Buy Smart Home sockets: This is important to consider

Smart home sockets
Smart technology: ceiling light and television say good night to each other

Smart Home sockets network your home

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Smart home sockets can switch a wide variety of devices on and off. They are the basis for a networked home and enable remote control. Here you can read which models are available.

When you get home, do you want the light in the hallway to be on and the heating to be pleasantly warm? A networked Smart Home offers you these and other conveniences. Another positive effect: you save electricity and protect your wallet and the environment. In order for the different components of your smart home to communicate with each other, you need matching sockets that turn electronic devices into smart devices (in the case of heating, a smart thermostat). You can choose between WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee or DECT models. Here you can find out what variations and providers there are and what you should consider when buying smart home sockets.

What is a smart home socket?

These are remote-controllable sockets (English: Smart Plugs). They offer great convenience thanks to the remote control option via tablet, smartphone or voice command. The special sockets are the interface between the power supply and the device. You can think of the sockets as a kind of adapter that is required to establish a connection to electronic devices via WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee or DECT. Almost all electronic devices can be integrated into a smart home in this way. This applies, for example, to refrigerators, toasters, televisions, lights in the garden or even surveillance cameras. You can even switch household appliances on or off when you are out and about via a radio or WLAN socket. Suppose you forgot to turn off a lamp before work, you can correct it remotely.

What radio standards are there?

Depending on your needs, you can choose from various radio standards. In addition to the classics such as WLAN and Bluetooth, there are also special Smart Home radio standards such as ZigBee. Here we present five sockets.

1. WiFi socket

Setting up and operating the TP Link WiFi socket should be easy, so you don’t have to be a smart home professional. The WLAN socket is compatible with Google Home or Alexa and can therefore be controlled via voice command. The maximum output of 16 amperes also sounds convincing. So you can smartly equip powerful devices such as a gaming PC or television. The variant TP-Link HS110 has a handy fuel gauge, if you want to spend a little less you can get that too HS100 without consumption display.

2. Smart DECT socket for outdoors

You don’t have to do without smart systems in the garden either. So you can enjoy the outdoor area with the Fritz AVM DECT 210 retrofit and control the lighting remotely. To do this, you network the desired lamps via the DECT radio plug and the intelligent socket automatically or manually regulates the power supply to connected devices. You can set individual rhythms and, for example, have the garden lighting switched on by itself at 6 p.m. every day.

3. ZigBee socket

The socket allows you to connect non-ZigBee enabled devices to others. The technology was developed for the transmission of small amounts of data with a focus on minimal energy consumption. In other words, if you use a lot of smart devices, you can save energy with them. It is known and popular OSRAM Smart+ Plug, because it is compatible with other smart components. You can use the smart socket, for example, in combination with Philips Hue for intelligent lighting control, or with smart systems such as the Magenta Smart Home or the Samsung smartThings system.

4. Bluetooth socket

the Philips Hue SmartPlug based on the popular ZigBee transmission, but also supports Bluetooth. In contrast to the well-known competition, the manufacturer combines two radio standards in one device. It is optimally adapted to the Philips Hue system and is therefore a sensible option for anyone who already uses other smart systems from Philips Hue. You can connect the socket to the Philips Hue app and control it via the Philips Hue Bridge. The Bluetooth capability should be particularly interesting for beginners. Because that means you don’t need a Hue Bridge, but can connect directly to your smartphone. This allows smart home beginners a cheap introduction to the topic and saves costs for an otherwise necessary hub.

5. Cheap alternative

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you should check this one out WiFi socket look at. Despite the low price, the smart socket has power consumption measurement as well as overvoltage and overheating protection. There is also convenient voice control and an intelligent timer. However, you must know in advance that the use of the WLAN socket is tied to the “Smart Life” app. There you have to transfer personal data to the cloud. Also note that the socket can only be used in the 2.4 GHz WLAN.

What do I have to consider when buying a smart home socket?

You can use the following three criteria to decide which smart socket is right for you and your home.

1. Control

Practical handling of the smart home sockets is important, after all you want little effort in everyday use. The standard socket can be controlled via an app. Brand sockets, on the other hand, often have an integrated power consumption display and can also be operated with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. This saves you having to reach for your smartphone and you don’t need any accessories to control the smart sockets.

2. Current

Not every electronic device is compatible with every smart home socket. Powerful devices need significantly more current. Inexpensive sockets often only have a maximum output of six to ten amps. In the worst case, this could lead to a cable fire. Good radio-controlled sockets are better suited for maximum voltage and are significantly more resilient. Therefore, pay attention to the maximum load of your smart home socket.

3rd hub

Make sure that the smart home socket is linked to the manufacturer’s system or whether you can connect it to other providers. Many manufacturers have their own radio-controlled sockets that can only be used with their control center (gateway, bridge, hub).

Note: The article was first published in January 2020.

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