Wyze Smart Plug Review: $10, With One Catch
Two of them fit a single wall outlet without blocking the second socket. Unless what you're plugging in is bulky, and then the design works against you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFwU_NmKz14
THE VERDICT
At roughly $10 a plug this is the cheapest way to make a dumb device smart, and the slim design means two fit one outlet. The catch is physical rather than software: anything with a bulky plug is going to fight you.
This Wyze Smart Plug review starts with the only number most people care about. A two-pack runs a little over $20, so about ten dollars a plug.
That's the entry fee for making something dumb into something you can shout at from the sofa, and it's hard to argue with. The question is what you give up to hit that price.
Julia's the hand model on this one, my daughter, because my hands still had paint on them from helping my cousin paint his house. Priorities.
The design is clever, until it isn't
Each plug has a three-prong outlet on the front, the plug on the back, a power button on the side, and an LED indicator on the front. It weighs 2.47 oz, so it's light without feeling flimsy.
The good bit
Two of these fit in a single wall outlet without one blocking the other. That sounds obvious and it absolutely is not. Plenty of smart plugs are fat enough that one of them eats both sockets, which quietly doubles the real cost.
The catch
The limitation is physical, not software. No firmware update is making your outlet bigger.
That two-in-one-outlet trick only holds if what you're plugging in is normal-sized. An extension cord, or a printer with a chunky moulded plug, and you'll struggle to get it in alongside.
Look at the plug on whatever you're connecting before you buy. If it's bulky, the main reason to pick these over anything else stops applying.
Setup
You need the Wyze app, from the App Store or Google Play. Everything else takes about a minute.
1. Plug it in. It starts blinking blue, which means it's in pairing mode.
2. In the app, hit the plus sign and choose add device.
3. Go to Power and Lighting, then pick Wyze Plug.
4. Hit next. It searches, finds it, and you're done.
No hub. No account gymnastics. No pairing mode that fails three times and makes you start over.
Specs
Price at filming A little over $20 for a two-pack, so ~$10 each
Weight 2.47 oz
Outlet Three-prong on the front
Controls Power button on the side, LED indicator on the front
Pairing Blinks blue, Wyze app, no hub required
In the box The plug and a quick start guide
Fits Two per wall outlet, if your plugs are normal-sized
What I liked
✦ Ten dollars a plug. About as low-risk as this hobby gets.
✦ Two fit one outlet. The whole reason to pick these, and it genuinely works.
✦ No hub. Nothing extra to buy or plug in.
✦ Setup is a minute. Blinks blue, app finds it, done.
✦ Light but not flimsy. 2.47 oz and it doesn't feel like it'll crack.
✦ No fluff in the box. The plug and a guide, which at this price is exactly right.
What I didn't
✦ Bulky plugs won't fit alongside. Extension cords and printers are the obvious casualties.
✦ You need the Wyze app. Another app, another account, if you're not already in their world.
✦ It's a plug. There is no exciting version of this product and I won't pretend otherwise.
Should you buy the Wyze Smart Plug?
Buy them if
You want to dip a toe into smart home without spending real money. Ten dollars a plug to put a lamp, a fan or a Christmas tree on a schedule is the cheapest experiment in this whole category.
Skip them if
The thing you're automating has a fat plug. Measure first. That's the only way to get this purchase wrong, and it's an easy way to get it wrong.
What was the first thing you made smart? Mine was a lamp, and I felt ridiculous about how pleased I was. Tell me in the comments.