[Update] My experiences: Koogeek WLAN socket with HomeKit support in the test

A few months ago, the manufacturer Koogeek made their WiFi socket called "Koogeek Smart Plug" available to me for a test. Since then I have used them in various rooms to switch floor lamps, air filters or other devices on and off via Siri commands. Now I have gained enough experience to be able to present you a small test report. So much in advance: the socket is absolutely worth its price. I am very satisfied, even if I have a small point of criticism, which I will come to later in the article.

If you want to buy the Koogeek Smart Plug, you will unfortunately be disappointed. Yesterday the socket was still on Amazon, but suddenly it is no longer listed today. I will post the link here when it becomes available again. If you want to be notified, wear mine Newsletter a. I will then post an update on this article.

Update January 12.01.2018th, XNUMX: Available again on Amazon

I found it again. Although it cannot be ordered from me via Amazon Prime, it is at least back in the range:

Scope of delivery and packaging

The socket is supplied in a small, printed cardboard box and is inserted into a foam inlay to protect it during transport. In addition to the socket itself, there are also small instructions in various languages ​​in the package and on the inside of the package as well as two stickers with the HomeKit number on the instructions, which you need for the set-up. And you don't really need more than that to get started with the Koogeek Wifi socket.

Setup in HomeKit

The smart home interface from Apple is known to be HomeKit. It was therefore important to me that the socket is homekit-compatible. At first I didn't care whether she speaks to Alexa, Susi, Doris or Cortana - but as far as I could find out, Koogeek only likes HomeKit and Siri.

Setting up the Koogeek Smart Plug is pretty easy and all you really need is an iPad or iPhone and the HomeKitApp. There is a Koogeek app for iOS devices, but you don't need that if you control all devices with Siri and the Home app anyway.

The steps for setting up:

1. Plug the Koogeek Smart Plug into any socket
2. stay close!
3. Open the home app on the iPhone / iPad
4. "Choose add device"
5. Scan the code with the iPhone / iPad camera or type it in by hand
6. Assign device type and room
7. Ready

Adding the Koogeek socket as a new device in the Home app is pretty easy. For me, the scanning only worked on the iPhone and on the iPad he simply did not want to recognize the code, although it was clearly visible (as you can see in the screenshot). I then quickly entered the number and then the Koogeek Smart Plug was also found as a new device.

You can then assign the device to a room and set it to be a "light" if you have connected a floor lamp to it. Otherwise, a name can also be assigned, so that you can use "coffee machine", "air filter", "Horst" or "flux compensator" as a designation.

"Siri, turn on the flux capacitor!" somehow makes a bit more impression than "Siri, turn on the coffee maker!". The imagination knows no limits. ;-)

Service

After successful setup, operation can be done via the Home app on the iPhone or iPad as well as via Siri - if you are using an iOS device or an Apple Watch. You can't control a HomeKit device with the Mac, which I find a bit incomprehensible, since Siri and HomeKit weren't just launched yesterday.

What I find particularly positive is the speed with which the Koogeek socket reacts to the button in the home app. The response time when a button is pressed is well under a second. If you issue a command with Siri, it takes a few seconds for Siri to implement it, but this is the case with all devices that you address with Siri.

Incidentally, the quick response time cannot be taken for granted. The smart socket from Elgato, like all of their HomeKit devices, works via Bluetooth LE, which on the one hand reduces the range, because I have WiFi available in significantly more corners than the Bluetooth on my iPhone, and on the other hand the response time is significantly longer. For me it varies between one and three seconds. But it tends towards the three seconds. This may not be a problem with a thermostat control, but with a light it is not very comfortable if you have to wait three seconds for it to get light.

But as I said: The Koogeek is doing everything right in this regard, as it works via the WLAN network. If for any reason it is necessary to switch the socket on or off at the push of a button, the Koogeek also has a button on the top for this purpose. Important, the current status of the socket is of course also correctly displayed in the home app if you switch it on or off at the push of a button.

A nice detail that is sure to be of interest to parents of small children is the child safety device that is built into the socket. This way, the little ones can't sink any knitting needles into the holes in the can and get an electric shock.

Size of the smart plug

In terms of dimensions, the Koogeek is a pleasant version of the WLAN socket. If you look at the WeMo from Belkin, for example, you will notice that it is relatively bulky and loosely covers the sockets next door to the extent that you do not have a Schuko plug gets more pure.

The Koogeek is a bit smaller there, but still not so small that you would not see it as a handicap in a socket strip. There it takes up less space than most other SmartHome sockets, but it should be even less.

LED display suitable for bedroom?

The switchable WLAN socket from Koogeek has a small "Koogeek" lettering on the front, upper edge, the last "e" of which is illuminated from the inside. This is the status display of the device, so to speak. When it's waiting for a connection during setup, the "e" flashes red and when the outlet is on in use, it's solid green. When the socket is switched off, nothing lights up.

If you use the switchable socket to switch a light on or off, then I would definitely classify it as suitable for the bedroom, because then nothing lights up when the light is off. Only if you have a device that stays on while you're lying in the dark will you see the small "e" glow. It's not particularly bright, but it's bright enough to be disturbing for a sensitive person. In this case, I would recommend painting over the "e" with an Edding or sticking a small strip of paper over it with Tesa. Then you have complete peace.

Criticism: Koogeek only works over the 2,4 GHz frequency band

I still have one criticism of the Koogeek Smart Plug socket: It only works in the 2,4 GHz frequency band, which I find a bit antiquated. All Fritz! Box routers and also my Google Wifi use both 2,4 GHz and 5,8 GHz and my end devices such as the iPhone or iPad connect using one frequency band and sometimes the other.

Now it has happened to me that the message came up that the HomeKit device "Koogeek Smart Plug" was not responding. I then tried to switch the socket directly with the Koogeek app, but the message came back that the socket could only be reached via the 2,4 GHz frequency band. However, my iPhone was apparently in the 5,8 GHz band at the moment and could not send any commands to the "smart socket" for this reason.

I'm not sure if this is only a problem if you turn off your 2,4 GHz band completely, or if it becomes problematic if you are using a mixed network. If, like some people, you work with two separate SSIDs (WLAN names) for the 2,4 GHz and 5,8 GHz network, you will definitely run into problems when you are in the 5,8 GHz network. There the socket cannot be seen as a WiFi device.

I would expect that this kind of problem will no longer occur in 2017. Most routers and mesh network devices such as Google Wifi and the Fritz! Box devices work with both frequency bands and, depending on the reception strength of the end device, convey which band is currently being used. Having to intervene here manually in order to reach a socket in a certain frequency band is somehow extremely cumbersome.

Koogeek app: expandable

I don't really use the Koogeek app because you can also control the socket with the Home app and Siri. I used the app as a test to get an impression for the test report. It also crashed once when I wanted to program an automatic timer to control the socket. Perhaps one advantage of the app is that you can also use it to determine the power consumption of the device that is plugged in. There is also a graph for the consumption of the last two months, but here too the app seems a bit immature: While the graph has a display for the entire current year, it says directly below that only the last two months are evaluated.

For some users, the timer could be interesting, with the help of which you can set several times per day at which the socket switches on and off again. There are no days of the week or the like. Just a start and end time and the option to set a daily repeating timer or a one-time timer. The function is therefore quite rudimentary.

However, you don't have to use the app. Even the setup can be done with the Home app from Apple, so that you can save the installation.

[appbox app store id1078204013]

Conclusion: very inexpensive HomeKit socket

Apart from the point of criticism with the lack of 5,8 GHz support, I am quite enthusiastic about this wireless socket. And the problem with the 5,8 GHz shouldn't matter to most users. This is actually only noticeable negatively if you consciously split your mixed network into two separate WLAN networks with a different SSID for the 2,4 GHz and 5,8 GHz network.

Otherwise, I find it very positive that the connection to the socket does not work via Bluetooth but via WLAN. This has some practical advantages in terms of range and speed of shifting. Another positive point of the wifi socket is its size. Although it also takes up too much space to be in a Power strip to plug in a Schuko plug in the neighboring socket, but with a wall socket, such a plug still fits next to the Koogeek without any problems.

Another plus point of the Koogeek variant is that you do not need a SmartHome bridge as with Osram or Bosch. Here you have to integrate a central box from Bosch into the WLAN, which then takes over the communication between the WLAN and the manufacturer's SmartHome devices.

If you are looking for a homekit-compatible radio-controlled socket, then I can give you the Koogeek Smart Plug as a recommendation. In terms of price and function, it is one of the best I could find.

Source of supply Amazon: Currently not available

As mentioned above, the Koogeek socket is currently not available.

Is she again:

Alternatives to the Koogeek Smart Plug

For this reason, I have selected a few good alternatives for you that I would consider as useful homekit-compatible SmartHome sockets if I were to buy a model at the moment. However, you have to differentiate between the models that require a homekit-compatible bridge and these sockets that work with HomeKit without an additional device. If you are planning to buy several devices from one manufacturer anyway, a solution with a bridge is not necessarily the worst choice. You can definitely mix different devices in your "SmartHome" and they can all be controlled via the Home app and Siri.

Stand-alone solution without a bridge

The offer here is currently quite sparse. In my opinion, there is only the Elgato Eve Energy, which is recommended here. However, which works with Bluetooth, but still has a considerable range. With me, I can control Elgato Eve thermostats over two floors, which I would not have expected with Bluetooth LE.

Elgato Eve Energy

Direct connection without a bridge; runs via bluetooth; shows the power consumption and switches up to 2500 W.

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 17.11.2022 at 11: 28 clock)

Solutions with bridge, hub or gateway

These are the devices that are available if you want to use several SmartHome products from the same manufacturer:

2,60 EUR

Osram Smart + Plug socket

Osram offers a switchable socket that works with the Lightify gateway, which you have to buy for around 35 EUR. The range is approx. 30 meters.

29,99 EUR −2,60 EUR 27,39 EUR

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 17.11.2022 at 11: 28 clock)

Bosch Smart Home adapter plug

Bosch also has a switchable socket in its range that can be controlled via HomeKit. Unfortunately, the Smart Home Controller from Bosch is not exactly cheap: the kit consisting of socket and controller is available for 179 EUR. The Bosch socket switches up to 3680 watts.

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 17.11.2022 at 11: 28 clock)

I hope I was able to present you with a passable alternative. If the Koogeek adapter comes in on Amazon again, I will note it in the newsletter.

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.

The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de