You don’t actually need special bulbs when using a smart plug. Let me explain how it works based on my personal experience.
I have a regular lamp in my living room that is plugged into a smart plug. This means that the lamp itself doesn’t need to be a smart bulb. The smart plug acts as an intermediary between the lamp and the voice assistant, in my case, Alexa.
So, all I need to do is say, “Alexa, turn on the living room light,” and the smart plug will toggle the power to the lamp, turning it on. Similarly, if I say, “Alexa, turn off the living room light,” the plug will cut off the power and the lamp will turn off.
This is the beauty of using a smart plug. It allows you to control any device that is plugged into it, regardless of whether it is a smart device or not. So, you don’t have to go out and buy all new smart bulbs for your home. You can simply use a smart plug with your existing lamps or appliances.
Of course, if you do have smart bulbs, you can still use them with a smart plug. In that case, you would have the added benefit of being able to control both the power to the bulb and the bulb’s individual settings, such as brightness or color, through your voice assistant.
But if you’re just looking for a convenient way to control your regular lights or appliances, a smart plug is a great option. It’s a simple and cost-effective solution that doesn’t require you to replace all your existing bulbs.
So, to sum it up, no, you don’t need special bulbs when using a smart plug. You can use a regular lamp or any other device with a smart plug and control it through your voice assistant. It’s a hassle-free way to bring smart functionality to your home without the need for expensive upgrades.