Made My Life Easier One Click at a Time
This BN-LINK remote outlet kit has been a surprisingly handy addition to my home. It comes with three plug-in outlets and a single remote control that can turn each outlet on or off (they’re numbered 1, 2, 3). Setting it up was as simple as plugging the outlets into my wall sockets and then plugging my devices into these outlets. No programming needed – they were pre-paired to the remote out of the box. I’m using them in a few different rooms: one for a corner lamp in the living room, one for an accent light behind our TV, and one for an old box fan in the garage that’s hard to reach its switch. The remote has buttons for each outlet, plus an “ALL” on/off. It’s extremely satisfying to click one button in the evening and watch multiple lights turn on without me getting up. One major convenience for me has been using it with a lamp behind our couch. The lamp’s switch is down on the floor and almost impossible to reach without moving furniture. Now I just leave the lamp turned on and let the BN-LINK outlet control its power. It feels a bit like I’ve “smartened” my home without buying expensive smart bulbs or dealing with Wi-Fi apps. The remote works through walls too – I tested it from the next room and it had no trouble toggling the lights. The advertised range is about 100 feet, and while I haven’t measured that, I can confirm it works from my garage to the kitchen (roughly 50 feet and through two walls). That’s perfect because I keep the remote handy on my kitchen counter; before heading to bed I click off the living room light from there, instead of walking across a dark room. During the holidays, this was a game changer as well. I plugged our Christmas tree lights into one of these outlets and could turn the tree on and off from the couch – no more crawling behind the tree to reach the plug. My granddaughter thought it was magic that “Grandpa can turn the tree off with a little control.” It’s also quite energy-efficient in that sense; I’m far less likely to leave things running or plugged in all night because turning them off is so convenient now. A couple of things to be aware of: the outlets are a bit bulky, so if you have an older home with only a two-outlet wall plate, it may block the second socket (especially if you plug it into the top socket, the bottom one might get partially covered). In my case, most are on power strips or multi-plug extensions, so it’s fine. Also, the remote and outlets use radio frequency, so they don’t require line-of-sight like IR remotes – which is great – but it also means you shouldn’t mix multiple sets in close proximity because the remotes might interfere. I only have one set and it’s coded uniquely, so no issues there. For my needs, this has been a five-star solution. It adds comfort and even a bit of safety (I can turn the garage fan on/off without walking through a dark garage). Anyone with mobility issues or just a desire for added convenience would appreciate this. I’m even considering getting another set for upstairs lamps. It’s one of those small gadgets you wonder how you lived without once you have it. Read more
