Our homes are becoming smarter and smarter. Everything is becoming connected and we crave convenience. Why hunt around in the dark for a light switch when you can ask Alexa to do it for you?

I must admit, TP Link sent me the Tapo L510E smart Bulb some weeks ago but I didn’t have anywhere I wanted to put it at the time so it sat in a box in my office. After a move around in my living room I finally had a place to put the bulb. A place that would perfectly suit a smart bulb.

The set-up was a dream. I hate faffing with apps but this was so easy. Simply download the Tapo app from the App Store and it guides you through the process and the bulb is ready to use in a couple of minutes. Inside the app you can switch the lamp on and off as well as set the brightness. Dead simple. You can also set schedules, away modes and timers so that the light can operate when you’re not home, before you wake up etc.

The bulb is more than bright enough and I found I set it to just 25% in evenings. You can create presets for the bulb too. Prefer it dimmer when watching a movie? Then you can create a preset just for watching films.

Once up and running, it is easy to connect it to your Alexa or Google Home (sadly no Apple HomeKit integration) and then you’re away. In fact I liked the process so much I went onto Amazon and ordered one of their smart plugs for my office. The same process ensued. It was easy to set-up and easy to connect to my Alexa. Anything connected to it becomes a smart object.

They offer very good value too. The bulb is just £11.49 and the plug is £12.48 on Amazon. If you don’t need HomeKit integration and simply want a simple dimmable bulb or smart plug then look no further. TP Link will also be bringing a multicolour bulb to market soon to give you even more control over your lighting.

DO YOU HAVE A COOL SMART HOME GADGET THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD CHECK OUT? THEN LET US KNOW VIA TWITTER, FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM.

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