Smart Plug Smart Home Outlet 15A Ultra Efficient Smart Plug Compatible with Matter Alexa Google Home IFTTT 2

The easiest smart home device I’ve set up. I simply scanned the QR code and it opened the Apple Home app. No other apps needed, it wish all Smart home devices were like this, so simple to use. Adding to multiple smart homes was easy as well - I just needed to copy a code and paste it into the Alexa app. I have them connected to grow lights for my plants and set schedules through Alexa. Read more

The media could not be loaded. These smart plugs work well and use Matter support to allow them to be controlled using your choice the top home ecosystems. What you get are four smart plugs and a fairly detailed setup manual. To set them up you basically use the app in whatever ecosystem you choose and follow its steps for adding a smart plug. This basically involves putting the smart plug in setup mode (which it is in automatically if it has never been set up), and then identifying and linking the plug from within the app by scanning its QR code or entering its unique ID code. Once I understood the process, I was able to set up and use each plug in just a couple of minutes. After I set them up they all work well. As shown in my attached video, I used the first one I set up to control our Christmas tree lights, and it worked without problem. The only minor quirk I have found is that, after a period of not using a particular smart plug (such as from one day to the next), my smart home app sometimes reports that they are not responding when I try to turn them on or off. However, they also actually work when this happens, and the app seems to figure out that they are working without any further interaction on my part. Since I have only set them up in a single smart home ecosystem (Amazon Echo and the Alexa app), this could very well be a quirk of the ecosystem rather than any problem with these plugs. I did want to expand a little more on my experience with the setup process in the hope that it may help someone else when they set up these devices. This was my first use of a smart device that used Matter, so at first I was a little unsure of how to set them up even after reading the instruction manual. Incorrectly, I was looking for the steps where I connected to it using a proprietary app like older non-Matter-enabled smart plugs and so on that I had set up previously. At first I also had a little confusion with some of the terminology. And the instruction manual also references a QR code and URL for a setup video which no longer seems to exist. But the instructions made sense when I re-read them more closely and realized that the important definitions to understand were for the supported Matter controller and its associated smart home app, which together are referred to as a particular smart home ecosystem. The supported Matter controller is a smart home device such as Amazon Echo, Google Nest, Apple Home Pod and so on. And the associated smart home app is the app used with the controller such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home app and so on. Once I understood these definitions, I was able to set up each plug in a very short time. Note that the apps from Amazon, Google, and Apple use their own procedures to set up a new smart plug, so you have to refer to help from those companies as to how to proceed with the setup. The instruction manual only gives the generic steps. This is probably because each of those ecosystems may change the setup procedures at any time, so the manual cannot easily reflect the latest version of the steps. Conveniently, most if not all of these apps should support scanning the QR code on the device in order to set it up, which speeds up the process considerably. And if not, you still just have to enter the digits shown below the QR code. The manual also indicates that these smart plugs can actually be controlled by more than one ecosystem in case you have a mixed environment in your home. This is a very nice benefit of getting a smart device with Matter support. I have not yet tried setting these up in a different ecosystem. But I did research it and go part way through the process, and it seems pretty simple. Basically, you just go into the app where you have already set it up and then instruct the app let you connect it to an additional ecosystem. The app then gives you a new unique numeric code that you can use to set up the device in the second ecosystem. Note that this is different than the original code that is printed on the device. Again, the instruction manual covers this in a generic fashion since the process is different in each ecosystem’s app. In conclusion, these are very good smart plugs that are easy to set up and that just work. And I really like that they use a standard like Matter so you don’t have to install and use some proprietary app. Read more

I’ve been using these U-Tec smart plugs and they’ve worked really well for me, especially with Google Home. Setting schedules, turning devices on when it senses I get home (when my phone reconnects to my WiFi), and controlling them by voice has been seamless. The plugs feel solid, respond quickly, and make everyday routines more convenient. I also appreciate that they’re Matter-compatible, which gives me confidence they’ll stay useful as smart home standards evolve. Overall, they’ve been reliable once I integrate them into my setup. One thing to note is that, like with other brands I’ve used such as Wyze, you still need to download U-Tec’s app if you want to get software or firmware updates now and in the future. It’s not a big drawback since it’s pretty standard across smart plugs, but worth mentioning. Even with that extra step, I find these plugs to be a practical addition to my smart home system. Read more

These U-tec smart plugs are good smart plugs that work pretty well in my home. They require that you download an app, so you can't set them up directly with your Alexa or Google Home app, but once the other app is set up and the plugs are connected, you can use them as you would any other smart plug with your voice command and everything. These plugs are a little bulkier than I would like, which could be an issue if your space around the wall outlet is tight. They are also a little pricier than many other well-rated smartplugs, so that's something to consider. That's not to take away from the fact that these smart plugs work well, though. Read more

These are fine. They are a bit pricey compared to other options, but all of these various manufacturers have theirs "on sale" or with coupons all the time, so there's probably times these are competitively priced. If you can get a good deal on them, they'll work for you. A couple issues with them. First, for the price, a lot of the other options have energy monitoring. That may or may not matter to you, but most smart home systems support Matter-based energy monitoring, and it's nice to know how much power something is using. I will say, on a related note, that these absolutely cook when you use them to their "15A" rating. That's not unique to them -- most of these are made with relays that are at the tattered edge of their specs at that level of current. But it's something to be aware of. I wouldn't use one of these to run a space heater. Second, these particular ones always seem to have issues getting onto my WiFi. U-Tec's bulbs don't have the same problems, nor do any other Matter smart outlets I've tested. Once they're connected, they're fine. It's not a signal strength issue or anything, but all of the U-Tec outlets with this particular design I've tested have often had to be reset a couple times to get the WiFi connection to take. The Matter controller sees it and issues the credentials immediately, but they just hang getting connected to the WiFi. But, again, once they connect once they seem to be fine going forward. So, if you can get 'em for a good price, go for it. But these newer ESP32-C3-Mini based Matter switches are commodity items these days, so there's no reason to overpay for any particular manufacturer. Read more