![]() ![]() Most smart plug applications are for lamps, nightlights, fans and other fixtures that are relatively low on the energy consumption scale. There's also the consideration of whether or not the thing you've got plugged into your Emporia smart plug is worth the in-depth monitoring. I had to play with it a bit to figure out that "Management > Time-of-use management" was the means to create a schedule, and turning the plug on and off from the Home screen wasn't set as a default. There are other energy monitoring and consumption features, but that's the gist of it.Įmporia's app is certainly useful and informative, but speaking strictly from a standalone smart plug standpoint, it can get mildly in the way of actually using the smart plug. The Management screen lets you prioritize Emporia devices to automatically turn off if you approach a set peak energy demand goal, automatically consume excess solar energy and, of course, create a custom schedule. Tapping the plug or power icons will take you to the on/off settings, or you can tap on the device name to see a graph of your plug's (that is, whatever's plugged into it) energy use over time. What stood out most to me, however, was the app's focus on energy monitoring.įrom the home screen display, you can see connected devices and their on/off status along with how much energy they are currently using. ![]() The Emporia smart plug comes with much of the same functionality as other smart plugs - instant on/off control, scheduling, Alexa and Google compatibility - not to mention the rounded edges that made the device feel a bit less bulky than others. The new universal smart home standard Matter, arriving later this year might help with that, but for now, Leviton is one of the few smart plugs compatible with Apple's Home ecosystem. Leviton is also compatible with Apple HomeKit (I connected via an iPad, but Homepods and Apple TV devices will do the job better), which is unique for a smart plug, as the majority of them only work with Alexa and Google. I had no problem connecting the smart plug to my Google Home Mini, but I did have to download the Leviton "skill" in order to connect to Alexa - an extra step, but one that only took about 30 seconds. Setting a schedule for the plug was also easy and intuitive.Īnother standout feature of the Leviton smart plug: It plays nice with all three of the major smart home ecosystems. The home screen displays all connected plugs (or other Leviton smart devices) and their status, along with the ability to switch them on or off with a tap. It's also slimmer than most smart plugs I've seen, which is nice if you're working with a limited space.ĭesign aside, I found the Leviton smart plug easy to set up and the app is pleasantly simple. I'm particularly fond of the little corner window that acts as a button to manually turn the device on and off and as an indicator light - features that most smart plugs keep separated. This is not bound to happen with the TimeStick, which lies flat on the fridge, and has a magnet that holds firm even through a few layers of paper.I liked the Leviton D215P-2RW smart plug right out of the box. In fact, one of them did fall off the fridge as I fiddled with the buttons, and the clip promptly snapped off. I can imagine rushing to hit "stop" and launching one across the kitchen in the process. As a result, those timers didn't lie flush with the fridge, and wobbled when I pushed a button to the left or right of center. The problem with them was that most of their magnets were attached to the back of the clip, which itself jutted out from the back of the timer. All but one of the remaining timers came with a clip (to attach to your clothes), a magnet, and a fold-out stand to set the timer upright on the table. Two other timers I tested also came with a lanyard and magnets on the back, but both of those were single timers, and only went up to 10 hours. The TimeStick is designed to be worn on a lanyard around your neck, but it's also small enough to fit in a pocket, and it has a nice strong magnet on the back so you can stick it on the fridge or oven. ![]()
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