Wemo Smart Plug: Easy Setup Outlet for Smart Home, Remote Control of Lights and Devices with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit Compatibility (Single Pack)

I bought this to add to my smart home collection of devices controlled. I already had a Wemo Insight switch so I knew the brand wouldn’t let me down. Main use for this smart switch is to control my air purifier. The app is intuitive and easy to set up automations. Also works with IFTTT so sky is the limit. Was a little expensive however.

This works well now that I have it up and running. Helpful tip: if you are trying to get this integrated with HomeKit, you have to do it using the iPhone that the Home network was originally set up with. I spent 45 minutes cursing this thing because it kept failing during the install because I had downloaded the WeMo app on my phone and our HomeKit network was originally set up using my wife’s phone. Once I downloaded the app on her phone and used it to perform the set up, it recognized the network on the first try and has worked seamlessly ever since. I should have remembered that fact sooner because I ran into a similar issue adding an extra HomePod to the house a few months earlier. Just a weird Apple quirk that isn’t spelled out in any of the documentation provided with the plug.

I’ve been using Belkin’s Wemo smart plugs for years. Started with the big tan plugs (model F7C027), later the added the wide single plug height (model F7C029), and more recently purchased the narrower single plug height model. I write this as a loyal customer that has many years of experience with these plugs.

I love the ability to automate turning on lights and other items with these plugs. It’s nice to have lights come on automatically in the morning or evening so the family has light when they wake or come home. I also love their integration with Alexa.

The automation and integration works great when initially set up, but then something happens and they lose their connection to the Wemo app and Alexa. This used to be very infrequent, maybe once a year–annoying, but tolerable. In the past year, this has become a much more frequent event.

Belkin has changed something, either in the plug firmware or the service. The devices are listed as not found in the Wemo app and Alexa cannot find them. Sometimes, you can unplug them for 30 seconds and then plug them back in and they’ll reconnect. At other times, you have to completely reset them to get them to be recognized by the Wemo app and Alexa. The frequency of this problem and the steps to get them reconnected combine to make this entirely too much work. They’re unreliable as they currently stand in March 2022.

I’m sure Belkin will point to something with WiFi or the internet service. I’ve been using the same Wi-Fi router for the past three years. It is rock solid. I have had no trouble with any other always connected devices. My internet service is also very stable. I work from home and am on calls all day. There are no problems with the WiFi or internet service. Regardless, Belkin should consider that neither the router or the internet connection will be perfect, so their devices should be designed to be resilient to interruptions.

I hope Belkin reads these reviews. I want to love their Wemo plugs and switches. I want to be a Raving Fan and freely recommend their products. Unfortunately, I cannot at the moment.

Stay away from these plugs for now. They’re too expensive for the reliability problems and they’ll drive you nuts.

En casa este dispositivo se integra con el ecosistema de HomeKit de Apple. Me costó algo de trabajo configurarlo, no estoy seguro si fue problema del dispositivo o de mis redes wifi que no eran del todo compatible (tuve que resetear varias veces el access point después de hacer cambios al canal y al radio). Ya tengo unas semanas usándolo y generalmente funciona muy bien. Muy de vez en cuando “el dispositivo no responde”. Decidí no devolverlo y conservarlo porque, como digo, prácticamente funciona siempre, tal vez con un poco de retraso (aunque Siri inmediatamente me responde que el dispositivo no responde, sí termina encendiéndose o apagándose unos segundos después) y mi access point (un AirPort Express ya viejito) puede contribuir a este comportamiento.