Gabe Turner: Hey, folks. This is Gabe at Security Baron. Sometimes, you want to make a dumb
appliance smart. Sometimes, you want to go on vacation but not have it look like you're
on vacation to everyone watching your home. Today, we're reviewing the Wyze Plug.
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Gabe: In today's review of the Wyze Plug, we're going to go over some pros and cons,
its design, its feature set, the installation process, before diving into its mobile application,
the Wyze app, to make sure you have all the information you need to make the right decision.
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Gabe: If you'd like to see a list of our favorite smart plugs, google Security Baron best smart
plugs. If you have a question about today's review, leave us a comment, and I'll get back
to you.
Let's kick off today's review of the Wyze Plug, going over some pros and cons, beginning
with those pros. It is very affordable. The Wyze Plug comes in at $14.99 for two smart
plugs. That's mighty impressive. They also work really intuitively when it comes to setting
up automations, schedules, timers, or even using something like vacation mode, which
will randomize your appliances, turning on and off.
On the con side, I will state that it does not come with some of the more advanced features
that you'll find with higher-end smart plugs, like energy monitoring.
Now, we've gone over some pros and cons for the Wyze Plug, let's talk about its design.
Honestly, it's a pretty petite device. It's got the all-white aesthetic, so it should
blend in to basically any décor.
On the front, you've got that Wyze logo, which I'm a fan of. On the opposite side, you got
this blue indicator light that comes on when it's in use. You have a three-prong outlet.
What's great is that this is a pretty thin device, so you should be able to stack these
in your traditional outlets hub, which is a really useful thing to be able to do because
we all know that we have finite spaces to plug things in in our homes.
On the side, you actually have a physical button to turn it on and off. You'll hear
a mechanical click. You'll note here, that it's on and off. Maybe you've lost your mobile
device. Maybe you lost your voice, and you can't turn it off using those. You can just
simply go in and click there, and you're ready to go.
Overall, I'm a pretty big fan, actually, of the aesthetic and utility on the Wyze Plug.
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Gabe: Whoa, hold on. I hope you're enjoying today's review of the Wyze Plug. If you want
to be kept up-to-date on the newest in smart plugs, smart home security, cyber security,
Bluetooth tracker and more, subscribe to our channel, Security Baron. We're dropping new,
hot content weekly. All right, let's go back to the video.
Now that we've gone over the design of the Wyze Plug, let's talk about its feature set,
beginning with that primary functionality, the ability to control it from wherever you
have to be on the globe using the Wyze app and just tapping on that on-and-off switch,
so I can control any appliance in my home that's connected to that smart plug, which
is really useful.
You're going to be getting a lot of utility out of that and your peace of mind and that
doubt you have and whether or not this light is off or that iron is on and things of that
nature.
I think the second most-used element of the Wyze Plug is going to be that voice assistant.
Of course, there are some major smart platforms out there, like Amazon and Google's virtual
assistant. Fortunately for us, the Wyze Plug does integrate with both of them.
You can talk to your Alexa device, like an Echo Dot or an Echo Show. You can speak to
your Google Mini or your Google Home and really just get exactly what you want from the Wyze
Plug.
In terms of schedules, automations, and rule-making, you can do all of that in the Wyze app. If
there's a specific time I need a light to come on or go off every day, I can set it
up easy, intuitively, in the Wyze app.
I can actually set up an entire home automation system. This will allow for me to have various
devices in my Wyze ecosystem, like the Wyze Cam or the Wyze Pan or the Wyze Sense home
security system, work in conjunction with the Wyze Plug.
Maybe, when it detects motion, I want my bulb to turn on. I have certain dark places in
my house. That's a really useful thing that you can do. You can have one part of your
system trigger the other. I really like the fact that the ecosystem for Wyze has been
built out to that extent and that it includes smart plugs.
Now, when it comes to other elements, you can set up things like vacation mode. Very
straightforward. It's right beside the timer function where it just randomizes the turning
on and off of appliances in your home when you're not there, to give the impression that
someone is bumbling about your home and needing various appliances.
Finally, I do like the fact that you have grouping. This is a little bit distinct from
automation that has these things work in conjunction in terms of one triggering the other. This
allows you to do everything in one fell swoop.
If I put my plugs in one group, and I have that group in a specific room, and all of
a sudden, I just want all those lights to go out in the room, I can just turn off that
entire group. That's a really useful thing to be able to do.
I point all this out to say that they're basically, constantly innovating over at Wyze. They mentioned
that they're going to bring more elements, more software updates and capabilities to
the Wyze plug. I'm excited to see what they came up with next.
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Gabe: Let's walk through the installation process with your Wyze Plug. It'll take you
less than a minute. It took me less than a minute. It's pretty straightforward.
You're going to take out your Wyze Plug, plug it into an outlet. You're going to open up
your Wyze mobile application. From there, it's going to ask you if you want to add a
product. You tap "Yes." It's going to say, "Which product?" You say your plug.
From there, you're actually going to be walked through a brief portion that makes sure you're
connected to your home with a WiFi and you know the password. Once you have that all
good and in order, you're simply going to go into your settings. Join the Wyze Plug
settings. From there, you're simply going to connect. It'll probably take you 10 seconds.
In fact, I counted the entire process the last time I set this up. It took me 35 seconds
from beginning to end. It's that easy. Really convenient, intuitive process for setting
up your Wyze Plug.
Now that we've got our Wyze Plug installed, let's talk about the mobile application experience
in the Wyze app. In the Wyze app, you're going to be interfacing with your various appliances
by just turning them on and off.
I personally had a very positive experience in the Wyze app, but it doesn't do as well
across the board, potentially because this does share the same app with its other devices,
like the Wyze Cam and the Wyze Pan.
In the Apple App Store, it has a 3.5 out of 5 star rating, which is pretty solid. In the
Google Play Store, it has a 3.4 out of 5 star rating. Once again, not the best but definitely
solid ratings.
Let's go ahead and check it out on my iPhone 7 Plus.
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Gabe: Here I am, checking out the Wyze Plug in the Wyze app. You can see now that this
bulb is off. I had this bulb connected to my Wyze Plug, and I've named this Wyze Plug
the Lion Plug. At the tap of a finger, primary function of it is just letting you turn on
and off. Boom, there we got it. Got that light going.
If I wanted to turn it back off, I actually have shortcuts at the top that allow me to
go directly to cutting off all the plugs, like yes. Here we are. I've, now, turned off
the light. You will note that there's a bit of a delay on the screen, showing whether
or not the plug is turned off. Now, it's gone off.
If I want to use another element, another primary element of the mobile app and having
a Wyze smart plug, it would be the voice command. Fortunately, I installed -- or rather, integrated
this Wyze plug with Google Assistant, so I can just say, "Hey, Google. Turn on Lion Plug."
Google Assistant: You got it. Turning Lion Plug on.
Gabe: Here we are, able to turn on this plug just using my voice. You'll note that, once
again, there's a big of a lag on it being denoted in the mobile application, but it
definitely works very, very quickly. In fact, I would say, maybe to some extent, faster
than other plugs out on the market today.
Let's go ahead and see what other capabilities we get with the Wyze Plug. I go tap on Wyze
Plug. Now, you'll note that it says, "On." Other few things I can do right from the get-go,
I can just hit the timer. Here, I can decide to turn the plug off after, let's say, three
hours. Now, in three hours, this plug will turn off.
That's a good way to make sure that you're not wasting. You don't have to think about
things because you've set a timer that's actually going to actively turn it off, instead of
forcing you to go back and do so. I hit start on there, and now, we have a timer going.
Another element that you get right in this page is vacation mode. I tap on vacation mode.
You'll see it said, "Vacation mode automatically turns your Wyze Plug on and off, so it looks
like you are at home," which is especially useful with a device like a lamp, which is
something that people would typically turn off if they're on vacation.
When people see it on, it does help serve as a deterrent for that all-important security
that you want to feel in your home.
Let's go ahead and cancel this. Let's go ahead and look at some of the other options that
one gets. If I go into settings, you can see that I can turn that plug status light on
or off. That's that blue indicator light on the front of the plug.
I can go into schedules and automations, and I can set up more shortcuts, create schedules,
like I have here for weekdays. Now, I have it enabled to turn on every weekday at 6:30
AM, which I find to be useful for me and the life I'm trying to lead.
If I go ahead and tap plus, I can go ahead and create new rules. I can create another
shortcut. I can create a schedule for another type of issue. If I want to just have my Lion
Plug turn on, I can have it turn on.
If I want the Wyze Plug Baron, my other Wyze Plug, to turn on, I can turn that on. From
there, make a decision on what exactly I want to happen. If I want it to turn on at 7:29
AM every day, boom. Now, I've set that up.
It's really useful to have these types of schedules and automations. In terms of device
trigger, we have something like the Wyze Sense. You can actually have the Wyze Sense to go
ahead and have your Wyze Plug Baron turn on, for example, whenever your camera turns on
or detects motion or you restart it.
There are a host of different actions you can have happen. If you have night vision,
for example, for your Wyze camera, and you want it to activate the bulb, you can have,
"OK, motion's detected in my living room. Now, I'm going to have my light bulb turn
on," to maybe spook that person to leave or maybe have that person know that they're being
watched with the full daytime vision gathered by the Wyze Cam. The fact that you can set
these little things up within the Wyze app is really useful.
Overall, I'm a pretty big fan of all the capabilities you get with the Wyze mobile application.
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Gabe: All right, we've gone over a lot with the Wyze Plug, and you're saying, "Gabe, is
this the smart plug for me to join the game?" Start the revolution, get involved, and listen.
You're going to get an impressive feature set out of your Wyze Plug. The ability to
set up schedules, automations, timers, vacation mode, the list goes on.
On top of that, you're going to be able to integrate with the two most popular smart
platforms out there, Amazon and Google. You don't have to use your mobile device. You
can just use your voice to control your appliances around your house, like you're a genie or
something.
Finally, you have two plugs for $14.99, which is supremely affordable. The fact that you
get two for under $15 really makes you have to just take a double take when it comes to
how impressive these Wyze Plugs are.
I will say that you won't get the most advanced features that you might see with some of the
more higher-end smart plugs, like energy monitoring, but generally speaking, you're getting a lot
from the Wyze Plugs.
I personally have really enjoyed my experience and looking forward to integrating these Wyze
Plugs into my home's Wyze ecosystem. I think they have to be a contender for you if you're
looking to get yourself some smart plugs.
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Gabe: That concludes our review of the Wyze Plug. If you appreciate today's video, give
us a like and hit that subscribe button. As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron. Be
secure.
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