Up next in 10
Smartplugs and smart wall outlets are a commodity nowadays. They all look identical, they all seem to offer the same functionality, and many of them share a single smarthome app on your iOS or Android device. So what makes the Esicoo Wi-Fi Smart Plug Mini Outlet so interesting? The price and functionality. For well under $20 it works with the popular Smart Life app and both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
So how does it work hands-on? Tech expert Dave Taylor of https://www.AskDaveTaylor.com/ plugged in an Esicoo smart plug to find out, and here's his reaction...
Check it out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Qn2v2h
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Smarten up your home with a smart plug like this. Let's have a look
0:10
Dave Taylor here, and I'm looking at this. This is the Esaku smart plug mini outlet
0:16
JSM WF-02 though on the unit and on the box it actually says it's Amysen
0:23
So maybe those are two different company names from which you can get the same product now
0:28
This is a pretty basic commodity at this point. It's a smart plug that works with Amazon and Google and
0:34
That's great and so then the question becomes things like does it actually take over both power outlets when you plug it in and
0:42
How easy is it to work with so let's have a look at this one, but before we go any further
0:46
Let me give you some specs. It works with a hundred to a hundred and twenty five volts at
0:51
60 Hertz and 1800 watts and your maximum amperage on this is 15 amps
0:57
So you cannot plug in something super heavy-duty that's gonna pull a lot of amps because this might not support it now
1:04
One thing I like is it does have a plug or a switch on the side it lets you turn it on and off
1:09
And there's a little indicator to show you that it's actually live on your Wi-Fi network
1:14
But instead of talking about it. Let me show you so happen to have a handy three prong extension cord
1:20
so we'll plug it in and You can see let's see There's the green light is starting to blink as it's getting on to the Wi-Fi network
1:29
And then what I'm gonna do is I'm actually gonna go ahead and plug in these lights now
1:34
I've named it basement because that's ultimately where it's gonna go But it doesn't really matter what I have plugged in and where it is right so let's see if it's ready to work
1:44
So hey Google turn on basement You got it turning on the basement so there you go super easy now it could also work with my Alexa system
1:54
But I'm choosing to use Google instead just to sort of mix it up a bit
1:58
And this is like a first generation Google Home unit still works fine still gives me access to the huge world of Google
2:06
Now it actually pairs through an app and that app is actually called smart home
2:11
And that gives you access to a lot of controls so obviously on and off
2:16
That's easy, but it also gives you timers and schedules so for example here
2:21
I am setting up a timer to have it just turn off after 15 or 20 minutes
2:25
And then here this is actually a schedule and this schedule is a little clumsy because you can't
2:31
Schedule an on and then a certain amount of time later and off that ends up being two discreet schedule events
2:37
But you can repeat them so you can every single night at 5 p.m
2:42
Have a light turn on and every single night at 10 p.m. Have it turn off if that's what you want all of that's pretty easy to do and then you go into the Google Home or the
2:51
Amazon Alexa app and you actually pair this with the skill And if that's easy to do now let me tell you though on the flip side is I opened up this box, right
3:03
It would have been the world's least exciting Unboxing because there is nothing literally nothing in the box other than the plug itself
3:12
There are no instructions there wasn't even a card that says here's how to get started
3:17
So the company actually had sent me an email after I bought this on Amazon, but seriously, that's pretty clumsy
3:25
So luckily I knew how to do this from all the other smart plugs. I've worked with hey Google turn off basement
3:32
Okay, turning the basement off. Maybe I look a little less orange now
3:37
But what you have to do the first time you plug it in you have to push and hold the power button for about 15
3:42
Or 20 seconds until the light on the front starts flashing Then you can pair it in that smart home app
3:49
Which is Android or iOS and then once you have it paired then you can go into Google Home or Amazon Alexa
3:56
And you can search for it through the smart home skill if you need to install it or if it's already installed
4:02
you're good to go and Then it will actually find it then you can do things like rename it and all of those other controls
4:09
But really it needed some instructions. Holy cow, if I was actually just beginning with all this smart home stuff
4:16
I would have been very upset to get this device and it's just like I don't care how much it costs
4:21
I want to have some clue how to do this without feeling like a complete knucklehead
4:26
So maybe it was just me and I was unlucky and maybe everyone else gets a handy little instruction booklet in there in 43 languages
4:33
But no so far for me El-Zippo, so on the other hand once I got it paired as you can see it works just fine
4:41
Here it is in a two-prong outlet or a two outlet outlet. I don't know whatever the words are
4:48
You can see it works perfectly fine, and it doesn't block the other plug which is super important
4:53
And that's really all I have for you. So Actually, I like this, you know again
4:58
This is really just a commodity product now on the market and this one is at a good price
5:03
And it's a reasonably nice looking unit There are smaller ones that are circular but the circular ones I find tend to eat up that second plug on the outlet
5:12
So that's a little annoying so having this be supporting two or another plug gone directly into the wall is definitely a win so
5:21
This is the Esaku smart plug But before I tell you how much it costs and I think you'll be surprised at how little it costs
5:28
Let me ask if you can click on that subscribe button and subscribe to my channel really appreciate when you do that
5:34
Very much appreciated. So now This well, let's I guess make it a little more visible
5:41
This is the Esaku smart plug mini outlet and it will cost you ready for this
5:47
15.59 at amazon.com and I've found that their price keeps going down because it's such a hot commodity market
5:54
There are so many choices for smart plugs. So go and check it out. You might find it's even less than that
6:00
So when I bought it, it was $22. It's gone down substantially Since then and who knows it might go down, you know, oh gosh, I can imagine this being under 10 bucks someday
6:10
So why would you not have everything in your house plugged into these devices? I don't get it super easy
6:17
Super super useful. So with that, this is Dave Taylor I need to go and put it in the basement so that I actually have the ability to turn on my basement light
6:26
Without going down into the basement first. What a win. So it's Dave Taylor and I'll catch you in my next video
6:51
You
#Consumer Electronics
#Home Improvement
#Gadgets & Portable Electronics
#Home Automation