VOCOlinc Homekit Smart Plug Works with Alexa, Apple Home, Google Assistant, WiFi Smart Plug That Work with Alexa, Electrical Timer Outlet Support Siri, No Hub Required, 15A, 2.4GHz, 110～120V, 4 Pack

Bought it to replace the older generation smart plug which went bad due to difference in Amp. This one works like a charm the only issue is, it takes a bit time to figure out; if in case you want to automate or schedule it.

So I had to buy these as I’m in the Apple eco system and my 3 HomePods constantly tell me they aren’t connected to the internet when they are clearly streaming from it ( Spotify ) and other times just isn’t responding in the home app. I sent my HomePods back to Apple and they returned two as fine and did replace one. This was frustrating so I simply bought these and setup is super simple but let me suggest. If your device you’re using to set this up on has multiple wireless networks available. Go into your device and forget the wireless networks that your device CAN connect to. Not all of them of course. For example I have all my smart devices on 2.4 ghz with a separate ssid. I have another 5 ghz with a different ssid. This eliminates the possibility of your device you’re using to setup the smart plug connecting to the wrong ssid or WiFi. This has caught me in the past with some setups that create their own WiFi and then the device gets configured and your phone switches to the wrong WiFi and setup fails. In the end these work super great. Reliable and quick. They give a nice audible click so you know they work and now my HomePods have to behave and my lazy bum can be wherever to address the HomePod issue. The HomePod not connected to the internet error I have now discovered is directly related to my iPhone / iPad / Mac device being on a specific WiFi. If I switch them to the faster 5ghz with a different ssid my HomePods freak out and constantly complain. I now only connect my devices to 2.4 which really sucks but it works reliably this way. I have had 2 instances where the HomePods become unavailable no matter what and I pop open the app or home app and simply recycle power. I don’t mind it doesn’t monitor the power usage as I don’t need it at all. I do wish the recycle option in the plug was in the home app. It’s only available in the VOCOlinc app. It’s quick to open though so not really an issue. It also doesn’t block the other outlet. It’s plugged into a standard dual wall and I have clearance to plug in anything in the not so smart socket.

I love it!

Used them for various Christmas lights. Then used them with different lamps around the house after the decorations were put away. Super easy to use, have had no issue whatsoever.

Was ridiculously easy to set up with Apple Home. Works flawlessly. Voice commands with Siri work and are fast. Timers and automations set though the Home app work perfect. I started with 4 to use with Christmas decorations and now am ordering more. Exceeded all my expectations so far.

These work very dependably once you get them setup, but it took 3 to 5 tries to get them to connect to my WiFi. I bought the 4 pack and three of them about had me pulling my hair out, the last one paired up and worked on the first try. I did a reset on them before setting them up, so that wasnt the problem and there was no real indication of what the actual problem was, they just wouldnt setup until you were ready to throw them away, then suddenly they would work...as if they knew (they are SMART plugs, dont ya know!) that you were about to give up. :) Anyway, once they were setup, they work like a charm! Very dependably you can either use the Apple Home app to switch them on and off, use a motion sensor to switch them on and off and use Siri to turn them on and off. No issues at all once they are setup.

The best compliment that you can give for this specific type of device is that it is transparent - and they are. They’re very easy to set up and add to HomeKit and once they’re set up, they just work! Not only are they rock solid, but they’re quick too. Whether I’m controlling it via the Vocolinc app, the Apple Home app or via Siri - they respond very quickly. To be honest, I was wary at first because of the price difference between these smart plugs and other, comparable ones. But with Amazon’s return policies I figured I didn’t have anything to lose but time. I was so happy when these turned out to be actually better/faster/more reliable than the other ones I’ve tried. To be fair, I’ve only tried the iHome and Eve smart plugs (aside from these). But both were a lot more expensive and neither worked reliably for me - and they were both slow in my experience. I have 6 of these smart outlets now. They are extremely handy to have around. I have 3 of them permanently installed on various devices and 3 that act as ‘floaters’. They’re great for holiday decorations. I used them for my Christmas tree, outdoor Christmas lights, glowy-jack-o-lantern-dealies, etc. They’re also really great for troubleshooting other ‘misbehaving’ devices. I had a HomeKit video camera that was having serious issues and I plugged it in to one of these smart plugs so I wouldn’t have to wrestle with climbing on a step-stool every time I needed to reset the camera (which was A LOT!). I should also mention how impressed I am with Vocolinc support. I’ve had to contact them for a different Vocolinc product and they have been shockingly attentive and helpful. These days good customer support is a crap shoot - so I am really pleased that they’re one of the very good ones. It’s actually one of the primary reasons I keep buying their stuff. So, if it wasn’t already obvious - highly recommended!

Update (2 stars to 4 stars): I’ve had these smart plugs now for a few years and I wasn’t very impressed with them for the first year and half. I often went to turn them on either via the app or Apple HomeKit and they would say they were offline, even though I had them fairly near my Wi-Fi router. It seems though that they have been greatly improved over the past year or so. They are now reliably available almost all the time. I have them run on a schedule during the holidays for my Christmas lights and the schedule has run reliably as expected every day. It seems they’ve resolved the connection issues in their firmware updates and I commend the company for continuing to support the product years down the road. If I didn’t have the rough first year and half, I would have given 5 stars. But I trust that these are now a reliable option for everyone.

Im not sure if theres been a change since some of the earlier reviews that said setup is tough, or if its just that Apple is easier to connect, but these were incredibly easy to setup for HomeKit. Instructions say that for Alexa and Google you have to download the Vocolink app, but with HomeKit I just went into the HomeKit app on my iPhone, selected the plus sign to add a device and scanned the QR code for each plug. Then I named and selected a room for them, and they were up and going. The QR code for each outlet is in three different places (on the outlet, on the inside of the box, and on stickers on the back of the instructions) so its easy to get it done. As youd expect, there is a slight delay in connecting when you unplug/plug them in somewhere else, but it reconnected in a few seconds without having to setup again. Highly recommend from what Ive seen. I do love that you can plug something else into the same outlet with these in.

This is a good switch.. I bought the 2 pack. I really only needed one, but the price was good so I thought Im sure Ill find a use for the second switch. I was attracted to this because of the ability to integrate with homekit. I have an Orbi mesh setup, it broadcasts the same SSID for the 5ghz and 2.4ghz, with no apparent way to temporarily turn off the 5ghz network. The process to setup the switch goes like this on an iPhone. Download the manufacturers app -> click on add device -> You are then bounced to the homekit screen to scan the QR code for the device. Your phone MUST be on the 2.4ghz network for it to work. Thats where my problem was. I solved this by taking a 100ft extension cord and going out into the yard where the 5ghz doesnt reach. With phone connected to the 2.4ghz network (I can verify this by checking in the Orbi app), it had no problem setting up the first switch. I could not get the second one to work. As far as the working switch goes, no problems, works fine after unplugging and plugging back in where it connects to the 2.4ghz network with no issue. Hope this helps you make a decision.