Home automation is the new fad of the tech world and smart devices are selling like hotcakes. Most probably, even you are looking to get a taste of the latest piece of technology and that is how you ended up here. If yes, then you have found the answer key to all your doubts regarding a smart plug. This is a detailed guide and by the end of the article, you would have substantial knowledge about smart plugs in India, their price, and the best smart plug available.
Let us begin by answering a very basic question, “What is a smart plug?”
What is a Smart Plug?
A smart plug is an IoT-based smart device that transforms your ordinary appliances into smart devices that can be remotely controlled and scheduled as per your routine. It is enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity which allows it to connect with an app on your smartphone. Through this app, you can control the smart plug and thereby the device connected to it. It truly is the best smart device in the market as it can be used with so many appliances and is super easy to install.
There are various types of smart plugs available in India depending upon the power and the features available. Mostly, you will find 10A and 16A variants of smart plugs in the market with an array of features. Depending upon the mode of connectivity, there are Wi-Fi smart plugs, Bluetooth smart plugs, and Z-wave smart plugs. However, in India, the Wi-Fi smart plug is the most common. They find a huge scope of utility in a household and play a vital role in transforming regular homes into smart homes.
Using a Wi-Fi Plug to Upgrade your Home
Smart plugs do not have the reputation of being the most versatile and handy smart gadget ever for nothing. They find numerous applications in a household to help you upgrade your home to a smart home. There is just no limit to the possibilities with a smart Wi-Fi socket but still, here is a list that highlights the best ways to use a Wi-Fi plug in various areas of your home :
Kitchen: You may not have noticed but your kitchen is the region where you use the most electronic appliances. Using smart plugs in the kitchen is a genius idea as it allows you to automate so much and get a lot done in a limited time. You can remotely instruct multiple devices while you are still completing other chores.
For instance, you can put the oven to preheat while feeding laundry to your washing machine. Once the machine starts spinning you can head over to the kitchen, slip the baby potatoes in the oven to get roasted. Then turn on the coffee maker while you take a shower and get ready for the day. By the time you get out of the shower, the potatoes are done, the coffee is ready and you can put the waffle maker to preheat so that your perfect breakfast gets ready with you. Basically, using smart plugs in the kitchen puts you in supreme control of all the appliances in the kitchen thereby helping you multitask while still keeping your hands free.
Living & Dining Room: The living and dining area is the heart and soul of your home, especially for those living in apartments. This is the common area where you hang out with family, friends, and other guests. Using multiple wi-fi plugs to control air conditioning and entertainment systems is a part of a smart and modern lifestyle. Imagine, as you bring a guest home from work, your living area is properly lit and perfectly cool. All you need to do is turn on your AC while you’re still on the road back home.
Besides, entertainment units like a TV or a home theatre are some of those devices that keep using power even when turned off from the remote. While you might not think about it, this power usage sums up to almost 10% of your total electricity bill. This mostly happens because the sockets and wires are kept hidden for the sake of aesthetics. By using a Wi-Fi plug socket you can smartly control the power supply without having to struggle to reach the distant and hidden sockets every time.
Bedroom: Why would you need a smart plug in the bedroom? Think about it, besides the AC, you can use it to automatically turn on the electric blanket or the bed warmer as per your sleeping schedule. That will be so comforting during winters. Besides, there is an innovative way to use your wi-fi plug in the bedroom too. How many times have you snoozed your alarm and eventually gotten late at starting your day? If you connect your lights and lamps to wi-fi plugs, you can easily schedule them to turn on with your alarm, turn off ten minutes later, and then turn back on again after 5 minutes.
For most people lights are the cue to wake up and leave the bed and that is why alarms are just not enough for them to wake up on time. If you are one of them this technique of using the smart plug will definitely help you wake up on time.
Kids’ Room: The life of parents has an added challenge besides the regular adult life responsibilities. They are responsible for the well-being of their kids which frankly is a lot more complicated than it sounds. From what they eat to what they read and how much they play all of these little things are to be monitored. While most of these tasks cannot be automated, at least the screen time can be controlled with the help of a smart plug. As technology keeps on making room in our daily lives, keeping kids away from video games, television and laptops is becoming a big challenge for parents.
With the advancements in IoT and home automation technology, parents can now schedule TV time out and a set lights out time. A smart Wi-Fi plug ensures that your kids will not stay stuck to the screens when you are busy attending an online meet. A healthy sleep routine is also important for children and scheduling lights out with the help of a Wi-Fi plug socket ensures that they go to bed at the scheduled bedtime.
There are many more uses of a smart plug in homes, offices, warehouses, and other workplaces, and if you want to find out more, here is a list of 30+ uses of a Wi-Fi plug socket.
A Feature Loaded Smart Gadget
‘Smart’ is a broad term and while everybody is going crazy about smart gadgets, exactly how smart is a smart plug? Following are the common features of smart Wi-Fi plugs available in the market to help you understand exactly what you can do with this amazing device.
- Wi-Fi Connectivity
As mentioned earlier it is a Wi-Fi-enabled IoT-based device that can easily connect with a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection and works best with a fast and secure internet connection.
- Remote Control
You read that right! With a smart socket, you can truly transform home appliances into smart appliances and control them from anywhere.
- Easy Scheduling
The Wi-Fi plug can easily be scheduled to switch on and off at the desired time through a smartphone app. You can even schedule your home appliances as per your routine. It is as simple as setting an alarm.
- Power Supply Control
You can schedule your heavy appliances for a timely power off and can also turn them on or off from remote locations. You can also monitor the status of the appliance, whether it is turned on or off while sitting in your office chair, and turn it off in case you left it on.
- 24×7 Monitoring
It can be irritating when you are immersed in work and suddenly haunted by the thought that you might have left a device on. Well, by using multiple smart plugs, you can monitor the status of your devices even when you aare not at home.
- Vocal Commands
Any smart device is incomplete without voice commands and there are no prizes for guessing that the smart Wi-Fi plug comes with the voice control feature as well. It can be controlled through Alexa as well as Google Assistant.
- Power Usage Monitoring
The latest addition to the list of features of a smart plug is energy consumption monitoring. There are a select few brands that provide this feature in their smart plug. It is useful to understand how much power a device is consuming as it gives you an understanding of whether or not you are overusing a particular appliance.
These amazing features make smart plugs totally worth buying.
A Quick Buying Guide for Smart Wi-Fi Plugs
It is obvious to be tempted to buy a smart plug for your home after having read all these amazing features and uses. But, before you run ahead to buy a smart plug online, you must go through this quick buying guide, especially if this is your first time buying a smart plug.
Determine your Need
Often, in excitement, people end up buying something that they do not need. To make sure you are not one of those people, first sit down and think about your needs. Ask yourself, “What do I need a smart plug for?” There are numerous applications of a Wi-Fi smart plug in every household you just need to determine the uses that matter to you. In answer to this question, you must determine the devices that you need to control with a smart plug.
Determine the Quantity
Each smart plug, no matter how smart it is, can only be used to control one device at a time. It thus becomes very important that you list out the daily use appliances from your routine and count exactly how many smart plugs you would need to fully automate your home. AC, TV, fridge, and geyser are some of the common home appliances that find themselves on this list. Although, it would be different for different individuals depending upon the lifestyle and daily routine.
Determine the Capacity
Smart plugs are generally available in two capacities a 10A smart plug and a 16A smart plug. Depending upon the appliances that you need to control you must clearly decide which smart plugs you need. If you want a smart plug to control your phone charger or coffee maker then the 10A smart plug is the right choice for you. For heavy-duty appliances that have a power plug like a microwave, geyser, induction, etc. you must opt for a 16A smart plug.
Determine the Budget
Price is the point where you get clarity about whether or not you want to buy a particular product. The price of a smart plug is between 800 to 3000 in India and you must be aware of this fact before you move ahead to buy the smart plug you need. There are various discounts and promotional offers also available on different online eCommerce portals and apps. Do a little research about the best price for a smart plug in India and list out the prices that fit your budget.
Hurry up and buy a smart plug now!
Smart Plugs by zunpulse: Best Smart Plugs for Alexa & Google
zunpulse is a leading Indian brand in the field of IoT-based devices and home automation products. When it comes to smart control in Indian homes, the smart plugs by zunpulse are one of the most trusted and praised by the users. The key factor which makes zunpulse smart plugs a popular choice are:
- Engineered by IITians: zunpulse is a brand founded by engineers from IIT, one of the most prestigious institutes of engineering in India and the world. That in itself is a trusted stamp of quality.
- Affordable: If there had to be just one word to describe the smart devices by zunpulse then it has to be ‘affordable’. Tech has always been out of the common man’s pocket but everybody deserves a smart lifestyle. Thus zunpulse aims to make home automation affordable for everyone.
- Instant Chat Support: A common problem with most brands in the smart devices niche is the absence of support. Zunpulse understands your concern and you get instant chat support to help you with all your doubts.
- 1 Lakh+ Homes Impacted: In the past 5 years, zunpulse has transformed over 1 lakh homes from regular homes to smart homes and this is just the beginning.
- 10000+ Dealers and Distributors: You can easily buy zunpulse smart products offline at your nearest electronics store. With a 10000+ dealer and distributor network pan India, zunpulse is one of the fastest-growing brands in tech and science as established by the Startup India award for the best brand in tech and science 2021.
There are two different types of smart plugs at zunpulse which are the 16A Smart Plug and the 16A Smart Plug Pro. Both of these are loaded with the features stated above and are some of the best smart plugs for Alexa. They are easy to install and ready to use.
There is one major difference between these smart wi-fi plug sockets from zunpulse in that the smart plug pro has an added feature of power tracking. This allows you to know how much power a device consumes in a day.
With time as the appliances at your home get old, their efficiency reduces. Without your knowledge, these appliances then start consuming more power than normal and lead to wastage of energy resources as well as money. With a smart plug pro, you can check the daily power usage and determine if it is time to change a particular appliance.
zunpulse 16A Smart Plug
Specifications
Wi-Fi Enabled IoT Plug
Wi-Fi Range – 2.4GHz
Power Source: 220V-250V
Material- Fire Retardent Plastic Enclosure
Operating System Compatibility – Compatible with Android and iOS
Capacity – 16A (High Power Devices)
Scheduling – Available
Dimensions – 7cmx4cmx6cm
Voice Commands – Works with Alexa and Google Home Assistant
zunpulse 16A Smart Plug Pro
Specifications
Wi-Fi Enabled IoT Plug
Wi-Fi Range – 2.4GHz
Power Source: 220V-250V
Material- Fire Retardent Plastic Enclosure
Operating System Compatibility – Compatible with Android and iOS
Capacity – 16A (High Power Devices)
Scheduling – Available
Power Monitoring – Available
Dimensions – 7cmx4cmx6cm
Voice Commands – Works with Alexa and Google Home Assistant
Smart Plug Installation: Easy Step by Step Guide
Now that you have found out about one of the best smart plugs that are compatible with Alexa and Google and are made in India, you might be tempted to quit reading further and buy these amazing and affordable smart plugs right away. No worries, you go ahead and do that but remember to come back to this blog and particularly this section when you need to find out about the installation of a smart plug.
Here is an easy step-by-step guide to smart plug installation.
A| App Registration and Login
Step 1 – Download the zunpulse App
To download the zunpulse App, scan the provided QR code given on the box with your mobile or find the zunpulse App on Play Store/App Store.
Step 2 – Logging In
In the zunpulse app, log in using your mobile number. If you already have an account, you may log in to your account by following the instructions on the app.
Step 3 – Registration
Follow the instructions on the app to complete the registration
B| Setting up Your Smart Plug
Step 1: Resetting Device
Connect the device to the power supply and reset the device by pushing on the power button for 5 seconds. After resetting, the light in the plug will start blinking.
Step 2: Adding Device
Open the zunpulse App and go to the ‘Add Devices’ option and select ‘smart plug’. Click ‘Next’.
Step 3: Connecting Wi-Fi
Enter your 2.4 GHz WiFi details. Please make sure that your phone is connected to the same 2.4 GHz WiFi to which you are connecting the device. The connection may take some time depending upon the strength of your WiFi network.
Note: A secure 2.4 GHz WiFi network is required for your smart plug to work.
Step 4: Naming the Device
Once the device is connected click on ‘Done’ and save the name of the device.
FAQs About Smart Plugs
As promised in the title, this guide is the answer to all your questions regarding a smart plug. Most of the doubts have been cleared in the guide itself yet for the curious ones out there, here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) about smart plugs that still might be unanswered.
1 What does a smart plug do?
A smart plug allows you to control any home appliance via an app on your smartphone from remote locations. Besides, you can also use the same app to schedule your appliances to turn on and off automatically as per your routine.
2- Are smart plugs worth it?
Smart plugs are the most popular and versatile gadgets and at a very low price, they let you automate your home. That makes a smart plug totally worth buying.
3- Do you need Wi-Fi for a smart plug?
There are many types of smart plugs available in the market. Some run on Bluetooth and Z-wave while most smart plugs have Wi-Fi connectivity. For a Wi-Fi smart plug, you must have a Wi-Fi router at home with a fast internet connection. Although, you will not need Wi-Fi for Bluetooth or Z-wave smart plugs they do not have remote access.
4- What do you need a smart plug for?
A smart plug has tons of applications in homes, offices, hotels, garages, and other work or residential places. You may need it for automating your home appliances or simply to control them and turn them on or off when you are not at home.
5- Can I use a smart plug for my TV?
Yes, you can always use your smart plug for your TV as well as heavy appliances like microwave, AC, geyser, mixer, etc. It is totally safe and efficient way to monitor and control appliances.
For questions that were left unanswered in this guide checkout our blog on FAQs about smart plugs
