Mind is the head of everything! 5 smart sockets

ORVIBO has been working tirelessly on smart home systems since 2011. One of the smart devices under the brand name, which can work both in a garter with other sensors, and completely independently, is a smart socket with the B25EU model index.

A smart device will serve as a power control panel for household appliances in the manner of an air conditioner, boiler, heater and, of course, an iron. Already something, namely doubts about the ironing device not turned off excite the minds of many inhabitants during the day. A “smart” gadget often does not block access to other outlets, with the exception of their very heaped location relative to each other.

The smart functions of ORVIBO B25EU become available by downloading and installing the proprietary HomeMate application on your smartphone. Setting up the outlet involves direct switching on and off from the screen of the "mobile phone", setting work scenarios and a timer separately for each day of the week. Even more interesting is the connection of the socket to the sensors of the ORVIBO smart home ecosystem. A vivid example of this is that it can turn on the kettle by triggering the front door opening sensor or a night light by the motion sensor in the bedroom.

The mission to control the status of the smart device is entrusted to the above-mentioned mobile application and a physical button with a color indication on the socket housing. In addition , the model got hold of a universal slot for euro plugs, grounding contacts and protective shutters. It lacks only the function of accounting for consumed energy. This prerogative was left at the mercy of the more expensive representatives of the detachment of smart sockets.

The Xiaomi smart home ecosystem has a huge variety of useful smart devices. One of these is the built-in Aqara Smart Wall Socket for Chinese and European plugs.

The model is made of refractory plastic and is able to withstand heating up to 750 °C. The total load of devices connected to the outlet rests on the "ceiling" of 2500 watts. Interestingly, in the menu for the maximum power limit, you can set the value at which the socket will turn off automatically. This action is performed in the Mi Home mobile application.

It should be noted that the socket is not an independent smart device. Its introduction into the smart home ecosystem occurs through the gateway control plugin, which is purchased separately. In the plugin scenarios menu, the functions of setting the calendar for turning on and off the power supply with flexible settings for occupancy by day of the week, remote control, as well as statistics of electricity consumption are available. The socket provides information in the form of total electricity consumption per day, month and current value. In addition, you can view data in the form of charts of energy consumption by day, month and hourly activity graphs.

The model will fit the water heater, fan heater and other devices, the operation of which would be very useful to automate under certain time frames. She will also “make friends” with Xiaomi products that came into the house directly from the Middle Kingdom - a plug for a Chinese plug with grounding will eliminate the need to adopt an arsenal of adapters. Well, the minus of a smart device, associated with the need for mandatory installation in a wall, is easy to justify by the hidden installation of the outlet and its discreet appearance.

With over two decades of activity, TP-LINK has established itself as a significant player in the network equipment arena. Keeping pace with the spinning flywheel of the technological progress engine, the Chinese brand has rolled out a tandem of smart sockets that add a little “smartness” to household appliances.

The younger model HS100 is assembled in a white plastic case with a gray painted plug connection. For greater safety, the holes in it are covered with protective shutters, which gently move to the side upon contact with the connected device. Also at the disposal of smart sockets are grounding contacts. Naturally, they only work when the TP-LINK HS100 is plugged into a grounded main outlet.

The "passport" of the smart device claims to work in networks of 100-240 V with a maximum load of 16 A and a connection power of not more than 3500 W. These parameters fit the lion's share of home appliances, incl. powerful heaters, air conditioning and water heating systems . The “smart” component of the model is revealed together with the Kasa mobile application for a smartphone, in the menu of which there are items for setting the socket busy schedule, a power on and off timer, and viewing the current connection status. The menu interface of the programme is in English, and besides, it is not very convenient in terms of timer settings.

The socket connects automatically via a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. An illuminated icon on the power button indicates active pairing with the router. The green and red indication of the key indicates the presence and absence of a wireless connection, and the yellow flashing mode indicates the state of resetting the outlet to factory settings. The model also has an “elder brother” in the face of TP-LINK HS110 which keeps track of energy consumption.

The HOMMYN PL-20-W socket from the "smart" category provides remote control of home appliances (up to 3 kW), allows you to configure scenarios with smart home sensors and a weekly schedule for the connected device.

The device is “plugged” into a regular household outlet, after which the plug of the required device is inserted directly into it. The arsenal of the model includes a European-style plug, protective curtains from children and grounding contacts. The HOMMYN PL-20-W informs the user about the readiness to start working with a red light indication framed by a button on the case for manually turning the socket on / off.

It will be possible to take advantage of all the benefits of remote power management after a couple of simple manipulations. First you need to install the HOMMYN mobile application on your smartphone. Step two is connecting the outlet to the Wi-Fi network. As soon as she has access to the World Wide Web, it will be possible to send commands to turn the device on and off from any corner of the globe where there is Internet coverage.

A smart socket will come in handy for deploying air conditioning and heating systems in a serviced room, it will help you not to worry about an iron forgotten in a hurry and organize hot water in an electric kettle when you arrive home. There are a lot of options for its use, besides, the attractive appearance of the model allows it to fit into any interior with dignity.

The remotely controlled FIBARO Wall Plug is one of the most compact among smart relatives. Moreover, in terms of the level of “charge”, it will easily give odds to any other outlet from the “smart” category.

A bright spot in the visible part of the device is an LED ring framing the landing socket for a plug with a European plug. The color of the ring backlight changes from sky blue to dark purple depending on the degree of energy "voracity" of the connected devices. At its peak, the socket switch is capable of withstanding power up to 3000 watts, in normal mode this figure should not exceed 2500 watts.

The work of FIBARO Wall Plug can be organized according to a predetermined schedule, according to a timer, or it can be programmed to perform any actions to trigger the sensors of the smart home ecosystem. To realize the latter goal, support for the Z-Wave wireless protocol has found a home on board the outlet.

An important argument in favor of a smart socket is the maintenance of detailed energy consumption statistics. The device transmits data to the mobile gadget about the current energy consumption and for a certain period of time (day, month, year). This compact smart companion will save you energy bills, improve the quality of interaction with household appliances, and notify you of all power problems and critical temperature rises above 55 ° C via push notifications. Unfortunately, you will have to pay a lot for it, but be sure that the FIBARO Wall Plug is worth it.