(Part 2) Top products from r/googlehome

I have a lot of different Smart outlets being used around the home. It really depends on what your use is going to be.

For a cheap outlet where space is not an issues, these from KMC have worked well for me. They are pretty dependable even in areas with weak WiFi signal and the energy monitoring is nice for things like air filters or fans.

KMC also makes a nice multi outlet plug. I personally use this to control the multiple led light strips at my garage workbench.

For anything 15A, I would say TP-Link is the way to go. These have been great for me, but the newer HS105 does have a better form factor. I have used these for my garage fridge, windows AC unit, and tools at my workbench. There is an energy monitoring variant as well, the HS110

You may see that there are a ton of the cheap round shaped smart plugs on Amazon and other sites. I have found all of these to be almost exactly the same, no matter what company they come from. They work well enough for simple devices like lamps, but they have tended to have issues in anywhere, but perfect WiFi signal areas.

Let me know if you have any questions on this or any other devices. After a few years of upgrades, I am at over 110 smart devices, so I can tell you what not to get...

Alternative, the TP-Link Switch is compatible with Home/Assistant, as are their Plugs and LED Bulbs. Note that there is no IFTTT support as of yet.

I have two Smart Bulbs and a Mini Plug in my living room right now. App-wise, they're controlled with Kasa on my phone and a tablet. I can turn on/off, set schedules, dim (except Plug), etc... and do everything but schedules with my Google Home.

The Switch is part of the same family of products, same core functionality across the board.

Not sure how 2 Switches controlling the same lights would work... but might be worth a shot. (edit: see posts below)

I can say, "Hey Google, turn off the lights.", or call out a specific lamp. The Plug is treated separate (attached to bias lighting behind my TV). It doesn't trigger on "lights" calls. I wonder if Switches are yet another category.

With the possibility of IFTTT support, I hope to get movie/tv show time going with a single command, which would dim/kill the Bulbs and kick on the Plug.

Aside from the above, I have my Bulbs set to turn on when I get up for work weekdays. I'm going to get another, color changing one for my bedside, put that on a circadian schedule (option in Kasa).

My venture in to this started off with a Belkin WeMo Mini, but it would not connect to my hidden network (should not be the case with latest fw). My case went all the way to an engineer but after testing a TP-Link Smart Plug, which worked flawlessly and imo, had a much easier setup, I tried the bulbs and now I'm all in with them. I returned my Belkin products but was able to discuss my issues with an engineer we had a solid conversation. Kudos to them.

Hope some of this helps!

Smartthings is a great, simple way to do this, but it will require buying the hub. Instead of a light bulb, I'd just buy a light switch like this one from GE.

This will allow an easy setup for "Turn on at Sunset and off at sunrise" and will also integrate with Google Home pretty painlessly. May not be the cheapest way to go about it, but it's certainly easy, and it will allow for adding whatever other smart-switches, security sensors, etc. in the future.

There are no SmartThings branded switches. SmartThings is a central hub that is capable of controlling a vast array of third-party smart home devices. When you link it with Google Home, voice commands to the Home will be sent to the SmartThings hub, which will then trigger the smart home device based on how you set it up in the SmartThings app.

For example, you have a smart light switch installed in your kitchen that is labeled "Kitchen Lights" in the SmartThings app. When you say "Hey Google, turn off Kitchen Lights" the SmartThings hub will trigger the smart light switch to the "off" position. No need for smart bulbs, just swap out your current "dumb" light switch for a smart one and you'll be able to control your light fixture.

I personally have several GE 12722 Z-Wave Switches installed in my apartment, which are controlled by SmartThings and Google Home. The light fixtures have regular, run-of-the-mill LED bulbs in them. I issue voice commands like "Turn on/off Kitchen Lights" or "Turn on/off Bedroom Lights" and the switches activate near-instantly. Delay can be measured in milliseconds. Much better than the laggy IFTTT.

Check out the Works with SmartThings page to see the vast multitude of smart home devices that can be controlled by the hub.

I have a Smartthings hub. That talks two home control protocols, called Zigbee and Z-Wave. Many manufacturers make dimmers that use one or the other protocol. There are wall switch-types, and in-line "puck" type fan controllers.

Google finds many...

I'm using TP-Link switched outlets to turn amplifiers on and off. They also have a smaller version, but I got the big ones for $20 each, so went with those. The outlets can be controlled directly by a GH or Amazon Echo, and don't depend on the Smartthings hub.

Search Amazon for wifi switches/fan controllers that say "works with Alexa" for products that don't require a smart home hub. A hub provides some additional flexibility and control methods, but there seems to be a move away from hub-dependent approaches. There are arguments for and against both types of devices. Hubs can offer programmable logic (eg. Turn pitch light on when I arrive home, if the sun has set. If nobody else is home, turn on all amps & play White Stripes really loud,) though using 3rd party tools like IFTTT or Tasker can usually accomplish the same things.

Personally I use a wink hub and have quite a few GE lights. They recently went up in price and so I found a light on amazon (Sengled ) that works pretty well with my wink hub. I also have a smart plug for my 5 light lamp as I didn't want to pay for 5 bulbs.

$10 per smart bulb is a great deal:

https://www.amazon.com/Sengled-Dimmable-Compatible-SmartThings-Assistant/dp/B01N7I4X94/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512056543&sr=8-5&keywords=amazon+smart+bulb

You know what sounds better? A real stereo with Chromecast Audio. Buy some real good bookshelf speakers, one of these and a Chromecast Audio. Buy the Google Home or Google Home Mini separately. Better sound than any of these. The amp draws so little power you can leave it on all the time. The audio out of these amps are amazing.

I have the 1st generation color Lifx bulbs which doesn't require a hub & the Philips Hue white which requires a hub. The Lifx bulbs are pretty neat because without needing the hub, it's 1 less thing to plug in but it's more expensive. I only used the colors for the Lifx bulbs when I first got it, so I ended up switching to the Philips Hue white bulbs. On Amazon 1 white Lifx bulbs costs $24.99 while 4 white Philips Hue bulbs costs $49.99. They both work great with the Google Home, so it's all about your personal preference.

I have four of these hooked up to lamps:
Wemo Mini Smart Plug, Wi-Fi Enabled, Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBI0A6R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_s9XPAbEJDHSPW

I'm going to try these on my outside porch lights:
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb by TP-Link - Soft White, Dimmable, A19, No Hub Required, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant (LB100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM8XF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_x-XPAbR49DCQY

It's pretty cool because I can just say "Hey Google, turn on all the lights! Or turn off all the lights! Or you can call out the name of the room each one is in individually to control it.

I use this for the control:
Google AIY Voice Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SFLWKX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fdYPAbWP1NM43

I use Smartthings and really like it. You can find the hubs for less than $80 if patient and looking around. Ya that may seam like a lot but using the switch you picked out at $80 x 3 for a cost of $240 while Smarthings plus either these Leviton or these [GE] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUCZA1C/ref=psdc_507840_t4_B01N4F487U) will end up being cheaper if you buy 3 or more. Z-wave is designed for exactly this, home automation stuff so I really prefer to use that over WiFi devices.

I don't have any switches at the moment, only Hue but I will be getting some eventually. For a Hub you have two real options if you are really new and not super techy, Wink and SmartThings. Both have different strengths. I've never used Wink but that seams to be a bit more user friendly, however Smartthings is by no means difficult and it has a very helpful community and is more customization. Someone will probably take issue with this but I liken Wink to IOS (cleaner UI, a bit smoother, just works) and Smartthings to Android (much more custimizable)

One problem with smart bulbs currently is that you can't get very bright ones. My ~30 square meter room is currently lit by ~10000 lumens from three dumb led bulbs (having this much light is good for concentrated working and to stave off winter depression in Finland). To get the same with LIFX smart bulbs (the brightest ones currently available) I would have needed nine.

Even assuming I had nine spots for bulbs, I paid 45€ for those three led bulbs and with a smart switch the setup would be under 100€ total. Getting the equivalent output with LIFX bulbs would be around 500€. For me that was too much for hue/color temperature control.

My current solution is to just have a different set of lights for day and evening lighting. It might make sense to have the evening lights be smart bulbs with color temperature control to be able to use them also during the day (mixing temperatures can look odd).

I use a smart switch from TP-Link to turn on/off my TV. It works perfectly with Google Home. You just have to be careful how you name the switch. Some names are not recognized correctly.


https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Wi-Fi-Energy-Monitoring-TP-Link/dp/B0178IC5ZY

I would highly recommend the Micca bookshelf speakers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009IUIV4A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483218684&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=bookshelf+speakers&dpPl=1&dpID=515pxM5mGPL&ref=plSrch

Or the Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002RMPHMU/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1483218684&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=bookshelf+speakers&dpPl=1&dpID=41h2GNNeZmL&ref=plSrch

With a small amp

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ULRFQ1A/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1483218848&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=turntable+amplifier&dpPl=1&dpID=41phZQk-zFL&ref=plSrch

I have used all of them with my Chromecast Audio. They sound great.

That is a much better solution. The audio quality on the Mini is so poor you would really be better off getting some decent bookshelf speakers. You could also get some decent speakers with bluetooth and pair them directly to the Mini.

Yuck! Not for me.

What could be less obtrusive than either one of these options

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H5VR672/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

or

https://www.amazon.com/Dot-Genie-Google-Home-Backpack/dp/B078JNBMDG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Google+Mini+backpack&qid=1571179433&s=electronics&sr=1-3

This is the one I have but the top one is even better.

https://www.amazon.com/LIFX-Adjustable-Multicolor-Dimmable-Required/dp/B01KY02MS8

these are the most common and will likely fit your sockets

lifx has native google home support now which is nice

look around for deals elsewhere, i had my bulb gifted to me

Bought 2 of these. Like them the best:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H5VR672/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So slick, they should have been OEM.

I have this TPLink bulb and it works pretty well. No hub or bridge required so it's cheap.
TP-Link Smart LED Light Bulb, Wi-Fi, Dimmable White, 50W Equivalent, Works with Amazon Alexa, 1-Pack (LB100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM8XF6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YdxpzbJG4HPGQ

Well, I have this one which I really like. I just now noticed that Amazon doesn't sell it anymore and I have no idea why. I paid around $30 for it. It has good reviews.

You can open and close the door with your voice right now. Here's my review I posted on Amazon (other reviews):

It works, so I give it 3 stars. But it’s got a lot of problems.


The iOS app is quirky so anything other than opening and closing the door is weird and confusing to figure out. Giving my wife access to controlling the doors with her app requires figuring out totally undiscoverable UI. And it doesn’t look like iOS or Android so I don’t know what they’re going for design-wise. Fortunately, the Google Home integration is pretty good so I don’t use the app much. I can open a door by asking Google Home to do it while I’m walking through the kitchen and out to the garage and it’s open by the time I need to drive away.


The Apple Watch app doesn’t work at all. It always says it is “authorizing” but never gets authorized. They call it a “Beta” so maybe they’ll get it working eventually but it’s been this way for a year or longer.


The magnet and sensor have awkward designs and need to be so close to each other it’s difficult to mount them without the garage door breaking them. On one door I could mount them on the vertical side of the door so the magnet slides into place next to the sensor so there’s no risk of them hitting each other. But I had to mount them on the top of my other door and the angle the door comes down makes the clearance very tight and one open/close too many and they hit each other and snapped the sensor off. I broke 3 of the 4 pieces on the 2 Nexx Garage kits and had to mount them in a makeshift way with strong (3M VHB) adhesive tape and will probably be remounting them every 6 months as the adhesive wears out. It’s good that they fail safe – it makes you think the door is open when it’s not rather than the other way around.


They give you only enough wire for a straight line connection between the sensor mount location and the opener. I couldn’t do a straight line on one of my doors so I had to splice in wire to lengthen it. Wire is cheap, they should provide a longer length.


The double-sided tape on the unit for attaching it to the opener is weak and in just a few weeks one of mine came off and was dangling by the wires. More tape to the rescue.

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Etekcity is extremely responsive. Only problem is you can only fit one per two-outlet socket, and it has to go on the bottom socket if you want anything to fit in the top one.

I really like the Chomecast Audios.
I use them with these amps
and these speakers 1 2
. All work really well together

I have the Vizio P65 which, despite having Chromecast built in, does not have bluetooth. I ended up getting a bluetooth adapter for it but the experience is clunky. Not too bad though, if you want to go that route I used this one which has AptX and can play to two devices.

Currently $9.99 but they were $8.99 at some point recently.

Sengled Element Classic Dimmable A19 Smart Bulb, Compatible with SmartThings Hub, Wink Hub and Echo Plus, Requires Hub for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, 3 Year Warranty https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7I4X94

I use this for my ceiling fan: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Required-Fixtures-Anywhere-HS200/dp/B01EZV35QU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500032800&sr=8-3&keywords=smart+switch but you're also going to need a smart things hub (or any other compatible hub) unfortunately google home can't act as the hub for all the smarthome stuff.
Smart things : https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Hub-2nd-Generation/dp/B010NZV0GE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500032886&sr=8-1&keywords=smart+things

With those two I can just say "Hey google turn on the fan"

EDIT: it appears that switch just uses wifi now and not zwave, eliminating the need for the hub

I bought a NEXX Garage door opener and it works both with google home and nest via IFTTT. NO monthly fees and it was worked flawlessly since I installed it. Took me about 30 mins to install. It even has a safety pin that google home needs to open so if I leave a window open someone can’t tell “hey google open the garage”.

NEXX Garage NXG-100 Nxg Remote Compatible Door Openers-Control Using Smart Phone, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Enabled Devices, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J8JI9HY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5AaPAb9TKX3W7

Thanks. A y idea what the difference is between this one:

TP-Link Smart Plug Mini (1-Pack) -- No Hub Required, Wi-Fi, Control your Devices from Anywhere, Occupies Only One Socket, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant (HS105) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01K1JVZOE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ArH8BbBSSHS63

And this one:


TP-Link Smart Plug (1-Pack) -- No Hub Required, Wi-Fi, Control your Devices from Anywhere, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant (HS100) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0178IC734/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4rH8BbM5AM3S2

I have two GE zwave fan switches using my wink hub and Amazon Echos. Works fine but obviously I'm waiting for wink integration for the home. I imagine it will work fine with a SmartThings hub.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PYMGVVQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478270095&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=ge+zwave+fan+control&dpPl=1&dpID=41OkQxFOfJL&ref=plSrch

It's a standard Hampton Bay fan, but it's controlled with a GE ZWave fan wall switch.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYMGVVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O5FnzbVCPG00Y

If you're patient, Lowe's periodically marks them down to $35.

YEELIGHT Smart LED Bulb, Wi-Fi, Soft White, Dimmable, 60W Equivalent, E26 110V, Smartphone Controlled, Work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRTWQNG?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

The most popular way to control fans is to get one of [these] (https://www.amazon.com/GE-12730-Z-Wave-Smart-Control/dp/B00PYMGVVQ) and link it through smartthings

Edifier make very nice sub $200 bookshelf speakers with remotes, wired and bluetooth connections.

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R1700BT-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B016PATXSI

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R1850DB-Bookshelf-Speakers-Bluetooth/dp/B073W1R4XQ

I've got the R1850DB myself, great sound quality for the price.

I'm still considering to the getting a Home Max for another room though.

The lack of a 3.5mm output on the Google Home range is really annoying.

This is just an example, not sure if it's any good. What you need is a "transmitter", specifically- that means it sends a signal out to other devices. Link

There are also "transmitter/receivers" which work in both directions: Link2

Dimmer

Dimmer Add-On

Switch

Switch Add-On

Home Depot Link

The sale at Home Depot right now is really good for them. I used camelcamelcamel and just waited for a price drop on Amazon to buy them all at once. They seem to fluctuate in price quite often.

I've been thinking I may just buy a switch like this GE Z-Wave Wireless Switch and call it a day

I have a TP-Link Smart plug that I don't use.

Shortly after I bought it, I replaced it with a SYLVANIA Smart+ plug because you can set those plugs up to show up as lights and work with the Hue apps.

I can turn everything off with Google Home without IFTTT involved at all.

Not exactly what you're looking for, but maybe it is an option for you.

Here are some ways to mount a Google home on the wall or celing. There are many more just look on Amazon:

Dock Socket: Light Socket Mount for Google Home Mini https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C687FP9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yxm7CbE7H6G9T

The Simple Built-in Google Home Mini Mount: Custom Built-in Wall or Ceiling Mount Holder for Home Mini Voice Assistants by Google - Designed in The USA by Mount Genie (1-Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z214QX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Tvm7CbJYZB4PG

360 Electrical 360579 PowerClip Outlet Mount for Google Home Mini - Google Plug-in Bracket Stand Holder Case, for Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Living Room, Office, Charcoal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H5VR672/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fwm7CbBVJTSZA

Lifx bulbs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0161IJ5F0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FQtiybBDW2G6T

I bought this one...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KY02MS8/

It doesn't show 25% off until you get to checkout.

Do you need one for this one?

Non-facebook link: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Voltson-Outlet-Monitoring-Required/dp/B06XSTJST6/

This is what I'm using

Many companies do this before Black Friday. They will raise it to its "normal" price and then on Black Friday it is back on "sale".

I have noticed other items on Amazon doing this too. For example: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Sylvania-Smart-Home-72922-LIGHTIFY/product/B01M6UM8QD?context=search

They were $14.99 and just before Black Friday and now the price is back up. I expect the price to drop to $14.99 again during Black Friday.

No on those ones it seems, but any Z-Wave ones will work. I have a couple of these https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Lighting-Control-Appliance-12719/dp/B0013V58HU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478553902&sr=8-1&keywords=z-wave+plug+in+switch