Best smart plugs-CNET – CNET

Speaking of apps, GE’s Cync app is nothing short of delightful. The initial smart plug setup took me through a series of simple, step-by-step instructions complemented by soft, home-inspired imagery in the background. The setup also prompted me to connect to Alexa and Google devices, something I had to navigate to within the app or go to a hub to do with other smart plugs.

Once your smart plug is set up, you can control on/off settings from the home screen or tap “Routines” to set a schedule. There are a number of other functions and settings you can play with, such as grouping devices together for simultaneous control or creating “scenes” with custom settings, like turning off a set of lights before starting a movie or changing the smart light bulbs to your team’s color on game day. 

If it sounds complicated, you can get a user-friendly, eye-pleasing breakdown of how to use all the various Cync features under Settings > App Tutorials.

I’m getting away from the smart plug a bit, but that’s because the GE Cync app is clearly intended to incorporate multiple devices and support total home automation. You can use the smart plug on its own, but the app invites you to do much more.

Two for the price of one here. The HBN smart plug is one of the few I’ve seen with two independently controlled outlets. Even with the extra outlet, the smart plug isn’t that much wider than other single plugs, and it’s still compact enough to plug something else in above or below it.

I’m sure there are quite a few uses for a dual smart plug, but plugging my Christmas tree lights into one and a corner lamp into the other immediately comes to mind. Currently, I have a light fixture and a fan plugged in and the ability to independently control one or the other is pretty nifty. 

The HBN app reminds me of the Leviton app in its user-friendly simplicity. I can turn either switch on or off from the app or by voice command via Alexa or Google. Each outlet is nameable, so you can turn off a single outlet by saying “Alexa, turn off Switch 2,” or control both outlets at once by referring to the device name.

You can also create separate schedules for each outlet. Here at home, I’ve set my fan to come on during these sweltering Southern summer days while the lamp is programmed to come on at night. Again, pretty nifty.

The Emporia smart plug comes with much of the same functionality as other smart plugs — instant on/off control, scheduling, Alexa and Google compatibility — not to mention the rounded edges that made the device feel a bit less bulky than others. What stood out most to me was the app’s focus on energy monitoring. 

From the home screen display, you can see connected devices and their on/off status along with how much energy they are currently using. Tapping the plug or power icons will take you to the on/off settings, or you can tap on the device name to see a graph of your plug’s (that is, whatever’s plugged into it) energy use over time. 

The Management screen lets you prioritize Emporia devices to automatically turn off if you approach a set peak energy demand goal, automatically consume excess solar energy and create a custom schedule. There are other energy monitoring and consumption features, but that’s the gist of it.

Emporia’s app is certainly useful and informative, but speaking strictly from a standalone smart plug standpoint, it can get mildly in the way of actually using the smart plug. I had to play with it a bit to figure out that “Management > Time-of-use management” was the means to create a schedule, and turning the plug on and off from the Home screen wasn’t set as a default. 

There’s also the consideration of whether or not the thing you’ve got plugged into your Emporia smart plug is worth the in-depth monitoring. Most smart plug applications are for lamps, nightlights, fans and other fixtures that are relatively low on the energy consumption scale. Still, if you want a smart plug that monitors your energy use and allows for more energy-efficient customization than other plugs, this is the one for you.