What is it?
A compact, versatile and extremely useful smart plug from Philips.
Most smart plugs tend to be overly bulky and encroach on twin sockets to the point where it's almost impossible to plug in a neighbouring appliance or even access the on/off switch. Convenience comes in small packages with the Philips Hue Smart Plug.
Good points?
Installation couldn't be easier: you simply plug it into a power socket. Set up requires the accompanying smartphone app which connects via Bluetooth and allows you to control connected devices such as a lamp, kettle or anything else that needs charged before you get home.
Design of the plug is on the minimalist end of the scale so should not look out of place in any home, particularly if your existing power sockets are white. The Hue is compatible with most smart-home systems such as Alexa and Google Assistant so no need to worry about future connection issues should you decide to move systems.
Usage options surpass merely being able to turn a device on or off. You can schedule when the device gets powered and set profiles such as holiday mode which allows lights to be illuminated at a chosen time for security reasons.
Bad points?
There are no obvious negatives that spring to mind but pairing additional Hue accessories such as the motion sensor and dimmer switches can be a tad fiddly.
Best for ...
Those who want a budget/basic way of controlling certain appliances from your smartphone.
Avoid if ...
You desire greater functionality such as receiving power statistics and reports for your connected devices.
Score: 8/10.
Philips Hue Smart Plug, £29.99 (johnlewis.com and argos.co.uk)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel