MIUO 2-Pack Smart Plug review (50% off coupon)
The MIUO 2-Pack Smart Plug is a WiFi controllable on/off switch that works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, and either an iPhone or Android app.
Besides working with smart apps and assistants, it also can be used as a simple timer for those things you want turned on or off at a certain time.
If you’re curious, it also keeps up with how much electricity is being used and has been used by the plug. Having some fairly efficient LED lights on my plugs I haven’t gone through a whole lot, nor have I tested for accuracy.
The MIUO Smart Plug setup
These use the Smart Life app, which I’m becoming increasingly familiar with as everything seems to use the Smart Life app that people send me this year.
Our first challenge here is that if you don’t have the ability to connect to a 2.4GHz network instead of a 5GHz one you’re going to need to do that. The Smart Life app is not smart enough to pick the 2.4GHz network as I recall so I had to force it.
Once that’s done, it should join, register, and be available in the Smart Life app. As I was not particularly interested in using the app I added it into Google Home, named it, and now control it from there. Make sure after adding each one to ask Google to sync devices.
The horror story
There isn’t one. However I did manage to knock the plugs out by switching the WiFi routers five times in one day. I don’t know if there’s some rudimentary MAC address security, I’d run into a reconnect issue, or what but after trying a couple of other routers claiming to be mine neither plug seemed happy.
I unplugged the plugs, plugged them back in, all was well with the world.
Complaints?
The plugs are designed to not interfere with a plug above or below them. I happen to have a power strip where they’re having problems with what’s next to them. I really don’t think anyone other than me is going to have this issue, but if your plugs are oriented 90° to standard you’re going to take out something to the left or right.
I will also note that I have another power strip in which the plug takes two spaces. It’s one of those short cheap ones with next to no room between plugs, but it could be a concern if you’re planning on using it on one.
Paul’s MIUO setup
In both cases I’ve placed these on lights that are a pain in the behind to get to or you realize need turned off the instant you’ve sat down with two kids on you and three plates of food.
I’ve also placed them on non-critical lights as after my smart bulb realization I do not put any IoT device on anything critical as while my connection is pretty solid, I don’t want to be in the dark when the internet goes out.
Availability and coupons
This coupon was sent in today, perhaps in an attempt to get me to publish the review quicker (I took a couple of weeks to make sure I wasn’t reviewing something flakey)
50% off code: 9F4AUZK9
Discounted Price: $17.49
The normal price on Amazon is $34.99 but try that 50% discount and let us know if it doesn’t work. I wasn’t given an end-date on these so I don’t know how long after today (28 May 2018) that will last.
