I was shocked at how easy the Amazon Smart Plug is to use

This is an easy-to-use smart plug that seamlessly integrates into Amazon Alexa homes.

I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient. Whether it’s taking a different route to get somewhere because it might shave a few minutes off or it’s baking something at a higher temperature because it’ll bake faster (sometimes this backfires), I’m willing to try things. So, if I have to turn on fewer lights or can already have my tea water boiling when I come downstairs in the morning, I’m going to try it. With the help of the Amazon Smart Plug, I was able to boost my efficiency and make my life a little easier each day.

When people think of smart home devices, a smart plug is probably one of the first items that comes to mind. They, along with smart speakers and smart cameras, are some of the original smart home devices that consumers were able to buy to boost their homes. They’re still effective to use today and the Amazon Smart Plug is the perfect addition to any home that already has an Amazon Alexa ecosystem. Basically, if you’re using your Amazon Echo smart speaker or your Amazon Echo Hub, you should think about buying an Amazon Smart Plug. Here’s more about why it makes so much sense to use this in households partial to Alexa.

Price, availability, specs

This won’t set you back much

The Amazon Smart Plug retails for $25. You can find it at Amazon, as well as other retailers like Best Buy and Staples. It doesn’t weigh much, coming in at 3.1 ounces. That means it’s easy to move from one outlet to another if you want to switch up which outlet you’re automating. It has an electrical rating of 120VAC and a max output of 15 amps. The Amazon Smart Plug can only connect over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. It doesn’t support 5.0GHz connections.

Design

Great for plugging a device into

The Amazon Smart Plug features a design that is similar to many other smart plugs. It’s a little wider than smart plugs from some other brands, but it’s still about as wide as a normal electrical socket, so it won’t stick outward too far. It’s not too deep either, so it won’t be hard to plug something into it. There’s one outlet available to plug an item into, so, unlike a power strip or outlet extender, connectivity is limited.

The three-prong outlet works for both two- and three-prong devices. There’s a button on the side that allows you to reset the smart plug if you want to pair it with a different device. The little light next to the outlet indicates if the plug is paired or not by turning red when it isn’t and blue when it is. Other than that, it’s a rather standard looking smart plug. Amazon only makes it in white, so you’re stuck with that color. This is something to think about if you have a colored outlet cover. But most people won’t mind white.

Features and performance

It’s so easy to install and get started

Because I utilize Amazon speakers in my home, I planned on integrating the smart plug into my Alexa ecosystem. Installing it was incredibly easy; all I had to do was plug it into an outlet, open the Alexa app, press the + button in the top right, and the software recognized that the plug wanted to pair. After scanning a QR code, the smart plug connected to my Wi-Fi automatically, and it was ready to use.

Since I could give the smart plug a custom name, I was able to address it however I wanted when utilizing Alexa voice commands. I first plugged my office lamp into it and clicked the lamp on. Using voice commands, I simply said, “Alexa, turn on office plug,” and the light turned on. I went into the app and opened up the smart plug icon on the home page, and it showed me that the power was on for the plug. I clicked the power button on the app and it shut the plug off, turning the light off as well.

Next, I created a routine for my smart plug. I set it to turn on my lamp at 8:00 AM every day, which is when I start working. I came in the next day and the lamp was on right on time. That night, I moved the smart plug to my kitchen and plugged my electric tea kettle into it. I filled up the kettle and went to bed. I woke up the following morning and told the Echo speaker in my bedroom to turn on the plug. When I got downstairs, the kettle had turned on and started boiling my water. Utilizing a morning schedule for that makes a lot of sense as well.

Verdict: Should you buy the Amazon Smart Plug?

There are a ton of smart plugs on the market

It’s a no-brainer for Alexa users. This works perfectly with the Amazon Alexa app and Alexa or Echo devices. It’s easy to install and simple to utilize. It’s not too expensive either and frequently goes on sale, so you can likely get it for even less than $25. This isn’t a Thread or Matter device, so you will need to stay brand loyal to utilize it. But it’s hard not to like the Amazon Smart Plug, as it delivers in the exact way that you hope a smart plug would.

Depending on what type of smart home ecosystem you have, you’ll be able to find a smart plug that fits. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug works with both Amazon and Google Home. The Wemo Smart Plug works with Apple HomeKit. Those are just some indoor smart plugs. There are even more smart plugs that work outdoors. You’ll be able to find one that works for you.