Satechi Dual Smart Outlet with HomeKit REVIEW

Great design for smart outlet. 

Smart home devices are slowly taking over my home. It’s not a complaint as I really like the ease of use they provide. We started adding smart devices to our house by swapping out lightbulbs and have slowly moved into other areas. One of my favorite options are smart outlets. With smart outlets, users have the ability to turn non-smart objects into controllable devices. I’ve had a little experience with smart outlets over the past couple of years, but they are typically designed to cover both outlets, which is a little annoying when you need to plug in a vacuum for a quick carpet sweep. That’s why I was excited to see a new smart outlet from Satechi that has a horizontal design rather than a vertical one. 

DETAILS

The Dual Smart Outlet from Satechi is designed to work with Apple HomeKit. It’s ideal for controlling appliances remotely or automatically turning on lights, TVs, and more. The Dual Smart Outlet features two power outlets that can be controlled individually and includes real-time monitoring of devices’ power consumption over time. Satechi launched an app specifically for controlling smart home objects on iOS devices — Satechi Home. Like most other HomeKit capable apps, Satechi Home will not only allow you to control Satechi’s devices, but you can also control and monitor any other HomeKit connected devices. The outlet connects over WiFi and can be controlled remotely as well as locally. The outlet will only work with 2.4Ghz WiFi networks. 

SPECS

• COMPATIBLE DEVICES: Works with Apple HomeKit. Satechi Home app requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with iOS 10.3 or later. Compatible with most indoor household appliances including coffee machines, AC, fans, lights, speakers, TVs and more.
• CONNECTOR TYPE: Input Voltage: 120V, AC Max Output: 15A, 1800W
• DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT: 5.12″ x 1.57″ x 2.36″, 0.7 lbs
• GUARANTEE: 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty

USER EXPERIENCE

The Satechi Dual Smart Outlet comes in a Satechi branded box with a nice photo of the product on the front of the box. The back of the box features details of the product and the side shows information about the app. Inside the box, you will find the outlet itself and the user manual. A quick start guide is also available for download on Satechi’s website. 

Setting up the  outlet was pretty simple. The first step is to download the Satechi app and then plug the outlet into a power source. The outlet should automatically enter pairing mode, which is indicated by the slow blinking of the LED. Once it’s in pairing mode, you should be able to scan the HomeKit code or manually enter it when you select ‘add device’ in the Satechi app (or the Apple Home app). I had a small issue when I was setting up the outlet. It did not enter pairing mode automatically. The LED was blinking but not slowly. In the user manual under the FAQ section, Satechi outlines how to force the outlet into pairing mode. All you have to do is press + hold the reset button for 10 seconds to restore factory settings. This makes the outlet go directly into pairing mode and the Home app will recognize it at that point. 

The Dual Smart Outlet is not compatible with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa but since our smart home devices rely on Apple HomeKit, that isn’t a problem for me. As I mentioned above, this outlet is designed with a horizontal configuration and includes 2 outlets. This means that one of the outlets in the wall receptacle remains free while still increasing the number of power outlets available on the wall. I also like how feature-rich the app is. In addition to being a fully functional HomeKit app, you can also monitor energy consumption AND if you enter your local energy rate, the app will calculate how much the connected device costs to run. 

CONCLUSION

Because I’ve had experience with different HomeKit apps in the market including Belkin, Eve, iHome, and iDevices’ options for smart outlets, I can say that this is probably the best option for smart outlet available. It’s slim, has two outlets, and connects over WiFi. In addition to that, it helps to monitor your energy usage and has a very easy to use app. I love that each outlet can be controlled independently. The Satechi Dual Smart Outlet is available for purchase through Satechi.net or Amazon.com. 

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