Review - Eufy Smart Plug

#1

Connected Home Convenience

by Kelby Bahr

Design/Setup:
The Eufy Smart Plug has a simplistic and durable design. I like that it is compact and does not stick out very far from the wall. Setup was surprisingly simple and quick. I have had issues connecting similar smart home devices in the past, but there were no issues setting up the Eufy Smart Plug. Other than the plug and your smartphone, there is no hub or other devices necessary, which is nice.

Effectiveness:
Turning the plug on/off is quick and reliable. Whether I use the smartphone app or Google Home, the Eufy Smart Plug always responds when I turn it on or off, and there is little to no delay.

Features:
Other than the primary feature, the ability to control the plug remotely, you can also set schedules, share access with other users, and view power usage. These are great additional features that I have found useful. I especially like the ability to set schedules because I am using this plug for a lamp.

Verdict:
With its simple setup process, reliability, and useful additional features, I would highly recommend the Eufy Smart Plug. I plan to add more to my home in the near future.

IMG_0306.jpg3024Ă—4032 1.66 MB

1 Like
#2

Nice Review! I wonder what it’s range limitations are with wi-fi, if any.

#3

Nice review…can I ask what the button on top is for? Is it just to pair or manually operate what’s plugged into it?

#4

I that should be the on/off button.

#5

So to manually turn on and off what’s plugged into it then?

#6

Maybe… That’s a good question. It could be to turn off an attached device or turn off the smart plug.

#7

Press briefly it is on/off, press long and it resets to then use the eufyhome app to configure.

1 Like
#8

Effectively no distance limit. It connects to your chosen Wifi router and then it just needs to have a reasonable wifi connection. It registers with Eufy.

Then from your phone you just need to be online and phone eufyhome app sends message.

They route all to eufyhome Service.

You’re not connecting directly to the plug so no distance limit.

1 Like
#9

Ahhhjj that makes sense now, appreciate it

#10

if you’re familiar with Chromecast app its very similar to pair, the SmartPlug acts like a Wifi access point when its turned on and your phone looks for smartplug Wifi points when you use the Eufyhome app, then you tell the smartplug your home Wifi settings and the plug connects to your home Wifi and the app then disconnects Wifi from the smartplug and connect back to your home Wifi and then finds the smartplug then on home network. IF you hadn’t told the smartplug the correct Wifi settings then that’s when you need to reset the smartplug and retry.

I have had mine for a few weeks and apart from the obvious that Wifi at home can drop for a few seconds and lose connection to anything like the smartplug, it is perfect, and for the price (about $22 usually now) its on my “just buy one” list. I have two of them, one on an old appliance who’s own on/off button is gone so I remotely control it and another on another appliance which gets confused and needs a powercycle.

I had to use an old (I think 6 year old?) Wifi router and flash DD-WRT onto it and turned it into a Wifi repeater to get Wifi more reliable into the spot the smartplug is now which low down in a far corner which is one of the hardest Wifi problems.

So really, the smartplug is working but its Achilles Heel is your Wifi.

It did make me think Eufy could use some kind of Powerline type system, to get messages through the electrical wires, that is one trick in homes to get networks to go further in non-square shaped homes. You don’t need bandwidth, just reliably slow communications.

I have yet to test how Smartplug handles no network, if say the network is down at a scheduled turn on/off if the smartplug has downloaded its next instruction or it has to wait til its back online til its received its instruction. So I have not tested how smart is the smartplug yet.