Best Switches
Turn devices on and off, create schedules and set timers using the Kasa app. Remote access: control devices connected to the smart plug wherever you have internet using the free kasa app on your smartphone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are somewhat bulky, and at $20/device, a little expensive (Amazon does occasionally put them on sale at a steeper discount) , but it was great to finally find something to control lights in my house that works over the network and is easy to set up."
"It brodcasts a wireless network, which you then have to join and then put in your information for your wireless network."
"It has a cool online feature that allows randomized usage during a travel mode that you configure."
"These are great smart plugs and I highly recommend."
"Our Alexa is right by the front door and when entering late at night we. can just tell Alexa to turn on the lights and our path is lit all the way upstairs."
"I rebooted the router and the plug joined the network without a fuss."
"Initially set up easy & worked fantastic with alex."
"After several hours of trying to connect to Alexa app, I gave up."
You can also set customized rules to turn lights on or off as scheduled. Easy to use and install - Just plug a device into the Smart Plug and connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are somewhat bulky, and at $20/device, a little expensive (Amazon does occasionally put them on sale at a steeper discount) , but it was great to finally find something to control lights in my house that works over the network and is easy to set up."
"It brodcasts a wireless network, which you then have to join and then put in your information for your wireless network."
"It has a cool online feature that allows randomized usage during a travel mode that you configure."
"These are great smart plugs and I highly recommend."
"Our Alexa is right by the front door and when entering late at night we. can just tell Alexa to turn on the lights and our path is lit all the way upstairs."
"I rebooted the router and the plug joined the network without a fuss."
"Initially set up easy & worked fantastic with alex."
"After several hours of trying to connect to Alexa app, I gave up."
Command complete control over your outlets. The Etekcity Remote Control Outlet Switch lets you remotely control hard to reach appliances and devices. A strong RF signal works as far as 100 feet and through doors and walls without interfering with other electronics, allowing convenient control over small household appliances from across rooms or on second floors. With this level of control in your hands, you'll increase the efficiency of your household easily and conveniently.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A real convenience to plug stuff in around the room and control it from one remote."
"So, for example, you could have one button that turns all outlets on/off, another button that controls a single outlet, and a third button that controls one outlet."
"I used these for my different christmas lights and to be able to push one button instead of having to move furniture to plug each one in and then move furniture to unplug each one has been awesome."
"These are wonderful for those places that you want to control without climbing the steps or just don't want to get up in the middle of a good movie."
"Work as expected, we don't have lights closely located near our front door so with this remote I can turn on both lamps or one or the other."
"I bought these so i could put lights above my cabinets and not have to plug them in and out when i use them."
"Like the simplicity of controlling several things in the bedroom from one remote."
"This is the second set of these I have purchased."
Best Industrial Basic Switches
The ZW3k 3-Way Control Add-On Switch is designed to work with a Z-Wave wall switch (ZW15S) or Z-Wave dimmer switch (ZW500D) for multi-location control. This is an add-on switch for Z-Wave home automation light switches and dimmers, NOT a standalone switch, does NOT have Z-Wave technology. Enables 3-way and multi-location control to a Z-Wave light switch (such as ZW15SM-PLUS), Z-Wave dimmer switch (such as ZW500DM-PLUS), or Z-Wave fan control.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Using this configuration, I cannot do any of the advanced programming including changing when the LED comes on and how the module responds to ALL ON/ALL OFF commands. Knowing these kinds of things can allow you to create lighting scenes with other controlled devices. A nice feature to add in the future might be to track energy consumption, but no Z-wave receptacles do this to date. The local power toggle switch on the controlled outlet is a nice touch. The much more expensive Leviton VRR15-1LZ Vizia RF + Split Duplex Tamper Resistant Scene Capable Receptacle has a recessed switch that is kind of annoying to access. The Enerwave manual switch makes adding the Z-wave module a snap. You won't be blocking access to the lower outlet by when you plug in the device you want to switch. Kidding aside, the tamper resistant feature for this model is particularly stiff compared to other receptacles with TR."
"I have it now hooked up to 9 Cree a19 bulbs and at 1 percent it has a dimming value of about 60% of most other Smart bulbs and there is a slight flicker to all the bulbs."
"This switch is functionally same as the GE/Jasco 3-way switch and can be used interchangeably. Its air-gap switch is also fake -- it actuates an internal air-gap switch, but has no actual function; this gives the false impression that it disables the switch."
"This REQUIRES the neutral line ( white wire ) and as most of the normal switches are not with a neutral wire, you need to find a piece of WHITE wire to connect the switch to Neutral line."
"The screw terminal wouldn't tighten down far enough to allow a #14 wire to be secured into the outlet."
Best DIP Switches
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As per the specification."
"the male pins work just fine."
"These are simple enough that they are unlikely to have any problems."
"Just as advertised and shipped quickly."
"A nice combination of mating connectors."
"These were perfect for use on solderable breadboards and an Arduino Pro Mini."
Best Foot Switches
The outlets are simple to program and reprogram at any time and are able to sync with any ZAP outlet switch, no matter when or where they were purchased. Etekcity outlets in countries that are allowed to use: USA, Japan and most countries in South America. LOW STANDBY POWER CONSUMPTION: Outlets remain off after a power outage to save energy; ETL and FCC approved for safety and quality assurance; 15-Month Warranty; Note: it's not compatible with echo.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used it for bedside wall mounted lights that had a switch on the cord that was hidden behind the headboard and awkward if not impossible to access from the bed."
"Just one thing, number 1 and number 3 Outlets we're being controlled Buy number 3, but number 3 wasn't controlling number 1."
"With this product I can turn them on and off with the simple click of a button on a little remote."
"Works great - Just wish that it came with a way to mount the remotes on a wall."
"Only drawback for me is that while it might work for long distances line-of-sight, even twenty feet away might be too much if there is a pantry of canned goods and some plumbing in the way."
"I have a lamp in my apartment and a lamp downstairs, and I can control both from my apartment."
"Excellent for seniors, no more moving in tight spaces to turn on light."
"The remote buttons stop working..."
Best Key Operated Switches
The receiver electronics are encapsulated for waterproofing and it is suitable for use in harsh environments. Operating temperature range - 0° F to 160° F. Receiver dimensions are approximately 6" L x 4" W x 2.25" H. There is a terminal block for the connections.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Worked perfect for my application which was reversing a log roller from the cab of a front end loader at a sawmill."
Best Limit Switches
SUNS ST-800 proximity switch tester is designed to test most 3 wire DC proximity switches inductives [metal sensing] or capacitives photoelectrics or, ultrasonics.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Better than the one I used to have that cost a lot more."
"Saved me a lot of guess work, simple and accurate."
"SIMPLE TOOL USED ON INDUSTRIAL LEVEL TO TEST PROX SENSORS SAVES TIME AND MONEY."
"Isn't global trading wonderful..... A magic little tester for testing proxy switches, dispatched very quickly ( to a US address ) I would highly recommend this product and company."
Best Pushbutton Switches
This dual-Voltage, single-phase Paddle Switch is rated for 110-Volt, 2 Horsepower motors up to 35-Amp and 220-Volt, 3 Horsepower motors up to 20-Amp. Rated for 2 horsepower motors; 110-Volt; Up to 35-Amp.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is not quite as high and wide as a standard 1-gang box, but so close that I would not count the stray space. A rough-count of wires entering the box gives an NEC requirement as high as 13 or 14 cubic inches just for wire-folding space. So the total box depth must be about 3.5 inches, the deepest box commonly made, and not always available in the home-stores."
"The switch fit nicely on the fence and it works as expected although some wiring changes on my older saw had to be done due to the original switch that came with the saw."
"You can mount the screws in some metal boxes through the two holes that are normally used to screw the box into the wall."
"Additionally, you'll need two 3/4" strain relief bushings, four high temperature ring terminals for the gauge of your wire (to attach wires to your switch), and four 8-32x1/2" machine screws (to attach the box to the mounting plate)."
"The magnetic switch on the shop fox cabinet saw broke, well that is a $100 replacement, no thank you... I mounted a single gang mud ring to the switch first."
"Switch works as described and appears to be well built and sturdy."
"I purchased from Amazon Prime for 15$, and took a chance on the Woodstock D4151 110/220-Volt Paddle Switch to use on a router table project."
"Feel much safer with a large paddel that I can hit with my leg, than a tiny switch on the lower front corner (as the saw was designed.)."
Best Selector Switches
Command complete control over your outlets. The Etekcity Remote Control Outlet Switch lets you remotely control hard to reach appliances and devices. A strong RF signal works as far as 100 feet and through doors and walls without interfering with other electronics, allowing convenient control over small household appliances from across rooms or on second floors. With this level of control in your hands, you'll increase the efficiency of your household easily and conveniently.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"the newer version was even cheaper then this set."
"If you're like me, you've had to awkwardly shuffle behind your Christmas tree to plug and unplug lights."
"Two reasons for only four stars (and some might give it less for the same reasons): > very short-range; about 50 ft. > uses a small (about as wide as a AAA battery and half the length) special A23 -12 volt battery. Works fine within a room."
"Bought these for my parents."
"I used these for my different christmas lights and to be able to push one button instead of having to move furniture to plug each one in and then move furniture to unplug each one has been awesome."
"So, for example, you could have one button that turns all outlets on/off, another button that controls a single outlet, and a third button that controls one outlet."
"You could also use it for christmas lights if they are pluged in to an indoor outlet or you could use it to turn off a power strip with a lot of electronics to prevent power draining at night."
"I was a bit hesitant at first because other dj friends had told me that they dont have a good remote range but they were wrong with this model."
Best Toggle Switches
HOTSYSTEM Car LED ON/OFF Switch. Included: 5 x Round Rocker Switch with Blue LED. Material: Frames are nylon Terminals are silver plated brass.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you flush mount these into a panel or something and they don't move it's because the hole you drilled is TO TIGHT!!!"
"I wanted to make a note that while it's not listed as a requirement, generally you need to wire a resistor in series with any small LED operating in a circuit."
"So yes, they are LEDs."
"Wire it the other way and the led lights only when the switch is on."
"Very easy to install and look pretty cool when lit up at night."
"I assume most people just haven't bothered to really look at the bulb in this product."
"Sometimes one switch will barely fit into a hole I made for it while the same exact switch with no obvious physical deformities just won't fit no matter how hard you try."
"I am currently using this switch with the indicator light disabled to prevent damage to my vehicle until I get some new switches."
Best Electromechanical Products
Designed to work with the wires you already have, Sensi thermostat does not require a common wire (c-wire) in many cases, so it is compatible with most heating and cooling systems* (U.S. and Canada only). Set your Sensi thermostat to automatically adjust your homes temperature for location-based temperature control with geofencing, or quickly create a 7-day schedule to reduce wasteful heating and cooling when no one is home. Integrates with Amazon Alexa for voice control and Wink smart home platforms, and works with Google Assistant and Google Home using the free Wink app.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In my research I learned that my primary complaint the Nest - that the temperature swing was too wide - was addressed by Sensi's "cycle rate" setting. Nest's no-button design is cool, but using a thermostat is not a lecture in UX minimalism, and black-and-chrome doesn't really disappear into the background of my home (white trim and all). Granted, we didn't also install a second Nest to have more temperature sensors, and we didn't buy their $200 talking smoke detectors which also report environmental statistics back to the thermostat. Most people won't care about this but being a network security engineer, I'm impressed that the thermostat has exactly 0 open TCP ports, outbound communication is with one IP, and total traffic is very modest."
"--. I had been wanting to get a WiFi Thermostat for a long time now, but I held off because I was worried that I would buy one that wouldn't be compatible with my home or that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to install it. You select the wires that your current thermostat has, and then the app tells you what to label them and where they will go in the new thermostat. I had never replaced a thermostat before, and it took me under 30 minutes (which includes unboxing, looking for screwdriver, looking for AC unit shut off switch, watching how-to videos included with the app, etc). The app is handy because it also tells you your local Hi and Low temps from the forecast as well as the humidity in your home, upcoming schedule, set temp, actual temp, and the background is either blue, red, or grey depending on if your system is on Cool, Heat, or off at the moment. The only thing this is missing is a few more advanced options for the app, such as specific alerts (like if the temperature is changed manually, I would like to be able to get an instant alert on my phone) and an air filter change reminder that can be set for a certain amount of time (like 1, 2, or 3 months)."