Gadgetory

Smart Switches and plugs are the building blocks of the connected home to find out exactly which one you need you just have to ask the right questions in wall switches like these Belkin Wemo switches are great because toggling them is as natural as hitting a normal light switch plus you get the added smarts of remote control scheduling and automation making them ideal for lighting setups smart plugs like this iDevices smart switch offer many of the same features but increased flexibility as you can plug in whatever device you want whatever you do plug in shouldn't be something you constantly turn on and off though because you have to toggle these devices manually or using an app thus they're better for scheduling and automation you can find smart plugs and switches that are z-wave ZigBee Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected z-wave and ZigBee are both radio protocols that require a hub of some sort to translate the language of the device to a language your phone can understand these plugs are often more affordable if you already use a platform like smart things or wink Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the other hand both connect directly to your phone bluetooth devices like the zuly plugs don't have the away-from-home remote control of Wi-Fi plugs but bluetooth technology allows for presence reactive automation that say the I devices switch for instance just can't replicate as a general rule of thumb the devices you already use around the house whether it's an iPad or Android nester ecobee will work better with some switches and plugs than others how well your tech cooperates is as important as the tech itself it can be hard to distinguish between all the smart switches and plugs out there on the market but you can do it if you just ask the right questions