Lutron is taking its top-notch HomeKit smart plug outside. The upcoming Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug is a beefy-looking, iP-65-rated AC outlet that’s built to take all the abuse Mother Nature can dish out.
Designed to give you control over things like outdoor lighting and pumps, it’s smart enough that it can adjust your timers when daylight saving time arrives.
“It’s essentially weatherproof, dirtproof and sunproof,” said Matt Swatsky, Lutron’s vice president of residential mid-market business, in a press release Monday. “A homeowner can now enjoy all the benefits of a Caséta system for their outside spaces.”
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Lutron’s existing Caséta smart switches, which utilize the company’s physical Smart Bridge and Clear Connect RF tech (.pdf), are the single most bulletproof HomeKit devices I’ve used. The Smart Bridge connects directly to your internet router, and delivers an extremely reliable connection. Unlike many other HomeKit accessories, Caséta switches never go offline.
As with other HomeKit devices, you can set up automated “scenes” and control the Caséta switches with Siri. The Lutron gear also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and other popular home-automation platforms.
Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug
The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug works with or without Lutron’s Smart Bridge. You can also use one of Lutron’s handy and inexpensive Pico remotes to control the new outdoor plug’s single outlet.
The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug should hit store shelves this March for $79.99, according to the company.
Here’s more info from Monday’s Lutron press release:
The outdoor smart plug offers convenient control options through voice command, the Lutron app, or the Pico remote control. It integrates with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Ring video doorbells and cameras. And it has a built-in smart timer, which means, unlike traditional timers, the outdoor smart plug stays on the right time year-round, even with Daylight Savings.
The addition of a Lutron Smart Bridge gives users the hub advantage of increased reliability and responsiveness. They can enjoy control from anywhere. Homeowners can put lights and other devices on a schedule to come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise, or create scenes that control multiple outdoor lights at the same time. In addition, the Smart Bridge delivers fast, reliable control that doesn’t slow down a home’s Wi-Fi.
The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug will be available late March online at major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as at electrical and A/V distributors. The suggested retail price is $79.95.
Other HomeKit outdoor plugs
The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug faces pretty stiff competition from the Meross Smart WiFi Indoor/Outdoor Plug. That HomeKit-compatible waterproof plug offers two separately controllable AC outlets, and retails for closer to $30.
