The $13 Amazon Smart Plug is the best smart home deal on October Prime Day | ZDNET

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For only $13, this little smart plug lets you control your household devices with your voice through Alexa or the app on your phone. Priced with a 48% discount during Amazon's October Prime Day, you can now snag this Amazon Smart Plug and start living a little more comfortably.

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Though I have several brands of smart plugs around my house, I got my first Amazon smart plug about a year ago during a past Prime Day event and use it every day. It connects one of my bedroom lamps to power, so I ask Alexa on our Sonos Era 100 or Echo Show 8 to turn it on and off. I also set up routines on the Alexa app so it automatically switches on each day at dusk and off along with the rest of the main bedroom lamps when I say, "Alexa, good night."

My other Amazon Smart Plug controls a grow light for my houseplants, so I never have to worry about turning it on in the mornings or forgetting to switch it off at night.

The best thing about adding a smart plug to your home is the ability to use it on dumb devices you can't or don't want to replace, like fans, lamps, coffee makers, and holiday lights. You can use this Amazon Smart Plug with your coffee maker and turn it on from your bed, run it automatically at the same time each morning, or ask Alexa to make you a cup of coffee.

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The Amazon Smart Plug is an indoor-only device set up to connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. It works exclusively with Alexa, making it incompatible with other home automation systems. It's the perfect companion to an Echo device in an Alexa home, giving you voice and app control over devices that don't typically allow it.