A touch lamp is activated by human interaction rather than by a mechanical switch. Given that these gadgets are often connected by wire, you may be asking whether you can add your bedroom light to a smart plug arrangement.
Touch lamps and smart plugs are only compatible if your touch lamp is permanently on. If this is the case, you must link the light and plug to control it using the associated app. Most importantly, you don’t need a smart bulb for this project.
This post will go through the details of combining a touch light with a smart plug. I’ll also discuss how smart bulbs fit into the picture when it comes to updating your touch light.
Also read: 14 Smart Uses for Smart Plugs
Will a Smart Plug Work With a Touch Lamp?
A smart plug can work with a touch lamp. If your touch light maintains its power status after being disconnected, the smart plugs should function normally. On the other hand, smart plugs may not be the best option if your touch light does not maintain its power status.
To determine which lamp you have, review your user manual or contact the manufacturer.
Set Up Your Lamp, Smart Plug, and Wi-Fi
If you haven’t already, read my article on smart plugs and Wi-Fi.
To get the gadgets to communicate with one another, you must:
- Connect the smart plug to a functional outlet.
- Link it to your home network using the appropriate app on your phone or tablet.
- Attach the touch light to your smart socket, and you’ll be able to operate it from anywhere in the world using your phone.
Smart plugs enable or restrict the passage of energy to the connected device, similar to how an appliance is unplugged and replugged into a power outlet.
If you have a smart home hub, such as an Amazon Echo, you can connect your smart plug to it, enabling remote control through voice commands.
Do You Need a Smart Bulb With a Smart Plug?
You do not need a smart bulb with a smart plug. Smart plugs let you connect your lamp to voice assistants and smart home hubs without having to change the light bulb.
The switch will control whatever devices are connected, and voice control will be available for those devices.
When you want to manage individual bulbs or change your home’s lighting color, smart bulbs are the ideal option. Because smart bulbs exist in many forms and sizes, they may be used in virtually any lamp or fixture, inside or out.
They screw into fixtures similarly to conventional bulbs, but they communicate through a smartphone app that enables you to create unique schedules and light scenarios.
If you opt for a smart bulb, you should note that before adding it to your touch lamp you must put the light at its maximum brightness level.
Some Smart Bulbs Won’t Work With Your Touch Lamp
While smart bulbs will operate in touch lights, many will operate at a reduced capacity, and others will not operate at all.
The Philips Hue Bulb (Amazon link) is one example of this. These bulbs are not compatible with touch lights since they are designed to be controlled through an app or a Philips dimmer switch.
When used with touch lights, the bulb remains at maximum brightness, rendering alternative light controls useless or disabled.
Will a Smart Plug Make Your Lamp Work With Alexa?
A smart plug will make your touch light work with Alexa and other voice assistants. If you are using an Amazon smart plug, all that is required is an Alexa-enabled device or the Alexa app on your phone.
You can then give instructions to your light without having to be physically there.
You can even control several lights at once with various smart plugs to create a unique scene in your house.
Do Smart Plugs Use a Lot of Electricity?
Smart plugs do not use a lot of power. Over a year, these gadgets use about 8.76 kWh of electricity. Adding a smart plug may even assist in lowering your touch lamp’s energy use.
Your light consumes energy whether it is on or off. And the energy consumption rises depending on the lightbulb you choose.
A smart plug will monitor your device’s energy consumption in real-time and give data on the amount of energy used.
Reports differ based on the app, but many enable you to view peak energy use hours for your lamp. This information allows you to make adjustments to your habits to decrease energy drain.
Final Thoughts
Smart plugs are an excellent solution for automating touch lights, gaming systems, and even coffee machines. Additionally, they offer energy and financial savings.
And, if you utilize their energy reports as a budgeting guide, they eventually pay for themselves.
To further help you, Dave’s Tech Rescue shows how to connect a smart plug and light, as well as navigate their related app, in his video:
Connecting additional devices that are often used, like your lights, is the simplest method for saving energy in your house.
Sources
- Alarm New England: How Do Smart Light Bulbs Work?
- Amazon Digital and Device Forum: Can the lamps which are touched to be turned on be connected to an Echo device with a Gosund plug outlet? I don’t want to buy a touch lamp unless I can voice activate it from across the room.
- Amazon.co.uk: Do these bulbs work with touch lamps. My bedside light has three stages of touch, would it just go to the three light levels or work as a dimmer?
- Asurion: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: which is the best smart home hub for you?
- Business Insider: ‘What is an Amazon Smart Plug?’: Everything you need to know about Amazon’s outlet that lets you turn devices on with your voice
- YouTube: Dave’s Tech Rescue: How to set up the Amazon Smart Plug to control a lamp
- Digital Trends: What are smart plugs?
- Philips Hue: Smart Bulbs
- TP-Link: Common questions about Schedule Away mode of smart home product?
- TP-Link: Some frequently asked questions about TP-Link smart plug and smart switch
- Tech Advisor: Best Smart Plug 2021: Turn Any Appliance Into a Smart Device
- Arcadia: How Much Energy Does a Light Bulb Use?
- My Intelligent House: Do Smart Plugs Use A Lot of Electricity? Or Just a Little?
- Voice Brew: Best Uses For The Amazon Alexa Smart Plug & Easy Set-Up Guide