Philips Hue Smart Plug review: discreet and functional

If you're looking to expand your smart home and you already use Philips Hue, this Philips Hue Smart Plug review is the right place to be. 

The best smart plugs give you an easy way to make any wired device smart, they’re a simple piece of kit that you control using your smartphone to switch your tech on or off. Often they’ll be best used for lamps, but some can be used with absolutely anything around your home, including fans or heaters. 

Designed to transform traditional lamps into smart lights, the Philips Hue Smart Plug works with the Philips Hue bridge or through Bluetooth.

Philips Hue Smart Plug review: price and features 

The Philips Hue Smart Plug is available now from a number of retailers including Amazon. It's far from being the cheapest smart plug out there, it'll set you back $29.98 in the US, £26.57 in the UK and AU$63 in Australia. Take a look at the price widgets in this review for live, up-to-date pricing.

You can connect to it either using Zigbee through your Hue bridge or with Bluetooth. Meant for lamps and lights, the Philips Hue Smart Plug can be controlled by voice, it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit as well. 

Philips Hue Smart Plug review: design and setup

A simple white cube with a small button on the top to control it manually, the Philips Hue Smart Plug looks discreet. It’s not a big, bulky device like some other plugs you can buy. The UK version measures 6.4 x 6 x 6cm so you’re unlikely to have problems fitting it into tight spots. It has a max output of 2,860W and a supply voltage of 220- 240. Philips recommend only using this with lamps. 

Setting up the plug is a very easy process that takes a matter of minutes. If you already own a Hue bridge, you just select Accessory Setup from the Hue app and plug it into a power source, after which it'll appear on your list of devices. You can then add it to a room and to your routines. If you use HomeKit and have the Philips bridge already set up, the Philips Hue Smart Plug should automatically sync up with the Home app.

I tested this smart plug out using a Philips Hue bridge but if you don’t have one, you can set it up using Bluetooth. To do so You’ll need to download the Philips Hue Bluetooth app and follow the instructions to set it up. When using Bluetooth connectivity you will get fewer functionalities:  it won't have HomeKit support nor will you be able to hook it up to other smart devices, and you won't be able to control the plug when you're away from home either. 

Philips Hue Smart Plug review: performance 

From the Philips Hue app, you can toggle the plug on or off. By assigning the Philips Hue Smart Plug to a room, you’ll be able to switch it on or off simultaneously with the other connected devices in there. You’ll also be able to add it to your routines to automate the plug like if you wanted your lamp to turn on every day at 7 am to wake you up, you can easily set it to do so. Similarly, with Apple HomeKit, you can set up routines and manage the plug directly from the Home app. 

As long as you’re using the Philips Hue Smart Plug with the Hue bridge, you can also set it to be triggered by other smart devices that use IFTTT applets like a motion sensor or security camera. 

Speedy and consistent are the two words I’d use to sum up the performance of the Philips Hue Smart Plug. I had no issues whatsoever with setting it up, using it manually or creating routines. 

 Philips Hue Smart Plug review: verdict 

If you already use Philips Hue at home and are looking to expand your setup and transform your standard lamps into smart lights, then you won’t get better than the Philips Hue Smart Plug. Philips designed this plug for use with lights only, so perhaps look elsewhere if that’s not what you plan to use this plug for. 

Naturally, it works seamlessly with the Hue app, and having HomeKit support is a massive bonus as well. The only major downside is the price, you can get more sophisticated plugs for less money which is why I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t already use Hue. But if you do, then the Philips Hue Smart Plug is consistent, speedy and discreet.

Philips Hue Smart Plug review: also consider 

If you don’t already have the Philips Hue bridge, then consider the TP-Link Kasa Mini KP105 which is a cheaper plug that connects to your phone or tablet using Wifi. The TP-Link Kasa app is polished and intuitive, and the brand has a wide range of smart devices you can add to it including bulbs, light strips and security cameras. It’ll also let you monitor your energy usage which is always a handy feature to have. 

For a cheaper smart plug to hook up with Philips Hue, consider the Innr SP222 Smart Plug which costs a fraction of the price but can still be used alongside the Hue bridge. 

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