As we shift our focus toward Thanksgiving, many retailers have begun to unveil their Christmas merchandise, highlighting an essential item you should prepare in advance—an outdoor smart plug. For holiday decorations such as exterior lights and trees, smart plugs designed to endure wet and cold conditions are crucial. Leviton offers an outstanding solution with its Matter-enabled smart plug, which integrates seamlessly with HomeKit.
HomeKit Weekly is a series dedicated to smart home gadgets, automation hacks, and insights into Apple’s smart home ecosystem.
Why can’t indoor plugs be used outdoors?
You may wonder, “Isn’t a smart plug just a smart plug? Why can’t I take my indoor smart plug outside?” The answer is more complex than it seems. While they can function outdoors initially, they are unlikely to endure an entire season. Indoor smart plugs don’t possess the necessary weatherproofing that outdoor models do, making them vulnerable to rain, snow, and even damaging UV rays if placed in direct sunlight. These features aren’t merely optional; they are essential for safety and durability.
Hardware Overview
The Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug with Matter is equipped with robust weatherproofing, built to brave the elements, with a wide operating temperature range (-20F to 122F) and an IP65 rating to guard against dirt, dust, moisture, rain, hoses, snow, and UV degradation.
Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug with Matter Automation Features
During my review of the Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug with Matter, I discovered a unique hardware automation feature that I haven’t encountered in HomeKit products before. It includes a built-in light sensor that automatically activates lamps and lights at night and disables them during the day without requiring any preset schedules or additional automation setups. While I enjoy creating HomeKit automations, this feature is a fantastic bonus for a smart plug. I hope to see more brands incorporate similar automation in their products in the future. However, you can disable this feature through the My Leviton app. This functionality inspires me to consider future hardware automations for other devices.
Integrating a Matter Device into HomeKit
A significant advantage of HomeKit lies in its compatibility with Matter. For HomeKit users, this compatibility means that if you ever decide to transition to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, all your Matter-certified devices will still be valid and functional. The Matter onboarding process via QR codes is quite similar to that of HomeKit-only devices. Leviton provides the Matter code under the device and includes it in the manual as well. This is especially important for outdoor devices, as a backup code is useful in case the original fades over time due to exposure to the elements.
HomeKit has also improved significantly by providing automation recommendations during the setup process. The image above illustrates how the first two automation options are ideal for outdoor lighting—setting it to activate at sunset and deactivate at 11:00 PM.
Conclusion on the Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug with Matter
The Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug stands out as an excellent product. I appreciate its out-of-the-box Matter support, which doesn’t require any firmware updates, along with its built-in hardware automation. This well-constructed device will definitely be used on our front porch this Christmas to power festive decorations.
You can find the Leviton Outdoor Smart Plug with Matter available for purchase on Amazon or in Home Depot stores.
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