Teckin Smart Plugs Are Genuinely Some of the Best Value Plugs out There – Everything You Need to Know

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If you happen to be a smart home enthusiast, it is likely that you appreciate the value of Smart Plugs. They are the ultimate tool for turning dumb devices into smart ones and allowing you to enjoy unfettered access and control over virtually any electronic device.

One of the most versatile Smart Plugs out there is the Teckin Smart Plug. In this Teckin Smart Plug review, we are going to find out everything you need to know about this handy device.

Different Types of Teckin Smart Plug

Teckin Smart Plugs come in three main designs, the most popular ones being square and round. These differ in both appearance and features. The square plugs have a 16 Amp rating with a stated maximum load power of 2200W. On the other hand, the round plugs are rated at 10 Amps and have a stated maximum load power of 2300W.

The third design is the Teckin Smart Plug Mini. Also known as the Teckin Smart Plug Mini Wi-Fi, it sports a sleek design that lets you stack two plugs on the same outlet. Just like the square plug, this one has a 16 Amp rating and stated maximum load power of 2300W.

Under the third design, there is also the Teckin Smart Plug with USB, which has two USB ports.

American Standard Plugs

British Standard Plugs

Best Cheap Teckin Smart Plug Alternatives

Before we go into more details on the Teckin Smart Plug, let's compare the three main Teckin Smart Plugs to some alternatives out there. Here's a handy table.

What Can You Do With The Teckin Smart Plug

You can plug pretty much any device you want into your Smart Plug. This could include lamps, fans, heaters and dehumidifiers, among other devices. Any device that uses the regular electrical outlets in your household can work with the Smart Plug.

What makes this possible is the simple fact that the magic is in the plug, not your device or the outlet. It simply acts as a connecting point between the two, offering capabilities that devices do not have on their own.

You can use some basic controls to customise the settings on your plug. Here is a list of all the things Teckin Smart Plug can be used for:

Control Teckin Smart Plug Remotely

This is another great feature of the plug – it allows you access to devices in your home even when you are miles away. Think about the convenience of this. It could allow you to turn on your lights as a security measure when you are going to get home late.

If you have a habit of leaving devices on by mistake, you could also use it to check if the heater or another high energy device is on. When you are away from home, you could also turn the lights on and off to create the impression that someone is home, for security purposes.

Or if you want to find your home warm and toasty when you get home, you could remotely turn on the heater when you are on the way.

Set a Teckin Smart Plug Timer

You can set a timer on your plug using the countdown timer feature. To use this feature, simply go to your Smart Life app and set a timer. This will turn off the connected appliances automatically when the timer runs out.

Schedule the Teckin Smart Plug

A great feature of the plug is that it supports scheduling, which can take your home automation to the next level. Using this feature, you can have it automatically turn appliances on or off according to your needs.

For example, you can set an evening schedule to automatically turn on the lights at dusk, or a morning schedule to turn them off at dawn.

Monitor Your Energy Usage - View Statistics on the Teckin Smart Plug Energy Monitor

Using the plug, you can see how much energy any device connected to the outlet is consuming. However, this feature is only available on the square plugs. The Statistics page shows you the live energy usage.

In addition to this, you can also view your historical usage. This is particularly useful for keeping track of how much energy specific devices use.

Adding Widgets

If you are using iOS, you can add a widget to Today View. Using this widget, it is easy to control anything connected to the plug. However, once again, the feature is only available on the square plug, not the round one.

Automation Mode

Another great feature of the Smart Life app is known as the Automation Mode. Use this mode to activate Smart Plugs using prevalent conditions. For example, you could use temperature or weather conditions or even sunset and sunrise where you live.

To illustrate, you can set it to automatically turn on the heater if the temperature drops below 16 degrees Celsius. Here is how to do it:

• Tap on “Add Automatic Action”
• Select “Temperature less than 16 degrees Celsius”
• Select “Heater”
• Tap “Switch to On”
• Name the mode to make it automatically controllable using Alexa or Google Assistant

To delete any actions or conditions, simply swipe them to the left if you are using iOS. Alternatively, you can delete the entire automation by selecting “Delete Smart” which appears at the bottom of the page.

Controlling Multiple Devices

Did you know you can also combine multiple devices into a group and control all of them with one command? For instance, if you were to add the lamp and the heater to one group, you can turn them both on with a single command.

Filtering by Room

When you have multiple plugs, you can also filter them by room via the home screen. The square plugs hold yet another advantage in this regard – you can turn them on directly from here. But with the round plugs, you have to tap on the device you want in order to control it.

Creating Scenes

On the Smart Life app, go to the Smart tab if you would like to create Scenes for controlling multiple devices simultaneously. Basically, this involves grouping all smart home devices together. It is, in fact, quite handy when you have lots of smart home devices.

For instance, you can create a Scene and name it “Evening” to have the lamp and heater turn on automatically when the evening comes. You can control this Scene via Alexa and it will appear on the home screen of the app.

By saying “Alexa, turn on Evening,” the heater and the lamp will turn on.

Using Teckin Smart Plugs Outdoors

Do you feel too confined having to enjoy your smart home capabilities indoors? Well, you can also extend them outdoors with the Teckin Outdoor Smart Plug. Just like it’s indoor counterpart, this device is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

The setup is also more or less the same, but this plug gives you two outlets in one. To protect it while not in use, it comes with a waterproof button cap. It is, however, designed to withstand outdoor conditions such as extreme heat, cold or rain.

Best Teckin Smart Plug Hacks and IFTTT Recipes

IFTTT support is a cool way of automating a smart home. As the name implies (if first this, then that), you can use it to control your Smart Plug’s reaction when something happens. A good example is to set the plug to turn on a light if the camera detects motion.

Teckin Smart Plugs work with the Smart Life app, which has plenty of IFTTT hacks to make your life easier. Using IFTTT to control your Smart Plug might sound like it’s only for the tech minds out there. But, by following a set of simple instructions, you too could be on your way to controlling smart devices using the technology.

Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Conditions you need to meet before you get started:

Make sure you have the following:

• A stable Wi-Fi connection
• Your smartphone
• An account on IFTTT
• The Smart Life app

Step 2: Setting up IFTTT and enabling a Smart Life Skill

• To get started you need to download the IFTTT app from Google Play store or Apple AppStore. Simply search “IFTTT” and then install it
• Tap the app icon to open it and then sign in using your Google or Facebook account. You could also use a fresh set of credentials to sign in
• Link your Smart Life account to IFTTT by tapping “Search” at the bottom of your screen and then typing “Smart Life” in the search box. Type in your Smart Life account name and password and then select the country your app belongs to. Finally, tap “Link Now”

Step 3: Create an applet to control your Smart Plug

• The word “Applet” simply refers to a complete task consisting of conditions and smaller tasks. Start by creating “This” to configure the trigger. To do this, tap “My Applets” tab in the IFTTT app and then tap the plus icon
• Tap “This” to add a condition and in the search box, enter “Smart Life” and select “Smart Life”
• Choose the detail trigger in Smart Life and select the Teckin Smart Plug. Then tap the tick at the top of the screen to save the condition
• Configure the task by creating “That.” To do this, tap “That” to add the task and then tap “Email” on the search page. Select detail such as “Send me an email” and customise the contents of subject and body
• Tap the tick icon to save the task and tap “Finish” to complete the creation of the Applet and save it automatically

There is no limit to the things you can do by following the above instructions to create your own IFTTT recipes for home automation. But, luckily, you may not have to reinvent the wheel for every possible task.

Some Smart Life users have already created Applets that you can use to accomplish various tasks. You might, in fact, find most of the things you are looking for on the IFTTT page for Smart Life. Take a look at some of the smart things you can do with this feature using existing options:

• Turn off devices when you leave home
• Turn off devices at bedtime
• Turn on devices at sunset
• Turn the lights on every day at 6:30 pm
• Press the button widget to activate a Scene
• Set lights to cyan when it’s about to rain
• Tell Google Assistant to turn on my socket
• Set device activation notification
• Trigger a Scene when you get home
• Turn off the lights at night
• Trigger a Scene when leaving home
• Connect Teckin Smart Plug to SmartThings to turn outlets and lights on or off
• Sett light brightness and colour
• Turn on the kettle as I approach home
• Automatically turn on a device at a specific date and time
• Turn off an entire group except for one device

You can also use IFTTT to integrate Teckin Smart Plug Homebridge, Teckin Smart Plug Harmony and Teckin Smart Plug Hue and enjoy even greater functionality.

Design Highlights of the Teckin Smart Plug (small and neat)

Avid smart home enthusiasts might have bought their first Smart Plugs as soon as they hit the market. Their potential to enhance functionality and convenience in the smart home is simply boundless.

But in the early days, you might have been annoyed by how large and cumbersome they were. They used to be enormous devices that would hog an entire electrical outlet. One of the most appealing aspects of Teckin, which sets apart from most others, is the size.

It is half the size of most Smart Plugs out there, which means that you can easily claim back outlets that are going to waste.

Additionally, the Teckin Smart Plug with USB offers a lot more functionality than other plugs out there. You can use it for charging any device that has a USB cable, such as a smartphone or a tablet.

Does Teckin Smart Plug Need a hub?

In addition to the size difference, another highlight of the plug is the fact that it does not require a hub. Yes, you got that right! Teckin Smart Plug does not need a hub! Lots of other smart devices out there require you to invest in another piece of hardware in order to connect them to the internet.

But being hub-free, the Teckin Smart Plug allows for direct control and does not need anything else. It simply connects to your wireless network and gains control over devices connected to it. All you have to do is download the Teckin Smart Plug app for Android or iOS in order to get it to work its magic. Let us see more of that in the setup section.

Teckin Smart Plug Setup (is it easy?)

We found the Teckin smart plug very easy to set up. 

To get started, you need to download the smartphone app for controlling the plug (we recommend smartlife). Go to the Google Play store or the Apple AppStore and download the Smart Life app. Alternatively, you can simply scan the QR code in the manual or on the device itself to go directly to the app.

For illustration purposes, we will be going through Teckin Smart Plug for Android setup, specifically on the Samsung Galaxy S9. But the idea is more or less the same, even if you are using an iOS device.

Setting up a Teckin Smart Plug is actually super easy, that's one of the reasons we love it.

• When you first open the app click ‘Add device’ (either the main button in the middle of the screen or the ‘+’ button top right)
• You will now be faced with a large number of options, which may seem confusing. For now, we are only setting up the smart plug, so go ahead and select the ‘Socket (Wi-Fi)’ option (as shown in the lead image of this section).
• Now you will be asked to check if the light is blinking on the side of your device? If not press and hold the on/off button on your plug for 5 seconds and it will begin to flash (if not try unplugging the plug and plugging back in again).
• Once the button is flashing follow the instruction on the app and click ‘Confirm indicator rapidly blink’ (you have 3 minutes to complete the setup process)
• Now login to your preferred Wi-Fi and click ‘Confirm’
• Now your plug is connecting you’re your Wi-Fi and app.
• Once it is added and you see the green tick on the screen, click the ‘Done’ button
• Now you will be taken to the smart plug management screen where you can turn it on and off manually with the big on/off button.
• To edit the name of the plug click on the pencil symbol in the top right corner > now click the pencil again > click name > rename the device > save.
• The app also offers various other useful options like scheduling, timer and even energy usage stats.
• To add another device, repeat the process. Start by clicking 'add device'

Teckin Smart Plug and Voice Assistant Compatibility

Another highlight of this Smart Plug is the fact that it works with voice-controlled assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Think of all the possibilities this presents. You can use voice commands to do almost anything.

The best part about this is that you do not even have to open your app to control devices. Rather, you can access Teckin Smart Plug home assistant capabilities using one of your existing AI assistants.

Amazon Alexa

Setting Teckin Smart Plug to work with Alexa is quite straightforward. Let’s take a look at what you need to do to get Alexa to control the device:

• First, you need an Alexa-enabled device, such as the Echo
• If you have not already done so, complete the setup procedure in the Smart Life app and make sure that everything is working well
• Additionally, ensure that you have meaningful names for the different plugs, as you will be using Alexa to address them using their names
• Download the Amazon Alexa app and open it
• In the top left corner of the screen, tap on the three lines and then select Skills and Games
• Tap on the search bar and then type “Smart Life” and then tap “Enable this Skill”
• You will get a prompt to log in to your Smart Life account in order to authorise the link between Teckin and Alexa
• You will get a prompt to “Discover Devices” which will find the Smart Plugs you have configured
• For users with multiple devices, you can configure them as a group or, alternatively, tap “Skip”

Now you are ready to start giving Alexa commands. For instance, you can say, “Alexa, turn on the heater.” Or you can choose to use the app and control the devices from the tab labelled “Devices.”

From now on, anytime you add new devices, Amazon Alexa will automatically pick them up. You can easily control them using the name you set for them during setup.

Google Home and Assistant

Setting Teckin Smart Plug to work with Google Home is also fairly straightforward:

• To get started, you need a Google Home smart speaker

• If you have not yet set up the Smart Life app, do so and ensure that everything is functional

• Next, confirm that you have named your Smart Plugs (if you have a number of them) as this will make it possible for Google Assistant to recognise them when you give orders

• Plug in the Teckin Smart Plug to an electrical outlet

• Make sure that the blue LED is flashing and then go to your smartphone and launch the Smart Life app

• You will get a prompt on the screen to confirm that the indicator is blinking rapidly. Tap it to proceed

• It will initiate the connection process; give it time. You will need to provide your Wi-Fi password and once it completes, you will get the message, “1 device connected successfully”

• Press “Done” and it should be ready to use

• To confirm that everything is in order, launch your Google Home app and press the plus icon, then search for “Smart Life”

• From here, you can adjust the settings and get started on using your Smart Plug with Google Assistant

Apple HomePod and Siri

Unfortunately, at present, there is no Teckin Smart Plug Apple HomeKit support. It is possible, however, to use Siri shortcuts to control your Smart Plugs using the voice assistant. In order to get around the lack of support for setting up Teckin Smart Plug with Apple HomePod or Apple HomeKit, here is what you need to do:

• On your iPhone or Apple Watch, make a shortcut
• Go to the bottom of the Scene page
• Select the shortcut you created
• Record any phrase of choice, such as “Morning”
• And then you can say, “Hey Siri, morning” to activate the Scene

Teckin Smart Plug and BT Home Hub

If you would like to connect your Teckin Smart Plug to your BT router or Home Hub, here is what you need to do:

• Hold the power button on the plug for 5 seconds or until it starts flashing rapidly. This puts it into pairing mode
• Next, press the plus sign on your Smart Life app to add the router or Home Hub manually
• Choose the socket you want to use
• At the top of the screen, select AP mode
• It will then prompt you for the network and password for your home router
• Enter these and it will take you to available Wi-Fi networks. Instead of selecting one of the networks, choose Smart Life to connect to the Smart Plug and the app and plug will now automatically configure the Teckin Smart Plug connection
• Edit the details to name the plug and you can now start using them together

Using Teckin Smart Plugs in the US, the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada and the EU

You can use Teckin Smart Plugs in the US without any challenges as they are compatible with standard electrical outlets. Your choice of plug will mostly depend on preference and is not limited by the fittings in place.

If you want to use Teckin Smart Plug in the UK, you may want to opt for the round SP27 model. Its design fits perfectly in the UK household socket. The square plug tends to be a little big for household sockets. They, therefore, interfere with the switch.

But considering that the square plug comes with a lot of additional features, you can still use it, even on EU fittings. A great way to do this is by using the plugs with an extension socket.

When it comes to Teckin Smart Plugs in Canada, Ireland and Australia, you simply need to ensure that the plugs and electrical outlets are compatible, both in form and specifications.

Teckin Smart Plug Price

One of the most alluring aspects of this plug is its price. You can get a twin pack for less than $20!

Among the highly economical Teckin Smart Plug Amazon purchases you can make right now is buying the Smart Plug mini 4-pack, which is currently retailing for $32.99. 

Are There Any Concerns About the Smart Plug?

There are no technical or functional concerns about Teckin Smart Plug security. The Teckin Smart Plug customer service team is always ready to help and there is tonnes of information online about the devices.

But you might choose to use different account details and email addresses to avoid the chances of getting compromised.

Teckin Smart Plug Guide - Troubleshooting

There is nothing quite as frustrating as bringing your Smart Plug home only to find it won’t connect. Fortunately, you can easily get out of that fix and get things working. Consider a common complaint and how to fix it:

My Teckin Smart Plug Won’t Connect

As we mentioned at the onset, the plug only supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and this is where connection issues with Teckin Smart Plugs mostly arise. Some users who use dual-band routers have had difficulties connecting. In such cases, it might give you the report that it is incompatible with 5 GHz in spite of the fact that your router is using both bands.

Here is how to solve it:

1. Turn off your router
2. Create a hotspot using one of the devices you have at hand, for example, a smartphone
3. Rename the 2.4GHz of your hotspot to use the same credentials as the Google Wi-Fi network (same SSID and PSK)
4. Connect the device to the hotspot
5. After you successfully connect, turn off your mobile hotspot
6. Turn on your router and once again connect your Smart Plug to the Wi-Fi network

If you encounter any other challenge in setting up or using the Smart Plug, the Teckin Smart Plug Reddit thread is full of useful suggestions from actual users.