NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You probably have your holiday decorations up by now. But if you're still working on them, we have some ideas.
Whether you want your holiday lights to dim or dazzle, a Wi-Fi-connected smart plug can help. And with a lot of these, you can control everything from an app on your phone or even just your voice.
Holiday homes are turning into winter wonderlands with lights, music, and in some cases a lot more!
“The simplest way to control your holiday lights is honestly with a smart plug," said Consumer Reports' Dan Wroclawski. "They’re affordable, they work with popular home assistants like Alexa and google home…”
Wraclawski says, even if you don’t have the tech skills to pull this off, there are products to help manage your lights and kits that can offer up some extra holiday fun this season.
Setting up a smart plug isn’t complicated. Most are set up using an app you download on your phone. Once you create an account you can add your smart plug to the app. From there you can create routines to have your lights turn off and on automatically.
For outdoor lighting, choose a smart plug specifically rated for outdoors, like this top-rated one from Wyze. For indoor use, Consumer Reports likes this one from TP-Link.
Some smart plugs even offer energy-monitoring features and safety alerts. Something that’s especially important this time of year!
“December is a leading month for home fires, and fires involving Christmas trees and decorations can be especially damaging and deadly," said Wroclawski. "So it’s important to always make sure you have working smoke detectors.”
Consumer Reports recommends this smoke detector from SimpliSafe.
Before decorating, inspect all of your lights, extension cords and plugs to make sure they are in good condition. Only use indoor extension cords and decorations inside! Never overload your outlets, and always unplug all of your holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.
And be careful when you’re hanging those holiday lights! Each year, almost six thousand people visit the ER with injuries from falls putting up holiday decorations! So before you climb, put on sturdy shoes and check your ladder for loose parts, sharp edges and bent rungs.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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