Best Smart Plugs That Work With Google Home
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In this post we cover the best smart plugs for Google Home and how you can get the most out of smart plugs that work with Google Home and Google Assistant voice control.
When you combine smart plugs with Google Home it will allow you to control your smart plugs and the devices connected to them using your voice. You can then use voice commands like “Ok, Google turn on my nightstand” to turn on bedside lamps using your voice. This requires a compatible Google Home device like the Google Home Hub or Google Home Mini and a Smart Plug that works with Google Home.
You can add smart control to almost any device that plugs into a standard outlet. You can control lamps, lighting, fans and even coffee makers with smart plugs. Adding a smart plug that works with Google Home adds both smart home control and voice automation of your smart home with one simple upgrade.
What is a Smart Plug?
Smart Plugs allow you to control devices that plug into the wall through wifi. All you need to do is plug in your new smart plug, set it up on the app and plug in the device you want to control and you’re ready to start controlling the smart plug through your phone. You can control almost any device that plugs into a regular outlet using a smart plug including lamps, fans, and even coffeemakers.
With smart phone control of your smart plug you can turn on and off your smart plug from your phone. With some smart plugs you can even dim them and change the brightness settings when connected to a compatible lamp and bulb that allow dimming.
Once you set up the smart plug through the manufacturers app you will connect the smart plug to Google Home to enable Google Home and Google Assistant Voice Control.
Related Post: 100 Best Google Home Voice Commands
What can you do with Smart Plugs that work with Google Home?
With standard smart plug configurations you can control your smart plug through your smart phone. Connecting your smart plug to Google Home and Google Assistant opens up a whole new world of smart home and smart plug control because it allows you to control your smart plugs and devices connected to them using voice commands with Google Home.
You can control your smart plugs with Google Home voice commands by saying:
“Ok Google, turn off nightstand.”
“Ok Google, turn on bedroom fan.”
“Ok Google, turn on living room.”
“Ok Google, set living room to 50%.”
“Ok Google, turn on coffeemaker.”
Adding Google Home voice control to your home is a true luxury and will take your smart home to the next level. I’ve lived with smart plug and smart home control for 5 years and there’s nothing like laying in bed at the end of a long day and telling your house to turn off the lights with smart plugs that work with Google Home.
To control your Smart Plugs with Google Home all you need is a smart phone with Google Assistant and Google Home installed and smart plugs that that work with Google Home. The smart plugs will work just with the Google Home Voice Assistant on the Google app but most people choose to get a standalone Google Home voice assistant speaker like the Google Home Mini, Google Home or Google Home Hub that allows you to control your smart plugs even if you’re not close to your phone.
Sometimes I like to sleep with a small fan on at night to block out the noise of the city, and it’s perfect to have the smart plug connected to the fan so I can turn it on and off with my voice and Google Home without getting out of bed. It’s great if I feel like I’m having a hard time sleeping or their is a lot of unexpected noise I can quickly turn it on without even getting out from underneath the covers.
Another neat feature in the morning is laying in bed and asking Google Home to turn on the “Coffee Maker” so that I have fresh pot of coffee ready before I even get out of bed.
Most coffee pots will allow you to set a schedule but I’ve found I don’t always wake up at the same time and often forget to adjust the schedule forwards or backwards which can lead to the coffee not being ready when I’m about to go out the door if I wake up early. With the smart plug combined with a coffee maker I just say “Ok Google, turn on coffee maker.” and it’s ready by the time I make it downstairs.
If you’re a coffee drinker you know how awesome it is to have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you each morning.
What is Google Home? How Do Google Home Smart Plugs Work?
Google Home is Google’s home automation standard that directly interfaces smart home devices with Google Home and Google Assistant voice commands. This means if you have a Google Home compatible device it can typically be controlled with your voice using Google Assistant. Google Home is the “Hardware” that integrates all of the smart devices and “Google Assistant” is the software the interfaces with Google Home to allow for voice commands and integrates your other Google services like gmail and calendars.
These integrations give you more personalized information on your Google Home, like providing you with your daily schedule when you ask Google Home “what’s on your schedule for the day?” When you speak voice commands to your Google Home, Google Assistant is the software that turns your voice into computer commands.
Google Home smart plugs are as simple to install as just plugging them in. Once the smart plug is plugged in, it connects to wifi and is then set up on the manufacturers app. Once set up on the manufacturers app they can be connected to Google Home for Google Home voice control of the smart plug. After the initial setup of the smart plug it will remain connected to your wifi network for remote control both inside and outside of your home.
Best Smart Plugs For Google Home
1. Best Smart Plugs For Google Home: Kasa Smart Wifi Plug By TP-Link
These TP-Link smart plugs that work with Google Home take the top spot because they are a name brand, they are reliable and work well with both Google Home and Alexa. But what sets these smart plugs apart is that the outlets are placed on each end of the smart plug so that you can easily plug in multiple devices without interfering with others. It turns each in wall outlet into two separate plugs that can each be controlled individually.
The TP link smart plugs also have a slim profile that allows you to plug in two smart plugs next to each other one on top of the other, so you can turn your 2 in wall outlets into 4 smart outlets with these smart plugs.
TP-Link is one of leading smart home brands and is well known not only for their smart home products like smart plugs and smart lights but also their smart home routers.
Installation of the TP link smart plugs is simple, just plug in, follow the instructions on the app and then add the devices into Google Home. Once the smart devices are setup with Google Home they are easy to use and work great with voice commands.
These Teckin Smart Plugs that work with Google Home are unique in that they provide they have both standard smart plugs and a USB charging port. The addition of a USB charging port is a great feature in my opinion because it gives you even more locations to charge your phone and you don’t need to carry around your charger, just the cable.
The Teckin smart plugs work great with Google Home voice commands and quickly charge phones when connected. The smart plugs work with both Google Home and Alexa and offer great reliability and a small form factor.
You can stack two of these smart plugs directly on top of each other in a standard wall outlet and still have enough space to plug in to devices you want controlled with the smart plugs and to plug in your phone charging cable. The smart plug also has built in over charging protection so you don’t need to worry about the charger over charging your phone battery.
Teckin is a newer player in the smart home space but they do provide quality customer centric products and they are listening to customer feedback by adding a phone charging USB port on the side of the smart plug.
To install the smart plugs you plug them in, follow the app instructions and then set up with Google Home. The installation is quick and painless, once connected to Google Home they stay reliability connected to work with your Google Home Voice commands.
This is our brand of smart plugs, and we offer simple, reliable smart home setup with these dual outlet smart plugs. They work with both Google Home and Alexa and allow you to turn two wall outlets into 4 independently controlled smart home plugs.
These smart plugs allow you to set schedules, turn on and off your lights remotely with your phone or using your voice and Google Home commands.
The installation is easy, just download the smartlife app, follow the instructions to setup the plugs on the app and then add them to Google Home by connecting the smartlife app.
Our smart plugs are designed around providing the best connection to Google Home and Alexa so you can use your voice assistants to control them throughout your house. These are the smart plugs that I have installed throughout my house and they’ve worked flawlessly without issue for years. We worked hard to deliver these smart home switches to you and you can support us by purchasing these smart home switches.
The only difference our smart home switches have from the #1 and #2 ranking is that we don’t have a USB outlet and our outlets are front facing rather than side facing. This can be an advantage in some cases where you need to plug in larger plugs because you will have more wall clearance than the side mounted plugs.
Wemo has been a reliable smart home brand for years and was one of the first adopters of wifi smart home technology. They have come along way since their original Wemo smart plug that was one of the first wifi smart plugs ever available to the US market.
To install the Wemo smart plugs I plugged them in, setup them up on the Wemo app and they flawlessly responded to the touch commands on my phone. Setting these light bulbs up with Google Home was a breeze. Once fully installed on the I had no problems controlling these using either my phone or Google Home voice commands. One important thing to note that is if they don’t come with the firmware update you will need to let both the app and the smart plugs install the update so that they will function properly with Google Home.
You should also follow the instructions and set these up first on the Wemo App manually and then add them to Google Home.
What I like about these smart plugs is that they have a slim profile that allows you to plug in two smart plugs right next to each other on the wall outlet and don’t block the other outlet when plugged into the wall. Not all smart plugs have the slim profile that the Wemo switches offer, and the thinner profile looks better on the wall than some of the larger smart plugs.
Wemo is manufactured by Belkin which is a well known wifi router brand, so you know that they are designed to reliably work with wifi routers and systems. Even though they are made by Belkin they are compatible with most newer wifi routers.
The Wemo smart plug interface is easy to navigate and is easy to learn, and will allow you to turn on and off the lights remotely, set schedules, use away mode to turn on the lights at random times when you are on vacation. Wemo smart plugs will work with Google Home voice commands to turn your devices on and off through Google Home and Google Assistant.
These smart plugs offer the similar slim profile as the Wemo smart plugs and they also work with Google Home and Google Assistant voice commands. These smart plugs work with Google Home, Alexa and HomeKit. They offer an exceptional value for a 2 or 4 pack of smart plugs that work with Google Home and the other voice assistants.
The Vocolinc plugs offer easy plug in setup and installation through the manufacturer app and allow control of the smart plugs through either the manufacturer app or Google Home. The setup with Google Home is simple and can be completed in just a few minutes.
Vocolinc is a smaller brand than Wemo but they seem to have great build quality, connect reliably and offer the majority of the same features as the Wemo smart plugs. The smart plugs connect directly to your wifi network and allow both control in your home or remotely when you are away from your home.
What I like about these switches is the less is more approach with the Vocolinc manufacturer app. If you are getting these smart plugs it is most likely because you want to control them with Google Home and Google Assistant commands. So it seems like the manufacturer focused on making the connection to Google Home simple, reliable and robust rather than building out a ton of extra features in it’s app.
I think they made the right choice focusing on making a strong connection to Google Home and other smart voice services because most users will end up using voice to control the smart plugs more often than not.
These smart plugs from iDevices work with Google Home and offer a unique slim profile for plugging into your existing outlets. Most other smart plugs have the plugs centered inline on the front face of the smart plug. This can sometimes lead to overcrowding the outlets if you have a large plug or transformer that needs to be placed in the plug.
The iDevices have the outlet placed on the end of the device which frees up space for plugs below and can make it easier to run cords without interfering with other devices.
The iDevices smart plugs offer easy setup, plug them in, follow the instructions on the manufacturer app and then connect the smart plug to Google Home These smart plugs offer scheduling, energy monitoring and can be controlled within the home or remotely.
The iDevices smart plugs support Google Home integration and work with Google Home voice commands like “Ok Google, turn of the lights.” They have a good form factor, and the end mounted outlet does offer a unique solution to outlet and cord overcrowding.
Summary: Best Smart Plugs That Work With Google Home.
Each one of the smart plugs we have listed will work with Google Home. In deciding which smart plug is right for you it really comes down to which form factor you like and how you will be using the smart plugs. In general the slimmer profile smart plugs will make it easier to install multiple smart plugs in one location or connect other devices that require permanent power.
All of the smart plugs we have listed above will work with both Google Home and Alexa which also gives you flexibility if you decide to switch voice assistants controlling your home in the future. You can’t go wrong choosing any of the smart plugs that work with Google Home listed above. They all should give you years of reliable service and quickly respond to Google Home voice commands.
Overall adding smart plugs to your home helps integrate non smart devices into your smart home ecosystem. Adding smart plugs to bedside lamps is a game changer and I can almost guarantee you will be satisfied when you’re laying in bed and turn off your bedside lamp for the first time using your voice.
I never realized how much I use the voice commands to control my smart home lighting until I found myself in a hotel at the end of a long day of travel and realized I couldn’t use my voice to turn off the hotel lights. Needless I dragged myself out of bed only too trip on my shoes I had kicked off on the way in. In that moment it was cemented in my mind just how great Google Home integration is with smart plugs like the ones we’ve listed above.
Below we also include instructions on how to setup your Google Home smart plugs, an FAQ on Google smart plugs and other related Google Home posts.
How To Setup Smart Plug With Google Home:
Below we’ve included the general instructions on how to setup a Google Home smart plug. These instructions should work with the smart plugs we have listed above. The only difference you will have is that you need to pick the correct manufacturer for for the smart plugs you have chosen.
How to setup smart plugs with Google Home
Step 1: Setup and install your Google Home device.
Step 2: Setup and install your smart plug on the manufacturers app. Test to make sure it is working and that you can control it from your smart phone by turning it on and off several times.
Step 3: Open the Google Home App, if it does not go to the home screen go to the home screen by clicking on the “Home Logo” at the bottom of the app screen.
Step 4: On the home screen click on the “+ Add” button.
Step 5: Click on “+ Setup a device.” in the next menu.
Step 6: Click on “Works with Google” in the next menu.
Step 7: You will then be taken to a screen with a list of all the apps and devices that are compatible with Google Home. There are thousands of them, you can either scroll through the apps to find the manufacturers app for your Google Home smart plug or you can enter the app name at the top of the screen to search for it. It’s easiest to use the search bar to find the app to make the connection. In our screen shot instructions it shows how to set up Google Home smart plugs with the “Smart Life App.” which will work for One Hour Smart Home smart plugs but this process will work for any of the Google Home smart plugs we have listed above, you just need to select the correct app that you originally set up your smart plugs on.
Step 8: Enter your login information for the app that you are linking to Google Home.
Step 9: Congratulations you have successfully connected smart plugs to Google Home. You can now use voice commands to control your smart plugs with your voice. You can control your smart plugs by using the following saying. “Ok, google turn on [Name of Smart Plug].”
Google Home Smart Plug FAQ:
Will Google Home Smart Plugs Work If My Wifi Is Down?
No, just like other wifi devices Google Home smart plugs need your wifi network to be up and working in order to operate.
Can I manually turn off a Google Home Smart Plug?
Yes, most Google Home smart plugs have a button on the side that will allow you to turn on and off the smart plug by pressing the button on the side if you want to manually turn off the smart plug.
Will Smart Plugs Work With The Nest Hub or Google Home Hub?
Yes, Google Home compatible smart plugs will work with the full lineup of Google Home devices including the Nest Hub, or Google Home Hub.
What is the difference between a Google Home smart plug and Google Home smart outlet?
A lot of people use these terms interchangeably and they can be used to describe the same thing. When most people thing of a Google Home smart plug or Google Home smart outlet they think of devices that plug into your existing wall outlet to allow you to turn on and off devices plugged into the Google Home Smart plug or Google Home outlet. These devices don’t require any wiring and just plug into existing sockets and are easy for anyone to install.
However there are smart outlets which replace your existing hardwired outlets and will work with Google Home. These smart outlets require you to remove your existing wall outlets, and wire in a new smart outlet. We typically recommend that people use the “plug in style” smart plugs vs hardwired smart outlets because they are much easier to install, have a lower price point and are easier to install and manage if you need to troubleshoot the device.
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