The Amazon Smart Plug may be the least flashy of the company's smart gadgets, but it's also one of the best! It's fully integrated with Alexa, can be built into routines, and can power (or power off) almost anything you would want to plug into a regular outlet. Here are some of the cool ways you can use it.
You'll need a way to talk to your Smart plug if you want to give voice commands, and you will want to give voice commands. If your house isn't already filled with Alexa powered things, the best way to get started is with the inexpensive Echo Dot.
A small room circulating fan like the Honeywell TurboForce fan and an Alexa routine that turns it on at bedtime then shuts it off midway through the night will help keep your pillow cool when you need it, plus make sure your room isn't chilly when you hop out of bed in the morning. It can't fetch a pair of slippers though.
Smart lights are incredibly useful. They are also expensive and may require a separate smart hub to integrate with the rest of your smart home. With an Amazon Smart Plug and a long-life LED bulb you can turn any existing light fixture into a smart light; control it by voice or set up an automation routine and enjoy the benefit without all of the costs.
Sometimes a hot cup of coffee is the best way to start the day. A coffee maker with its own mechanical on/off switch like this one from Mr. Coffee can be loaded with fresh coffee and water before you go to bed and turn on when you want — either automatically through a timed routine or as part of the Alexa "Good Morning" routine — so you have a hot cup of Joe on demand.
Never crawl behind the Christmas tree again. Plug your lights into the Smart Plug and let Alexa turn them on and off for you. You could even get creative with a properly grounded appliance-rated extension cord and plug in the electric train and a speaker to connect to your Echo Dot for some Holiday music and action on-demand. Your knees will thank you one day.
As you can tell, almost anything that you plug into the wall can be controlled by the Amazon Smart Plug. The first thing I did with mine was plug in my trusty old coffee maker so I wake up to the delightful smell of hot caffeine every morning. Since then, I've also made my desk lamp smarter and when the kids decorate the tree on Black Friday, they'll be plugging the lights into a smart plug so I'm not lumbering behind it and making a mess after too much eggnog. This little gadget is my favorite Alexa device, and I'll bet more than a few others feel the same way.
