TCP Smart 13A Wi-Fi Plug

Product Information

While it works with the Hue app via Bluetooth, it may be worth considering picking up the Hue Bridge to get the most out of your smart plug. The TCP Smart WiFi Plug allows you to turn on and off your electrical devices remotely through the TCP App from anywhere in the world by using your Smart Phone, and without the need for a hub.

Some of the smart plugs we’ve reviewed below will tell you how much energy the plugged-in device is using. A powerline extender is able to use the electrical wiring of your house to create a high-speed wired network throughout your home, which, sometimes, might not be possible with WiFi.

It means you can control the on/off state with your voice or through the Alexa or Google Assistant app, but you can't do anything fancy like set a timer, which is why you still need the TCP app around. Unless you’re already locked into a different ecosystem, this smart plug is definitely one to consider. She’s particularly interested in environmentally conscious brands and products that save people time and money. Once the plug is connected, the well-designed app makes it easy to switch your plug on and off or schedule days and times to do so.

Tap To Run offers a manually triggered set of commands – say, turning on the smart plug and setting it to run for a certain length of time. The TCP Smart Wi-Fi Plug isn't the best-looking smart plug in the world, but it works as advertised, once you've figured out the app menus. Smart plugs are some of the simplest but most useful smart home devices – stick them into a plug socket, and you've got instant control over the power supply from that socket. LED drivers in the bulbs are constantly turning the unit on and off at a rate faster than your eyes can detect when in use, so when using the Scene mode in the TCP Smart App where the bulbs flash, it will make no difference to how long they last compared to if they were just on.

There are hundreds of options on the market and all of them claim to be the best in some way or another. For example, you can set your own plans and timers to save power, or even monitor the amount of electricity you’re using with certain smart plugs. This provides the same toggle option, plus some more detailed options that include a Timer (actually, a scheduler that lets you configure automatic on/off times) and a Countdown (actually a countdown timer).