We are slowly moving into a Black Mirror episode where we can control our entire surroundings with either an app or our voices. I say, lets just embrace it! All those episodes have happy endings…right?
The Devolo Home Control Starter Pack helps you start to transform your house into a smart home with three central components in one pack: The Home Control Central Unit, Home Control Door/Window Contact and the Home Control Smart Metering Plug. Starting with the Home Control Central Unit, this is the neuro-centre to all the other products, making sure that all the other smart products are in communication with each other in a compact and discreet unit. The Home Control Door/Window Contact ups the security in your home by monitoring the access areas (even cupboards and draws) and detecting invasions or unauthorised entry, which will then sound an alarm if something doesn’t seem right. The Home Control Smart Metering Plug can be used to make your coffee before you wake up, warn you if you have left the freezer door ajar or turn off devices you have accidently left on.
The Devolo uses standardised Z-Wave wireless technology with a 3 year manufacturer's warranty and doesn’t require a monthly membership to use. It will work with Google Home or Google Home Mini Smart Speaker if you want to be able to control your Devolo via voice activation. The build quality could be improved as the plastic feels quite thin in places. It doesn’t work with other smart devices like Hive or SmartThings, so it limits you to what you can use. We also had some connection issues with the devices reading ‘offline’ when they were are active.
The Devolo is a reasonable smart system when it works it works well, but the inconsistencies made it unreliable, plus the inevitable purchases of additional items will soon add up. Having said that the Devolo Starter pack (and the extra parts) can do some pretty cool things, it is easy to install, and the app lets you have full control in an intuitive way. This kit is a good introduction to smart home system. If you are looking to avoid a Wi-Fi connect system this could be a good place to start, but, like most things, don’t expect 100% functionality. RRP £179.99
3.5 out of 5
Pros
Easy to install
Clean and intuitive interface
Has some great, usable functions
Accurate sensors
Compatible with Google Home
Cons
Doesn’t always connect first time
Poor build quality in parts
Additional units are expensive
No Wi-Fi connection
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