Teckin SP20 Smart Wi-Fi Plug Outlet Review
I show the Teckin SP20 smart plugs I use in my home, and why. They’re Wi-Fi-enabled plugs that do what you expect: turn things on, and as a bonus turn things off, and not just lights: you can power-cycle a coffee maker, a TV, a tankless water heater, a phone charger, a ham radio, a smart camera, just about anything else. They connect to most home Wi-Fi routers over 2.4 GHz and are controlled by the Smart Life app, which can be configured with schedules and basic automation (like turning on a light at sunset) and connected to Google Assistant or Alexa for voice control.
Energy monitoring
Another feature of the SP20 models I use is energy monitoring. If you’re curious about “zombie power,” you can connect a power strip (for example, your entertainment center) and get pretty accurate power usage tracked over time. My lamps use very little power, but my entertainment center (TV, Roku, Xbox and more) can be energy hungry even when off. In the past I also used this to rate my desktop computer’s usage so I could buy a right-sized UPS for it.
How I use them
Three ways:
- Google Assistant. I have Google Homes all over. After connecting the Google Home app to the Smart Life app and assigning plugs to rooms, I can say “OK Google, turn off the living room lamps.” Google Assistant is even smart enough to know that if I’m talking to a Google Home in the same room as a lamp, I don’t need to say the room name (“hey Google, turn off the lamp”).
- The iOS widget. The fastest way to reach the switches on my iPhone is the widget to the left of the home screen: a quick swipe and all the outlets are laid out for tapping.
- Schedules. In Smart Life, I set schedules for the living-area lamps so that when we come home after work, depending on the time of year, the place is lit up and not “full of ghosts.” It’s also useful for safety-conscious scheduling when on vacation.
Verdict, and a security tip
I have no basis for comparison with other smart plugs on the market, but I’ve bought a handful of these with no issues. They’re fairly easy to set up and meet my current needs. One piece of advice for these or any smart plug or IoT device: connect them to a guest Wi-Fi network if possible. A guest network is segregated from your regular phones and computers, which could protect you from possibly insecure software or devices “made who knows where.” (The description links smart speakers and displays like the Google Nest Mini, Nest Hub and Hub Max and the Lenovo Smart Clock.)
Links
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.
