review – Not so long ago, home automation was a relatively expensive and time-consuming pursuit. Now SwitchBot has joined the fray. From $10.19 Amazonadding these handy devices to control your home’s gadgets is almost a breeze!
What is it?
The SwitchBot Plug Mini is an app-controlled 120-volt device that turns electrical devices on or off and monitors energy usage based on user selection, timers, or external triggers.
Hardware Specifications
- Dimensions: 70 x 39 x 59 mm (2.8 x 1.6 x 2.4 in)
- Weight: 70 g (2.5 oz)
- Input voltage: 100-125VAC
- Input frequency: 50/60Hz
- Output power: 1875 watts
- Output Current: 15 Amps max (resistive load)
- Operating temperature: -15 to 40°C (5 to 104°F)
- Communication: IEEE802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy
- Disconnection: Type 1B
- Pollution Degree: 2
- Rated impulse voltage: 1500V
- Automatic action: 50,000 cycles
What’s in the box?
- SwitchBot Mini Plug Model W1901400
- User Manual
Design and Features
I’m a big fan of minimal packaging. SwitchBot packaging is familiar, minimal, protective and recyclable.
Inside the box is the Plug Mini and the manual. The SwitchBot manual is well written and contains valuable information, but it is rarely printed.
The Plug Mini doesn’t do much. It’s a rectangular box with a grounding plug on one side and a socket on the other.
A button on one end initiates pairing and allows the Plug Mini to be turned on and off without a connection.
The Plug Mini occupies one outlet in a typical wall outlet, but if you plan to use it on a power strip, it may block access to an adjacent outlet. Excuse my dirty plugs ;-D
Pairing only took a moment, during which time the only LED flashed blue. During normal operation, the LED lights up white when the plug is turned on.
When the Plug mini is turned off, the LED turns off. If you don’t want to use the LED at all, you can disable it in the app. Nice touch.
The Plug Mini can handle a 15 amp load, but it’s not waterproof, so you probably don’t want to use it for a pool motor (unless it’s indoors 😀). Gotta love home automation!
Adding a Plug Mini is easy: choose an icon from the list…
Heed the warning…
Press and hold the button for two seconds to start pairing. Enter your SSID and network password… bang.
In my case, within seconds of adding the Plug Mini, Alexa recognized it and was ready to accept voice commands.
Whenever and wherever, I will do my best to save energy. Therefore, I appreciate the Plug Mini’s energy monitoring capabilities. From the app, I can see the wattage, current, voltage and usage in kWh (kilowatt hour). I can imagine using the monitoring function just to monitor some of my devices. I’m planning on doing an “energy inventory” of my home to see what’s consuming electricity and eventually replacing wasteful appliances. Of course, other gadgets can do this too, but since it’s built into the Plug Mini, it only makes sense to use it to its full potential.
Even usage data can be exported. very cool!
To add utility, the app also has a scheduled feature to turn the Plug-Mini on and off. Remember that cup of coffee? You can turn on your bedside light when your alarm goes off and turn it off again 10 minutes before you go to work. That being said, be extra careful when running electric or heated equipment with the Switchbot Plug Mini, as mistakes can mean fire or other costly damage. I’m talking about things like a coffee maker, a big battery charger, or a powerful fan.
There’s also a handy delay feature that turns the Plug Mini on immediately, then turns it off again after a programmed time.
Like all SwitchBot products, they have a lot of cool features. I already mentioned the light toggle.
There’s also “mistouch protection” to confirm when operating the Plug Mini, which is great if you’re the “pocket dial” type.
Cloud services include Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Clova for Japanese users, and Siri Shortcuts.All work reliably
SwitchBot continues to amaze me. Their products are reliable, the prices are great, the integrations with IFTTT, Amazon, and Google are great, and the app is feature-rich. Plug Minis are perfect for my home automation system and I especially like them working with lights. Come out of the room and say, “Alexa, please turn off the lights in the living room, that’s great.”
what do I like
- Cheap
- Easy integration with Google, Alexa and IFTTT
- Energy usage info and graphs are handy
what would i change
final thoughts
SwitchBot continues to amaze me with its solid product, great app integration and great value for money! In addition to being less than $12, the Plug Mini’s performance is top-notch, with energy usage and graphing capabilities being the icing on the cake. Well done, switch bots.Please check my other Switch Robot Review.
price: $11.99
Where to buy: switch robot, Amazon
source: The samples for this review are provided by SwitchBot.
