if they’ve made improvements, but connection worked out great so I’ve upgraded my review from 3 stars to 5 stars.Thoughts:1. I wanted to try using this as a plug for a power strip, but it doesn’t work because there must be some safety feature.2. If the Echo/Alexa has trouble finding your plug, don’t panic. There is a button on the side of the device that you can press for the light to flash and for the plug to be “discoverable”.3. The plugs are named in chronological order (ie. First plug, second plug, etc.) and you can’t edit the names though you can group devices on your Alexa app. So keep track of which plug is which.4. Again, I don’t believe that this device should be used for life saving equipment as it is dependent on your wifi connection and Echo/Alexa adds an additional command step to the sequence of using a machine.I would recommend this product!Previous Review:I waited to review this plug because I wanted to try it out with different devices and at different distances from both Echo/-Dot and my modem.Devices: I tried the plug with a space heater and with a laptop (to avoid overcharging). I plugged it into a power strip with no problem, but do note if you’re using a space heater with an automatic shut off, the plug is going to be shut off just like the rest and you have to turn on the strip and then tell Echo to turn on the plug separately. I’ve decided that the automatic shut off is enough of a safety feature and the Smart Plug is best used for devices that are capable of utilizing a continuous stream of electricity without emergently overloading and need the plug to monitor the usage (e.g. a laptop). ***Please take note of my exception at the bottom of the review!Now for the big item issue: Connectivity.I believe the key is that your Wifi connection needs to be optimized to get the most out of this plug. If you have slightly unreliable wifi (e.g. I live out in the country with plenty of winter storms), plug the smart plug closer to your modem and minimize the distance from your Alexa. I don’t know if this is a must, but it worked for me. If your internet shorts out in, you don’t have to re-setup the plug, but the plug lights might get thrown off for a bit (it will stay red even when it’s on and flash blue at random points). Ignore that. If your Echo/-dot is flashing red as well, the plug is going to be down.Just give the Wifi a second to settle down and you should be set to go. The irritating part is that the Echo resyncs with the Wifi much faster than the plug. I tried to reset it up/give it time and it took hours for it to sync up again, but maybe that was because it was further away from the Echo/modem. Either way, just know that once your wifi has been signed in, as long as you haven’t changed the password, your sign in is set.Other reviewers are correct: the set up instructions are easy to overlook. Either have the instructions next to you so you have the set up password or be near an outlet.1. You go into your Alexa app2. The top left corner has the three lines3. Click on add a device4. Choose plug5. Brand is Amazon,6. Click “Next” to agree to the conditions of use and terms7. Scan the barcode on the back of the plug or from the instructions (You have to get the little box with squiggly lines to be lined up in the sights of the screen) and then follow the instructions. It’s okay if you have to unplug the smart plug for a second to scan the 2D barcode, just plug it back in quickly.8. It will tell you to press the button on the side till the lights flash red and blue (keep pressing till that happens) and then make sure to follow the instructions for signing into your Wifi.***IMPORTANT and MY OPINION: I really wouldn’t recommend that you use this plug for life-saving/emergency equipment even if you think that you have the best Wifi in the world. A plug with a timer or any regular plug is reliant on electricity, but, as aforementioned, this plug requires an extra step of being turned on by Echo/-Dot. If your electricity goes out momentarily, you lose the time waiting for the lights to turn back on, but with the plug you have to additionally ask for Echo to turn the plug back on and/or resync with your wifi.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   D. Burke – April 23, 2020

   I got my first one of these on a great promotion, and I bought a second one at full price for the convenience. Full disclaimer – I haven’t tried a cheaper version that claims to work with Alexa.I have a white noise sound machine next to my bed, and it works great for falling asleep and staying asleep, but I wanted it to turn off when it’s time to start waking up. This integrates perfectly into an Alexa routine in the app, and switches it off and on at the times I choose. Or it can turn on and off at the sound of my voice at the Echo Speaker, or I can use the app on my phone, or I can push the button on the side of the brick to turn on and off. It’s fabulous. I even added it to my “alexa, goodnight” routine, that also turns off lights.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   MGardner – April 23, 2020

   When my really old Amazon plug stopped working, I bought a different brand this time. It was a good deal it seemed. I tried to set it up for days and it would almost be working, but then stopped. Hours with tech support, but they (it was a 2 pk) both could not work with Alexa. I returned them and bought another Amazon Smart Pug and within 5 minutes it was on and working. I like to have Alexa turn on my bedroom lamp as I walk in the room…or from my phone in the living room. This works great! I can’t say enough nice things about Amazon! I have always trusted their products and will buy them 1st from now on. If they had a 100 Star rating…I would give it!

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Richard W. Allen – July 2, 2020

   I found it a bit difficult for the Alexa app to recognize and the instructions are not quite accurate, but once I found the right way, it became easy to install. I have 2 now but have ordered 2 more. No hub, no login to a vendor website. It uses bluetooth to recognize the unit and you can set it to use your wifi for future.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Chelle68 – August 1, 2020

   I use this smart plug for my living room lamp. At Christmas time I use it to turn my Christmas tree. You have to be using LED lights for this plug. There are smart plugs made for other wattages. It is very important to be aware of this as you would not want to overload this plug.

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Wonky – August 13, 2020

   I didn’t need this but it was a ‘throw in’ deal. So what to do with it? I have a old tablet that I basically use for centralized smart home control. I don’t want to leave it on the charger all of the time but the battery is weak. So I plugged its charger into this smart plug and put it on a schedule (routine). Now the tablet will now get just enough power to stay alive. The whole setup was very easy. If the first attempt of initial setup fails just try again.

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   J. Woody – September 17, 2020

   We recently moved, and unfortunately, our smart light system isn’t compatible with the new fixtures, and I wanted a solution that would let me control lights and timers as needed for when I’m not home some nights. These came in as a flexible solution, allowing me to turn other “dumb” devices smart and use them to bridge the gap. It’s as simple as configuring the plug on Alexa and then plugging into it.

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Diana – September 17, 2020

   So I’m kind of new to the amazon device family. We just got our echo a few months ago. I’ve been a prime member for over 10 years so I’m familiar with how amazon has changed life as we knew it (for me anyway). I saw the amazon smart plug when I was searching for any brand smart plug that had Alexa control with it. It’s been in my cart saved for later for at least a month! I finally decided to just pre order it so that I could review it and hopefully help other people that are like me and have fallen way behind in the tech field. For reference I’m an almost 34 year old mom of 2. This means that my 8 year old stole my iPad, iMac, and I haven’t had a computer of my own in about 4 years! So I do everything from my iPhone. I’ve had some weird issues with our echo and my Alexa app that it will just randomly pause a song so I’m not sure what that is about.ANYWAY! I received my new amazon smart plug the day it was released (so glad it’s not like a new iPhone or PlayStation where people camp out ahead of time or do people still do this??). It was easier than I expected but harder than was described in the listing because my Alexa didn’t just recognize it.Setup:Since my Alexa didn’t recognize it on its own, I had to unplug the smart plug and quickly scan the code on the back of the plug, then plug it back in fast so that when it scanned for it it would see it plugged in. After that it was very simple. I was able to plug in my baby monitor and then tell Alexa to “turn off plug one” and it turned off! It is so cool!Future:I think homes will end up being built with these right into the electrical system. Maybe they already are.Comparing:With so many different brands offering smart plugs with Alexa integration I can’t see myself buying any more than 1 for $25. Too many are 2 for $20. While it’s nice to have the amazon support backing this up, I just can’t afford to fill my home with them at such a high cost comparative to other brands that do the same exact thing.Overall:If you can afford to fill your plugs with these then do! This smart plug is easy and awesome! But if you’re on a tight budget like I am, I would try a different brand first and see if those will work just as well.Every time I purchase something online, I always check the reviews. I count on others to help me choose the best option. My reviews are always my honest opinion and I try to include photos if possible.If my review has helped you in any way, please click the “helpful” button below so that I know! If you have any questions feel free to ask! Thank you!

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve Blanchard – September 17, 2020

    Whenever these plugs go on sale I grab a couple. I love how easy they connect to wifi and to the echo dot so that the whole house can be voice activated. It’s also easy to manage them in the Alexa app to offer remote control capabilities. Simply walking in and saying, “Alexa, turn on the …” saves time and even helps me turn on the coffee in the morning….from bed!I know there are other versions of these for cheaper, but the ease at which these things intigrate into the system I already have in place make the slightly higher price worth it, plus i don’t have to download any other apps to set them up.